MILEPOST 34 OCTOBER 2013

II 28

CLASS 350 – The Go Faster Version – from Page 158 Photo: David Adams

RPS

railway performance society www.railperf.org.uk

Milepost 34½ -149 - October 2013 Milepost 34½ - October 2013

The Quarterly Magazine of the Railway Performance Society Honorary President: Gordon Pettitt, OBE, FCILT Commitee:

CHAIRMAN Frank Collins 10 Collett Way, Frome, Somerset BA11 2XR Tel: 01373 466408 e-mail [email protected] SECRETARY & VC Martin Barrett 112 Langley Drive, Norton, Malton, N Yorks, YO17 9AB (and meetings) Tel: 01653 694937 Email: [email protected] TREASURER Peter Smith 28 Downsview Ave, Storrington, W Sussex, RH20 (and membership) 4PS. Tel 01903 742684 e-mail: [email protected] EDITOR David Ashley 92 Lawrence Drive, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middx, UB10 8RW. Tel 01895 675178 E-mail: [email protected] Fastest Times Editor David Sage 93 Salisbury Rd, Burton, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23, 7JR. Tel 01202 249717 E-mail [email protected] Distance Chart Editor Ian Umpleby 314 Stainbeck Rd, Leeds, W Yorks LS7 2LR Tel 0113 266 8588 Email: [email protected] Database/Archivist Lee Allsopp 2 Gainsborough, North Lake, Bracknell, RG12 7WL Tel 01344 648644 e-mail [email protected] Technical Officer David Hobbs 11 Lynton Terrace, Acton, London W3 9DX Tel 020 8993 3788 e-mail [email protected] David Stannard 26 Broomfield Close, Chelford, Macclesfield, Cheshire,SK11 9SL. Tel 01625 861172 e mail: [email protected] Steam Specialist Michael Rowe Burley Cottage, Parson St., Porlock,Minehead, Somerset, TA24 8QJ . Tel 01643 862182 E-mail: [email protected] Committee member: Michael Bruce, 234A Otley Rd., West Park, Leeds LS16 5AB Tel 0113 305 0367 E-mail: [email protected] Richard Howlett, 93 Newbury Gardens, Stoneleigh, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 0NY Tel: 020 8394 0340 E-mail: [email protected]

Non-committee official:- Fastest times Martin Robertson 23 Brownside Rd, Cambuslang, Glasgow, G72 0NL e-mail: [email protected] Directors of RPS Rail Performance Consultants Ltd.:- Frank Collins (chairman), Peter Smith (secretary), Martin Barrett

CONTENTS Notices 151 Class 350 – Go Faster Version David Adams 158 ECML Timetable Part 3 Martin Barrett 160 Fastest times Martin Robertson 166 The Big Squeeze Ian Umpleby 174 Weekend Running Martin Barrett 177 Lesser Lights of the LM Region 2 Andrew James 179 Peak Speeds Bill Hemstock 185 Cambrian & SW Tractors David Lloyd Roberts 187 The Other Joint Michael Rowe 191 Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado Derek Wilson 203 Cologne-Achen Bill Long 208 Letters 211 News 202, 216

Enclosures (where subscribed): Historical Fastest Times, distance charts Copyright The Railway Performance Society Ltd, registered in England & Wales No. 04488089 Use of the material in the magazine is permitted only for the private purposes of the reader No material in the magazine can otherwise be used for publication or reproduction in any form without the express permission of the Society

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the RPS, the Editors or any of their advisers. Whilst efforts are made to ensure accuracy, the Editor his advisers and the RPS accept no responsibility for any loss or damage arising from

Milepost 34½ -149 - October 2013 any inaccuracies howsoever caused. Readers are asked to note that the RPS encourages contributions from all members, and articles may appear that are interesting in content, but occasionally may not be to the standard of the rest of the publication. Material sent to the Editors, whether commissioned or freely submitted is provided entirely at the contributors own risk; neither the Editor nor the RPS can be held responsible for any loss or damage howsoever caused. Published by The Railway Performance Society Limited, 92 Lawrence Drive, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middx, UB10 8RW Printed by Prontaprint Harrow, 7 Central Parade, Station Rd., Harrow, Middx, HA1 2TW.

PUBLICATION OF MILEPOST

Milepost is published in April, July, October, and January. If you have not received your copy by the end of the month of publication it may have gone astray. Requests for replacements of missing or defective copies should be directed please to the Editor.

REPRESENTING THE SOCIETY

The RPS is always keen to be represented at special media-type occasions. However, we do ask that anyone wishing to do this should do so with the express agreement of the Committee. Should the opportunity arise for any member or in exceptional circumstances, friend of a member, to do this please can contact be made with the Secretary (either by telephone or e-mail) setting out the circumstances of the occasion. Please give us at least one week in advance of the occasion.

SUBMITTING ARTICLES

Submissions may be sent as attachments to an email or by post as documents on a CD or diskette or as a printed document. If sending a diskette or CD, please enclose a hard copy of the article; this helps if file(s) are unreadable for any reason.

Please send all submissions to the editor whose contact details are in the inside front cover of Milepost. The editor will normally acknowledge email submissions within a few days, and always within 3 weeks. If sending by post and you wish to have a receipt, please enclose an SAE for reply. If you wish any material/CD/diskette to be returned, please clearly state this.

Milepost 23¾ gave detailed guidelines for submissions. The editor is happy to supply these, on request by email or by post. Please note that page margins are critical: one inch or 2.54cm top, bottom, left and right.

Distance Chart Editor’s Report - Ian Umpleby

Work has concentrated on completing the North Wales Coast Line and this has been found to be almost a quarter of a mile longer than posted west of Chester. A separate table 81aa attempts to show actual individual milepost distances. There have been so many alterations to the Nottingham – Worksop line that it was easier to reissue it. The Southend–on–Sea Victoria branch with its new out-of-sync mileposts has also been done together with a renewal of that to Skegness. Thanks to Sean Emmett an update of all lines west of Swansea has been achieved and his Romney Hythe and Dymchurch and West Somerset charts have also been produced. Bob Jenning’s useful set of Dutch charts now has its own web site section. Heritage Railways may soon get their own section and a selection of closed lines’ charts may appear in the January Milepost upload. I hope to produce a new Midland Main Line chart in time for the next issue following the speed increases due with the Winter Timetable. Thanks again to all of those who have helped me over the past three months; regular infrastructure/ Temporary Speed Restrictions updates continue to be posted to the web site. Don’t forget that if you see anything that may be of interest to other members it can be posted directly to the website using your password; contact Lee Allsopp if you need one. Ian Umpleby

Milepost 34½ -150 - October 2013 Fastest Times

Please send all Fastest Times contributions to David Sage at the address on the inside cover.

This is with the following exceptions:- David Ashley for Voyagers, 180s, Pendolinos and 222s. Bill Long for DB material.

If in doubt then e-mail or post to my contact details on the inside cover.

Please, where practicable, also copy claims and logs to Lee Allsopp for the Society archive, and to Martin Robertson for material for his Fastest Times articles.

Note that the Members area of the RPS website – see www.railperf.org.uk - has the latest GB and Overseas Fastest Times. These times are also there in the general area, but without the recorder’s initials. At present all entries are as up to date as possible from submissions received. I must still confess to a time-lag with regard to the general area, but Member’s site is fine.

Please note my new e-mail address: [email protected]

OVERSEAS CHARTS

Just a reminder that, for those who may be interested, charts are available for the recently opened LAV from Barcelona Sants to Figueres Vilafant and also the line from Figueres Vilafant to Perpignan. Please contact me via the e-mail address above or write to my address on the inside cover of Milepost.

David Sage, October 2013

HISTORIC FASTEST TIMES

The 2013 edition is issued with this distribution, where subscribed. If you have any items to offer please contact me by email at either [email protected] or [email protected], or by post to Bevan Price, 24 Walmesley Road, Eccleston, St. Helens, Lancs., WA10 5JT.

SALES ITEMS Back Numbers: Certain back issues of Milepost, from Milepost 6 onwards, can be supplied at a price of £2.50 each including postage. Supplies are extremely limited and once sold they will not be reprinted. Details of issues available will be supplied on request. Milepost is available in the British Library; the Bodleian Library, Oxford; the University Library, Cambridge; The National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh; The Library of Trinity College, Dublin, the National Library of Wales, the National Railway Museum and the Railway Studies Library at Newton Abbot Library. Where a requested edition is out of print the member will be provided with a letter of authority from the Society (as copyright holder) to enable a complete copy to be taken from any of the Library copies. Indices for volumes 7, 8, 10, 12 to 19 and 21 are available and will be supplied free of charge on receipt of an A5 size stamped addressed envelope.

Distance Chart Supplements.

Milepost 34½ -151 - October 2013 All supplements are issued in A5 loose leaf format. Following a review, the price of these supplements has been reduced, but they will no longer be supplied with binders.

UK Distance Supplement: £17.00

The complete collection of RPS distance charts compiled to date. Individual new and revised charts are issued with Milepost when they become available.

Overseas Distance Supplement (Section 1 France): £8.50

The complete collection of Issue 2 distance charts compiled to date. Individual new and revised charts are distributed occasionally with Milepost to those members who have paid a small supplementary membership fee.

Overseas Distance Supplement (Section 2 Ireland): £7.50

The complete set of Irish distance charts as published in 2005/6. If any revised charts are published they will be distributed with Milepost to those members who have paid a small supllementary membership fee.

UK Fastest Times £5.00

2010 and 2011-3 supplements in loose-leaf format Historical Fastest Times 2004, 2006 Editions: £2.00 each; 2004/6/7 pack: £7.50 Orders for all above sales items please to Peter Smith. All prices include postage. Please enclose the correct remittance with your order and allow 28 days for delivery.

VOYAGER, ADELANTE, CHALLENGER, PENDOLINO and Reopened ECML, GE and GW RECORDS.

The notice of members is drawn to the monthly e-mail update of Fastest times for Classes 180/220/221/220+221/222/390 and the re-opened lists for FGW/ecml and GE. If anyone would like to start receiving these lists please let me know by e-mail to [email protected]. If a current recipient wishes to withdraw his name, please let me know.

For the benefit of new members the re-opened lists refer to the fastest performances recorded on and from the arbitrary start date of 18/5/08 They are usually, but necessarily, slower than the printed book Fastest Times, many of which were achieved pre-data recorders and involved speeds that are unlikely to be repeated. The re-opened records are for HSTs from FGW services plus Wakefield Westgate to Penzance, Class 91s and HSTs on Fastest Time book 'ecml' sections and for Class 90s on GE sections.

Submissions must be made in excel or works spreadsheet and the format used on the lists issued, unless the member does not have access to the technology. This is to minimise copying errors and compilation time. It would be a good idea therefore for new members to wait until they have received an issue of the lists before participating to save them from indulging in unnecessary detail. No logs are needed for this exercise, although David Sage and Martin Robertson would appreciate a copy if the record is also a new Fastest Times book entry, as opposed to just a re-opened one.

Milepost 34½ -152 - October 2013 If in doubt please do not hesitate to contact me on the above e-mail address, by phone on 01895 675178 or letter to David Ashley, 92 Lawrence Drive, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middx, UB10 8RW

THE MEETINGS SECTION THURSDAY SATURDAY TUESDAY 19TH THURSDAY 31ST OCTOBER 2ND NOVEMBER 23RD JANUARY 2013 NOVEMBER 2013 2014 2013 The Beaufort The Lamb, The Grove Inn, The Royal Oak, Arms LONDON Leeds Borough, BRISTOL LONDON PARKWAY 1645 1200 for 1215 1645 1645 Area Meeting Really Useful Area Meeting Area Meeting realtimetrains – see page 160 DIRECTIONS TO THE VENUES

LONDON – The Royal Oak, 44 Tabard Street, London SE1 4JU. From Borough tube station, turn left and at first road junction turn right into Great Dover Street and the almost immediately left into Long Lane. Tabard Street is a few yards on the right (5 minutes walk). OR from London Bridge walk down approach road and turn left into Borough High Street, Turn left by Southwark Local Studies Library, with St Georges Church on right, into Tabard Street. Cross Long Lane and continue down Tabard Street with Royal Oak on right (just over 10 minutes). Please let Richard Howlett know if you are coming on 020 8394 0340 or [email protected]

LONDON – THE LAMB PUBLIC HOUSE, Lambs Conduit Street, London WC1. From Russell Square Piccadilly Line station turn right, then turn first right into Grenville Street then first left into Guilford Street (Great Ormond Street Hospital on right), turn first right into Guilford Place (by the fountain and underground Gents toilet) and it is on the left - walking time about 5 minutes. OR. From King’s Cross station cross Euston Rd and turn left towards Grays Inn Road, where you turn right, and walk southwards down Grays Inn Rd to the junction with Guildford Street, where you turn right. Turn left at Guildford Place, and Lamb's is on the left. (About 10mins walk from King's Cross) We will use the Empire Theatre Bar / Dining Room upstairs

LEEDS – THE GROVE INN, Back Row (off Neville Street), Leeds The Grove Inn is around 400 yards south of Leeds City station (under10 minutes walk). From the south concourse at Leeds City station go past M & S Simply Food, cross the road and into a circular building, go down the steps and turn sharp right at the bottom, continue under the railway on Neville Street, past the Hilton Hotel, over the river, cross Water Lane, next on the right is a large new office complex called Bridgewater Place with Starbucks and a Tesco Express, turn immediately right after Bridgewater Place into Back Lane and The Grove Inn is on the right (an old building surrounded by modern office blocks). It is highly visible from Neville Street at this point). If you are going to attend this meeting, it would help if you can let Chris Taylor know on 07941 315846 or [email protected]

BRISTOL PARKWAY - THE BEAUFORT ARMS Members should leave Parkway station along the approach road, passing the bus stops and, at the mini-roundabout where the station approach joins Hatchet Road, turn right. Walk 100 yards and at the next mini- roundabout, turn right again. You are now walking along North Road. Meetings are held at The Beaufort Arms, BS34 8PB, which is on the left side of North Road after a further 50

Milepost 34½ -153 - October 2013 yards. Meetings start at 16:45 and conclude around 19:15. The Beaufort Arms is open all day and food is served at all times. You can order and eat during the meeting should you wish. Further information is available from John Rishton on 07804 418896 or [email protected]

FREE SOCIETY MEETINGS All society meetings are free of charge to Members attending; i.e. no contribution will be asked towards the hire of rooms. The committee wishes to encourage Members to come along to meetings, talk to other train timers and share information and experiences of traction performance. The Society has a digital projector and if any member would like to give a short presentation at a society meeting using this projector (or without if they prefer), or if anyone has any topics for discussion at meetings please contact the Meetings Organiser.

Notes from Leeds meeting on 30th July.

A convivial meeting was held in Leeds on July 30th.

David Stannard reported that he had spent a day measuring the performance of the West Coast double Voyagers running Wolverhampton to Preston shuttles during the recent engineering line closure in the Wigan area. Statistics for the five pairs of trains on 15th July (during the recent hot weather) 2 had an engine out on each set, 1 had an engine idling on one set (running but not contributing to traction), 1 was okay in the morning but had TASS (tilting) inoperative in the afternoon and the other diagram had a clean bill of health. On the Cross Country 221's all their isolated engines reinstated during the recent hot weather to avoid air conditioning overload. He reported that he thought they were being clever as I came across two sets with one engine idling (i.e. not providing traction) but he suspected this was accidental. Summer was deemed to be over on 29th July as the three sets I monitored on that day all had one engine isolated. Another member said he had travelled on a Crewe to Preston diverted train running non stop via Heald Green, Manchester Oxford Road & Bolton achieving nearly even time (actually the average speed was 59.9mph), the return journey had numerous signal checks for no apparent reason.

A discussion on the recent train derailment near Santiago de Compostela, Spain . ERTMS was operable south of KP 80 on the high speed line but the derailment occurred 4.4 kms further north on an 80 kph curve with the train reported to running ar around 190kph. It transpires that ERTMS is not operation on the ALVIA trains on the high speed line. ASFA - the Spanish equivalent of AWS does not intervene except when approaching a red signal and if the train was speeding if the speed is over 200 kph. In addition there are no line side speed restrictions signs (thanks to the societies forum for this information) As reported at the meeting at the present time there is only 2 trains on this high speed line daily..

A discussion on train availability with comparison between 1970's and today. It was reported that the class 20's had an availability of 80+%. and when ETH was fitted to classes, 45/46/55 the availability decreased by 10 %. Today with diagnostics fitted to the trains especially if they transmit by radio then the depot can be ready to repair quickly and availability should be much higher. A discussion on the new IEP trains and if has been recently reported that the class 91s and the mark 4 are to be replaced by the new IEP trains on the ECML. In a Scottish paper recently it was reported that the new trains will reduce London to Edinburgh trains times by up to 18 minutes with an average journey time of 4 hours 5 minutes as against 4 hours 20 minutes at present.

Chris Taylor.

Milepost 34½ -154 - October 2013

MARTIN TASKER MEMORIAL LIBRARY Lee Allsopp

The Society holds a large number of books (~170) containing articles on performance, or containing information of use to Society Members. Full details of the books held are contained in past issues of Milepost.

The books are available for borrowing by contacting me by letter, phone or E-Mail. The borrower will be responsible for postage in both directions. It will be possible in many cases for arrangements to be made to pass books on at Society Meetings to avoid postage costs in one direction at least. The length of the loan can be flexible by agreement.

The Society will be happy to receive donations to the Library. Items should be related to Railway Performance (no Magazine Collections please). Again please contact me regarding this. New items received into the Library will be notified in updates published in Milepost. The entire contents of the library will are listed on the Society Website.

RPS ARCHIVES – LATEST UPDATES Lee Allsopp

The RPS Archive consists of material collected over the years from submissions and donations of material and collections by members. We are also indebted to the Steam Railway Research Society (SRRS), and the Stephenson Locomotive Society (SLS) for giving us the opportunity to scan some of their material for inclusion in our archive.

The following is a short summary of the material that is has been added to the Archive on our Website since the last issue of Milepost. The Website is generally updated on a monthly basis, normally the first Sunday in the month. It you haven’t had a look yet, then please give it a try!

Latest material from Lee Allsopp Latest runs from Ian Umpleby. David Adams logs from the 2nd quarter of 2013 Milepost 34¼ Latest runs from Bob Jennings Latest runs from Peter Smith Latest runs from Richard Howlett Latest from David Sage Logs from John Rishton to go with his Fastest Times entries Latest runs from Charles Foss 49 more notebooks from Nigel Smedley’s vast collection, covering the periods 1918-1983, and Apr 1996 to Apr 1999. Including many railtours, and much more. More runs from Richard Neville-Carlé, from the 1970s through to the present day. Fastest Times received from July to September 25 more books from a vast collection by Allan Heaton, covering Jul 1978 to May 1980, and 2008/2009. Many more to come! 2 more notebooks from Frank Collins, covering Mar/Apr 2011. 3 books by the Reverend R S Haines, covering steam in the 1940s and 1950s. A large number of runs from Bevan Price, including commuting in Lancashire in 1961/1962. 7 books from David Lloyd-Roberts covering a wide variety of running over the years throughout the country.

RPS ARCHIVES – Coming soon!

Thanks go to two of our members, Kevin Daniel and Frank Waterland who are continuing to scan some of the vast amount of material that goes into the archive.

Milepost 34½ -155 - October 2013

The following is a taster of material that will appear in the archive, as it is scanned and processed, together with topical material received from a number of members.

More notebooks containing ~10,000 logs recorded by Allan Heaton. These have been lent to the Society. Dat from about 70 books has been entered so far, with about another 180 books still to go David Lloyd-Roberts has made his vast amount of material available to the society. These will be scanned and added to the archive over the coming months. Data from 20 books has been entered so far.

Notebooks from the Reverend R S Haines have kindly been donated to the Society by Neil Bowmer-Scothern. These contain many runs with diesel, steam and electric from the 1940s to the 1980s. There is also a study of steam running on the Portsmouth Main Line shortly before electrification. Over the coming months, material from this collection will be made available in the archive.

NEED MATERIAL FOR ARTICLES? Lee Allsopp

Do you feel that you could write an article for Milepost if only you had access to material to do so? Just want some information to satisfy an idle curiosity? Even if you don’t have access to the Society Archives on the website, you can still get information and logs for that article or whatever by contacting me direct by either E-Mail, phone or letter. Just ask me the question and I’ll see what we can come up with!

PROVISION OF CURRENT MATERIAL FOR RPS ARCHIVE Lee Allsopp With many members now being connected by Broadband, we are now in a position where we can receive contributions via E-Mail of current material from as many members as wish to contribute. A member could record a log one day and send it to me immediately for inclusion in the database and archive. Would any members who may wish to participate in this please contact me by E-Mail for further details.

I can accept material in a number of formats, Word, Excel, Acrobat pdf files and scanned images of hand written material (eg notebooks). For scanned images we find that scanning at 150 dpi gives perfectly acceptable results, while producing files of a reasonable size (200KB-1MB depending on size of paper, density of printing etc)

FROM THE RPS WEBSITE

WR/GWR Gradient information Club 55 GPS Blockers Brighton line Christmas engineering work ECML Performance improvement funded ERTMS Update Manchester Hub progress Rochester relocation Stratford-upon-Avon service improvements Scottish radio signaling renewal

Milepost 34½ -156 - October 2013 CLASS 350 - THE GO FASTER VERSION

DAVID ADAMS

With the first hint that Spring had finally decided to appear I finally emerged from my winter hibernation and took my first run on a 110 mph Class 350 from Stafford to Euston on 11 April. A detailed log appears below. Appropriately the unit was No. 350110.

Departure from Stafford was to time and the train was well patronised with very few spare seats by the time we departed Rugby. Between those points the approach to station stops was on the cautious side but we slightly bettered the schedule on each leg except for ½ minute dropped on the first leg to Rugeley Trent Valley, the slowing to 42 mph approaching Colwich no doubt being the cause. The maximum speeds of 108 mph before Lichfield Trent Valley and 109 mph before Tamworth were very brief. The up slow line PSR south of Tamworth prevented any further high speed running before Rugby.

A running brake test occurred on departure from Rugby indicating a driver change and ½ minute was lost as a result to Weedon, no allowance being made in the schedule for this requirement. This was then recovered and arrival at Milton Keynes Central was on schedule. The average speed from Kilsby Tunnel South to Wolverton, which includes the Weedon slowing, was 108.2 mph. The start to stop average from Rugby was 95.6 mph and just 65 seconds slower than the best time in the RPS database for a 390 in November 2006 which should have been running up to 125 mph.

Yet another running brake test took place on departure from Milton Keynes Central and a slightly different driving technique was detectable confirming that another driver change had taken place. This cost ¾ minute which was recovered thanks to a one minute recovery allowance before Leighton Buzzard. The only other recovery in the schedule was one minute between Nuneaton and Rugby and another minute south of Willesden. Surprisingly the WTT and PTT times agree throughout except at stations where there is ½ minute in the WTT times. Is this a welcome new trend, or am I being over optimistic?

The slowing to 103 mph at Apsley is unexplained and the 80 mph TSR south of Watford Junction cost about ½ minute. This together with the 20 mph TSR through Primrose Hill tunnel cost more than the remaining minute of recovery time and arrival at Euston was two minutes late.

The ride was impeccable throughout but it is clear that the schedule leaves little to spare to recover from any out of course delays. Running close to maximum permitted speed is certainly necessary to keep time. With regard to driver changes, John Rishton informs me that he is aware of one Birmingham to Euston LM train that changes drivers at Coventry, Rugby and Northampton, so this seems to be a feature of current LM driver diagramming. No doubt there is a cost saving being achieved here but I am sceptical regarding the robustness of such arrangements.

Finally just a lighthearted observation on modern technology stirred by Neville’s comments in Milepost 34. I was quite happy to find out when I arrived home that what I thought was a signal check at Shilton was actually a 50 mph PSR and likewise the Primrose Hill tunnel check was a TSR. Multitasking can seriously jeopardise my accuracy when train timing though I can cope with noting Red Kites when on Chiltern. So my mobile will not get smart and remain for the sole purpose of finding out how much ***!!! longer my wife will be emerging from the shops.

Milepost 34½ -157 - October 2013 Train 1102 Crewe-EUSTON 1U28 miles m c sch m s mph av spd Date Th 11-Apr-13 0.00 82.43 RUGBY 0 0.00 RBT 29/19* Unit 350110 2.23 80.24 Hillmorton 2.35 89/83> 51.8 Load 4,179/190 4.37 78.13 Kilsby Tunnel NP 4.02½ 95 88.0 Position 4/4 GPS 5.75 76.63 Kilsby Tunnel SP 4.53 102 98.4 av miles m c sch m s mph spd 7.28 75.20 Welton 5.45 109/111 105.9 0.00 133.42 STAFFORD 0 0.00 (½ LATE) 10.53 72.04 Whilton Marina 7.32 109/94* 109.3 0.54 133.00 Trent Valley J 1.13½ 50 26.4 13.04 69.64 Weedon MP 69½ 8½ 8.57½ 100 105.3 1.21 132.25 Queensville 1.53 73 61.1 15.23 67.25 Heyford RR* 10.14½ 105/112 102.4 4.07 129.36 Milford OB 3.53 91 85.8 18.00 64.43 Banbury Lane 11.45½ 111 109.6 Sigs. 42*/F-S 19.67 62.69 Blisworth 12.41 110/109 109.6 6.35 127.14 Colwich 6 5.52½ 47/78 68.7 22.72 59.65 Roade 14.21 110/105> 109.4 9.25 124.22 RUGELEY TV 8½ 9.04 54.5 25.81 56.58 Hanslope N Jnc. 16.02½ 108 109.3 0.00 0 0.00 27.72 54.65 Castlethorpe OB 17.05½ 110/111 108.5 1.40 122.70 Carwardine 1.36 75/> 52.5 30.16 52.32 Wolverton 18.25 109 110.5 3.20 121.06 Armitage UB 3.02 78 75.3 32.73 49.66 MILTON KEYNES 20½ 20.32 73.7 5.14 119.11 A515 OB 4.20 100 90.5 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 /RBT47/38* 6.12 118.12 Footbridge 4.55 104/108 100.8 1.81 48.00 MP 48 2.24 81 45.2 8.05 116.18 LICHFIELD TV 7 6.52 59.4 3.11 46.52 Bletchley 2½ 3.19 98/107 88.4 0.00 0 0.00 7.56 42.20 Chelmscote Br 6.00 90*/85* 98.4 1.22 115.04 MP 115 1.29½ 80 49.1 9.65 40.14 Leighton Buzzard -1 7.27 88/97/95> 86.5 2.60 113.50 Hademore OB 2.26 96 87.9 13.70 36.09 Cheddington 9.54 107 99.2 4.67 111.44 Coton OB 3.37 109 105.0 15.83 33.79 Tring Cutting 11.04 111 109.5 6.16 110.05 TAMWORTH 5½ 5.23 18.11 31.56 Tring FB 12½ 12.18½ 110 110.2 0.00 0 0.00 45/44> 20.66 29.12 Northchurch TN 13.42½ 109 109.3 1.06 109.04 MP 109 1½ 1.29 63/76/71/77 42.9 21.90 27.73 Berkhamsted 14.26 100* 102.6 3.58 106.40 Polesworth 3.31 75/74/79 74.4 23.50 26.26 Bourne End 16 15.20 111/107> 106.7 6.06 104.04 MP 104 5.29½ 74 75.3 25.31 24.39 Hemel Hempst'd 16.20 111 108.6 7.78 102.24 ATHERSTONE 8 7.34 49.7 26.73 23.08 Apsley 17.07 103 108.8 0.00 0 0.00 79 28.86 20.75 Kings Langley 18.20 110 105.0 2.28 100.04 MP 100 2.20 76 58.6 30.31 19.40 Watford Tnl N 19.07 112 111.1 5.18 97.14 NUNEATON 6 5.21 57.7 31.34 18.38 Watford Tnl S 19.41 108/tsr 109.1 0.00 0 0.00 60/57> 32.39 17.35 WATFORD JNC. 20½ 20.20 79* 96.9 1.82 95.09 Attenboro SJ 2.14½ 75 48.7 33.81 16.00 Bushey 21.21 92 83.8 3.43 93.40 Bulkington OB -1 3.32½ 77 74.3 35.10 14.58 Carpenders Pk 22.08½ 103 97.8 5.57 91.29 Shilton OB 5.16½ 58*/47* 74.1 36.54 13.22 Hatch End 22.57 112 106.9 8.86 88.06 Brinklow OB 8.36 77 59.0 38.43 11.31 Harrow & W. 23½ 23.59 109/108 109.7 11.92 85.04 MP 85 11.05 71/sigs 74.4 40.39 9.34 South Kenton 25.03 111 110.2 13.17 83.64 MP 83¾ 12.27 40*/37*/43 54.9 41.81 8.04 Wembley C. 25½ 25.50 107 108.8 14.40 82.43 RUGBY 15 14.33 35.1 44.29 5.31 Willesden Jnc. 27.24 92* 95.0 0.00 82.43 RUGBY 0 0.00 RBT 29/19* 45.99 3.55 Queens Park -1 28.38½ 80* 82.1 CHANGE DRIVER: RUGBY, MILTON KEYNES >=NEUTRAL SECTION 46.68 3.00 MP 3 29.12 64*/tsr 74.1

47.48 2.27 Primrose Hill Tnl N 30.19 17*/50 43.0 48.75 1.05 Camden U/B 33.32 37*/43 23.7 49.76 0.02 EUSTON (P 17) 34½ 36.03 03 (2 L) 24.1

Milepost 34½ -158 - October 2013 MEETING NOTICE: Really Useful Real Time Trains

A special meeting has been arranged for Saturday 2nd November at The Lamb in London at 12.00 for 12.15. (See page 154 for directions)

The Really Useful Real Time Trains title reflects the society's good fortune in attracting Tom Cairns, developer of the Realtimetrains website, as the main speaker.

Tom will explain the way he has used Network Rail 'open data' so that the general public, and train timers of course, can gain access to working times and real time running information. We will also learn of the exciting developments he has in the pipeline. After lunch, there will be brief presentations from RPS members David Ashley and John Heaton on the background to the system and what can be gained from using it.

I am sure you will appreciate the desirability of a good turnout for such a busy external speaker and hope you can attend. There is no need to give advance notice, but if you have access to e-mail, it would help plan the event if you could let David know if you might be coming along, on [email protected]. Otherwise, a phone call to John Heaton on 01626 865526 would assist the organisers.

The organisers hope to see you there for an event that will help you keep abreast of modern train timing tools and provide a glimpse into the future.

The ECML Timetable: Are we being taken from a ride

Martin Barrett

Part 3 - York to Edinburgh

Run 15 details 09.00 from Kings Cross. The CrossCountry services were running a little late so 06.02 Guildford to Newcastle left two minutes late at 10.50, quickly followed by 06.09 Bath to Glasgow at 10.52. With both these calling at Darlington and Durham I expected the worst and despite not leaving York until 10.58¼ and even with very easy running we were checked before Eryholme, although speed was managed carefully so we didn’t come to a stand. Leaving Darlington some caution was shown again and both CrossCountry services were allowed to precede from Durham, so we were checked there again to 28 mph. However after that we had a clear run to Newcastle and only dropped another minute here. With some sharp station work at Newcastle we left there 8½ minutes late and, with a new crew, we had some exuberant running and an absolutely clear road to Edinburgh, but only just about meeting the net running time if the [4] is discounted. So we arrived at 13.25, five minutes late, but on time as far as the public were concerned. With hindsight it would have been more interesting to have travelled on 06.09 from Bath, which must have been behind 06.02 from Guildford all the way to Newcastle and yet it caused no delay after Durham. Did it manage to precede 12.50 from Dunbar or did it sneak in between that and us?

Runs 16, 17 and 18 were all recorded on the same day between York and Newcastle. Run 16 on 08.00 from Kings Cross had one of those annoying checks for which you can identify no cause.

Milepost 34½ -159 - October 2013 Run 15 16 17 18 Date Thurs 30 June 2011 Thurs 28 July 2011 Thurs 28 July 2011 Thurs 28 July 2011 Train 1054½ York - Eboro 0954 York - Ncle 1236 York - Ncle 1536 York - Ncle Motive Power 91126/9/DVT 91120/9/DVT 91113/9/DVT 91108/9/DVT Position 8/11 8/11 8/11 8/11 Recorder/Pos Martin Barrett Martin Barrett Martin Barrett Martin Barrett Weather/GPS Showers/yes Sunny/yes sunny pds/yes sunny pds/yes m ch location sch m s mph sch m s mph sch m s mph sch m s mph 0 00 York P5 0 0 00 3½ late P5 0 0 00 1E P11 0 0 00 2½ L P11 0 0 00 8½ L P11 1 50 Skelton Jn 2½ 3 24 59 2½ 3 17 69 2½ 2 54 73 2½ 3 09 69 3 10 Skelton Bdge Jn 4 46 77 4 29 86 4 00 92 4 19 87 5 40 Beningborough 6 24 99 5 56 110/sig40 5 23 112/79tsr 5 44 110/76tsr 9 40 Tollerton 7½ 8 36 118 7½ 9 31 69 7½ 8 05 102 7½ 8 28 98 11 18 Alne 9 28 121 10 38 92 8 56 112 9 19 111 13 30 Raskelf 12 01 112 10 08 122 10 33 120 16 00 Pilmoor 13 22 122 11 23 124 11 50 124 17 78 Sessay 12 50 121/119 14 20 125 12 19 125 12 47 125/123 22 15 Thirsk 13½ 14 55 121 13½ 16 24 122 13½ 14 23 125 13½ 14 49 124 26 40 Otterington 17 04 121 18 26 126 16 28 124 16 55 124 28 60 Longlands Jn 18 18 109 19 31 122 17 35 102 18 06 93 30 00 Northallerton 17½ 18 58 103 17½ 20 08 123 18 19 05 18 19 45 19½ 20 31 19½ 20 51 33 60 Danby Wiske 94 21 58 120/117 3 54 105 3 56 104 37 27 East Cowton Jn 23 28 101 23 46 122 5 49 116 5 53 115/118 38 76 Eryholme sigs 24 23 122 6 38 121/113 6 42 117 41 40 Croft Spa 26 02 58/sig27/32 25 54 111 7 58 117 8 03 110 43 70 Darlington S Jn 30 01 28 27 53 34 9 44 32 9 56 33 44 12 Darlington P4B 26 31 08 26 28 46 11 10 39 11 10 44

28 33 03 28 30 09 13 12 59 13 12 18 46 00 MP 3 01 72/91 2 55 70 2 49 74/92 2 54 74/88 48 00 MP 4 27 88 4 25 88/81 4 14 88/84 4 21 85 49 29 Aycliffe Jn 5 27 84/115/109 5 25 85 5 12 87 5 18 86 54 23 Bradbury 8 19 115/104 8 03 115 114 56 20 Ferryhill S Jn 9 9 20 111/113 9 9 25 110 9 9 08 109/120 9 9 17 109 58 77 Tursdale Jn 10½ 10 49 108 10½ 10 48 120 10½ 10 32 119 10½ 10 43 120 60 21 Hett Mill 11 31 91/88 11 29 102 11 12 101 11 23 102 62 18 Croxdale V NE 12 55 91 12 43 92/87/94 12 28 90/89/93 12 38 91 64 39 Langley Moor V N 14 28 79 14 13 80/75 13 58 78 14 12 78 66 14 Durham 15 16 12 28sigs 15 15 32 77 16 16 00 16 16 26 18 17 54 17½ 17 46 69 60 Plawsworth V N 19 54 97/108 17 52 108/117 3 32 106/115 -/115 71 74 Chester-le-Street 21 08 107 19 00 115/110 4 40 114/113 (½) 5 00 113/110 73 42 Ouston Jn [3] 21 58 103 [3] 19 47 111 5 26 116 5 46 114 75 26 Birtley Jn 23 23 07 99 23 20 53 107 6½ 6 28 114 7 6 49 116 77 37 Low Fell Jn 24 24 93 22 06 100 7 36 112 [1] 7 58 108 79 40 KEB S Jn 26 26 34 24 26 26 01 sigs 7 9½ 9 42 27 11 9 53 25 79 55 KEB N Jn 27 07 17 26 47 20/23 10 07 28 10 26 6 [3] [2] 10 58 sig

(½) 12 01 stop 80 16 Newcastle 28 28 53 P2 28 28 23 P2 15 11 36 P2 15 13 59 P3 .

Milepost 34½ -160 - October 2013 Run 15 continued m ch location sch m s mph m ch location sch m s mph 0 00 Newcastle 31½ 30 32 58 52 Beal 36 09 114 0 47 Manors 1 47 42 60 67 Goswick 37 19 118/119 1 60 Heaton S Jn 3 2 58 72 63 46 Scremerston 38 41 114 2 66 Heaton N Jn 3 44 89/101 65 00 Spital 39 33 85 4 24 Benton N Jn 4 42 99 65 77 Tweedmouth [2] 40 19 67 5 76 Killingworth 5 39 108/112 67 00 Berwick-upon-T 43½ 41 43

8 46 Dam Dykes 7 05 110 45 43 20 9 72 Cramlington 7 48 111 69 67 Border 3 44 79

11 40 Plessey Jn 8 43 111 54 49 13 74 Stannington 9 58 110 51 67 Burnmouth 5 36 91/92 14 56 Clifton 10 24 100 50 00 MP 6 52 77 16 50 Morpeth 12½ 12 09 49 47 16 Reston Xover 8 44 96 17 32 Morpeth N Jn 12 59 69 44 00 MP 9 50 85/72 18 40 Pegswood 13 52 91 41 17 Grantshouse 12½ 12 58 76 20 17 Longhirst 14 50 111 40 00 MP 13 56 69/93 20 63 Butterwell Jn 15 08 111 36 40 Cockburnspath 16 26 84 22 24 Ulgham Grange 15 58 105 Innerwick Xover 17 26 113/120 23 20 Widdrington 16 31 99 31 14 Oxwellmains 18½ 19 23 104 24 62 Widdrington Jn 17 27 103 29 05 Dunbar 20 20 43 89 25 49 Chevington 17 55 110/112 27 00 Beltonford 22 00 107 28 40 Acklington 19 29 111 24 75 Stenton 23 07 111/97 30 00 Coquet Via 20 23 81 23 29 East Linton 24 03 99 31 67 Warkworth 21 36 103 22 14 Markle 24 45 102 33 71 Wooden Gate 22 44 106 20 60 East Fortune 25 33 111/119 34 66 Alnmouth 23½ 23 21 83 17 60 Drem 27 27 07 111/97 39 34 Little Mill 26 18 109 13 20 Longniddry 29 41 112/110 40 39 Stamford 26 52 115/119 11 53 St Germains LX 30 33 111 43 00 Christon Bank 28 12 105 9 40 Prestonpans 31½ 31 41 120/124 43 45 Falloden 28 30 114/124 7 55 Wallyford [2] 32 32 123 46 00 Chathill 29 43 123 6 06 Monktonhall Jn 35½ 33 37 92 47 09 Newham 30 19 103 5 14 Musselburgh 34 05 96 49 17 Lucker 31 29 114 3 31 Portobello Jn 37 35 14 89 51 46 Belford 32½ 32 41 122 0 60 Abbeyhill Jn 37 14 42 52 48 Crag Mill 33 13 117 0 00 Edinburgh P11 41½ 39 35

55 00 Smeafield 34 34 127

After the 80 mph tsr after Beningborough we were brought down to 40 mph before accelerating away again. The only traffic on the SL was a MGR stood at Longlands Jn, 20 miles away! After that there was a clear run until the approaches to Newcastle when we were brought down to walking pace – again no reason could be identified, but it was enough to arrive two minutes late.

Run 17 on 10.30 from Kings Cross had one of those rare journeys with no checks at all apart from 80 mph tsr. Timekeeping was a model of perfection with nearly all the point to point timings being within the 24 second rounding tolerance so although 2½ minute late departure had been extended to four minutes by Durham, the [3] allowed us to arrive only ½ minute late and 3½ minutes early by the public timetable.

My last run (18) was on 13.30 from Kings Cross with the same calling pattern as the 10.30. This was 8½ minutes late as there was some congestion at the south end of York station (how unusual!). 13.08 terminator from Kings Cross was eight minutes late arriving and then they slotted the Liverpool to Scarborough into platform 5 before 13.30 arrived. Despite this

Milepost 34½ -161 - October 2013 late start the effort was poor, taking 40 seconds more to Northallerton and 26 seconds more Darlington to Durham. To cap it all we were held on King Edward Bridge (KEB) for over a minute waiting for a LD to clear on the up. Thus we were still 8½ minutes late at Newcastle and 3½ minutes late as far as the public were concerned – not good enough.

Edinburgh to York

Run 19 m ch location sch m s mph Date Thurs 30 June 2011 67 00 Berwick-upon-T 42 42 03 Train 1530 Ebro - York 65 77 Tweedmouth SB 2 05 65 Motive Power DVT/9/91121 65 00 Spittal 2 51 83 Position 4/11 63 46 Scremerston 3 47 103 Recorder/Pos Martin Barrett 60 67 Goswick 5 13 123/sig33 Weather sunny pds, 58 52 Beal 7 44 67 hvy shwrs S of Berwick 55 00 Smeafield 10 21 96 GPS Yes 52 48 Crag Mill 11 45 107 m ch location sch m s mph 51 46 Belford 10 12 20 112 0 00 Edinburgh P2 0 0 00 3½ late 49 17 Lucker 13 33 120/98 0 60 Abbeyhill Jn 2 1 40 39/87/68RBT 47 09 Newham 14 43 100 3 31 Portobello Jn 4 4 09 70 46 00 Chathill 15 21 109 5 14 Musselburgh 5 27 97 43 45 Falloden 16 40 114 6 06 Monktonhall Jn 6 5 55 94 43 00 Christon Bank 17 00 105 7 55 Wallyford 7 02 103 40 39 Stamford 18 23 116 9 40 Prestonpans 8 7 59 110/sig54 39 34 Little Mill 18 56 120/124 11 53 St Germains LX 9 50 77 34 66 Alnmouth 19 21 29 77 13 20 Longniddry 10 54 101/110/100 33 71 Wooden Gate 22 15 86 17 60 Drem 12 13 30 114/122 31 74 Warkworth 23 36 101 22 14 Markle 15 56 96 30 00 Coquet Viaduct 24 46 84 23 29 East Linton 16 40 98 28 40 Acklington 25 46 96 Stenton Xovers 17 22 106/110 25 49 Chevington 27 24 112 27 00 Beltonford 18 43 109 24 62 Widdrington Jn 27 53 98 29 05 Dunbar 18½ 20 07 82 23 20 Widdrington 28 49 101 31 14 Oxwellmains 19½ 21 32 99/118 20 63 Butterwell Jn 30 11 112 Innerwick Xovers 23 17 114/81 18 40 Pegswood 31 29 93 36 40 Cockburnspath 24 39 84/91 17 32 Morpeth N Jn 32 22 69 39 48 Pease Burn Sluice 26 52 67/77 16 50 Morpeth 30 33 09 48/45 41 17 Grantshouse 26½ 28 12 75 14 56 Clifton 35 15 74 42 69 350 mile marker 29 30 79 13 74 Stannington 35 49 88 47 16 Reston Xover 32 22 96/71 11 40 Plessey Xovers 37 14 105 50 00 MP [2] 34 21 80 9 72 Cramlington 38 12 111 51 67 Burnmouth 35 37 95/96 5 76 Killingworth [2] 40 21 110 54 49 Border 37 23 88 4 24 Benton N Jn 41 16 99 69 67 2 66 Heaton N Jn 42 09 99 67 00 Berwick-upon-T 40½ 40 17 1 60 Heaton S Jn 41½ 42 50 83 0 47 Manors 44 02 38 0 00 Newcastle 44 45 32 P3

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Milepost 34½ -162 - October 2013 Run 19 20 21 22 Date Thurs 30 June 2011 Thursday 28 July 2011 Thurs 28 July 2011 Thurs 28 July 2011 Train 1530 Ebro - York 1059 Ncle - York 1358½ Ncle - York 1658 Ncle - York(1530 Eb) Motive Power DVT/9/91121 DVT/9/91127 11HST/43208/43319 DVT/9/91126 Position 4/11 4/11 4/11 4/11 Recorder/Pos Martin Barrett Martin Barrett Martin Barrett Martin Barrett Weather Heavy showers sunny pds sunny pds cloudy GPS Yes Yes yes yes m ch location sch m s mph sch m s mph sch m s mph m s mph 80 16 NEWCASTLE 47 47 33 0 0 00 1 late plat 4 0 0 00 31½ late P4 0 00 ½ early P4 79 55 KEB N Jn 1 53 21 1 49 25/27 2 12 15 1 51 19 T236 signal 2 39 sig 3 18 stop 79 40 KEB S Jn 2 2 24 26 2 2 16 21 2 4 02 23 2 24 22 77 37 Low Fell Jn 4 20 91 4 21 87 6 21 79 4 43 87 75 26 Birtley Jn 5½ 5 37 111/116 5½ 5 51 107 5½ 7 52 95 6 01 108/113 73 42 Ouston Jn 6 37 108 6 55 109/107 8 59 101 7 03 109 71 74 Chester-le-Street 7 26 111/112 7 45 111/108 9 52 102 7 52 113 69 60 Plawsworth V NE 8 54 112 11 06 113 9 02 114 66 14 Durham 11 10 58 73/93 11 11 21 72 11½ 14 35 30sigs 11 21 72 62 18 Croxdale V NE 14 16 88 18 21 88 14 10 90 62 09 Croxdale V SE 13 54 90 60 21 Hett Mill 15 02 106 15 23 101 19 41 94 15 24 106 58 77 Tursdale Jn 16 15 45 110/119 16 16 18 108/113 16½ 20 29 98 16 07 111/119 56 20 Ferryhill S Jn 17 17 11 108/116 17 17 46 108 17½ 22 04 108 17 31 111/109 54 23 Bradbury 18 52 111/113 23 07 114 18 36 117 49 29 Aycliffe Jn 20 59 83/102 21 36 81 26 01 76/96 21 14 84 48 00 MP 22 35 92 22 12 90 46 00 MP 23 46 109 23 25 104 T866 signal [1] [1] [1] 30 56 sig 31 51 stop 44 36 Darlington N Jn 24 41 35 24 59 40 32 55 37 24 41 42 44 08 Darlington 26 25 35 26 26 00 27 33 59 25 29 28 27 50 28 27 21 29 35 36 31 22 43 70 Darlington S Jn 1 01 29 0 55 32 1 05 29 0 54 33 41 40 Croft Spa 3 16 90 3 04 94 3 30 83 3 02 95 38 76 Eryholme 4 46 111 4 36 110 5 12 96 4 29 112 37 27 East Cowton Jn 5 34 120/125 5 24 120/124 6 09 106 5 19 121/126/124 33 60 Danby Wiske 7 20 123 7 10 122 8 03 118/77sigs 7 02 126/127 30 00 Northallerton 9 9 09 124 9 9 27 60/53 XSL 9½ 10 36 94 8 49 126 26 40 Otterington 10 49 126 12 28 79/sig31 12 43 102 (eased) 10 31 127 22 15 Thirsk 13 12 53 125/126 13 17 43 39/61 13½ 15 03 118 12 33 126/124 17 78 Sessay 14 54 123 22 21 60 17 07 127 14 32 126 16 00 Pilmoor 15 51 125 24 10 62 18 03 125 15 29 126/127 13 30 Raskelf 17 07 126 25 39 63 19 19 127 16 45 126 11 18 Alne 18 09 126 29 00 60 20 21 120 17 52 126/127 9 40 Tollerton 19 18 58 125 19 30 28 XML 61 19½ 21 14 114/sig109 18 35 126 5 40 Beningborough 20 53 126 33 04 115/123 23 21 119/120 20 29 127 3 10 Skelton Bdge Jn 22 01 117 34 16 118 24 36 100 21 45 75 Y314 sig 24 16 sig [1] [1] [1] 29 22 stop 1 50 Skelton Jn 24 23 06 57 24 35 23 60 24½ 25 55 57 30 35 18/40 0 00 York 26 25 47 P3 26 38 16 P3 26½ 28 38 P5 33 53 P5

On 30 June my return journey from Edinburgh (run 19) demonstrates very well how minor incidents can affect the running of trains, but probably never get picked up in the monitoring system. Between Edinburgh and Newcastle there were only two running delays, the first

Milepost 34½ -163 - October 2013 caused by late lowering of level crossing barriers for St Germains (or was it a train just clearing off the main line at Prestonpans) brought us down from 110 mph to 54 mph costing 1½ minutes. Fortunately [2] approaching Berwick covered that. The second, more serious check, was from 123 mph to 33 mph for late lowering of the barriers at Beal. This cost 2½ minutes and the [2] approaching Newcastle could not cover this, although a minute was lost running between Alnmouth and Newcastle. However more importantly we had a 3½ minute late start waiting for 15.05 from Dunbar to arrive three minutes early at 15.33 - unforgivable!

Despite brisk station work at Newcastle we were four minutes late departing there and even with an unchecked run we only managed to pick up one minute despite [2]. The timings are tight over these sections.

Runs 20, 21 and 22 were recorded on 28 July. This was one of the days that all services from north of Edinburgh were being diverted due to the derailment by Princes Street Gardens. Run 20, being an Edinburgh starter was virtually on time and produced a very good standard run to Darlington, but still dropped one minute on the net schedule despite being totally unchecked. Unfortunately further south we were diverted to the slow line at Northallerton due to a track fault at Thirsk. Also being very close behind the preceding Cross Country we also had a slight check approaching Thirsk, but nothing too significant. However this diversion cost 12 minutes and it would have been interesting to see how it fared further south. Run 21 was a completely different kettle of fish. Running just under 30 minutes late it was ready to depart Newcastle at 14.25, exactly the same time as the ‘slow’ 14.25 to Kings Cross, so what did they do? They let the slow go first! To cap it all we then were stopped on KEB whilst a freight cleared from the slow to up main to down main in order to access Tyne Yard. Not that this made any difference as we were checked to 30 mph approaching Durham and then stopped outside Darlington so 31½ minutes late departing Newcastle turned into 40 minutes late arriving York. We actually arrived in platform 3 at York whilst 14.25 was stood in platform 5. Presumably the fast finally overtook the slow at Doncaster. From my quick analysis of the timetable, if 09.52 Aberdeen had left Newcastle at 14.25, only 26½ minutes late there was a fair chance it would have just slipped behind the 14.18 Newcastle FTP which could have been turned SL at Northallerton and lost no further time to York and may have even gained a minute. With a bit of luck it could have threaded through the other services and only been 20 minutes late at Kings Cross on the working times, only 15 on the public, but still not enough to meet the charter. But what about 14.25 from Newcastle I hear you say? Well if that left three minutes late I reckon it could have easily been on time by Newark. I may be cynical, but as the delay in Scotland was not East Coast’s fault, there was no incentive to minimise the delay as compensation would be debited back to Network Rail, but is this really the way to run a railway?

Lastly, in run 23, another run on 15.30 from Edinburgh, although this time from Newcastle, which I thought was going to be a model run with running up to 127 mph, but with overtime at Darlington and a long stop outside York arrival was 10 minutes late. At York everything was in chaos. Electrical supply problems had virtually stopped everything to/from Leeds so to only be delayed for 10 minutes was probably the best solution we were going to get.

Summary

Looking back over the couple of months it does appear that a large number of services are regulated to ‘charter’ rather than the best for the passengers – i.e. never delay an on time train. However with an increasing amount of freight south of Doncaster the number of paths for them is few and rather tight. The policy of lengthening the loops, but allowing the overlap to run onto the main line at the trailing end, does mean that the freight must occupy the approach track circuit at the end of the loop no matter how long or short the train is. The folly of not improving the speed of turn ins and signalling associated with them now shows up very clearly at places such as Peterborough on the up 30mph, but usually checked to lower

Milepost 34½ -164 - October 2013 than this around two miles out, and Grantham on the down where the 15 mph turn is really a limiting factor, just to mention two. Surely ‘small’ improvements here and there would greatly improve the overall performance on the ECML although I now see that some progress is being made, but I am sure this will take years not months! Signallers also need to be on the ball a little more – there were far too many crossing checks, six or seven in 23 runs being far too many. An unchecked run is really quite a rarity.

Postscript

Having just about completed this article, I had a trip to and from London on Thursday 15 September (runs 7a and 14a – see previous magazines) that show what can be achieved if most major delays are avoided. With only two minor signal checks and two moderate tsrs on the up we managed 105m 51s and with only one signal check and one signal stop on the down (due to very early running) 107m 08s on the down. No excessive speeds involved.

FASTEST TIMES UPDATE

Martin Robertson

Welcome to another Fastest Times Update. New FT’s appear to have been relatively sparse over the last three months unless you are John Rishton. My thanks to all those who have forwarded runs over the last few months.

One of the runs in the last FTU generated some correspondence between the author, our Editor and myself. In this instance the run came to me from a third party with no advice to censor the comments which accompanied the run. As I have said in the past, any comments which accompany a run are considered suitable for publication verbatim, unless specifically advised otherwise. I will censor details of runs where there is consistent over speeding by a driver, but not for a few minor infringements in a run which otherwise closely observes the ruling psrs.

We start on the WCML with an excellent effort recorded by John Rishton between Rugby and Tamworth on well-loaded late Saturday evening service. John’s comments are, ‘Looking at the public timetable the timings for this train between Rugby and Tamworth are impossible to maintain. A check with the working version confirmed they are accurate however. Thus a ride on this train with its unusual stopping pattern was required. The start was fine with line speed held initially, but after Bulkington it was not maintained. We were half-a-minute late by Trent Valley Jn and over double that by Brinklow. The remainder of the run was uneventful except that the braking into the platform at Tamworth was rather drawn out leaving plenty of scope for an improved time behind a more confident driver.’

Table 2 has a southbound run from Crewe to Wolverhampton with a Pendolino on a service from Edinburgh which is extended to London, running via Birmingham. John’s comments are, ‘Not the best of drivers for a FT. I presume a new driver took over at Preston and no late

Milepost 34½ -165 - October 2013 Table 1 Day/Date Saturday 6th July 2013 Train 20 31 London Euston - Preston Motive Power 390.134 Load (tons) 571/595 = 13.4hp/ton running appeared to have been Weather dry recovered between there and Rec. Pos. GPS J Rishton - 9/11 - GPS Crewe, despite 2.5 minutes of Miles mm cc location WTT mm:s mph ave allowances in the schedule. On 0.00 82 40 Rugby 0 00:00 5 L joining at Crewe I found that 0.84 83 27 Trent Valley J 1 01:36 fl 43 31.5 despite a good acceleration we 1.11 83 49 Flyover 01:54 ns 66 54.0 never exceeded 122mph and 3.01 85 45 OB 03:22 96 77.7 braking was slightly cautious. 5.57 88 06 Brinklow 3.5 04:45 120 111.1 7.14 89 51 M6 05:30 126 125.6 However we did keep up the 9.37 91 62 M69 06:34 126 125.4 122mph running after Stafford, 11.00 93 40 Bulkington 07:22 124 122.3 where for years there appears 12.64 95 11 Attleborough SJ 7 08:10 124 123.0 to have been a lower limit of 14.55 97 04 Nuneaton 7.5 09:05 125 125.1 110mph applied to the Class 17.52 100 02 Mancetter 10:32 122 122.9 390 Pendolinos. As a result an 19.80 102 24 Atherstone 11:49 100 106.5 average run, trailing behind my 20.59 103 07 Baddesley 12:17 106 101.7 previous fastest by a 22.66 105 13 B5000 13:22 123 114.6 reasonable margin at Bushbury, 23.99 106 39 Polesworth 14:01 123 122.8 and held it into Wolverhampton.’ 25.12 107 50 Alvecote 14:35 112 119.8 26.50 109 00 Amington J 14.5 15:30 43 90.3 27.51 110 01 Tamworth 16 17:38 28.4 . Table 2 Run 3 has short snippet of a Day/Date Thursday 15th August 2013 semi-fast service with a Train 14:51 Edinburgh to London Euston Class 350 unit running at Motive Power 390.123 110mph plus on the slow line Load (tons) 571/580 = 13.8hp/ton up the Trent Valley. John Weather dry Rishton was the recorder Rec. Pos. GPS J Rishton - 4/11 - GPS WTT with his comments being, ‘I Miles mm cc location Sch mm:s mph ave think this run was influenced 0.00 158 01 Crewe 0 00:00 6 L 0.0 by Sir Ernest Shackleton. On 1.73 156 23 Basford Hall 3 02:47 f.l. 80 37.3 an time departure suggested 7.84 150 14 Madeley 6.5 05:56 122 116.4 that we probably had one of 12.23 145 63 Stableford [1] 08:06 122 121.6 the better drivers but the run 19.16 138 68 Norton Bridge 13 12:26 69 96.0 was looking as if it would be 21.14 136 70 Great Bridgeford 13:45 109 90.2 a routine five and a quarter

22.76 135 20 M6 14:39 105 108.0 minute time, until 24.01 134 00 Doxey junction 16.5 15:48 41 65.2 approaching Hademore 24.49 133 42 Stafford 17.5 16:35 f.l. 25 36.8 when a Voyager unit started 24.95 133 05 Wolverhampton Rd 18.5 17:42 27 24.7 to slowly pass alongside my 27.13 26 37 M6 19:44 94 64.3 window. I could sense when 30.21 23 31 Penkridge 21:22 122 113.1 the Class 221 reached our 32.40 21 16 Gailey 22:27 120 121.3 36.19 17 33 M54 24:24 100 116.6 driver as there was a 38.19 15 33 Bushbury 27 25:55 60 79.1 noticeable surge, the GPS 39.35 13 31 Wolverhampton N 29 27:22 27 48.0 speed started to rise again 39.80 12 75 Wolverhampton 30.5 29:31 0 12.6 and the rate that we were

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Milepost 34½ -166 - October 2013 Table 3 Train 10.46 Euston - Crewe Motive Power 350.116 Load (tons) 179/185 = 14.6hp/ton Weather dry Rec. Pos. GPS J Rishton - 2/4 - GPS NRT Miles mm cc location Sch mm:s mph ave 0.00 110 01 Tamworth 0 00:00 r/t 0 0.0 1.54 111 44 Coton 01:42 76 1.7 54.4 2.19 112 16 Comberford 02:09 94 2.15 86.7 3.33 113 27 Tamhorn 02:50 105 2.833 100.1 3.60 113 49 Hademore 02:59 110 2.983 108.0 4.49 114 40 Burton Road 03:28 111 3.467 110.3 5.21 115 18 Huddlesford canal 03:51 113 3.85 112.8 6.21 116 18 Lichfield TV 5.5 05:03 0 5.05 50.0

Table 4 being passed reduced. However common Train 1007 Bham sense won and with the Lichfield station Date Sa 31-Aug-13 coming into sight the brakes were applied, but Unit 170504/170516 late enough to give a new FT for the section.’ Load 4,184/190

POS/GPS 1/4 Y Table 4 has short effort recorded by David Recorder D Adams miles m c m s mph Adams with a pair of Class 170 units between (P4-½L) Birmingham New Street and Sandwell and 0.00 0.05 BIRMINGHAM NEW ST. 0.00 11* Dudley. David did not offer any comments 0.94 1.00 MP 1 2.13½ 43 other than noting an unexpected FT. 1.85 1.71 Winson Green 3.13½ 62/66 3.36 3.34 Smethwick R St. 4.39 64/74 5.33 5.31 SANDWELL & DUDLEY 6.50

Table 5 Power Cars 43304 + 43xxx Table 5 has a run by John Vehicles/tonnes tare/gross 2+7 Heaton with a Cross Country Train 12.34 Paignton-Glasgow C. HST between Tamworth and Date 6/7/13 Derby. A fine initial Recorder/Position J. Heaton 8/9 acceleration from Tamworth, Miles M. Chns Timing Point Sch. Min. Sec. M.P.H. Average only for the energy to be lost 0.00 23 57 Tamworth 0 0 0 by braking for the severe 3.83 19 71 Elford 3 35 104 64.0 restriction at Burton-on-Trent. 7.44 16 22 Wichnor Jct 5½ 5 30 124 113.1 A second acceleration 9.00 14 57 Barton North Jct 6 14 128 127.8 achieved 118mph before 12.89 10 66 Burton-on-Trent 9 8 59 48 84.8 braking for the Derby stop. The 15.05 8 53 Clay Mills LC 11 10 52 88 68.9 final signal check may have 17.58 6 11 Willington [1] 12 23 106 99.9 slightly extended the sectional 19.01 4 56 Stenson Jct 15 13 10 114/118 110.1 time, with the FT achieved by 22.49 1 18 Peartree (1) 15 57 sigs45/50 74.9 one second. 23.86 0 -12 Derby a. 20½ 18 49 28.8

Milepost 34½ -167 - October 2013 Date Sat/11/12 miles Location Sched m s mph Train 0655 Skipton-Kings Cross 53.74 St Neots 30 03 123 Motive Power HST 55.45 Little Barford 30 56 125 Load (tons) 9,305/3xx 57.96 Tempsford 32 05 124 Weather Misty 59.08 Everton 32 32 126 Rec. Pos. GPS M Bruce 10/11 Y 61.34 Sandy 34 33 41 126 miles Location Sched m s mph 64.25 Biggleswade 35 06 124 3 0.00 Grantham 0 0 00 (-1 /4) 68.38 Arlesley 37 05 127 3.33 Great Ponton 3 59 85 69.80 Three Counties 37 42 127 4.50 Stoke T'l NP 4 45 89 73.49 Hitchin 40 39 30 122 5.70 Stoke Jn 5.5 5 36 97 77.84 Stevenage 42 41 39 125 8.29 Corby Glen 7 01 118 80.40 Knebworth 42 54 119 13.23 Little Bytham 9 10 126 83.49 Welwyn N'th (1*) 44 33 106 16.65 Essendine 11 06 123 85.11 Welwyn Gdn C 48 45 30 114 18.35 Greatford 11 52 128 87.74 Hatfield 46 48 113 20.64 Tallington 12.5 12 55 122 89.86 Welham Green 48 00 108 22.03 Lolham 13 39 126/129 90.95 Brookmans Park 48 38 104 23.55 Helpston 14 20 129/131 92.70 Potters Bar 52.5 49 37 98 25.83 Werrington Jn 15 25 120 94.88 Hadley wood 50 55 101 29.10 Peterborough 17 17 08 105 96.26 New Barnet 51 49 102 30.44 Fletton Jn 17 57 105 97.09 Oakliegh Park 52 16 101 32.74 Yaxley 19 12 107 98.98 New Southgate 53 24 97 36.13 Holme 21 09 100/106 100.48 Alexandra Pal 57 54 20 94 38.09 Connington Sth 22 22 14 112 101.35 Hornsey (2*) 54 56 91 42.05 Abbots Ripton 24 16 114 102.93 Finsbury Park 60.5 56 03 67 43.45 Leys Summit 25 02 119 <2> 46.60 Huntingdon 26.5 26 33 127 104.82 Belle Isle 64 58 25 25 1 49.53 Offord 27 55 119 105.41 Kings Cross a 66 60 48 (3 /2E)

Table 6 has a run on the ECML recorded by Michael Bruce, between Grantham and Kings Cross with an HST. Michael’s comments are, ‘It was a very good day for the ECML arrivals at KX, starting with an early arrival of the 07 05 ex Leeds, with the next four EC services arriving between 3 and 7 minutes early by the public timetable. It was capped by the Grand Central service from Bradford arriving 10 minutes early.

As to the run of my service it was unchecked throughout with a certain liberal observance of the maximum permitted speeds by one of Leeds more youthful drivers. The difficulty with HST units is that they do not have cruise control, unlike the Class 91 locos, and it is not easy to judge speed around 125mph because of the broad arm of the speedometer, but above that it is easy to read when approaching 130mph.’

Comparing the schedule with the actual running times, it is clear that from Grantham to Stevenage, the schedule requires running on the line limits to maintain it. It was the recovery and pathing time allowances thereafter which contributed to the early arrival.

Table 7 was part of a diverted Norwich-Liverpool Lime Street service due to the re- construction of Nottingham station which lasted for a couple of months over the summer of 2013. John Rishton’s commented, ‘A clear run up to the approach to Derby where we were stopped opposite the Technical Centre for a conflicting movement to take place. The unit we were attaching to at Derby was already platformed and we buffered up gently without a further halt and were away again four minutes alter. Speed rapidly rose into the low nineties after a running

Milepost 34½ -168 - October 2013 Table 7 Train 06:53 Norwich-Liverpool Lime St Motive Power 158.810 (plus 158.783 from Derby*) Load (tons) 77/80(154/157*)=8.75(8.92*)hp/ton Weather damp Rec. Pos. GPS J Rishton - 1/2(3/4*) - GPS Miles mm cc location Sch mm:s s mph ave 0 118 17 East Midlands Parkway 0 00:00 sl 6 late 0.0 0.28 118 40 Ratcliffe junction 0.5 00:53 fl 16 19.0 1.03 119 20 Trent south junction 2.5 02:15 54 32.9 1.53 119 60 Sheet Stores junction 3 02:47 60 56.3 2.12 120 27 Long Eaton 03:20 68 64.4 3.27 121 39 Sawley 04:15 80 75.2 4.63 122 68 OB 05:14 87 83.0 7.66 125 70 Spondon 9 07:30 72 80.2 [1] 9.37 127 47 OB (3.5) 09:09 sigs 37 62.2 signal stand 10:41 to 11:33 10.20 127 64 Derby 17 14:10 9.9 unadvertised stop to attach unit 158.783 at front 10.20 127 64 Derby 23 18:16 13.06 130 53 A38 21:56 rbt 76 46.8 15.51 133 09 Duffield 23:43 84 82.4 16.71 134 25 Milford tunnel 24:33 88 86.4 18.03 135 51 Belper 25:26 92 89.7 20.15 137 60 Ambergate junction 32 27:01 63 80.3 21.98 139 47 Wingfield tunnel [1] (3) 28:37 76 68.6 24.17 141 63 Wingfield 30:12 87 83.0 25.72 143 26 Bumpmill Lane 31:14 91 90.0 28.65 146 21 Clay Cross tunnel 33:09 92 91.7 31.13 143 00 Clay Cross north junction 44.5 34:48 83 90.2 33.38 145 20 Chesterfield south junction 46 36:31 70 78.6 34.40 146 21 Chesterfield 47.5 37:46 0 49.0 . Table 8 Miles sch Mins Secs Speed Date 30th May 2013 3.06 Glynde 03 58 78/80 Train 0932 Brighton to Ashford 3.88 MP 12 04 36 *72½/74½ Units 171.725 5.19 Ripe Xing 05 40 73½ Recorder D Benn 6.61 Selmeston Xing 06 49 75½ Position/GPS 2/2 Y 7.54 Berwick 07 33 80/85 Weather cloudy/drizzle 9.25 Wilmington Xing 08 48 *78 Miles sch Mins Secs Speed 9.88 MP 18 09 17 82½/84½ 0.00 Lewes 00 00 11.42 Polegate 12.5 10 41 1.11 Southerham Jct 02 14 57 * brakes 1.98 Beddingham 03 03 70½ brake test near Duffield. Following the Ambergate Jn slowing speed again rose into the low nineties despite the slightly adverse gradients. The stop at Chesterfield was first class giving an early arrival despite the six minute late start from East Midland Parkway.’

Table 8 visits the Southern Region with a run from Lewes to Polegate, recorded by Don Benn. Don’s comments were, ‘Just under a year after my previous fastest with a 171 I had this today. I was not going to time it in detail as I was busy working but noticed that we had arrived in Lewes at 0942 from Brighton so quickly set up my GPS and was rewarded. It was won with the finish which was done with just one good brake application - a bit like Jim Evans' sub 3 minute runs in from Vauxhall with the light Pacifics in Dec1966/Jan 1967.

Milepost 34½ -169 - October 2013

Close to the best that can be done with a 171 starting from the Brighton platform at Lewes with its 10 mph restriction.’

Table 9 Run 1 2 Date Sun xx/09/13 Mon 27-May-13 Loco 2X170 170456 Train 1624 Inverness-Glasgow 1449 Inverness-Glasgow Load 6,266/275 3,133/145 Dry warm/1/3 M Weather/Pos/Rec/GPS Dry mild/1/6 M Robertson/Y Robertson/Y miles m c Location m s mph ave m s mph ave 1 0.00 71 47 Kingussie d 0 00.0 (-3 /2) 1.59 70 00 2 13.5 62/69 42.9 2.82 68 61 3 21.0 66/60tsr 65.6 4.59 67 00 5 00.0 64.5 64.4 6.09 65 40 6 23.0 64.5 65.1 7.09 64 00 7 15.5 69 68.6 9.09 62 40 Inchea C'ing 8 57.5 75 70.6 10.59 61 00 10 07.5 77 77.1 11.59 60 00 10 54.0 78 77.4 1 13.02 58 45 Dalwhinnie d 12 02.5 72* 75.2 0 00.0 (-1 /4) 14.44 57 12 Wade Bridge 13 14.0 69 71.5 2 22.0 49 36.0 15.59 56 00 14 16.0 65.5 66.8 3 42.5 53 51.4 16.79 54 64 Balsporran 15 20.5 67.5 67.0 5 00.5 58 55.4 17.59 54 00 16 03.0 67.5 67.8 18.85 52 59 Drumochter 17 10.5 71 67.2 7 04.5 65 59.8 20.09 51 40 18 06.0 84 80.4 8 05.5 74 73.2 20.70 50 71 Dalnaspidal 18 33.0 82 81.3 8 35.0 73 74.4 21.59 50 00 19 11.5 85/87 83.2 9 16.5 84 77.2 22.59 49 00 19 54.0 84 84.7 9 59.5 84 83.7 24.59 47 00 21 19.0 87/83 84.7 11 23.0 85 86.2 25.59 46 00 22 01.5 86/81 84.7 12 06.5 80 82.8 26.80 44 63 Dalnacardoch 22 56.0 83 79.9 27.59 44 00 23 29.0 89/90/72* 86.2 13 34.5 86 81.8 29.59 42 00 24 59.0 76/81 80.0 15 04.5 75*/80 80.0 30.59 41 00 25 44.5 79/81 79.1 31.92 39 53 Struan 26 46.5 75*/89 77.2 16 52.5 74/72 77.7 33.09 38 40 27 37.0 87 83.4 34.09 37 40 28 19.0 82/87 85.7 18 36.5 85 75.1 35.49 36 00 29 26.5 62sc? 74.7 19 40.2 73 79.1 36.47 35 09 Blair Atholl a 31 13.0 33.1 20 29.5 62 71.6 38.09 33 40 22 01.0 63 63.7 39.51 32 06 23 31.5 35/32* 56.5 41.59 30 00 25 54.0 60 52.5 43.27 28 25 Pitlochry a 28 30.0 38.8

Table 9 was recorded by myself over the Highland main line with two runs between Kingussie to Blair Atholl and Dalwhinnie to Pitlochry. There is no FT for a Class 170 unit in the current listings but times of 32m 23s for an HST and 30m 00s by a diesel hauled service can provide comparison. Both of these runs were recorded before the recent easings of the line limits on the descent from Drumochter.

The driver on the first run was one of the older Perth stable and was maybe harking back to earlier days with consistent running above the line limits. There was some excuse after Carr

Milepost 34½ -170 - October 2013

Table 10 Date/day Thursday 8th August, 2013 Train 0904 Barcelona Franca-Sevilla S Justa Motive Power 252074 Load (tons)/position 13, 6/14 Recorder/weather/GPS L A Allsopp, Dry, Y K K M location PTT m s kph ave 0.00 263 570 SALOU 0 0 00.0 6L 1.01 262 560 AHB 1 24.3 79 43.1 1.87 261 700 OB 1 59.6 96 87.7 2.77 260 800 UB 2 30.8 111 103.8 4.87 258 700 FB 3 31.7 123 124.1 6.50 257 070 CAMBRILS 4 18.8 123 124.6 7.27 256 300 OB 4 41.1 123/137 124.3 12.47 251 100 MONT ROIG DEL CAMP 7 00.5 126 134.3 16.20 247 370 OB 8 44.0 139 129.7 18.36 245 310 FB 9 40.8 131 136.9 20.56 243 010 L'HOSPITALET 10 46.6 123 120.4 23.31 240 263 OB 12 03.9 136 128.1 27.26 216 610 Vandellos 13 47.5 133 137.3 29.15 214 700 Bif Calafat 14 36.5 144 138.9 33.63 210 220 Building 16 21.1 159 154.2 36.57 207 300 L'AMETLLA DE MAR 17 26.7 161 161.3 41.92 201 095 OB 19 29.0 160 157.5 44.82 199 005 OB 20 33.3 161 162.4 46.19 197 639 UB 21 03.7 159 162.2 46.91 196 096 OB 21 19.8 159 161.0 47.97 195 090 L'AMPOLLA 21 43.4 161 161.7 49.79 194 074 OB 22 23.8 157 162.2 51.84 192 035 OB 23 10.0 160 159.7 53.23 190 642 CAMARLES DELTEBRE 23 42.6 157 153.5 56.54 187 324 UB N340 25 17.5 79 125.6 58.69 185 180 L'ALDEA AMPOSTA 27 28 11.8 7L 44.4 28 29 08.9 7L 2.23 182 950 OB A7 3 15.7 114 41.0 4.11 181 065 Ebro Viaduct East 4 05.3 146 136.5 5.14 180 035 Ebro Viaduct West 4 32.2 149 137.8 7.81 177 371 OB 5 32.5 162 159.4 9.32 175 856 OB 6 06.5 158 159.9 12.62 172 552 OB 7 24.1 145/140 153.1 14.14 171 036 Freginals 8 02.5 143 142.9 15.90 169 278 OB 8 44.1 156 152.0 19.85 165 332 OB 10 13.9 158 158.4 22.15 163 031 OB 11 05.8 160 159.5 22.98 162 020 ULLDECONA 11 24.0 160 164.4 28.25 156 928 Route A7 13 20.5 163 162.8 29.46 155 720 OB 13 47.0 159 164.4 31.88 153 030 SS - Alcanar 14 45.0 157 150.2 34.70 150 382 OB 15 50.1 149 155.9 38.38 146 080 VINAROS 14 18 11.8 10.5L 93.5

Milepost 34½ -171 - October 2013 K K M location PTT m s kph ave 140 048 BENICARLO 0 00.0 10L 4.53 136 253 OB A7 3 06.9 147/161 87.3 13.28 127 500 Sta Magdalena de Pulpis 6 22.3 157 161.2 21.68 119 100 ALCALA DE XIVERT 9 35.9 158/163 156.2 25.63 115 170 OB A7 11 03.1 161/159 163.1 28.48 112 300 Alcosebre 12 08.9 163 155.9 35.68 105 100 TORREBLANCA 14 50.4 161 160.5 43.74 98 040 Cabanes 17 50.6 161 161.0 49.98 90 800 ORPESA 20 10.3 160 160.8 58.75 82 031 BENICASSIM 23 26.5 159 160.9 65.18 75 600 LES PALMES 25 51.4 160 159.8 71.58 69 200 CASTELLON 27 29 18.3 12L 111.4

Bridge where departure had been five and a quarter minutes late, but no real reason for running above the limits from Inverness to Carr Bridge, where there is a scheduled three minute wait to cross a northbound service.

From Kinguisse the 60mph tsr over the Spey bridge was observed and we braked for the 70mph limit on the points at Dalwhinnie. The descent from Drumochter was series of brake applications after speed had built up with the 90mph attained only being a brief maximum. The average speeds were very close to the permitted limits despite the constant variation in speed. There may have been a signal check approaching Blair Atholl as we seemed to brake quite early, although it is unlikely that the diesel hauled service’s time of 30m 00s could be equalled.

The second run was on the 14 49 service from Edinburgh with its unique Dalwhinnie to Pitlochry section. A more restrained effort by the driver with better control of speed on the descents. A good entry into Pitlochry, to take almost half a minute off Alan Varley’s previous effort.

Neither of the three units involved were thought to be in good mechanical condition, with uphill speeds relatively poor, particularly for the pair of units. I had one of the best ascents of Drumochter I have ever had with a Class 170 unit on a Blair Atholl to Dalwhinnie section, which possibly received a slight signal check approaching Dalwhinnie, but was still almost one minute adrift of the current FT held by two Class 158 units.

Finally Table 10 has sections of a Spanish run recorded by Lee Allsopp. The Salou to Vinaros and the Benicarlo to Castellon sections are included with only the last section being an FT, despite running below the generally permitted 200km/hr limits. Lee provided no comments on the running.

My thanks to all of those who have contributed runs over the last few months. As always contributions are welcome in electronic or paper format. An Excel Spreadsheet for the logs and a Word document for text are the simplest formats to manipulate for myself and David Ashley who has to cut and paste the text around the tables.

Milepost 34½ -172 - October 2013 THE BIG SQUEEZE

Ian Umpleby

‘Barrett’, the Chief Train Planning Officer said as he poked his head around the door. ‘You’ve pulled off some stunts in the past, it seems ludicrous, but it just might work, might work, might work...... Suddenly I came to, observed my surroundings and remembered where I was – Edinburgh Waverley. It was near departure time and nobody had claimed my favoured coastal side window seat, thankfully, as the reservations printer had failed. It had been a long day as I made my way up the West Coast on another train affected by one of two engineering works taking place that weekend and scheduled for every weekend until the middle of May. These entailed closure of the Carstairs to Edinburgh and Preston to Oxenholme lines leaving Trans –Pennine Express (TPE) without any through service from Manchester to Scotland from Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon which would normally mean a rail replacement bus service. However, as they already ran from Manchester to Newcastle, TPE decided it was worthwhile extending some of them via Berwick to Edinburgh so creating a new area of class 185 operation. Competition issues probably meant that they were not allowed (with one exception) to stop at Newcastle for passenger purposes, according to the National Timetable, thereby creating such nominal non-stop runs such as Edinburgh to Chester-le-Street, but in practice this was ignored.

So here I was on the most suitable train for a day return from West Yorkshire, the 1704 to Manchester Airport. This formed the 1852 departure from Newcastle and was sandwiched between the 1700 Edinburgh – London Kings Cross and the 1708 Edinburgh – Birmingham, both 125 mph trains against our 100 mph maximum. First thoughts, as the 1708 left Newcastle first, were that the TPE would be looped en route as platform occupancy could be an issue there. The alternative of leaving Edinburgh after the 1708 was difficult as there was a North Berwick departure at 1712. However a closer examination of the timetable showed that the Kings Cross was non-stop to Alnmouth and the Birmingham stopped at Dunbar and Berwick. Open Train Times confirmed that this stopping pattern enabled the TPE to gain enough time in the early stages on the 1708 to prevent any delay to it and stood no apparent chance of catching up the Kings Cross. But the 185s, despite their weight, pack plenty of power as they were designed to flatten the Pennines.

The Kings Cross booked for an HST set off on time but out of sight and there was an anxious wait as 1704 came and went before we got the road and left 51 secs late from platform one right at Waverley’s east end (run one). It was obvious from the start that this was going to be a good run as we made a storming start passing Portobello East Junction in 16 seconds less than my previous best. Eco-driving is the bane of timers on TPE’s normal services but with a 93 minute schedule to keep for the 124 miles (80.2 mph average) it was clear that this was not going to be an option; East Coast non-stops are given 82-87 minutes. A style of driving developed, full power to just over the speed limit followed by a easing before the process was repeated; late braking for the PSRs was also de rigeur. The average for Wallyford to East Linton was 100.4 mph before the more restricted section to the River Tweed was encountered but progress was so good that one and a half minutes had been gained on the net schedule by Berwick. We dropped 2 seconds on to Alnmouth, passed at 1804, before the brakes went on at Wooden Gates. We had done the “impossible” and caught up the Kings Cross which left Alnmouth at 1759, a minute late. The 28 mph check was followed by more minor ones as the Kings Cross pulled ahead but we were back to 100 mph before and after the Morpeth slack. Recovery time meant we were still 4 minutes up at Benton so it was almost inevitable that we were checked past Manors and crawled very slowly into the very easternmost end of platform 5, five minutes early. The net time was possibly 83 minutes. The 1708 had arrived before I got to the footbridge and got me back to Leeds well before the TPE. The actual running times by all three trains are shown on the

Milepost 34½ -173 - October 2013 right hand side of the run one table. In a sometimes mundane timing world this could be described as an exciting run due to its rarity at the time.

Run No. One Date/day Sat 6th April 2013 Train 1704 Edinburgh - Manchester Apt Motive Power 185150 Load (tons) 3/164/175 I Umpleby 3/3 Sunny Recorder/pos/weather GPS: Y/N? Y Real Train Times 1700 1704 1708 Miles M C location Sch m s mph average KGX MIA BNS 0.00 0 12 Edinburgh pfm 1 0 0 00 1L 1659 1704 1708 0.48 0 50 Calton North Tunn EP 1 17 ? 22.2 1.29 1 35 St Margarets Tunnel EP 2 11 1/2 67 53.6 3.23 3 30 Portobello E Junc fb 4 3 38 1/2 90 80.2 1703 1708 1711 5.03 5 14 Musselburgh shl (½) 4 49 96 92.3 5.96 6 09 Monktonhall Jc ub x xx 95 1705 1710 1713 7.54 7 55 Wallyford fb 6 20 1/2 101/103 98.6 9.35 9 40 Prestonpans fb 8½ 7 26 96/102 99.9 11.51 11 53 St Germains LC 8 44 101/96 99.9 13.10 13 20 Longniddry fb 9 41 1/2 102/99 99.5 17.61 17 61 Drem fb 13½ 12 22 1/2 102/99/102 100.8 1712 1717 1719 20.56 20 57 East Fortune ob 14 08 100/96 100.5 23.21 23 29 East Linton fb 15 44 102 99.4 28.91 29 05 Dunbar exit 20½ 19 15 86 97.3 1718 1724 1727/8 31.01 31 13 Oxwellmains ob 22 20 40 90 89.2 33.65 33 64 Innerwick ob 22 18 1/2 100 96.3 36.44 36 47 Cockburnspath ob 24 06 82* 93.1 39.26 39 33 OB 26 14 74/69* 79.7 41.06 41 17 Grantshouse ob 29 27 43 75/78/74 72.5 1726 1732 1738 44.08 44 18 Mount Alban fb 29 57 1/2 89 80.8 45.98 46 10 Reston ob 31 12 98/99 91.8 47.05 47 16 Reston Crossover 33½ 31 52 95/80* 97.3 50.10 50 20 Ayton ub [2] 33 53 1/2 85 90.1 51.73 51 70 Burnmouth ob 34 59 93/97 89.5 54.46 54 49 Border 36 43 91 94.6 54.88 69 34 Marshall Meadows ob 37 00 1/2 84/91 86.1 57.33 66 78 Berwick-upon-Tweed fb 43 38 56 56* 76.4 1737 1743 1750/1 58.33 65 78 Tweedmouth PSB 39 53 1/2 76 62.7 60.73 63 46 Scremerston LC 41 39 91 81.8 63.46 60 67 Goswick LC 43 18 103/100 99.6 65.65 58 52 Beal LC 44 36 1/2 102 100.5 69.31 54 79 Smeafield LC 46 46 1/2 99 101.2 72.74 51 45 Belford LC 53 48 49 102/100 100.7 1747 1753 1800 75.09 49 17 Lucker LC 50 12 1/2 103 101.3 77.19 47 09 Newham LC 51 27 1/2 101/103 100.8 78.33 45 78 Chathill LC 52 08 101 101.5 81.30 43 00 Christon Bank LC 53 54 101/98 100.8 84.88 39 34 Little Mill LC 56 04 1/2 101/103 98.9 86.78 37 42 Longhoughton ub 57 12 101 101.2 89.48 34 66 Alnmouth fb 63 58 57 1/2 88* 92.2 1757/9 1803 1810 90.40 33 72 Wooden Gate LC 59 40 sig57/28* 77.9 92.45 31 68 Warkworth LC 62 28 65 43.9 94.30 30 00 MP 63 55 1/2 85 76.1 95.79 28 41 Acklington bdg 64 58 1/2 85/89/83sig 85.4 98.69 25 49 Chevington LC 66 58 1/2 93 86.8 101.01 23 23 Widdrington LC 68 25 1/2 100/103/96 96.6 105.75 18 44 Pegswood exit 71 15 1/2 99/100/46* 100.2 107.71 16 47 Morpeth sub 75 72 59 49 68.3 1813 1817 1821

Milepost 34½ -174 - October 2013 110.38 13 74 Stannington LC [2] 75 29 84 63.9 114.40 9 72 Cramlington fb 78 06 102 92.2 115.73 8 46 Dam Dykes LC 78 54 100/101 100.1 118.36 5 75 Killingworth LC 80 28 98/102 100.8 120.05 4 20 Benton ob 86½ 81 28 1/2 99 100.1 122.34 1 77 Heaton Junction ob 82 59 1/2 81 90.6 1823 1828 1831 123.71 0 47 Manors fb 84 54 1/2 19*/11* 43.1 XVR 25 124.24 0 05 Newcastle Pfm 5 e end 93 87 12 5E 13.7 1826 1831 1834

My outward trip to Edinburgh was on the 1000 from Manchester Airport which due to the aforementioned engineering work was diverted via Motherwell, Cumbernauld and Falkirk Grahamston (set down), relatively virgin TPE territory. As far as Motherwell the line is normal TPE territory and we left Lockerbie 3 minutes late, suffering a signal check at Carstairs and 40 tsr at Law Junction before turning right towards Cumbernauld. Speed was held at the 60/70 maximum before an 11 mph check at Greenfaulds, probably caused by a punctual departure of the 1328 Cumbernauld-Glasgow. Departure from Falkirk was slightly early on a 25½ minute schedule to Haymarket 24 miles away on one of Scotland’s more congested railways. It was just a question of when the signals would kick in, and may have done initially, but after Polmont Junction we kept on going at line speed all the way arriving 7 minutes early into Haymarket. An examination of the timetable showed that we should have followed an electric train from Newbridge Junction but our slightly early Falkirk departure had been sufficient for us to get ahead of it; another most satisfying journey as shown below: Run No. 2 Postscript Date/day Saturday 6th April 2013 Train 1000 Manchester Airport - Edinburgh On the following Motive Power 185101 weekend the Edinburgh Load (tons) 3/164/170 group of services left at Position 41335 1659, 1704 and 1709 Recorder I Umpleby arriving in Newcastle at Weather Sunny 1827, 1836 and 1838 GPS: Y/N? Y and the figures for the Miles M C location Sch m s mph avge 20th April were 1659, 0.00 24 20 Falkirk Grahamston 0 0 0 1E 1704 and 1709 arriving, sigs? 54/43 following delays after 1.65 22 48 OB 2 30 45/48/35 39.5 Morpeth, at 1839, 1846 3.23 24 78 Polmont fb 4 4 39 54 44.0 th 5.83 27 46 Bo'ness Jc ub 6 36 1/2 95/91 79.7 and 1854. On the 13 7.93 29 54 Linlithgow exit 7½ 7 58 1/2 97/102 92.3 the train from 11.05 32 64 Philipstoun ob [1](1½) 9 53 1/2 93 98.0 Manchester left Falkirk 13.03 34 62 Winchburgh Jc RR 13 11 13 81* 89.3 2 minutes early but (1½) 83/80/91/80 appears to have had to 17.11 38 69 Newbridge Junction pts 17½ 14 9 1/2 92/101 83.5 follow the Bathgate 20.65 42 32 Edinburgh Park fb [1](2) 16 19 1/2 95 97.7 Line train from 21.98 43 58 Saughton Junction ub (½) 17 17 74 83.4 Newbridge Jn and 24.31 1 17 Haymarket 25½ 19 55 7E 53.2 arrived in Haymarket at the booked time of 1411.

Milepost 34½ -175 - October 2013 Weekend Running

Martin Barrett

After attending a party (yes I still get invited to the occasional party!) in Worthing, I was making my way back home, but due to signalling problems at Farringdon, arrived Kings Cross at 1131 just in time to miss 1130 to York and my connection to Malton. However I realised that if I caught 1200 from Kings Cross I would have 3 minutes to catch the bus instead.

The 1200 to Inverness had been amended to terminate at Edinburgh due to engineering work on the Highland line and also replaced by a Class 91 instead of the usual HST. Although not retimed overall this gave a 3minute ‘buffer’ in the timings.

After sinking into my preferred seat in the first class (3rd choice as the previous two insisted on sliding forward into the ‘relax’ position – not very good for recording), with 91117 in charge we left within a few seconds of time. After a slow start running over the up main to Belle Isle followed by the running brake test just after Finsbury Park, we were doing very well until at Stevenage we noticeably eased and drifted down to 89mph. We had caught up 1152 from Kings Cross to Cambridge, which ran main line to Hitchin, due to the slow lines being blocked so ½ minute was lost here, but also very good driving as easing off early avoided braking and also resulted in less loss of time. After getting back to line speed by Arlesey we were severely checked at Sandy for a mile long tsr due to works on the down slow line (? Platform extension works) so that by Huntingdon we were 5 minutes late – with a 3 minute bus connection remember.

There then followed one of the best bits of sustained, uninterrupted running on the ECML I have recorded for some time. Without exceeding the limit except occasionally by more than a mile an hour or so, we covered the next 130 miles in just over 67 minutes at an average speed of 116mph. Notably we climbed Stoke bank at 125mph, only shutting off just before the junction for the psr through Stoke tunnel, and went through both Grantham and Newark Crossing pretty well on the limit. Even the climb to Markham summit was taken at 125mph. However after a full 125mph through Rossington, after the 110 tsr, we actually accelerated to 116mph before coming down to 98mph just before Doncaster. By this time all the loss had been recouped, but there was no easing off and the next 32½ miles to York took less than 18 minutes. There may have been a slight easing approaching York, but we arrived in platform 5 at York at 1346 precisely – 3 minutes early (and only 3 minutes after my intended 1343 to Scarborough had gone) so I caught my bus quite easily at 1352 arriving Malton at 1435 – better overall time than I normally manage by train throughout.

Note the schedule from Huntingdon to York was 75 minutes (68 net) and only took 67m05s – a splendid effort.

Milepost 34½ -176 - October 2013 Date Sun 07 Oct 2012 m c location sch m s mph Train 1200 KX - Ebro 76 27 Peterborough 44 47 48 103 Motive Power/load 91117+9+DVT 78 00 New England N 48 44 112 Position 8/11 79 40 Werrington Jn 49 29 119 Recorder Martin Barrett 81 72 Helpston 50 40 126 Weather Sunny 84 64 Tallington 48½ 52 04 124 GPS Yes 92 17 Little Bytham 55 37 125/122 m c location sch m s mph 97 07 Corby Glen 58 01 125 ¼ late 0 04 Kings Cross (P2) 0 0 00 UM 99 60 Stoke Jn 56½ 59 17 118 0 60 Belle Isle 2 2 33 XDM/32 100 39 Stoke Tnl Sth <1> 59 39 116 2 40 Finsbury Park 4½ 4 32 73/68RBT 105 35 Grantham 60 62 18 100/99 3 33 Harringay 5 19 74 107 65 Peascliffe Tnl S 63 40 113 4 00 Hornsey 5 46 86 111 40 Hougham 65 26 126 5 00 Alexandra Pal 6½ 6 25 96/93 115 27 Claypole 65 67 20 126 6 37 New Southgate 7 20 97 119 03 Barnby 69 03 122 8 28 Oakleigh Park 8 28 103 120 09 Newark NG 68 69 36 111 9 14 New Barnet 8 56 106 120 63 Newark Crossing 68½ 69 59 100 10 44 Hadley Wood 9 42 108 123 00 Bathley Lane 71 11 116 12 60 Potters Bar 11 10 53 112/113 126 25 Carlton 72 52 124 14 40 Brookmans Park 11 49 111 130 29 Egmanton <1> 74 48 125 15 46 Welham Green 12 24 109 134 40 Askham Tnl NE 76 50 115 17 56 Hatfield 13 36 106/112 137 37 Grove Road 78 23 114 20 20 Welwyn GC 15 14 59 109 138 49 Retford 78½ 79 00 116 22 00 Welwyn North 15 55 116 144 00 Ranskill 81 37 125 23 65 Woolmer Green 17 16 53 114 147 60 Bawtry 83 28 108 25 00 Knebworth 17 29 117 151 29 Rossington 85 24 125 27 48 Stevenage 19 18 51 99 152 00 Loversall Carr 85 85 42 120 1152 KX - Camb due Hitchin 1218 sigs 89 <1> tsr 110 32 00 Hitchin 21 21 26 123 154 00 Potteric Carr Jn 86 45 116/98 37 00 Arlesey 23 50 126 155 76 Doncaster 88½ 87 53 100 41 15 Biggleswade 25 50 122 158 02 Arksey 89 04 112/117 tsr 160 16 Shaftholme Jn 91 90 14 100 44 10 Sandy 27 28 42 19 160 48 Joan Croft 90 29 103 tsr 163 00 Moss 91 47 119 46 30 Everton 32 07 82 165 74 Balne 93 12 125 47 38 Tempsford 32 51 97 167 20 Heck 93 49 126 51 60 St.Neots 35 11 118/122 169 20 Templehirst Jn 95½ 94 45 126/125 55 72 Offord 37 16 119 174 20 Hambleton S Jn (1) 97 10 126 58 67 Huntingdon 34 38 42 125 175 00 Hambleton N Jn 99 97 31 124 62 00 Leys Summit 40 13 124 180 29 Ryther Via NE 100 05 126 67 20 Connington South 42 44 126 183 00 Colton Jn 103 101 21 123 69 26 Holme 39 43 45 105/98 184 60 Copmanthorpe <2> 102 14 117 72 63 Yaxley 45 49 105/114 188 40 York (P5) 109 105 45 75 00 Fletton <1> 47 01 106/102 Average speed Huntingdon - York p-a 116.03mph schedule Huntingdon - York p-a 75m, net 68m, actual 67m05s

Milepost 34½ -177 - October 2013

Lesser Lights of the London Midland Part 2

Andrew James

This second article will mainly concentrate on the lower powered diesels introduced under the 1955 Modernisation Plan which served the former London Midland Region. A very limited review of first generation DMU power on this region is also shown.

The 1955 Modernisation Plan of course foreshadowed the end of steam on BR and replacement of various differing regional types with a select number of standard diesel types. Whilst this was certainly true from the case of standardisation, from the performance point of view, however, the lower powered diesel locomotive types have suffered as much from ‘underexposure’ in performance terms as the steam types that they replaced.

The former Class 25s were the prime illustration of this. Of course for many years they weren’t exactly the easiest class to get on record. The former North to West line in the late seventies and early eighties was perhaps the nearest thing they had to a monopoly. Another were the former holiday workings from Aberystwyth to Birmingham, where the batch at Bescot were alleged to be the worst on the system. Periodic workings on the North Wales Coast were another 25 haven.

It is all too easy to forget that at the start of their careers they did work a modicum of secondary line passenger duties. The former Rugby-Peterborough line was one example of this. Superficially, this log doesn’t look very interesting, but things aren’t exactly what they seem. Whilst the speeds don’t exactly look supersonic, the line limit at the time was only 50 mph to my knowledge between the two locations concerned. The attainment of 66 mph at the former Welland Junction is discernible and so are the other excesses over the line limit. These excesses today no doubt would have the driver in for a ‘disciplinary carpeting’. Things then seemed to be very different, and line limits were interpreted by some drivers as rough guide, as opposed to something they had to strictly adhere to, very different to the tightly regulated rail industry of today of course.

There was some smart running recorded between stops and the acceleration of the Sulzer Type 2 seems to be good, given the load at the drawbar. The scheduling given the line limit was not exactly overgenerous either, which can be glanced from Table 1.

The line itself was a series of gentle undulations which passed through a sparsely populated countryside. Only Market Harborough had a sizeable population. The competing route from Birmingham to Peterborough via Leicester is much more densely occupied, as I’m sure many RPS members are aware, and so naturally this counted against this route with subsequent closure coming in June 1966.

Table 2, takes us back to one of the Diesel Pioneers. This obviously predated the 1955 Modernisation Plan and features one of the Bullied Diesels. I have not shown the full log as obviously No. 10201 was worked someway below full power on some of the sections concerned. The consecutive stretches between Market Harborough and Bedford, however, seem to be largely worked at full power.

By the standards of the time, the ascents to Desborough and Sharnbrook would of been considered as very good and some way above average Jubilee and Black Five efforts on these stretches of line, although either type fully extended could match the 1,600 BHP effort of the box-like diesel. The locomotive at the time had only come to the MML two months previously and of course would of regarded very much as a novelty.

Milepost 34½ -178 - October 2013

Table 1. M C m s mph Run 1 17 46 Harborough 0 00 Date 19 June 1965 21 02 Welland Junction 4 45 66 Train 15.58 pm 22 52 Ashley and 6 25 56 Birmingham NS- Weston Yarmouth 24 55 Drayton Junction 8 28 62 Recorder G.Aston 27 48 Rockingham [14] 12 05 Load 7/235/245 27 48 0 00 Motive Power D5225 (Class 25) 31 52 Seaton Junction [6] 5 53 M C m s mph 31 52 0 00 0 00 Rugby Midland 0 00 34 64 Wakerley and 4 52 50/38/50 0 73 Clifton Mill 1 41 42 Barrowden 3 46 Lilbourne 5 39 58 38 68 Kingscliffe [11] 9 51 5 26 Yelvertoft 7 25 62 38 68 0 00 9 28 Welford and [14] 12 24 42 49 Nassington 5 54 53 9 28 Kilworth 0 00 43 35 Yarwell Junction 7 10 20* 12 38 Theddingworth [5] 5 10 59 39 55 12 38 0 00 40 50 Wansford 9 51 50 14 67 Lubbenham [5] 3 57 55 41 75 Castor 11 34 52 14 67 0 00 47 08 Fletton Road Jct 17 46 Market Harboro [5] 6 23 53 100 16 100 02 Peterborough E [29] 29 01

The attainment of around 1,380 RHP on both the ascents mentioned suggest that No. 10201 was in good mechanical condition and was producing something in excess of 1,600 BHP rating. The one hour rating of the diesel concerned was set at 1,750 BHP. Curiously, the rail horsepower figure given in D.N.Clough’s Diesel Pioneers (2005) which presumably refers to the continuous rating (1,600 BHP) gives a figure of 1,381 at 37 mph. This seems an abnormally high level of efficiency at the rail, in comparison with later diesel-electric designs which tended to veer around the 72-78 percent mark after various losses have been deducted in the generator, traction motors and driving the various auxiliaries. Does the RHP rating refer to the one hour rating which gives a more plausible 78.9 percent at rail?

Table 2. Run 2 Date 15 January 1951 M C [sch] m s mph Train 12.05 PM 75 47 Glendon&Rushton 10 15 72/74 Derby Midland- 72 01 Kettering [16] 13 55 St Pancras 72 01 0 00 Recorder G.Aston 69 28 Burton Latimer 4 09 64/sigs Load 9/289/308 68 18 Finedon 6 11 27 Motive Power 10201 66 19 Neilson's Sidings 8 46 57 M C [sch] m s mph 65 04 Wellingborough [8] 10 36 82 76 Market 0 00 65 04 Midland 0 00 Harborough 62 53 Irchester 4 00 51 80 35 Braybrook 2 49 42 61 00 Mp 6 02 48 78 39 Desborough N 7 02 46 59 60 Sharnbrook Smt 6 50 48 75 47 Glendon&Rushton 10 15 72/74 56 52 Sharnbrook 10 22 78/80 72 01 Kettering [16] 13 55 52 76 Oakley 13 18 71 72 01 0 00 Bedford [20] 17 55

Of course the finite distances and time in the calculations make estimates of this sort especially vulnerable to errors and there are limitations in the resistance formulae. However, given that diesel traction was very much in its infancy on BR at the time this run was recorded, it could be possible that the locomotive may have had its governor set-up

Milepost 34½ -179 - October 2013 incorrectly and therefore it was producing more like 1,750 BHP of its one hour rating, rather than 1,600 continuous figure, but this does not explain the anomaly of the RHP figure quoted above.

A very similar log to this appeared in the March 1951 issue of Railway Magazine and I suspect it may be the same log.

Table 3. Longer in terms of duration of stay on the MML Run 3 were the former Class 27s. These locomotives Date 24-Dec-63 traversed this route in the 1962-1970 period. Train 5.23 PM They were subsequently transferred to Scotland St Pancras- Sheffield (Rlf) as I’m sure many RPS members are aware and Recorder D.Twibell went to put on some monumental work in the Load 8/240/265 Scottish Highlands. Motive Power D5412 ( Cl 27) M C m s mph Their time in England has been much less 99 07 Leicester LR 0 00 chronicled. The early years of Type 2s in England 99 65 Humberstone Rd 2 08 38 and Wales from the performance point of view, no 103 64 Syston 6 14 71 doubt, tended to be overshadowed by the advent 106 48 Sileby 8 32 75/81 of the WCML electrification and the Deltics on the 108 72 Barrow-on-Soar 10 15 79 former ECML and of course a rapidly dwindling 111 47 Loughborough Mid 12 11 85 steam fleet and so received scant attention from 114 32 Hathern 14 12 81 the contemporary performance press 116 30 Kegworth 15 37 85 120 02 Trent 20 13 This chance effort following a failure of Jubilee 146 19 Chesterfield Mid 0 00 No. 45561 at Leicester, is a reminder of what 146 68 Tapton Junction 1 46 42 went on largely undetected. The relief service 147 78 Sheepstone 3 10 51 featured here was now running very late, but the 150 14 Unstone 5 53 46 tenacious efforts of D5412 saw an attempt to 151 44 Dronfield 7 40 43 reduce the deficit. The rhp calculated from 154 20 Dore & Totley 11 17 38/tsr Humberstone Road to Barrow was around the 154 74 Beauchief 12 12 155 61 Millhouses 13 10 68 960 mark, suggesting a locomotive in tip-top 157 11 Heeley 14 29 61/50 condition. 158 41 Sheffield Midland 17 50

The attainment of 85 mph down the 1 in 500 towards Loughborough was also quite sprightly given the load. I have not shown the section from Trent to Chesterfield as this part of line seemed to be bedevilled by temporary speed restrictions, perhaps reflecting the subsidence of the former Nottinghamshire coal field in this area.

The grind up to Bradway has always been worth recording. A minimum of 43 mph up the 1 in 100 to Dronfield seems very creditable with this load. I have not attempted a rhp estimate as the gradient between Sheepstone and Dronfield is broken and this does not lend itself easily to this type of estimate. The running subsequently to Sheffield was somewhat pedestrian and no more comment is called for.

We now move to the neighbouring WCML. The former Class 24s were regular performers out of Euston in the 1959-1965 period, providing a stopgap between steam and electric of course. D5080 had something of a brobdingnagian load at the drawbar. Unfortunately the recorder concerned did not give any schedule details, but I suspect that the loco concerned was probably keeping time on an inflated schedule which, of course, was necessitated by the large amount of engineering work going on at the time that the run was recorded.

Milepost 34½ -180 - October 2013 The ascent through the Chilterns up the climb to Tring saw the locomotive well up to specification, with D5080 producing around 840 rhp between Cheddington and the Table 4. Run 4 aforementioned location. The subsequent Date 25 July 1964 descent to the capital saw some subdued Train 5.45 PM running, but as mentioned above this was Northampton- probably influenced by an extended Euston schedule more than anything else and Recorder D.Twibell there is no logical reason why the loco Load 11/370/390 couldn’t reach its nominal 75 mph limit. Motive Power D5080 (Class 24) Another factor to take into consideration, M C [sch] m s mph may have been that the service 46 52 Bletchley * 0 00 44 48 Stoke Hammond 4 32 41 concerned was running on the slow line 40 13 Leighton Buzzard 9 42 57/54 for long periods and this may have been 36 09 Cheddington 13 57 56 below the nominal limit for the loco 33 76 Tring Cutting 16 16 54 concerned on some sections featured. 31 53 Tring 18 50 52 27 73 Berkhamsted 22 33 65 A pre-electrification schedule from the 24 39 Hemel Hempstead 25 37 68 summer of 1953 is shown as a way of a 23 06 Apsley 26 52 66 benchmark. It has to be born in mind of 20 74 Kings Langley 28 50 64 course that much more nominally 17 35 Watford Junction 32 20 56 powerful steam locomotives were 15 79 Bushey 33 55 54 rostered for these duties and judgement 14 57 Carpender's Pk 35 18 57 must be passed accordingly. Faster 13 24 Hatch End 36 42 64 running by the Class 24 after Tring would 11 30 Harrow&Wealdstone 38 21 55/66/67 have virtually kept this schedule, 5 36 Willesden Junction 43 00 65 however. Camden No.1 49 05 /sigs

0 05 Euston [50] 52 51 . Table 5. Run 5 Date 10 May 1960 Train 20.00 Euston- Tring

Recorder P.M.Smith In the opposite direction P.M.Smith timed a Load 7/206/215 Motive Power D5018 (Class 24) more manageable load behind D5018. The M C [sch] m s mph effort behind D5018 looks somewhat below 0 04 Euston 0 00 par, from the power output point of view, Camden No 1. 2 57 36 producing only around 730 rhp from 3 01 Kilburn High Rd 5 42 54/61 Wembley to Hatch End. However, what 4 40 Kensal Green 7 22 58 needs to be taken into consideration, as 5 36 Willesden Junction 8 38 34* mentioned above, was that the line limit 6 40 Brent Junction 10 47 51 south of Watford may of been less than the 8 04 Wembley Central 12 05 57 nominal 75 mph, and of course the schedule 9 35 South Kenton 13 35 54 didn’t require any real exertion anyway. 11 30 Harrow&Wealdstone 15 40 57 13 24 Hatch End 17 40 60 14 57 Carpender's Park 19 07 60 15 79 Bushey 20 23 17 35 Watford Junction 25 22 41 . Table 6, takes on to the much maligned DMUs. The Railcar Revolution of the 1955 Modernisation Plan has to a large extent been another forgotten chapter of performance.

Milepost 34½ -181 - October 2013 The former 127 hydraulic units are the apotheosis of this. Their introduction in the autumn of 1959 on the MML saw radical improvements in both journey times and frequency of service.

Table 6. Run 6 7 Date 20 February 1978 08 November 1977 Train 17.12 17.3 St Pancras- St Pancras- They were mainly confined to Bedford Bedford the St Pancras/Moorgate- Recorder P.Commons P.Commons Bedford area in the 1959-1983 Load 278/300 278/300 era, but there were always a Motive Power 127*2 127*2 few forays north of this point. Miles [sch] m s mph m s mph 0 St Pancras 0 00 0 00 The 05.50 Kettering- St 1.55 Kentish Town 2 21 32 3 30 44 Pancras was one example of 3.55 Finchley Road 6 28 53 5 55 57/sigs this. Archive film also exists of 5.15 Cricklewood 8 13 65/70 7 56 52 these units on the former 7 Hendon 10 00 68 9 44 69 Bedford-Northampton line and 9.35 Mill Hill 12 17 67/65 11 51 69/67/sigs the last train to call at the 12.45 Elstree 15 18 67 14 58 35/sigs former Sharnbrook station was 15.25 Radlett 17 50 73 17 59 74 one of these units. 18.2 Napsbury 21 33 20*/41 20 32 68 19.9 St Albans City [25] 25 18 22 34 Peter Commons commuted on 1.15 Sandridge 2 28 43/tsr 2 23 43 these units out of the capital for 2.85 Sandridge IBS 6 22 3 51 58/63/sigs a few years and two runs are 4.75 Harpenden [6.5] 9 29 8 27 shown. 2.6 Chiltern Green 3 56 66 4 47 sig stop 4.6 Vauxhall 5 51 70 9 17 57/sigs 5.6 Luton [7.5] 7 48 12 19

By the standards of the time, the units boasted a fairly high power: weight ratio. They were around 25 percent more nominally powerful than the average DMU offering of the time and this is graphically illustrated on the climb to Elstree, where the attainment of 65-67 mph on a gradient which steepens 1 in 176, was beyond the capacity of most of their contemporaries. This was about 25-28 mph better on this inclination than the steam traction they supplanted on these services. Run 7, was set to do equally well as Run 6, but signal checks hindered the approach to Elstree. Both runs to an extent were stymied by the ongoing electrification work at the period concerned.

Another quite unusual feature of these units in comparison with other DMUs was the attainment of speeds in the mid seventies or thereabouts. The attainment of 74 mph in run 7 was not unusual, looking at other logs behind these units, perhaps their inherent hydraulic transmission give them a larger degree of latitude than their mechanical contemporaries where maximum speeds are concerned. The governing system on the latter units seemed to be very effective in retarding the speed at around 69-70 mph mark, unless a steep gradient was been descended.

I have utilised the mileages provided by Mr Commons for the runs concerned.

Table 7, takes us to the much more common type of DMU which utilised mechanical transmission, of course.

The former Class 104 BRCW units are perhaps best associated with the lines around Manchester and the Derby-Crewe service, although like many former DMUs they did gravitate elsewhere in their later years. From their subsequent introduction in 1957 these units attracted very little attention from the performance point of view.

Milepost 34½ -182 - October 2013 For a number of years in the eighties the former Bletchley-Kettering service was a DMU preserve. Odd workings were extended from Bletchley to the latter location. This working in the mid eighties was a regular turn for one of these units.

Kettering is not a place you automatically think of been a DMU Purlieu. However, in the 1965-1985 period, around a handful of differing types did frequent the location concerned on odd workings at differing times. The former Craven units in the sixties for example were responsible for the service to Nottingham via Melton Mowbray. The Class 101/108 units also featured as well as the two types shown here.

Table 7. Quite clearly looking at Table 7, Run 8 9 the unit concerned was not in Date 22 February 1986 16-Nov-88 tip-top condition, but this was Train 08.58 Bletchley- 08.25 Bedford Midland- not helped by the transmission Kettering Kettering system of these units. I suspect Recorder P.Commons P.Commons that the minimum speed at the Load 55/58 37/40 summit was getting quite close Motive Power 53450/54184 (104 55024 (121) to the gear change from fourth BRCW) to third, where of course the Miles [sch] m s mph m s mph engine revolutions are falling 0.00 Bedford 0 00 0 00 and hence power too. This 3.00 Oakley 5 14 47 4 23 56/62 would have resulted in an 5.10 Milepost 55 7 30 60 increasingly laboured ascent as 6.70 Sharnbrook 9 10 53 8 08 54 demonstrated here. 9.85 Sharnbrook Smt 13 17 41 11 52 51/74 12.75 Irchester 16 20 62 14 21 72 15.15 Wellingborough [17.5] 19 21 17 03 The descent to Irchester was 1.20 Neilson's Sidings 2 31 43 also somewhat retarded, and 2.65 Finedon 4 18 53 3 51 58/62 one wonders if the unit 4.30 Burton Latimer 6 06 59 5 30 62/sigs concerned was beginning to 5.65 Kettering South J 8 04 30*/37 7 35 24* overheat and the driver opted 6 .95 Kettering [10.5] 10 45 to coast as a result. The schedule on both sections of the route featured here were no sinecure either.

The final run is behind a Class 121 ‘Bubble car’, more associated with the Stourbridge shuttle rather than a mainline working of this type. However, this unit acquitted itself well. The ascent to Sharnbrook been much better than the 104 . A speed of 74 mph on the subsequent descent to Irchester was quite unusual for a unit of this type, I would guess.

The power weight: ratio of the Bubble car was significantly better than that of the Class 104 unit. The nominal figures are 8.1 and 5.5 respectively for the units concerned and so naturally one would expect the single car to show an advantage. Paradoxically, however, multiple units of any type are more vulnerable to the vagaries of air resistance than their loco-hauled equivalents and the length of the formations concerned can have a bearing on their performance. Perhaps the best illustration of this today is the difference between a Class 153 and a Class 155 unit. The former of course a single (bubble) car and the latter a two-car consist.

The Class 121 unit featured here, could probably be equalled by a contemporary three-car Metropolitan-Cammell unit with two power cars in a three-car configuration giving a nominal power weight ratio of 6.7 as opposed to the 8.1 of the 121 as way of an example of what I mean.

Milepost 34½ -183 - October 2013 To get back to the runs concerned. The gently adverse inclination from Wellingborough to Kettering is discernible in both logs. Neither unit got within touching distance of their nominal 70 mph limit. Of course both runs were radically different to HST running in the same era and provided Mr Commons with a radically different timing experience, something that can’t be replicated today of course on the MML at any rate.

Below are some edhp/rhp estimates for Tables 2-5 regarding the locomotives concerned.

Table 8. EDHP/RHP Humberstone Road-Barrow-on-Soar- 1 in 885 (average) D5412/ 753/958-66.9 mph Braybrook-Desborough 1 in 132 10201/1263/1377-45 mph Irchester-Sharnbrook Summit 1 in 120 10201/1250/1386-48.8 mph Cheddington-Tring 1 in 333 D5412 /703/840-54.2 MPH Wembley-Hatch End 1 in 339 D5018/591/728-56.3 MPH

Bibliography D.N.Clough, British Rail Standard Diesels of the 1960’s, Ian Allan (2009) D.N.Clough, Diesel Pioneers, Ian Allan (2005) J.Knowles ,BR Diesel Resistance and the Davis Formula, Milepost 26,April 2005) C.Marsden,British Rail 1981 Multiple- Units, Ian Allan (1981

PEAK SPEED

BILL HEMSTOCK

On Friday 20 August 1976 I was making my way from Stamford to Torquay for some well- earned (he says himself!) rest and recuperation. The Leeds-Penzance ‘Cornishman’ ran into New Street on time, but was held for the late-running Manchester-Cardiff train to maintain long-distance connections. Departure was 14 minutes late and I was keen to see how much time would be recovered. I was to be quite surprised.

My expectations were to be heightened by a brisk departure through the tunnels up to full power right up to shutting off for the Kings Norton psr. I failed to locate several mileposts after Selly Oak, so I cannot state a maximum speed here. The climb to Barnt Green was purposeful before the PSRs at Blackwell, Bromsgorve and Stoke Works Junction were carefully observed. Full power gave 97 mph past MP 68 before the psr at Abbotswood Junction was again carefully observed. More full-power running gave 96 mph crossing the Avon viaduct, and 98 mph beyond Ashchurch. The impetus so gained meant that speed was still 90 mph approaching High Street LC when power was shut off for the Cheltenham Spa psr carefully observed. 86 mph at Barnwood Junction preceded another careful observation of the psr at Gloucester Yard.

So far, so good. I now had high hopes that the ‘Cornishman’ would achieve the booked path from Westerleigh West Junction through the Bristol area. Accelerating through 79 mph through Standish, 99 mph was reached at Coaley. This enabled the undulations to MP 110 and the 7¼ mile climb to just beyond Rangeworthy to be covered at an absolute minimum of 86 mph.

Milepost 34½ -184 - October 2013

Date F 20-Aug-76 There was even a very Train 1015 ex Birmingham slight acceleration over Loco 45050 the undulating, but still- Load formation 12,392/425/563 rising stretch on towards Recorder P Hemstock Yate, when fate Position/ GPS Warm & sunny/lille wind 2/13 intervened. miles M C Timing Point m s mph ave

0.00 42 24 BIRMINGHAM New St 0 00 14L Signals brought speed 1.21 43 41 Church Rd J 3 19 33 21.9 down to 10 mph whilst a 3.33 45 50 Selly Oak 6 06 51/ 45.5 5.51 47 65 Kings Norton 8 42 41* 50.5 brand new HST, that was 6.94 48 14 Northfield 10 24 56 50.3 running early on loco- 10.56 51 64 Barnt Green 13 48 74/75 64.0 hauled timings, was 12.01 53 20 Blackwell 14 58 72*82 74.6 given precedence over 14.14 55 30 Bromsgrove 16 36 79*/82 78.1 Westerleigh West 16.29 57 42 Stoke Works J 18 11 78* 81.5 Junction and, just to rub 20.91 62 12 Dunhamstead 21 18 92/95 89.0 salt into the driver’s and 24.99 66 18 Spetchley 23 52 93/97 95.3 loco’s wounds, a booked 27.51 68 60 Abbotswood J 25 38 79* 85.8 stop at Parkway, where it 32.26 73 40 Defford 28 51 96/91 88.6 was, quite rightly held to 38.26 79 40 Ashchurch 32 40 96/98 94.3 its booked departure 41.51 82 60 Cleeve gf 34 42 92/90 95.9 time! This poor 45.48 86 57 Cheltenham 38 10 44* 68.6 regulation by Bristol PSB 48.65 89 71 Churchdown 41 26 78 58.3 cost over 6½ minutes of 51.01 92 20 Barnwood J 43 08 86 83.4 hard-won time. 51.86 93 08 Gloucester Yard J 43 53 59* 68.0 52.90 94 11 Tuffley J 44 54 63 61.2 The driver was not 58.08 99 74 Standish J 49 12 79 72.2 discouraged, for after 63.65 105 40 Coaley J 52 55 99 90.0 66.15 108 00 Berkeley Rd 54 30 92/95 94.7 getting the road a brisk 71.33 113 14 Charfield 57 50 92 93.1 descent of Filton bank 75.24 117 07 Rangeworthy 60 29 86/87 88.6 got the train into Temple 77.95 119 64 Yate 62 29 -/10sig 81.4 Meads just 4¾ mins 79.48 121 26 Westerleigh W J 65 11 27* 33.9 down by the PTT. Net 80.83 108 40 Coalpit Heath 66 56 59/69/sig st 46.3 time, I estimate, was 84.10 111 62 Bristol Pkwy 75 51 38 22.0 77¼ mins, a net gain of 85.15 112 66 Filton J 77 14 50* 45.5 15¾ mins on the PTT 86.20 3 60 Henfield 78 17 65 60.0 and more than wiping out 88.33 1 50 Stapleton Rd 80 21 56*/60 61.7 the delayed restart from 89.95 0 00 BRISTOL Temple Meads 83 49 28.1 New Street.

Perusing this, 37 years after the event, I have three points to make. On today’s ‘politically correct’ railway such running as this would earn the driver a ‘form 1’ in view of the loco and line limit of 90 mph. There would also have been a cost in fuel consumption and ‘wear and tear’. However, what value does one put on the benefits of getting a late-running long distance train back onto its booked path as soon as possible? For my part, I thank the unknown driver for his determined performance, it was exhilarating to record.

Milepost 34½ -185 - October 2013 Cambrian and South Western Tractors

David Lloyd-Roberts

For those who have a bent in the RPS towards agricultural machinery, I’m afraid this article is not dedicated to the prowess of Massey Ferguson or Fordson tractors in the areas of Wales and England respectively. This sobriquet of course refers to acoustic endeavours of the Class 37s. There is one line of enthusiasts who think that the inherent character of the railway went with the disappearance of steam; this is not a view I share, however. The audible endeavour of a Western or a Deltic was as arguably distinctive as any steam engine they replaced.

The crescendo of the English Electric 12 CSVT engine from a 37, especially when the driver opened out from a standing start was, to my mind, one of the most impressive sounds that emanated from a 1955 Modernisation Plan Diesel. I have spent many happy hours travelling behind these workhorses in East Anglia in their formative years and then in Scotland on the Highland, Far North lines as they gravitated there during the eighties. The nineties of course saw an influx to the North Wales Coast where I recorded a quite naughty 93 mph behind one with six on between Crewe and Chester but that’s another story as they say.

One other sphere of operation for the class of course was the former Cambrian main line. I think they began to take over from pairs of Bescot Class 25s on the Euston-Aberystwyth services in around 1984-1985 period. The class they replaced on these services were renowned for under par performance and general mechanical unreliability. Most of these services continued to be diagrammed for double-headed operation following the replacement by these locomotives, I believe, so to get one with this sort of load was quite rare. I have never been terribly keen on this type of operation as one can never really assess which locomotive is doing what, although paradoxically a good performance may demonstrate that the pair concerned are at least up to spec, it may also be the case however, that one locomotive is good and another of the pair is exceptional.

Quite clearly the scheduling on Runs 1 & 2 reflected this form of working and not surprisingly time was lost as a result on most sections en route in either direction.

The train from the tare weight quoted reflected the use of the heavier Commonwealth bogies in the formation concerned. The rake concerned was the weekday ‘Cobbler set’ which of course would have been utilised on the Euston-Northampton peak hour fasts at the period concerned. There was however, at around the same period; a diagram for a single Class 37 with six on through to the coveted Welsh resort, believe.

On another occasion in an effort to time the class on the route concerned. I travelled to Milton Keynes on the 06.30 Euston-Holyhead after a night sleeping in the office, such was my dedication to the hobby at the period concerned! At Milton Keynes, I changed trains and then obtained a cheap day return to Northampton, where I subsequently obtained a West Midlands Day Ranger ticket which was valid as far as Shrewsbury. Having completed the monumental trip, only to be told by the booking clerk at the latter location, that the Cambrian Day Ranger had been withdrawn due to a surfeit of gricers swamping a single diagrammed Class 37 working the previous Saturday which been in the summer was also crammed with holiday makers. No doubt other members of the RPS have suffered from similar Greek tragedies in pursuing their all-consuming hobby.

Milepost 34½ -186 - October 2013 Table 1. M C [sch] m s mph Run 1 47 56 Newtown 0 00 Date C 1985 49 47 Scafell 3 40 52/60 Train 09.40 Euston- 52 20 Moat Lane 6 41 39/42 Aberystwyth 53 34 Caersws [7.5] 8 47 53 34 0 00 Recorder D.L.R. 55 02 Pontdolgoch 3 54 34 Load 11/406/415 57 20 Mp 7 21 40 Motive Power 37428 59 15 Carno 10 03 45/50 M C [sch] m s mph 61 26 Talerdigg 13 47 16*/52/50 0 00 Shrewsbury WTT 0 00 64 57 Llanbrynmair 18 21 65/62/58 0 65 Sutton Bridge Jct 3 12 20/10* 68 20 Commins Coch 22 32 60/32*/39 4 09 Hanwood 9 42 58/56/63 70 03 Cemmes Road 25 04 52/64 6 47 Yockleton 12 13 58/53 72 00 Mp 27 01 65/60/58 8 20 Mp 14 04 49/51 75 14 Machynlleth [29.5] 32 04 10 25 Westbury [17] 18 15 sig stop 75 14 0 00 59 max/ 27 06 79 09 Dovey Junction 6 15 18* 11 40 Mp 29 36 34 79 59 Glandylfi 7 51 34 12 40 Mp 31 18 42 82 00 Mp 10 45 56/61 13 20 Mp 32 23 55/70 85 21 Ynyslas 14 17 32 27 Buttington 35 24 53/61/50 87 27 Borth [16.5] 17 32 33 75 Welshpool [27] 39 42 87 27 0 00 33 75 0 00 88 40 Mp 2 30 32/29 38 17 Forden 6 06 43/51 89 58 Llandre 4 58 29 40 18 Montgomery 8 56 47/50 91 16 Bow Street 7 50 62/34* 43 63 Abermule 13 21 33/39/tsr 92 60 Mp 10 16 32/56 46 00 Mp 16 02 50/48/50 94 56 Llanbadarn 12 14 47 56 Newtown [15.5] 18 37 95 54 Aberystwyth 14 36 . Table 2. M C [sch] m s mph Run 2 61 26 Talerdigg [21-25] 24 06 10* Date C 1985 59 15 Carno 27 42 60/64 Train 15.00 Aberystwyth- 57 20 Mp 29 42 53/57 Euston 55 02 Pantdologoch 31 57 65/30* Motive Power 37428 53 34 Caresws [36] 35 06 Load 11/406/415 53 34 0 00 Recorder D.L.R. 52 20 Moat Lane 2 20 45 M C [sch] m s mph 49 47 Scafell 5 07 60/63 95 54 Aberystwyth WTT 0 00 47 56 Newtown [7.5] 9 04 94 56 Llanbadarn 2 05 47 56 0 00 /63 92 60 Mp 43 63 Abermule 5 33 25*/58/56 91 16 Bow Street 7 30 52/40 40 18 Montgomery 9 55 60/67 89 58 Llandre 9 39 42/58 38 17 Forden 12 04 42/65 87 27 Borth [12.5] 12 59 33 75 Welshpool [15.5] 17 25 87 27 0 00 33 75 0 00 85 21 Ynysla s 3 40 48/46 32 27 Buttington 3 18 47 82 00 Mp 7 07 65/67 13 20 Mp 8 20 40/c* 79 59 Glandyfi 9 18 40 12 40 Mp 9 29 40/42 79 09 Dovey Junction [10.5] 10 18 5* 11 40 Mp 10 53 42 75 14 Machynlleth [16] 17 53 10 25 Westbury [11.5] 13 37 10* 75 14 0 00 8 20 Mp 16 26 63 72 00 Mp 5 01 55 6 47 Yockleton 17 50 75/71 70 03 Cemmes Road 7 18 51 4 09 Hanwood 19 57 69/68 68 20 Commins Coch 9 46 45/34*/32 2 00 Mp 21 57 64/63/68 64 57 Llanbrynmair 15 25 32/37/22 0 65 Sutton Bridge Jct [26.5] 25 19 0 04 Shrewsbury [29] 28 44

Milepost 34½ -187 - October 2013 . Much rarer was the appearance of a Class 37 on the former LSWR mainline between Exeter and Waterloo which features in Table 3. Of course these services were no strangers to alternative Type 3 power in the form of Class 33s which dominated these services in the 1971-1980 era, providing a long stopgap between alternative forms of Type 4 power in the form of hydraulic Warships and the latter mercurial Class 50s of course. A comparison is shown between the former EE and BRCW products. Two runs of the latter class have been utilised as a way of comparison.

Run 3 4 105 18 Gillingham 0 00 0 00 Run 5 Date 23 August 1981 31-Jul-79 59 09 Whitchurch 0 00 0 00 60 Train: Exeter-Wloo 1505 1555 57 00 Mp 3 48 53/58 max Motive power 37258 33101 55 39 Overton [5.5] 5 46 5 08 Load 9,288/300 8,285/305 55 39 0 00 0 00 Recorder DLR DLR 52 28 Oakley 4 37 65/61 4 28 65/62 Run 5 50 20 Worting J Mp 6 38 66/69 6 26 68/74 Date 1979 47 60 Basingstoke [10] 9 39 9 19 Train: Yeovil J-Wloo 1620 47 60 0 00 0 00 Motive power 33029 42 17 Hook 6 18 78 6 04 75 Load 8,268/300 39 65 Winchfield 8 04 83/86 7 54 80/84 Recorder DLR 36 41 Fleet 10 25 83/85 10 19 81 105 18 Gillingham 0 00 0 00 Run 4. 33 18 Farnborough 12 46 86/87 12 45 82/81 101 12 Semley 6 55 44 6 18 48/46/78 31 00 Mp 14 18 86/88 14 26 83/80 98 00 Mp 9 51 78 48/tsr 28 00 Brookwood 16 23 85 16 38 85/79 96 16 Tisbury [13] 11 55 11 35 26 20 Mp 17 55 sigs 96 16 0 00 0 00 24 25 Woking [22] 21 08 19 56 93 00 Mp 4 12 71 24 25 0 00 0 00 91 72 Dinton 5 18 79/80 4 55 72/70/77 21 56 West Byfleet 3 44 69 3 37 69 89 00 Mp 7 54 55/tsr 20 34 Byfleet 4 47 75 4 40 74 86 11 Wilton 10 48 67/70 9 37 81 19 09 Weybridge 4 47 76 5 45 73 - 84 00 -7 3.5 17 08 Walton 5 48 85 7 24 79 83 73 15 79 Hersham 8 08 86 8 15 81/80 83 43 Salisbury [19] 14 32 13 28 14 28 Esher 9 14 86 9 24 80 83 43 0 00 0 00 Run 5. 13 27 Hampton Ct J 10 01 81/79 10 12 80/79 82 32 Tunnel J 2 33 46 2 23 46/58 12 03 Surbiton 10 58 77/80 11 08 79/77 78 07 Porton 7 25 58/44/tsr 6 51 60/59 9 60 New Malden 12 42 74/72 12 56 63/64 75 40 Allington J 10 38 58/65 9 28 64/68 7 25 Wimbledon 14 52 60/64 15 20 66/61* 72 49 Grateley [14] 13 59 12 27 5 47 Earlsfield 16 27 58/sigs 16 52 68/65 72 49 0 00 0 00 sig st 67 46 Red Post J 5 12 82/78 5 12 80/76 3 78 Clapham J 22 05 18 56 40*/61 66 21 Andover [7] 7 13 6 45 1 29 Vauxhall 25 02 sigs 21 33 42 66 21 0 00 0 00 62 40 Mp 5 23 56 5 15 55 0 08 Waterloo [28] 29 44 24 19 61 00 Hurstbourne 6 48 68/67 6 39 68/67 Table 3. Tunnel Junction-Porton ( 1 in 207) average edhp/rhp 59 09 Whitchurch [10] 8 58 8 37 Run 3 37258-1167/1310-53.3 mph Run 5. 33029-1140/1275-56 mph

This was a classic example of the right place at the right time. I had abandoned a Class 33 + 4TC because it was not doing very brilliantly. I had no idea to what was on the next train. The 37 was something of an unexpected surprise. I have a suspicion that a certain member of the RPS had made sure that during the layover at Exeter following a freight turn from Westbury for the class concerned, that a few drivers would have the requisite training on the class, who were signed on to work the former LSWR main line to Waterloo. I have literally dozens of logs on this route, but this was the only occasion I was fortunate enough to time a 37 over this section. It was not especially brilliant, but the sheer novelty value outweighs a

Milepost 34½ -188 - October 2013 not particularly sparkling run, arguably. I never ever saw one before or since on a working over this route.

Both locomotives as indicated by the edhp/rhp calculations were in good order and the ascent by No. 33029 up to Porton was particularly good. The norm for a Crompton here was around 55-56 mph with a similar load.

Although the article title refers to their work on the Cambrian and the former LSWR Main lines, I have decided at the last moment to add this run on the last day of 37 Haulage on the Liverpool Street-Lowestoft/Yarmouth services which may be of interest to readers of Milepost. This was timed on a Friday after work, from what I can recall.

If members are interested I may write another article on the class over their more normal stamping grounds such as the former GE Main Line featured here if there is sufficient interest in this.

Table 4. M C [sch] m s mph Run 6 20 14 Shenfield 20 54 67/73/43/tsr Date 23-July-83 23 48 Ingatestone 24 21 50/81 17.00 Liverpool Train Street- 29 58 Chelmsford 29 40 58/72 Lowestoft 32 11 New Hall 32 11 42 tsr/62 Hatfield Motive Power 37102 35 75 Peverall 36 04 42 Load 7/226/240 38 48 Witham 39 00 72 Recorder D.L.R. 42 16 Kelvedon 41 53 78/84 M C [sch] m s mph 46 50 Marks Tey 45 13 82/77/83 0 02 Liverpool Street 0 00 48 16 Stanway 47 00 77/sigs 1 12 Bethnal Green 3 00 sigs 51 42 Colchester [50] 50 20 4 00 Stratford 6 45 55/51 51 42 0 00 Parsons 5 18 Forest Gate 8 07 61 54 00 Heath 3 54 45/sigs 7 28 Ilford 10 00 68 56 04 Ardleigh 6 14 58/74 9 23 Chadwell Heath 12 14 73 59 33 Manningtree [9] 10 10 12 31 Romford 14 08 77/75 59 33 0 00 13 42 Gidea Park 15 04 75/76 63 09 Bentley 5 22 57/60 14 77 Harold Wood 16 10 76 65 00 Mp 7 19 58/74 18 16 Brentwood 18 55 63/58 68 59 Ipswich [16] 12 11

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Milepost 34½ -189 - October 2013 The Other Joint

Michael Rowe

The Midland Railway and, post 1923, the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) had part interests in two major ‘Joint Railways’, the Somerset and Dorset Joint (S&D) and the Midland and Great Northern Joint (M&GN). Both Railways retained their individuality and specifically their own motive power and rolling stock post the 1923 Grouping. Whilst the M&GN had a greater route mileage (180 miles vs 102) and survived as a separate operating entity longer (1936 vs 1930), the S&D is better known. The S&D has attracted, post closure, more enthusiast interest; probably due to a combination of circumstances - it closed later (1966 vs 1959), it was very photogenic in parts, (Ivo Peters championed the line over many years and O.S.Nock lived in Bath) and as late as 1962 new steam motive power was being introduced to the line. There are frequent references to locomotive performance over the S&D from the beginning of the 20th Century. Little, by comparison, has been written performance wise about the M&GN, nothing for instance in the Railway Magazine’s Practice and Performance articles.

The M&GN as a Joint Railway came into being between 1889 and 1893, following a series of groupings and finally the transfer of some former Midland Railway routes to the Joint Company.

The erudite E.L.Ahrons, amusing to us even a century later, wrote in the February 1923 Railway Magazine in his series of articles on locomotive working at the end of the 19th Century, “The Eastern and Midlands Railway, which from 1889 to 1893 was taken over by The Midland and Great Northern Railways, itself dates back to only January 1883, when it was formed by the amalgamation of a number of small local railways in Norfolk, some of which apparently began in a field at the back of nowhere and ended in another field a long way from anywhere else. After the amalgamation of the various local railways, the line had a sort of distant and miniature resemblance to the American Pennsylvania Railroad, in that there was a sharp demarcation between ‘Lines East’ and ‘Lines West’, the dividing line corresponding to Pittsburgh being the ancient but more classic borough of King’s Lynn.”

Although the need for trains to reverse at Kings Lynn when travelling from east to west or west to east, including payment of tolls to an often unfriendly Great Eastern Railway, had been obviated by the opening of the Kings Lynn avoiding line in 1886. The East West distinction persisted throughout the M&GN’s existence.

M&GN locomotives and train crews regularly worked through to Leicester or Nottingham from the earliest days. Whilst M&GN metals actually finished at Little Bytham Junction with a head-on connection to the Midland Railway. In practice, the route, certainly as far as Saxby, had a strong M&GN flavour.

During 40 odd years of its separate existence the M&GN used 4-4-0s on its principal passenger services, and indeed much of its freight service. The joint undertaking inherited 14 4-4-0s built by Beyer Peacock for the Eastern and Midlands Railway, and purchased 40 more 4-4-0s, which essentially conformed to Samuel Johnson’s design of 1888 for the Midland Railway, between 1894 and 1899. They were all supplied by private builders, 33 from Sharp Stewart and seven from Beyer Peacock and remained at the forefront of M&GN operations until the LNER assumed responsibility for motive power in 1936. Some of the forty were fitted with larger boilers as train weights increased. Table 1 gives details. Ultimately ten had Derby type G7 boilers, and seven received Derby type G6 boilers from 1929-31. They remained an all saturated steam fleet.

Milepost 34½ -190 - October 2013

Table 1 loco M&GN M&GN LMS LNER LNER LNER LMS/BR 4-4-0 4-4-0 0-6-0 4-4-0 4-4-0 4-6-0 2-6-2 class small large 4F D2 D9 B12/3 4F/4MT cylinders. inside inside inside inside inside inside outside diameter inches 18½ 18½ 20 17½ 19 20 17½ stroke inches 26 26 26 26 26 28 26 boiler pressure psi 160 175 175 175 180 180 225 heating surface firebox sq.ft 110 127 124 123 141 154 131 tubes sq.ft 1130 1257 910 1133 1139 1405 1090 superheater - - 253 - 178 315 231 sq.ft total 1240 1384 1286 1353 1458 1874 1452 grate area sq.ft 17,5 21 26 19 26 31 23 driv wheel dia ft/in 6’6” 6’6” 5’3” 6’8” 6’9” 6’6” 5’3” weights loco ton/cwt 42/18 49/18 48/15 47/10 55/14 69/10 59/2 tender ton/cwt 33/1 33/1 41/4 40/18 48/6 39/6 40/5 total ton/cwt 75/19 82/19 89/19 88/8 104/- 108/16 99/7 Note 1 Note 2 Note 3 Note 1 1929/31 7 given Derby type G6 boilers, increased loco weight by 1/9 Note 2 No.39 from 1906-24 round topped boiler, firebox, 118 sq.ft, tubes 1303 sq.ft No.55 from 1906-25 Belpaire firebox, 125 sq.ft, tubes 1222 sq.ft . Note 3 Some superheated: firebox 118.sq.ft, tubes 819 sq.fr, S/H 192 sq.ft BP 170 psi

There was scant local passenger demand but as with the S&D the joint line afforded access to the seaside, in this case the Norfolk Coast, for both the Midland and Great Northern Railways (GNR).

The GNR ran a service competing with the Great Eastern to Cromer from Kings Cross via Peterborough, from where the M&GN continued via Sutton Bridge, South Lynn and Melton Constable. In July 1903 the GNR introduced an express service from the West Riding to Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Cromer. The main train ran from Leeds Central via Doncaster and Sleaford to Spalding from where the M&GN continued. A through portion from Manchester (Lancashire and Yorkshire) was attached at Wakefield Kirk Gate and in competition with the Midland a through portion from Derby Friargate and Nottingham Victoria was added at Sleaford.

In 1894 the Midland opened a line from Saxby to Bourne, part of which was incorporated within the M&GN. This enabled the Midland to run an express service from Birmingham, Derby, Leicester and Nottingham to Cromer, Yarmouth and Norwich. These trains used the Spalding avoiding line.

Ahrons was impressed with the M&GN. He wrote, “Before the end of the century (19th) the train service on the joint railway had developed into an excellent one. There were in the late nineties some long non stop runs over the mainly single tracked route e.g. from Bradshaw July 1897, the 13.10 ex Kings Cross, Peterborough to Melton Constable, 68¼ miles in 95 minutes, Melton Constable to Caister-on-sea 38¾ miles in 73 minutes. The three Midland daily ‘Birmingham Expresses’ (09.25, 11.20 and 14,15) ran the 24¾ miles from Bourne to Sutton Bridge in 38, 38 and 40 minutes respectively including a conditional stop at Holbeach. M&GN locos replaced Midland ones at Bourne at this time. The 14.15 was allowed 47 minutes over the 31¾ miles from South Lynn to Melton Constable including a conditional stop at Fakenham. Up train schedules were similar.

Milepost 34½ -191 - October 2013 Table 2 Source R&TM R&TM Railway Source R&TM R&TM 11-1911 9-1913 Notes 9-1913 6-1913 Date 11/09/1911 Date Run No. I II V III IV Train 13.32 0910 Norwich Train 10.45 10.45 Leicester Bradford Bradford Loco lge 4-4-0 small 4-4-0 * lge 4-4-0 Loco lge 4-4-0 small 4-4-0 No.53 lge 4-4-0 ** No.53 Load 10/280/- 8/-/- * -/327/- Load 9/-/- * 13/330/- * 15/350/- ** 7 ** 12/300/-** miles Recorder WJScott WJScott ‘Diamond’ miles Recorder WJScott WJScott 0.0 Yarmouth 00-00 00-00 0.0 S. Lynn 00-00 pass 00-00 pass 7.1 Hemsby 13-25 13.1 Massingham 20-55 9.9 Martham 17-00 22.0 Fakenham 34-49 12.7 P.Heigham 20-30 31.6 M.Constable 46-49 53-20 17.6 Stalham 26-00 4.9 Corpusty 07-49/ 16-16 stop 24.3 N.Walsham 38-10 41-35 11.6 Aylsham 27-17 19-37 5.6 Aylsham 10-05 8-27 17.2 N.Walsham 34-44 28-50 12.3 Corpusty 20-07 6.7 Stalham 09.01 13-03 sig 0-00 14-01 stop 17.2 M.Constable 32-01 20-59 00-00 11.6 P.Heigham 11-13 24-32 3.1 Thursford 6-45 14.4 Martham 14-29 9.6 Fakenham 15-00 24.3 Yarmouth 31-31 22-45 13.3 Raynham Pk 6-45 15.3 E.Rudham - stop 9-55 18.5 Massingham 28-23 goods. 14-20 39-38 23.1 Hillington 19-30 25.1 Grimst’n Rd. 21-35 28.0 Gayton Rd. 24-30 31.6 S. Lynn 54-54 pass 50-47 28-30 stop * Loco and load to Melton Constable ** Loco and load after Melton Constable No.53 M&GN 4-4-0 built Sharp Stewart 1896, G7 boiler 1911

Whilst there was much praise heaped on the M&GN in the Media prior to WW1, including claims, for example, that the line witnessed the best single line running within the UK, actual performance details are scarce. There is a Melton Constable loco department diagram from December 1905. A test run with 4-4-0 No.18, one of those built by Sharp Stewart in 1894. Part of the diagram and a derived log from Cromer to Peterborough were published in the November 1988 Railway World pp.340-344.

Whilst speeds appear not to have changed significantly on the M&GN post 1900, loads certainly increased, particularly between Melton Constable and South Lynn where portions from Cromer, Norwich and Yarmouth were combined in one train to the East Midlands or West Riding. Even this was not the limit as through coaches from Cromer to Kings Cross might be added at Melton and taken off at South Lynn. There were some operational improvements made before the First World War, specifically further short stretches of double track and the installation of Whittaker tablet exchangers.

There are some limited performance details over the Yarmouth to South Lynn section in the period 1909-11 which are included in Table 2. W.J.Scott was a great advocate of the M&GN and in particular the work of its locomotives, but the details he included within his articles, in

Milepost 34½ -192 - October 2013 the ‘Railway and Transport Monthly’ were unfortunately sparse.

The initial 18 miles from Yarmouth to a mile after Stalham station was a typical East Anglian ‘saw tooth’ (ruling gradient 1/100, teeth typically half a mile long) – the next two miles to Honing were level, the only level stretch between Yarmouth and the approach to South Lynn, followed by two miles rising at 1/100 to North Walsham. There was a favourable restart from there with three miles down, ruling gradient 1/120 and a mile ‘saw tooth’ before Aylsham. The 12 miles on to Melton Constable were adverse broken by two favourable miles before Corpusty and including approximately four miles in total at 1/100. The start from Melton Constable was difficult with two miles at 1/100 but then the line fell at 1/100 for five miles to Langor Bridge followed by seven miles overall level to Raynham Park. There was a sharp rise for 1½ miles at 1/90, a mile down at 1/100, a mile up at 1/100 then favourable gradients to South Lynn including three miles at 1/100.

The route was single track from Yarmouth to South Lynn other than Corpusty to Raynham Park (18½ miles), and Grimsdon Road to South Lynn (6½ miles).

4-4-0 No.53 with large boiler (Log I) kept the 39 minute schedule, and the intermediate passing times, to North Walsham with a 280 ton train, (probably 300 tons Gross) on the 13.32 to Spalding, Manchester and West Yorkshire. The initial start was slow but, ‘she ran fast after Mertham’. It appears 50 mph was barely reached initially but then 60 mph between Potter Heigham and Stalham. The long train drew up twice at North Walsham, left there two minutes late, kept the 10 minute schedule, over favourable gradients, to pass Aylsham and then lost two minutes on the adverse section to Melton Constable.

Melton Constable was left 3½ minutes late, there was a 10¼ minute wait at Massingham to pass another train and South Lynn was passed 17½ minutes late, Time was kept to Sutton Bridge, (nine miles in 13 minutes 51 seconds) and a minute dropped on to Spalding (25m 57s) The nominal non-stop run from Melton Constable to Spalding was completed in 94m 42s compared with the 80 minute schedule.

A small boilered 4-4-0 (Log II) with an eight coach train, (‘Seven Midland eight wheelers and one small coach’), probably 220 tons gross, lost time to North Walsham and left five minutes late. One and a half minutes was recovered on to Aylsham and the 21 minute schedule to Melton, including the initial start at 1/100 for 1½ miles kept.

Coaches from Cromer and Norwich were added at Melton Constable, the Cromer portion at the front, (the Cromer line entered Melton from the west), the Norwich portion at the rear (the Norwich line entered from the east) and locos changed; the whole operation being completed in 6¼ minutes. The large boiler 4-4-0 left only 1¼ minutes late and Scott opined that were it not for the stop at East Rudham (to pass a freight) the 45 minute schedule from Melton to South Lynn would have been kept.

The two Great Northern eight-wheeled coaches for London, Kings Cross via Peterborough were removed at South Lynn and the 4-4-0 continued with 300 tons. The 34 miles to Bourne were run in 52m 31s (schedule 51 minutes) and the 34¾ miles on to Leicester in 54m 05s (schedule 55 minutes), reached 8m 05m late. The M&GN engine and guard worked through to Leicester.

Scott travelled throughout on the 10.45 from Bradford to Lowestoft (log III). Initially the consist was five coaches including the ‘41 ton diner’ behind one of the ‘new six coupled tanks.’ From Leeds a superheat small 4-4-0 continued to Spalding. The load gradually increased from the initial 140 tons, as various through coaches were added, to 230 tons on leaving Sleaford. The M&GN 4-4-0 took over at Spalding, left four minutes late, and lost another four on the 81 minute non-stop run over the 56¼ miles to Melton Constable, 38m

Milepost 34½ -193 - October 2013 12s to pass South Lynn (24½ miles). Continuing from Melton eight minutes late with seven coaches, perhaps 200 tons gross, (‘67 wheels including one 41 ton diner and one van’), another eight minutes were lost to Yarmouth. This included a lengthy stop at Corpusty awaiting the single line section and a special crossing stop at Stalham, although the conditional stop at Potter Heigham was not called. Total running time from Melton to Yarmouth was 66m 59s. The schedule allowed 35 minutes to North Walsham including a crossing stop at Corpusty, 19 minutes to Potter Heigham including a crossing stop at Stalham and 23 minutes to Yarmouth including a conditional stop.

The performance in log IV elicited praise from Scott. He was surprised when travelling from Doncaster to note a small boiler 4-4-0 back on at Spalding to take ‘at least 330 tons forward’. Scott checked the load with the guard i.e. ‘13 vehicles, 106 wheels’. The Spalding to Melton Constable stage took 93m 5s including passing the 13.32 ex Yarmouth at Massingham. The average speed of 38.5mph from Massingham to Fakenham was excellent for a loco with only 17.5 square feet of grate. A coach was detached at Melton Constable, the passing stop at Aylsham was omitted, a passing stop at Stalham and the conditional stop at Potter Heigham were made. The overall running time from Melton to Yarmouth was 69m 59s - honours to the smaller loco?

Various writers have referred to fast M&GN running, (e.g. R.H.Clark in ‘Short History of the M&GN’) on the favourable gradients. On the 1905 test run No.18 with a five coach train (approximately 170 tons) passed Fakenham from the Melton start in 13m 35s at 55 mph after 70 mph at Langor Bridge. Number 53 (log V), working through from Norwich to Leicester, with twice the load did well to pass Thursford in 6m 45s and ran Raynham Park to East Rudham in 3m 10s pass to pass. Number 18 took 2m 48s with 50, 36 minimum on the 1/90 and 45 mph. Number 18 stopped at Massingham, and from the restart attained 65mph within eight miles. Number 53 was quicker by five seconds between Hillington and Grimston Road suggesting a maximum also in the mid-sixties. Melton to South Lynn schedule was 31 minutes. ‘There was no further excitement after Lynn, 15 seconds inside schedule with 258 tons to Bourne and another 15 seconds with 183 tons to Leicester.

There appear to be no published M&GN performance details between 1911 and 1934. Post 1934 thanks to the late G.J.Aston (arguably the most valuable single collection of logs on the RPS database) we have some details for the last two years of the M&GN’s separate existence and up to WWII.

By the mid-thirties, the M&GN 4-4-0s were definitely showing their age. Indeed in the summer of 1936 two LMS Class 3 4-4-0s (Nos. 758/9) were transferred to the M&GN section primarily to work the daily ‘Leicesters’. They were apparently well liked by the crews, particularly their riding characteristics at speed. A Class 4 0-6-0 (No.4247) was also transferred to the section (There are no comments re-M&GN liking or otherwise for this locomotive!) However, after the LNER‘s assumption of motive power responsibilities the locomotives were transferred back to the LMS. . Although post the LNER takeover no LMS locomotives were allocated to M&GN depots, they regularly hauled trains as far as Spalding, often to South Lynn and occasionally Yarmouth. The Class 4F 0-6-0s were regulars on summer Saturdays.

Milepost 34½ -194 - October 2013 Table 3 Date 10/06/1938 30/12/1958 Date 23/09/1958 Run No. VI VII Run No. VIII Loco 056 * 43158 ** Loco 43158 ** Train 0900 0902 Train 17.27 KL Load 4/111/- 7/-/- Load 5/-/- miles Recorder G.J.Aston mph B.Harrison mph Recorder B.Harrison 0 Yarmouth 00-00 ½ME 00-00 3ML miles m- s mph 0.7 Salisbury 1-56 - 0.0 M.Constable 00-00 Rd 2.6 Caister 5-07 41/47/38 5-44 48 4.7 Corpusty 7-26 51 5.4 Gt Ormesby 9-05 44 9-25 5.7 Aylsham 15-57 7.1 Hemsby 11-17 48/56 11-45 Femlingham 5-23 53 9.9 Martham 14-40 5-44 52 5.8 N.Walsham 8-44 12.7 P.Heigham 18-33 10-15 3.0 Honing 5-30 48 2.8 Catfield 05-00 54/52 5-26 52 6.8 Stalham 10-37 4.9 Stalham 8-17 8-03 2.1 Catfield 3-57 3.8 Honing 6-27 44/46/37 6-24 52 4.9 P.Heigham 7-52 6.8 N.Walsham 11-35 1ME 11-10 RT 2.8 Martham 5-13 46 5.6 Hemsby 9-16 5.8 Aylsham 7-51 54 1.7 Gt Ormesby 3-37 44 6.8 Corpusty 11-26 46/56 4.5 Caister 7-29 11.5 M.Constable sigs 5 1.9 Salisbury - Rd 20-52 2.6 Yarmouth 5-46 * ex M&GN 4-4-0 built Sharp Stewart 1896, rebuilt with G7 boiler in 1912 ** 1947 LMS Class 4 2-6-0.

Much of the logic for through services from Kings Cross to Cromer and West Yorkshire to the Norfolk coast ceased when the Great Eastern and Great Northern Railways became constituents of the London and North Eastern Railway in 1923. The through coaches to Kings Cross survived until WWII but the daytime West Yorks. service which only reappeared as a summer Saturday service post-1918 succumbed entirely. However the LMS not only continued the Leicester service but increasingly ran summer extras from the East Midlands to Yarmouth.

During August Saturdays in 1935 commencing at 03.58 with the through night service from Manchester Victoria via Doncaster there were express departures for Melton Constable and/or Yarmouth, Cromer and Norwich at 10.49 (ex-Leicester), 11.10 (Nottingham), 11.27 (Derby), 13.02 (Nottingham and Leicester), 15.04 (Derby), 15.14 (Manchester London Road), 15.59 (Birmingham) and 17.38 (Leicester). The 15.00 ex London Kings Cross was shown as a through express to Sheringham and Cromer with five stops between Peterborough and Melton Constable.

The pattern was similar in 1939. The Manchester train ran later via Doncaster departing South Lynn at 04.54, the 15.06 included through coaches from Sheffield, there was no 15.14 equivalent and the 17.23 included coaches from Leicester, Derby and Sheffield. The weekdays Leicester service included through coaches from Bradford. The 15.00 from Kings Cross was now through coaches rather than a through train, with seven stops twixt Peterborough and Melton constable.

The M&GN 4-4-0s, as noted previously, were reputedly increasingly struggling with the heavy trains in the mid-thirties. Successive CMEs endeavoured to maintain them in top condition and A.H.Nash (ex-Derby works) fitted some locos with jumper blast nozzles to increase the evaporation rate. The resultant increase in coal and water consumption was considered justifiable; after all they had never been superheated.

Milepost 34½ -195 - October 2013

A large boiler M&GN 4-4-0 No.056 (The LNER on assuming responsibility for M&GN motive power in October 1936 added “0” to M&GN numbers i.e. 56 became 056.) with a light train kept time comfortably between Yarmouth and North Walsham (log VI). Four years earlier Mr.Aston timed No.45 (log IX) with a heavy train from South Lynn to Melton Constable. Unfortunately at this time he did not record speeds, however by comparison with other logs and particularly log X where speeds at half miles were noted some assumptions can be made. Speed was probably worked up to 50 mph by Grimston Road falling away on the long climb past Massingham to 25 mph, touching 60 before Raynham Park and averaging 51.5 mph over the 6.9 more or less level miles to Langor Bridge. The long 1/100 brought speed down to approximately 25 mph. Without the stand outside the station Melton could have been reached in 51 minutes compared with a demanding 46 minutes schedule.

Table 4 Date 01/09/1934 Mar-54 20/09/1958 23/09/1958 Run No. IX X XI XII Train 17.25 17.27 17.27 Loco 45 * 43159 ** 43158 ** 43091 ** Load 12/341/360 7/214/225 9/275/290 7/215/225 miles Recorder GJAston DTwybell BHarrison BHarrison 0.0 S.Lynn 00-00 00-00 (mph) 00-00 (mph) 00-00 (mph) 1.1 Hardwick Rd. 3-56 3.6 Gayton Rd 7-52 06-23 (50)(52) 7-41 7-02 6.5 Grimston Rd. 10-27 09-52 (43) 10-42 10-03 tsr (16) 8.5 Hillington 14-25 15-28 (24)(43) 13-20 13-03 (48) 13.2 Massingham 22-13 23-24 (36)(44) 20-00 (50) 19-59 16.4 E.Rudham 27-35 27-55 (33)(44) 23-45 (56) 24-01 (48) 18.3 Raynham Pk.’ 30-00 31-03 (35) 26-11 (40) 26-43 22.1 Fakenham 34-39 36-33 (49) 30-39 32-02 stop 3.1 Langor Bgs 38-02 05-07 (52) - 6.5 Thursford 44-13 10-25 (37) 10-06 (35) 10-15 (36) home sig 50-35/54-36 sigs 9.6 M.Constable 56-12 15-50 15-16 15-36 * M&GN 4-4-0 built by Beyer Peacock in 1894, rebuilt with G7 boiler in 1909. ** ex LMS Ivatt Class 4 2-6-0.

Mr. Aston continued from Melton to Norwich on the 16,12 departure, which due to the late running services left 35 minutes late. No. 7, a 4-4-0 fitted with a small second hand Midland boiler in 1933 and a lightweight three coach train (Aston gives nine axles, presumable three six-wheelers and 40 tons net.) On the mainly favourable gradients the forty year old loco ran the all single track, with passing places to the Drayton stop (16.8 miles) in 24 minutes 7 seconds and the final 4.5 miles to Norwich in 7m 10s. Schedules were 24 and 10 minutes respectively.

The LNER although maintaining the majority of the elderly M&GN 4-4-0s in service quickly drafted in some ex Great Northern 4-4-0s. No. 4375 of Class D2 built 1900 and still fitted with a saturated steam boiler had a light train on the 15.45 Mondays and Fridays only Norwich to Leicester (log XIII). 28 mph was reached on the initial 1/100 start from Melton Constable and with 62 mph on the succeeding descent Fakenham was reached a ¼ minute inside the 14 minute schedule. After a good start matters were taken too easily after Massingham resulting in a 20 second loss on the 32 minutes schedule to South Lynn.

The larger D9 4-4-0s were regular performers on the Yarmouth Leicester roster immediately prior to WWII and were reputedly liked by footplate crews. Later Class D15s and D16s,

Milepost 34½ -196 - October 2013 usually D16/3 4-4-0s (those class members, ‘Claud Hamiltons’ rebuilt with larger round topped boiler and 9½ inch piston valves) became regular performers. They were usually employed on the stopping services. However there is a reference in the 1950 Railway Observer to an original D15 No.62509 seen near Fakenham with a 13 coach Yarmouth Leicester train. This prompted the question, ‘was this the hardest work any fifty year old four coupled loco was called upon to perform anywhere in the country?’ Some ex LNER 0-6-0s also appeared on passenger workings, specifically Classes J19 & J39, but usually west of Lynn on Summer Saturdays.

Table 5 Date 10/06/1938 19/09/1954 30/12/1958 26/02/1959 Run No. XIII XIV XV XVI Train 15.45 15.08 9.02 9.02 ex Norwich ex Cromer ex Y’mouth ex Y’mouth Loco 4373 * 61530 ** 43158 *** 43161 *** Load 3/89/95 9/302/325 9/-/- 7/226/235 miles Rec GJAston DSMBarrie BHarrison DTwybell 0.0 M.Constable 00-00 (mph) 00-00 (mph) 00-00 00-00 (mph) (mph) 3.1 Thursford 06-08 (28min) 08-32 (46) 7-56 07-30 (46) 6.5 Langer B’ge 09-43 (62max) 12-28 (59) - (55) 11-36 (53)(56) 9.6 Fakenham 13-45 16-37 16-18 15-35 3.6 Raynham Pk 06-18 (48)(42) 06-55 (45) 6-15 06-30 (46)(39) 5.7 E.Rudham 09-00 (53)(50) 10-16 (30min) 8-48 09-28 (41)(45) 8.9 Massingham 12-38 (56)(39) 15-02 (43)(40) 13-14 (53) 13-49 (43)(50) 13.6 Hillington 18-26 (40)(45) 21-04 (50)(48) 18-40 19-41 (50)(42) 15.6 Grimston Rd 21-29 (34) 23-50 (37)(43) 21-23 (56) 22-14 (45)(53) 18.5 Gayton Rd 25-38 eased 27-23 (51)(41) 24-28 sigs 25-36 (31)(53) 20.9 Hardwick Rd 29-55 (40) - - sigs - sigs 22.1 S.Lynn 32-20 33-06 30-57 31-27 * GNR D2 Class 4-4-0 ** LNER B12/3 Class 4-6-0 *** LMS Ivatt Class 4 2-6-0

Seven B12/3 4-6-0s were transferred to the M&GN in 1948, five of which were transferred away in 1954/5, two remaining until the end in 1959. They represented a considerable increase in power.

No. 61530, originally built in 1914 and rebuilt to B12/3 configuration in 1938 (log XIV) was working an Ian Allan excursion. The B12/3s were the most powerful locos permanently allocated to the M&GN. The running (log XVIII) is probably redolent of their daily performances on the Yarmouth – Leicester through working, which was allowed 15 minutes to Fakenham and 33 minutes on to South Lynn.

The M&GN became in the fifties, especially east of Lynn, a preserve of Ivatt Class 4 2-6- 0s built by BR to the LMS design. They were supposedly well liked by footplate crews, which was not the opinion of the S&D Bath men when they had them in the early fifties.

Dick Hardy in his book ‘Steam in the Blood recounts a ‘Hardy Folly’. He produced engine rosters that combined passenger and freight working with significant engine mile savings. The D16/3 4-4-0s, (‘Claud Hamilton’) were not suitable for the freight element. Some Gresley K2 Class 2-6-0s (‘Ragtimers’) were transferred to the M&GN as they were suitable for the freight trains, however footplate crews were not enamoured of their notoriously bad riding characteristics when hauling the faster passenger trains. The K2s were replaced by B12/3s on the passenger work. The Ivatt’s would have met Mr Hardy’s requirements perfectly.

Milepost 34½ -197 - October 2013 . No. 43158 (logs VII & VIII) maintained the schedule in each direction between Yarmouth and Melton Constable without exceeding 56 mph. The total running time from Yarmouth to Melton Constable including a signal check before Melton was 70m 56s against a schedule of 72 minutes. In the opposite direction, where the gradients are favourable, including the request stop at Caister, 65m 41s were required compared with 68 minutes scheduled.

On the continuation from Melton Constable, after the addition of the Cromer portion, Nos. 43158 and 43161 (logs XV & XVI) both failed to keep the 15 minute booking to Fakenham but recovered the lost time on the 33 minute schedule onwards to South Lyn. Speeds were restrained on the long descent towards Lynn and both trains were checked.

In the more difficult opposite direction (logs X, XI & XII) the 34 minute schedule to Fakenham from Lynn was kept on two of the runs with the net time within on the other. The best performance was with the heaviest train when No. 43158 averaged 55 mph over the 14.7 miles from Gayton Road to Raynham Park. The 14 minutes allowed on to Melton was insufficient in all cases, perhaps a C.J. Allen ‘counsel of perfection’?

West of South Lynn the route was virtually level for the 37 miles to Bourne, with an occasional mini summit where the line crossed a dyke. There were frequent restrictions and speeds seldom much exceeded 50 mph. On the 1905 test run the maximum between South Lynn and Sutton Bridge was only 54 mph. From Bourne the line initially climbed at 1/345, then at 1/100 for 3½ miles with a short break after Toft tunnel (the only tunnel on the M&GN). Following half a mile down at 1/110 to Little Bytham Junction the climb was unbroken to Pains Siding, mainly at 1/100 & 1/110 to South Witham and at 1/264 from there. The descent commenced with 1½ miles at 1/100 to Edmonthorpe with another 1½ miles before Saxby. From Saxby there was a gradual descent through Melton Mowbray and continuing to Leicester, as far as Syston, maximum gradient 1/296. As mentioned previously whilst M&GN metals finished at Little Bytham Junction operationally it endured at least as far as Saxby.

There was double track from South Lynn as far as Sutton Bridge, single from there to Twenty with the exception of a short double stretch on the Spalding avoiding line. There was double track from Twenty to Little Bytham Junction. The Midland branch was single from the Junction to Saxby, the Bourne to Saxby section was a bottle neck at peak periods. A comparatively minor delay to one train could lead to disruption for the rest of the day. The ‘Railway Observer’ gives detailed observations at Edmonthorpe following an engine failure on Saturday 1 August 1936. Nineteen trains were recorded between 12.28 and 17.30 at Edmonthorpe, one (a local service) on time, one four minutes late, six between 10 and 30 minutes late, five between 30 and 60, four between one and two hours and two 2¾ hours late.

Milepost 34½ -198 - October 2013 Table 6 Date 01/12/1936 10/06/1938 Dec-59 26/02/1959 Run No, XVII XVIII XIX XX Train 09.00ex Y’mth 15.45 ex Nor 09.02 ex 9.02 Y’mth Loco 56 **** 542 ***** 43066* 44552 ** Load 6/181 5/138/145 11/-/400 7/224/235 miles Recorder GJAston GJAston MCNeale DTwibell 0.0 Bourne 00-00 (mph) 00-00 (mph) 00-00 (20) 00-00 (31)(23) 1/100 5.0 L.Byth Jct 11-23 (31)(25) 09-41 (46\(31) 14-30/20-30 12-23 (38)(26) (I) 6.9 C.Bytham 14-36 (40)(25) 12-44 (41)(33) 26-30 16-10 (33)(27) (27) on 1/110 (24) on 1/100 11.2 S.Witham. 22-36 (31) 19-42 (38)(37) 35-34 24-43 (26)(41) 13.4 Pains Sdg 26-34 (37)(39) 23-10 (43)(49) 41-02 (II) (31) - (34)(45) 15.7 Edm’th’pe 30-00 (40)(46) 26-23 (33)(44) 43-58 32-25 (25)(46) 18.1 Saxby 33-36 pass 30-34 stop 48-12 stop 36-38 stop for notes see foot of Table 7 The M&GN 4-4-0 (log XVII) with a six coach train on the daily Yarmouth to Leicester service comfortably kept the 35 minute schedule to pass Saxby and stopped at Melton Mowbray in 39 minutes 44 seconds against a scheduled 41 minutes, thus regaining most of a two minute late start from Bourne. The Midland superheated Class 2 4-4-0 (log XVIII) with one coach less made a far quicker start and only fell to 33 mph on the climb compared with No.56’s 25 mph. No. 542 improved on the 33 minute schedule by 2¼ minutes.

Mr Neale (log XIX) recounted in ‘Railway World’ that the train arrived at Spalding behind 43160 three minutes early. (During the last few years of operation the Yarmouth Leicester ran into Spalding where it reversed and changed engines. On this particular day No.43160 drew the train, after completion of station duties, northwards out of the station, where it was uncoupled. No.43066 then drew the train back into the station and paused briefly before departing for Leicester.) Spalding was left two minutes late. Another 2¼ minutes was lost on to Bourne (19m 15s start to stop) with speed not exceeding 45 mph on the flat. Smart station work, (the long train had to draw up) recovered some of the loss with a departure 2½ minutes late. Table 7 Date 01/09/1934 16/08/1958 30/01/1954 20/09/1958 Run No. XXI XXII XXIII XXIV Train 12.57 ex 09.33 ex 15.15 ex 13.45 ex Nottingham Derby Leicester B’ham New St. Loco 4414 ** 43954 ** 61540 *** 43066/43158 * Load 12/331/- 9/270/- 8/236/250 9/-/- miles Recorder GJAston GJAston BINathan BHarrison 0.0 M.Mowbray 00-00 pass 00-00 pass 00-00 (mph) 00-00 (mph) Brentingby Jct - 01-53 (40)(42) - (42) max 3.9 Saxby 07-07/ sig 06-01 (23) 08-02 06-45 15-54 stop (22)(30)_ 6.3 Edmonthorpe 23-02 13-03 (30½) 06-55 (37) 05-49 (47) 8.5 Pains Sdg 27-08 16-56 (38) - (27)(52) 10.8 S.Witham 31-30/ sig 19-59 (53) 13-55 (47) 12-30 (54) 36-28 stop 15.1 C.Bytham 42-23 24-16 (63) (55) max 17.0 L.Bytham Jct 44-15 26-14 (48) 22.0 Bourne 50-20 33-20 29-11 26-52 * LMS/BR Ivatt Class 4 2-6-0 *** LNER B12/3 4-6-0 (I) stop for ‘blow up’ ** LMS Fowler Class 4F 0-6-0 **** M&GN 4-4-0, G7 boiler (II) time at summit ***** LMS Class 2 4-4-0.

Milepost 34½ -199 - October 2013

No. 43066 left Bourne “with a thunderous exhaust” and attained 20 mph on the initial 1/100. There was a stop at Little Bytham Junction for a ‘blow up’. Subsequently 27 mph was attained on the 1/110 and 24 mph sustained on the 1/100 (an equivalent drawbar horsepower in the range 800-850). The Class 4F 0-6-0 with a normal seven coach train (log XX) lost 3½ minutes twixt Bourne and Saxby,

In the eastbound direction Mr Aston made two journeys behind Class 4F 0-6-0s some 24 years apart. No. 4414 (log XXI) was on a nominal non stop schedule from Nottingham to South Lynn. The initial 17.8 miles to a signal stop at Melton Junction took 27 minutes 32 seconds. The average speed over the 1.6 miles between Grimston and Halwill Junction was 55 mph. There was a 2½ minutes stop at Bourne followed by another of seven minutes at Twenty to pass an Up train. From the restart the 30.1 miles to S.Lynn were run in 47m 33s. The overall time from Bourne to South Lynn was 61m 30s.

No. 43954 on the 09.33 from Derby, passed Melton Junction in 31 minutes 56 seconds from the Nottingham restart after 51 mph at Halwill. The overall time from Nottingham to Bourne was 66m 09s, a gain of four minutes on schedule. There was a six minute stop at Twenty to pass a late running Up train and with three further stops and a maximum on the level of no more than 45 mph the overall time from Bourne to South Lynn was 93m 31s, schedule 80 minutes. Both runs included speeds well into the sixties on the descent past Castle Bytham.

The B12/3 (log XXIII) timed by Bruce Nathan kept the undemanding 33 minute schedule from Saxby to Bourne easily. No. 43954 with an extra coach was considerably quicker. Mr Nathan’s timekeeping run would seem to have been routine. Trains Illustrated 1955 recounts another journey behind No. 61540 with ‘six well filled coaches and a buffet’ when times from Leicester to Melton Mowbray were 24 minutes (Bruce noted 23m 50s), to Saxby eight minutes (8m 03s), Bourne 28 minutes (29m 03s) and South Lynn 49 minutes (48m 50s).

The two Ivatts (log XXIV) played with their nine coach train.

Mr Aston it would appear found the old M&GN 4-4-0s interesting as he timed them several times between Melton Mowbray and Leicester and twice between Melton and Nottingham. The best two runs to Leicester (logs XXV & XXVI) were both with large boiler locos on the 09.00 from Yarmouth. Although there are reports of high speeds with the M&GN 4-4-0s pre WWI nothing higher than 60 mph appears to have been the norm before slowing for Syston. This was sufficient to keep the 22 minute schedule. The 0-6-0 (log XXVII) shortly before the service was withdrawn was eased after attaining 56 mph but still did enough to keep the schedule.

Perversely higher speeds were attained against the gradient (log XXVIII) the two crews probably egging each other on.

Both of Mr. Aston’s logs from Melton Mowbray to Nottingham were behind M&GN 4-4-0s with small boilers. (No.7 was fitted with a second hand LMS boiler in 1933 and No.76 with one early in 1936). Number 76 (20/4/1936) on the 16.03 Spalding to Nottingham kept time with a six coach train (143 tons tare) as far as Melton Mowbray whilst stopping at all stations. From the Melton restart speeds were 40 mph on the 1/220 up to Grimston, 53 on the descent at Old Dalby, followed by a slight fall on the rise to Upper Broughton and then 60 was reached at Widmespool and again before Edwalton (15.4 miles in 21 minutes 11 seconds), Nottingham was reached in 28m 10s after several stops for signals, schedule 25 minutes. Number 7 with three coaches (80 tons) passed Edwalton in 22m 50s at 61 mph after a tsr to 30 mph.

Milepost 34½ -200 - October 2013

The writer regrets having never travelled between Melton Constable and South Lynn. The nearest was to spend a few days working during the 1958 summer holidays at a fruit factory near the M&GN line at Sutton Bridge. Copies of any logs or details of M&GN workings not already included on the RPS data base would be appreciated.

able 8 Date 28/02/1936 11/11/1936 26/02/1959 Date 20/09/1958 Run No. XXV XXVI XXVII Run No. XXVIII Train 09.00 (I) 09.00 (I) 09.02 (I) Train 13.45 ex B’ham Loco 39 * 54* 44552 ** Loco 43066/43158 *** Load 6/170/- 6/174/- 7/226/235 Load 9/-/- miles Recorder GJAston GJAston DTwibell miles Recorder BHarrison 0.0 M.Mowbray 00-00 (mph) 00-00 {mph) 00-00 {mph} 0.0 Leicester 00-00 0.6 Melton Jct. 01-53 02-03 01-31 (34) 4.8 Syston 07-07 2.6 Asfordby 04-43 (50) 04-52 (51) 04-45 (46) 9.3 Broksby 12-54 (68)(62)(68) 3.9 Frisby 06-09 (53) 06-18 (530 06-15 (56)(51) 12.4 Asfordby 15-03 5.7 Broksby 08-05 (59) 08-17 (57) 08-17 (51) 15.0 M.Mowbray 19-03 7.0 Rearsby 09-29 (57) 09-43 (58) 9.8 Syston EJct 12-33 12-43 10.2 Syston 13-49 (21) 13-53 (23) 14-17 (25) sig stop 19-52/21-54 (43) 13.9 Hu’stone Rd 19-52 20-04 15.0 Leicester 21-11 21-41 * M&GN 4-4-0 No.39 Built Sharp Stewart 1894, No.54 1896, G7 boiler 1924 &1934 ** LMS Class 4 0-6-0 *** LMS/BR Class 4 2-6-0 (I) ex Yarmouth.

GARMIN OREGON 600t – David Ashley Garmin have recently upgraded their Oregon range of “on the trail” receivers (the “t” indicating the upgraded product). The main improvement is the inclusion of GLONASS satellites, which it is hoped, would improve satellite reception when the location of the American satellites is poor. (Some of the e-trex products also have this facility) Initial indications are that, whilst reception from 12 American satellites would be impressive, the inclusion of GLONASS would increase that number up to 22. They do, however, suggest that setting GPS plus GLONASS can reduce battery life. Satellite acquisition also seems quicker than the 60csx. The Oregon is a touch-screen product, and has an identical footprint to an Apple i-phone, although is deeper. It weighs roughly the same as the 60csx Initial comparison with the 60csx is that whilst the trip computer allowed 2 large and 6 small user-definable fields, the Oregon handles 1 large and 6 small. On routing, the Oregon doesn’t warn of approach to the next timing point from 60sec to 45sec, and the listing of routes appears random. The lat/longitude format is limited to hddd mm.mmm or hddd.mm.ss.s

Having recently bought Abbyy optical character recognition position software, which was initially a Russian product, and using the Russian GLONASS satellites, it is rather worrying that they could know what I read and where I am. I trust that they will appreciate that the supplied carabiner clip is sufficiently “Putinesque” to assume that I was riding a horse bare- chested over the Northern Fells, rather than sipping a Gin & tonic on a Pendolino!

Milepost 34½ -201 - October 2013 ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO & COLORADO IN 2000: FROM HEAT TO HEIGHT BY DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES

DEREK WILSON

As we sat in the transfer lounge in Chicago’s O’Hare airport waiting for the flight on to Phoenix, TV screens gave information most of which had no interest until temperatures for other U.S. cities came up. Eventually Phoenix appeared as 01. ‘Surely a mistake,’ said one of our party, who was proved correct when on the descent to that city, the pilot announced that visibility was mega miles, humidity was low and the ground temperature was 106 Fahrenheit. Even one of the literal anoraks was persuaded to divest himself of the said garment by the tour leader. ‘I have never lost a customer yet to the heat, and I don’t intend to start now, just be grateful for the American obsession with Air Conditioning,’ were the words that were heeded until the airport terminal was reached when the garment was immediately returned to the body of the climate-shocked victim. Welcome to the south of North America.

The next few days were taken up with doing touristy things like visiting the Bison Museum:

Question: ‘What is the difference between a buffalo and a bison?’ Answer: ‘No difference, same animal just two different names.’

Then we visited a ranch for the inevitable barbeque washed down with large amounts of beer brewed on or by the same establishment.

Think America - Think Big.

Table 1 Miles Location Sched Mins Secs Speed Date 03-Jun-00 76.3 Mp 209 55 35 90 Train 1905 Los Angeles-Chicago 87.3 Mp 198 62 55 89 The Southwest Chief 97.3 Mp 188 69 28 87 Locos 25+99+8+94 17000 hp 103.3 Mp 182 73 28 86/92 Load 9 coaches+15 freight cars 108.3 Mp 177 80 09 92 Estimated weight Tare: 1200t 118.3 West Defiance 83 33 92 Gross 1300t 127.8 Gallup 124 94 00 85 Miles Location Sched Mins Secs Speed 0.0 Gallup 0 0 00 0.0 Flagstaff 0 0 00 5.7 Mp 150 8 42 79 6.3 mp 338 8 19 62 20.7 Mp 135 21 22 59 30.3 Mp 314 30 36 40/82 27.7 Mp 128 27 45 81 34.1 East Canyon 35 03 55 40.7 Mp 115 36 35 89 44.3 Mp 300 45 05 89 50.1 Bluewater 41 59 77 53.3 Mp 291 51 06 88 57.7 Mp 100 47 22 91 59.0 Winslow 59 61 03 84 65.7 Mp 92 52 54 75 0.0 Winslow 0 0 00 72.7 Mp 85 59 26 60 5.3 mp 280 5 42 86 78.7 Mp 79 65 10 78 13.3 Mp 272 11 06 92 87.7 Mp 70 71 10 90 23.3 Mp 262 17 58 87 93.7 Mp 60 80 57 59/49 32.3 Holbrook 24 07 79/94 104.7 Mp 53 86 30 94 45.3 Mp 240 33 13 92 124.7 Mp 33 99 59 79/83 52.8 Adamana 38 34 68 131.7 River Junction 107 40 90 68.3 Mp 217 49 15 87 ??? Abajo 131 25 157.7 Albuquerque 190 136 45

The next morning we were up before even the local wildlife to catch the slightly late running Southwest Chief which had left Los Angeles at 19.05 and 565 miles away the previous

Milepost 34½ -202 - October 2013 evening, (it would finish its journey in Chicago at 16.15 the following day, having covered a total of 2,256 miles). So just after 05.30 we’re rolling behind four locomotives, nine double deck coaches and 15 assorted freight wagons. Table 1 gives the details of our journey as far as Albuquerque.

I have had to guesstimate the net & gross weights as obviously I had no idea what if anything was in the freight cars.

The lost time was easily made up by the time we arrived at Gallup, even though a couple of minutes had been lost earlier before the Winslow stop. Between Gallup & Albuquerque there is a great deal of not much to see and our arrival was somewhat early, despite the steady climb up to the Colorado Plateau.

Table 2 Miles Location Sched Min Sec Speed Date 08-Jun-00 54.2 Mp 130 96 19 tsr 13 Train California Zephyr 57.2 Mp 127 105 21 26 0935 Emeryville-Chicage 61.2 Yarmony 113 44 34 Loco 86+33+91 - 12,750hp 64.2 Mp 120 119 25 35 Load 9 coaches + 7 freight cars 68.2 Radium 126 59 24 Est Weight Tare: 875t 71.2 Mp 113 134 23 22 Gross 950t 74.2 Mp 110 141 38 28 Miles Location Sched Min Sec Speed 77.8 Gore 149 57 59 0.0 Grand Junction 0 0 0 84.2 Mp 100 157 14 68 7.0 Mp 440 11 20 68 91.2 Mp 93 163 56 55/tsr 18 10.0 Mp 437 16 49 Tsr 19 96.2 Mp 88 172 01 25 12.0 Mp 435 21 45 Tsr 19/42 100.2 Mp 84 179 36 46/25/56 17.0 Mp 430 28 36 34 108.4 Granby 195 193 39 24.0 Mp 423 38 33 35 0.0 Granby 0 0 00 30.0 Mp 417 46 50 48/42 3.8 Mp 72 7 16 28 35.0 Mp 412 53 44 37 8.6 Tabemash 22 01 17 43.0 Mp 404 60 50 69 13.6 Fraser 30 29 03 51 47.0 Mp 400 64 22 68 0.0 Fraser 0 0 00 52.0 Mp 395 68 46 69 2.2 Mp 60 4 54 32 60.5 Rifle 75 10 52/69 5.8 Moffat Tunnel West 11 22 37 67.0 Mp 380 81 30 68 12.0 Moffat Tunnel East 22 37 33 75.0 Newcastle 88 35 69 15.2 Mp 47 28 24 49/42 81.0 Mp 366 94 47 50 18.2 Mp 44 32 32 27 86.8 Glenwood Springs 112 103 21 22.2 Mp 40 40 09 43 0.0 Glenwood Springs 0 0 00 25.2 Mp 37 44 38 27 5.2 Mp 355 11 48 30 30.2 Mp 32 55 52 sigs 18 10.2 Mp 350 21 46 29 34.2 Mp 28 65 10 29 13.2 Mp 347 28 03 32 37.2 Mp 25 71 48 20 18.2 Mp 342 38 19 29 40.2 Mp 22 81 17 16 19.2 Mp change 341/165 41 33 40 43.2 Mp 19 91 10 17 26.2 Mp 158 52 02 39 46.2 Mp 16 98 17 23 31.2 Mp 153 58 34 61/34 49.2 Mp 13 105 37 25 34.2 Mp 150 64 11 38 52.2 Mp 10 113 00 24 39.2 Mp 145 71 46 30 54.7 Mp 7.5 120 01 64 46.2 Mp 138 83 33 38 ??? Utah Junction 125 47 50.2 Mp 134 89 54 35 60.2 Mp 2 128 07 ‘/sigs

64.2 Denver 188 155 57 Note: After Mp 2, there were six stops totalling 5m 09s and two reversals.

Milepost 34½ -203 - October 2013 Later that week, after doing what I hope you will read later, we were taken to Grand Junction, which is a junction although not very grand, where, after an overnight stay, we caught the afternoon northbound California Zephyr which had left Emeryville, California at 09.35 and 1,125 miles away the previous day, (it would end its journey a further 1,311 miles and 27 hours later in Chicago). A disappointingly short train of only three locomotives, nine double deck coaches and seven freight cars, headed for the mile high city of Denver. The actual marker of 5,280 feet above sea level is located on one of the steps of the U.S. Mint in that city. Because the line climbs virtually all the way speeds were much lower than the earlier journey, but regardless of this, timings were easily maintained and despite two reversals and the length of the train, for which I have guesstimated two miles, arrival in Denver was early.

My apologies for having to guess the weights of all trains but all I have been able to establish is that the double deck coaches weigh 66 tons and I am unsure as to whether this is Imperial or the American short ton of 2,000 lbs

Having done the almost obligatory tourist flight over the Grand Canyon, the only way to go one better was to take the so called ‘Williams Flyer’ to Grand Canyon station. As can be seen from Table 3 the ‘Flyer’ reached a maximum speed of 56 mph, which I suppose with a trailing load of 900 tons is fairly respectable. The diesel loco was merely to provide heat and power for the 10 coaches.

Our locomotive was formerly from the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad but still bears the same number & was built by Baldwin in Philadelphia in 1923. Completely overhauled in 1961, she then worked the Schlitz Circus Train in the Chicago & Milwaukee areas until due to increasing maintenance costs she was donated to the Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society’s museum at North Freedom, Wisconsin.

Purchased by the Grand Canyon Railroad in the early 1990s the locomotive was restored to working order by 1996, and as such the fully loaded oil fired engine & tender weigh an impressive 281 tons, boiler pressure is 200 psi and on a driving wheel diameter of 62 inches the tractive effort works out at 58,090 lbs.

For all the above information and that in the log, I am indebted to the book ‘Rails to the Rim’ by Mr. A. Richmond.

A short walk from Grand Canyon station one can begin the descent into the canyon itself. I went down maybe 400 metres, but at the height of summer, and remembering that I had to walk back up, I decided that was far enough.

When one thinks of British narrow gauge, it always seems to be short lines, with small maybe six coupled tank locos with light loads.

At its height the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad with its three foot gauge covered over 450 miles in the states of Colorado & New Mexico. The locomotives were and still are large and powerful, because of the severe gradients, and the loads that could be very heavy. To cope with these conditions a series of locomotives were built, of which three types remain, these are all 2-8-2s of classes K27, K36 & K37 (which were rebuilt from standard gauge engines). On my journey on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, as it is now known, we were hauled from Antonito to Chama by K36 No. 489, see Table 4, built by Baldwin in 1925. The loco & tender loaded with coal & water weigh in at 128 tons. Yes, coal, for these locos are hand fired. How many firemen it takes to man the loco for a complete journey I don’t know but firing at altitude must be punishing to say the least. Talking of altitude, Antonito is 7,888 feet above sea level, Sublette is 9,276, Osier 9,637 and at Cumbres the line peaks at 10,015 feet before descending to a mere 7,863 feet at Chama.

Milepost 34½ -204 - October 2013 Table3: The Williams Flyer Speeds are of course slow, the ain 10.00 Williams-Grand Canyon scenery spectacular, and one of Loco Baldwin 2-8-2 No 4960 the many highlights of the Date 01 June 2000 journey is the crossing of the Load 10+Diesel 6871+Power Car 460 Estimated Tare Estimated Tare 850t Cascade Trestle bridge at very Gross 900t reduced speed. Miles Location Sched Mins Secs Speed 0.0 Williams 0 0 00 Because of the length of time 0.2 Start of Y 4 31 25 taken for the journey so far, a 0.5 End of Y 5 18 30 food break is organised at Osier, 1.6 Santa Fe Overpass 8 18 41 which allows an Eastbound train 5.2 Milepost 5 15 43 37 to cross, as well as to do some 6.7 Pitt 18 22 47 shunting and transfer of stock 10.2 Milepost 10 24 08 28/56 from one service to the other, 13.2 Milepost 13 29 13 51 hence the increased load from 14.9 Bly 31 58 53 there onwards. 17.2 Milepost 17 35 16 50 20.7 Quivero 40 32 47/51/36 Table 4 summarises this journey 27.2 Milepost 27 50 02 46 29.2 Valle 52 59 52/34/58 A day later we were taken to ride 33.2 Milepost 33 59 38 46/Stop 2m40s the Durango & Silverton 35.2 Milepost 35 66 44 50 Railroad, this time haulage was 37.9 Willaha 73 17 30/52 behind another K 36 No.482. 40.2 Milepost 40 77 16 51 Durango is at a lower elevation 44.0 Woodin 82 55 47 of 6,520 feet and although the 45.0 Anita 84 29 44/27 line follows the Animas river, by 47.2 Milepost 47 89 16 23/38 the time we reached our first 50.2 Hopi 97 36 41 stop at Rockwood we had 52.2 Apex 101 21 32 climbed up to 7,367 feet. 53.2 Milepost 53 103 53 25 56.2 Milepost 56 112 36 27 Just before Tacoma on the high 57.4 Coconino 116 10 24/28 bridge, the locomotive’s blow-off 61.2 Milepost 61 125 44 29 cocks are opened to clean out 63.9 Grand Canyon 135 135 44 the lowest areas of the boiler. The stop after Milepost 33 was to examine for a possible fault, none found Advance warning of this is given by train staff so that photos may be taken. Still climbing at Needleton Siding we are 8,293 feet high & by the time we arrive at Silverton we have peaked at 9,305 feet.

Table 5 gives a log of this journey.

For all the technical details in Tables 4 & 5, I am indebted to the books ‘Ticket to Toltec’ and ‘“Cinders & Smoke’ both written by Doris B. Osterwald.

The last journey behind a steam loco was on The Georgetown Loop Railroad between Georgetown and Silver Plume, a distance of less than four miles at a height of a mere 640 feet above sea level, but we were hauled by one of the weird & wonderful Shay locos. These were designed to work mainly in forests. With its gears & vertical cylinders all on one side, the boiler had to be offset on the other side. The names of some of the lines they worked on were as strange as the locos. The first one I saw at the Baltimore Railroad Museum was from the Greenbriar, Cheat & Elk line, others worked on the Roaring Camp & Big Trees line & perhaps the strangest of all, The Santa Barbara Tie & Pole Co.

Milepost 34½ -205 - October 2013 Table 4 Miles Location Mins Secs Speed Train 10.00 Antonito - Osier 12.30 Milepost 293 49 21 17 Loco 489 Baldwin 2-8-2 14.40 Colorado Border Crossing 57 06 16 Date 6.6.2000 16.30 Whiplash Curve North 67 32 15 Class K 36 3 Foot Gauge 18.40 New Mexico Border Crossing 72 35 25 Load 7+2 waggons 18.70 Big Horn Siding 74 09 12 Estimated Tare 230t 21.30 Milepost 302 85 05 15 Gross 240t 23.30 Milepost 305 95 23 15 Miles Location Min Sec Speed 25.35 Sublette 103 30 15 0.00 Antonito 0 00 1.30 Milepost 282 7 41 14 0.00 Sublette 0 00 3.30 Milepost 284 14 35 18 1.95 Milepost 308 9 09 14 5.30 Milepost 286 22 07 16 4.95 Toltec Siding West Switch 24 01 13 7.75 Colorado Border Crossing 31 25 16 6.05 New Mexico Border Crossing 28 57 ' 14 8.80 New Mexico Border Crossing 35 20 14 7.95 Milepost 314 39 09 12 10.30 Milepost 291 41 43 14 9.15 Rock Tunnel No 2 44 48 14 10.85 Lava Tank 44 03 16 10.95 Milepost 317 53 28 14 12.35 Osier 59 44 15 . Table 5 Miles Location m s Speed Train 08.15 Durango-Silverton 0.0 Rockwood 0 00 0.9 Milepost 470 8 45 5 Date 7.6.2000 2.1 Animas River 19 48 7 Loco 482 Baldwin 2-8-2 3.2 Tacoma 25 24 14 Class K36 - 3ft gauge 5.5 Tank Creek Water Tank 55 04 14 Load 11 11 0.0 Tank Creek Water Tank 0 00 Weight Estimated Tare 310 t 2.4 Milepost 477 11 51 13.5 Weights Gross 350t 3.4 Silver Star Mine 16 25 13 Miles Location m s Speed 5.4 Milepost 480 24 26 15 0.0 Durango 0 00 8.2 Needle Creek Canyon 37 07 13 0.5 11th Street 3 48 9.5 8.7 Needleton 49 13 7.5 0.9 Animas River 6 16 14.5 0.0 Needleton 0 00 2.5 Milepost 454 12 35 16.5 0.7 Needleton Siding 3 57 11 4.5 Iron Horse 19 57 19.5 1.1 Needleton Tank 6 26 10 6.5 Milepost 458 26 09 18 0.0 Needleton Tank 0 00 9.2 Trimble Hot Spring 35 07 19 0.2 Ruby Creek 2 48 14.5 11.0 Hermosa 40 47 13 1.6 Milepost 486 9 03 12.5 15.5 Highway 550 Overpass. 61 07 11.5 3.6 Milepost 488 18 07 14 17.6 Rockwood 72 26 6.1 Elk Park 28 23 14.5 0.0 Elk Park 0 00 1.5 Milepost 492 7 05 14 3.5 Milepost 494 15 19 15.5 4.5 Deadwood Gulch 19 33 14 6.4 Silverton 27 38 14

AND THE BEST WAS STILL TO COME

My wife & I stayed on in Denver for a couple of days. After we boarded our flight for Chicago, which was delayed by extremely bad weather, we were held for another hour or more, so when we eventually landed, our connecting flight home had left. We were put up overnight in a motel, driven the next day to the airport where we were told that as compensation we had been upgraded to First Class. The stewardess showed us to our leather armchairs which at the flick of a switch converted to a full sized bed. She then asked us, ‘Before we serve your four course meal, which would you prefer, a large glass of Bucks Fizz, or Champagne?’ Decisions, decisions.

Milepost 34½ -206 - October 2013 COLOGNE to AACHEN

Bill Long

The line between these historic cities is part of a route built to connect the river Rhine at Cologne (Köln) with the Meuse at Liege, although the then recently created Belgium also considered it of strategic importance to have direct access to Germany without involving the territory or waterways of the Netherlands. The Prussian government awarded the concession for their portion of the route to the Rheinishe Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft on 21 August 1837 and the first seven kilometres westwards from the original riverbank terminus at Köln to Mungersdorf (now Köln-Mungersdorf Technologiepark to give the present equivalent its rather unwieldy full title) opened on 2 August 1839. Public service to Aachen started on 6 September 1841 with an official celebration five days earlier, and the continuation across the then Belgian border at Herbesthal was opened to traffic on 15 October 1843, a date that has been described as the birthday of international rail travel as this was the first such connection in Europe. Until 1855, trains on this section were assisted up the 1 in 38 incline to Aachen Sűd by cable.

Passenger traffic was diverted to the new Köln Central-Personenbahnhof when this opened on 5 December 1859, and the present arrangement with separate inbound and outbound alignments from Ehrenfeld came in during the early years of the 20th Century as part of a subsequent stage in development of today’s busy Hauptbahnhof. Meanwhile, the massive Prussian State Railway took charge at the beginning of 1880. Electrification through to Aachen at the standard 15kV AC was completed on 19 May 1966. The four southernmost lines in the station, platforms 6-9, together with sidings at both ends can also be fed at 3,000 volts DC to allow locomotives of through trains to be changed and the Belgian unit providing the cross-border local service to be parked.

I have a gradient profile headed Colln-Liitticher Eisenbahn dating from 1844 that shows nothing to trouble trains of the period, let alone those of today. The climb away from Koln steepens to around 1-in-230 towards a summit at Konigsdorf that was originally marked by a 1632 metre long tunnel. There is then a slight drop to Duren, followed by a gentle and broken ascent for the rest of the distance. The Schweers + Wall atlas gives the altitude of Koln as 55 metres, Lovenich 65, and Konigsdorf 82, but with 129 at Duren that is not consistent with the profile mentioned above.

Königsdorf tunnel was opened out in 1954 to give a deep cutting that was considerably widened in 2000 to accommodate the extension of the local S-Bahn. Apart from the remaining three tunnels, the main engineering works are a distinctive ‘Toblerone’ girder bridge over the river Ruhr just west of Duren and a 260 metre long viaduct 20 metres above the streets coming in to Aachen. The program that saw the S-Bahn extended to Duren along independent tracks on the southern side of the formation included an upgrade of the main lines to 250 km/h along this well aligned stretch. Horrem retains main line services, and the platforms are on loops to keep high speed trains clear. More recently part of the route west of Duren has been raised to 160 km/h, though the remainder is still at 140 with 120 for curves at Eschweiler and Stolberg. International trains have to use the southern line on the viaduct at Aachen with a 40 km/h limit into the station.

Today’s through services are formed either of Thalys units based on the French TGV design and normally working through to or from Paris, or the multivoltage Class 406 international variant of the German ICE-3 using the high speed line from Frankfurt. There are two Regional Express trains each hour to Aachen, somewhat unevenly spaced partly because one omits a couple of minor shacks, and generally formed of double-deck push & pull stock worked by a Class 111 electric locomotive. These have an overall schedule of up to 57

Milepost 34½ -207 - October 2013 minutes and, consequently, an express leaving one end of the line just ahead of a local service will be hot on the tail of the preceding one at the other end. In addition there are branch services out of Aachen as far as Stolberg, and also fairly dense freight traffic to get in the way. Indeed, while waiting at Aachen to head east it is not unknown to see a freight clattering through the station, later to be overtaken at Rothe Erde, and subsequently find another in one of the intermediate loops as well.

Run Run 1 ICE 14 Run 2 ICE 18 Date Wed 8/10/08 Thur 4/10/12 Train (to Bruxelles Midi) 1328 Frankfurt 0625 Frankfurt Load, tonnes 4607; 8/432/450 4604; 8/432/450 Weather; position; gps? Rain; 1/8; no Rain; 2/8; no Km KP m s Km/h m s Km/h 0 0-04 KOLN Hbf 0 00 (3L) 0 00 (6L) 3-52 3-61 EHRENFELD 3 47 121 3 13 118 3-56 5-89 5-88 TECHNOLOGIEPARK 4 21 124 9-70 9-69 LOVENICH 5 57 206 5 44 196 11 08 11-07 WERDEN WEST 6 20 224 6 08 213 13-77 13-76 FRECHEN-KONIGSDORF 7 01 239 6 50 231 18-81 18-80 HORREM 8 16 246 8 05 249 21-51 21-50 SINDORF 8 56 245 8 44 250 25-03 25 02 KP 25 9 48 245 9 35 249 30-13 30-12 BUIR 11 03 243 10 49 244 33-03 33-02 KP 33 11 48 222 11 42 159*sigs 34-99 34 98 MERZENICH 1221 210 12 25 175/141* 39-21 39 20 DUREN 13 38 161/140 14 06 150/145 46-01 46-00 KP 46 16 22 159 16 46 160 48-89 48 88 LANGERWEHE 17 29 155 17 51 160 54-10 54-09 NOTHBERG 19 34 141* 1951 158 56-87 56-86 ESCHWEILER 20 54 118* 21 09 123* 57-34 57-33 Ichenberger Tunnel (92m) out 21 08 114 21 23 119 60-30 60-29 STOLBERG 22 39 119 22 52 121 63-58 63-57 Nirmer Tunnel (123m) in 24 11 131 24 22 138 64-24 64-23 Eilendorfer Tunnel (357m) out 24 30 126 24 39 139 64-94 64-93 EILENDORF 24 50 117 24 57 137 68-17 68-16 AACHEN ROTHE ERDE 27 00 67* 26 36 86* 70-21 70-20 AACHEN Hbf 30 05 (1L) 29 06 (2L)

No reason was given for the slightly delayed start of either ICE in the first table, though for run 2 it was at least partly due to a 120 km/h tsr on the high speed line south of Limburg. When such trains are late it is important to keep an eye on the RE due out of Koln immediately behind, and run 1 made a parallel and rather slow departure, getting clear when the RE was held alongside the first S-Bahn station at Hansaring. The Class 406 units weigh some 20 tonnes more that the equivalent Class 403 domestic version due to the additional equipment necessary for their foreign excursions, but 8,000 kW installed power is ample and enabled a rapid acceleration on reaching the high speed section. The permitted maximum was never quite attained but the driver must have felt he had done enough and eased right off well before Duren.

On the second occasion the RE left Köln first and was again held at Hansaring. Once clear of the initial restrictions run 2 opened up rather later than run 1 but then ran at full speed for some distance before a signal check, presumably because something wasn’t clear at Duren. This run took advantage of various minor improvements in speed limits over the rest of the distance, and together with a faster approach to the stop managed to gain nearly 1½ minutes over run 1.

Milepost 34½ -208 - October 2013

It should perhaps be mentioned that both these trips ran into trouble in Belgium. It was announced when run 1 was climbing the incline out of Liege that it would be diverted via the old route to Leuven rather than the high speed line, but a commendably clear road allowed arrival in Brussels in plenty of time for the Eurostar connection that was all I was worried about. The extension of the Belgian high speed line east of Liege had been opened by the time run 2 was recorded, but no sooner did it join the new route after Hergenrath that it came to a grinding halt. I am unsure exactly what was wrong, but the unit was clearly failing to pick up or interpret the cab signalling system, as it then suffered further emergency stops at nearly every section all the way to Liege where arrival was 55 minutes late and I gladly left it to its fate.

Run 3 4 Train THA9427 ICE15 4307, 10 4603 Date 05/12/2009 25/09/2012 Train from to Paris-Koln Bruxelles-Frankfurt Load, tonnes Weather; position, gps? Fine 4/10 8,432/455 Dull 7/8 No Km KP m s Km/h m s Km/h 0.00 70-20 AACHEN Hbf 0 00 (7L) 0 00 (22L) 2-04 68-16 AACHEN ROTHE ERDE 3 09 84 2 46 88 5-27 64-93 EILENDORF 4 56 130/138 4 14 139 5-97 64-23 Eilendorfer Tunnel (356m) in 5 14 136 4 32 150 6-63 63-57 Nirmer Tunnel (123m) out 5 31 136 4 47 9-91 60-29 STOLBERG 7 04 121* 6 17 117* 12-87 57-33 Ichenberger Tunnel (92m) in 8 34 117 7 48 123 13-34 56-86 ESCHWEILER 8 47 119 8 02 123 16-11 54-09 NOTHBERG 10 04 137/139 9 13 157 21-32 48-88 LANGERWEHE 12 21 138 11 12 158 28-20 42-00 KP 42 15 24 127* 14 13 32*sigs 31-00 39-20 DUREN 16 42 149 16 37 160 35-22 34-98 MERZENICH 18 12 188 17 55 215 40-08 30-12 BUIR 19 42 198 19 10 245 45-18 25-02 KP 25 21 14 199 20 24 250 48-70 21 50 SINDORF 22 18 198 21 14 251 51-40 18-80 HORREM 23 07 197 21 53 249 56-44 13-76 FRECHEN-KONIGSDORF 24 39 200 23 06 251 59-13 11-07 WERDEN WEST 25 28 196 23 45 247 60-51 9-69 LOVENICH 25 54 185 24 05 237* 64-32 5-88 TECHNOLOGIEPARK 27 30 * 25 10 169* 66-64 3 56 EHRENFELD 29 02 72* 26 01 */sigs 70-16 0-04 KOLN Hbf 33 39 (RT) 31 24 (18L)

My Thalys logs are somewhat thin on the ground as I consider an ICE a better travelling experience and choose to ride one if possible. Before the extension of the Belgian high speed line from Liege, Thalys services were squeezed into the narrower gap between the local trains after Aachen with a somewhat extended schedule in consequence. Run 3 dates from this period, and managed to recover all of a slightly late start without exceeding 200 km/h on the high speed section, though it is not possible to determine whether this was skilled judgment by the driver or enforced by the signalling system. A clear approach to the rather restricted layout at the Hauptbahnhof also helped.

The final run was late because it had used the restricted old route from Liege rather than the new high speed line, though nothing was announced until leaving Aachen when a list of connections that would be missed at Köln was given out, much to the surprise and somewhat to the consternation of those not in the know. The speeds achieved provide a

Milepost 34½ -209 - October 2013 good indication of the latest improvements in limits with a driver doing his best to regain time. However the 11.51 RE from Aachen had doubtless been let out ahead and presumably caused the severe signal check before Duren while it crossed to the wrong line to let the ICE past. Note again the rapid acceleration, both from this check and also on reaching the high speed section, with speed then well sustained around the limit. With the train out of course it was no great surprise to get another check coming in to Köln Hbf, but this was relatively minor and a good run on to Frankfurt Flűghafen resulted in a deficit of only twelve minutes when I left it there.

To conclude: in addition to forming a key route between Britain and Europe’s heartland, this should be a prestige service in its own right using modern units and running on new high speed lines, but on the basis of this small and selective sample it would seem that not all is well. It might also be mentioned that the combined frequency is less than one train an hour, and yet these are the only services to use the fairly short, but expensively tunnelled, Belgian high speed line east of Liege.

LETTERS

Dear Editor

I caught the 11.06 Paignton to Paddington which was 5½min late from Dawlish on a schedule that suffers heavily from extra pathing. It used to be timed into London at a generous 14.44 and is now booked to arrive at 14.54 which presents difficulty panning out time. The irony lies in that it used to arrive 5min late and it now arrives 5min early, both at 14.49 but there is no booked path at 14.49. Less philosophy and more running. The arrival at Dawlish was desperately slow and the set was eased to 95mph at Exminster despite a clear road and late running. Imin recovery and 1min saved at Exeter meant 3min late. I thought the drivers normally changed at Exeter but I did not see anyone alight and was prepared for a very tedious run to the various small stations en route. A running brake test at 101mph perked up my spirits as the drivers had clearly changed and the run to Tiverton Parkway was only 3sec over the reopened record, by a 2+7 with no rbt.. Taunton was 12sec over but 1min recovery had resulted in just ½min late leaving Taunton. This was the first 100mph/90 before Cogload that I have timed in many years, the modern pattern being 92/87. The braking for the Cary stop was especially good and then 94mph on the 90mph to Brewham equally surprising. The small station sections were conducted just as keenly - 3sec over the reopened record Pewsey-Bedwyn etc and a gain on Bedwyn Hungerford. A 5min dead stand at Southcote Jct, faced with 5½min of allowances, meant 1min late from Reading with 8½min recovery time to come. DAS seemed to be either inoperative or ineffectual to result in a net 23min run to Paddington 25min 18sec actual and 4½min early.

John Heaton

Chalk and Cheese, Boiler Proportions etc

I respond to Michael Rowe’s remarks on my letter in MP 34¼.

Identical boilers subject to the same draft and fired at the same rate with the same coal should produce the same quantity of steam at the same temperature. Most of what Michael suggests does not relate to identical boilers, however, and results from his faith in ratios among heating surfaces of parts of boilers, something which had passed out of use as a basis for boiler design by the 1930s.

Milepost 34½ -210 - October 2013 The NGG16 and N2 boilers were not similar. While they had much the same grate area, the firebox of the NGG16, unencumbered by side frames, was almost square, that of the N2 long and narrow, to fit between the frames of an inside framed engine running on 4ft 8½ins gauge. There are advantages in combustion from the long, narrow box. As I previously pointed out, the proportion of the free gas area of the N2 represented by the flues, net of the area of the elements, was considerably higher than that of the NGG, leading to higher steam temperature.

Beyer Peacock played no part in the design of the NGG13, the predecessor of the NGG16. Hanomag and the SAR were responsible for the NGG13 design. See D Payling, “Garratts and Kalaharis of the Welsh Highland Railway”, 2012.

In his 1938 work, “La Locomotive à Vapeur”, André Chapelon is clear (pp15f and later) that per unit of grate area, the output of a boiler was dependent on the free gas area and the relationship between the length and diameter of the tubes and flues, and the temperature on the proportions of the FGA from the tubes and flues. He is scathing on the “religion of heating surface” as a basis for comparing boilers. The tube length/diameter relationship is discussed in an article by R P Wagner, the German engineer who derived it, in the Proceedings of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers, 1930 p 5. On the carryover of these precepts into design, see the article by M M Loubser supported by E S Cox, “Locomotive Boiler Design, Theory and Practice” in the same Journal for 1938, p 377. In his “British Railways Standard Steam Locomotives”, E S Cox refers to the flue proportions and the ratio of FGA to Grate Area being taken into account in the design of some of those engines.

There is no such thing as unused grate capacity. The adequacy of grate area can be decided only on the basis of the task to be performed, the fuel (oil and highly gaseous coals require firebox volume as much as grate area), and if coal, its heat value and ash content. In general, with a given coal, the designer will have been pleased to have the biggest grate possible within other aspects of the boiler and other design restrictions, to maximise the extent to which coal can be fully combusted rather than drawn through the boiler unburnt, the fuller combustion increasing the efficiency of the boiler. Because the rate of combustion on the larger grate is lower, however, so is the steam temperature ex superheater.

While like all heat engines, steam locomotives are subject to the laws of thermodynamics, the application of the laws in their case is very complicated, varying from one output to another. Higher pressure is a possible source of higher efficiency, and is the basis of the steam turbine plant of power stations. On a locomotive, however, it requires a stronger and heavier boiler, and higher boiler maintenance costs. The point in my letter, that modest pressure and higher superheat from a bigger boiler can produce higher output from a given weight of locomotive than a higher pressure, comes from the work of Professor Goss, American investigator of the application of those laws to the steam locomotive. See especially his “High Steam Pressures in Locomotive Service” Bulletin 26 of the Illinois Engineering Experiment Station of 1908. Chapelon in the above book (p502) says that raising pressure is justified only if the weight and volume of the locomotive render it necessary. Goss’s “Superheated Steam in Locomotive Service”, Bulletin 57 in the Illinois series, shows the advantage in efficiency from superheating (usually obtained without weight penalty) compared with that from increased pressure, as do steam tables and many later sources. The reduction in evaporation from increasing superheat, and the extent of superheat generally depend on how hard the engine is working.

On the point Michael raised about the differences found between saturation and superheat temperatures, on a reciprocating steam locomotive the latter were restricted by lubrication limitations.

Milepost 34½ -211 - October 2013 There are data from which steam locomotive resistance, vehicle and machinery, needed to obtain ihp, can be calculated. “Steam Locomotive Resistance” put into a browser brings up my paper on the subject. Alternatively, the URL http://freespace.virgin.net/johnk.pb15/steamlocomotiveresistance does so. The subject is vast and complicated.

On p 121 of the same issue, Michael gives the edhp of the steam rail motor. While edhp is a clear enough, although limited, indicator of locomotive output for a hauled train, in the case of the rail motor its meaning needs to be clarified. On p 131 of the same issue, he gives some start to stop times by achieved by “Lyd” on the Ffestiniog Railway. The line is infested with speed restrictions, and much time can be saved in the way these are observed and in approaches to stations, and lost in uncertainty at conditional stops. The run does seem to have been excellent, but assessing its quality (and “Lyd”) requires information on the speeds on the longer, straighter climbs where line speed applies. There are mileposts on the line, part of an RPS project, and RPS Distance Chart 510 gives distances for many visible points, as well as the speed limits.

John Knowles

From Sean Emmett

Publication of Bittern's trip on 29 June 2013 and Tornado's run from Grantham to York on 10 June 2013 as a supplement to Milepost has prompted me to type up some of my ECML steam runs. So I attach the run I recorded behind Tornado on 18 November 2010, which got to York over a half hour quicker than Bittern, with a near identical departure time from the Cross and a load of 3 coaches more. I need to check the tare loading of the train, which was not quite full. The schedule was astonishing enough, including virtually 75 mph up Stoke bank from Tallington to Stoke Jn, but the actual running was even better.

On a drizzly November morning the loco was not pressed on the climb to Potters Bar before being turned slow line to allow a few trains to overtake, including the Peterborough networker.

I gather Network rail overlooked the previously agreed Stevenage pick up when the timings were first issued so this had to be squeezed in making a tight schedule even tighter. After the pick up were were turned slow line before Hitchin to follow the stopper and to allow a class 91 to overtake. Back on the fast at Sandy we had to catch the stopper and beat it to Holme Jn otherwise we would probably lose the path on the fast up to Stoke summit. We overtook it as it left Huntingdon and topped Leys summit at 75 mph! The stopper caught up with the rear of the train and both trains ran in parallel at around 78 mph for 5 miles before it was clear we had the green at Holme and the stopper dropped back. The climb to Stoke was achieved with two minimae of 74 mph, but all this effort was thwarted as we were checked and then held for a late Liverpool to Norwich sprinter (overlap issues) before gaining access to the down goods loop at Grantham, adjacent to the station. This ate into the water stop but we got away right time to reach York in just over 77 mins.

Milepost 34½ -212 - October 2013 Table 26 miles M C Timing Point Sch. m s mph ave Run 16.53 44 10 Sandy 15 16 08 28 XFL 64.7 Date Thu 18 Nov 2010 18.78 46 30 Everton LC 18 58 62 47.8 Train 08.17 KX - Edin 19.88 47 38 Tempsford 19 58 67 65.6 Loco A1 60163 Tornado 20.60 48 16 Allington Hall 20 36 69 68.5 Load formation 13 Mk1 xxx/xxx 22.28 49 70 Little Barford 22 03 70/73 69.5 Weather Drizzle then dull, light wind 24.10 51 56 St Neots 23 33 72 73.1 Recorder S C Emmett 25.18 52 62 Huntingdon Rd 24 24 77 75.3 Position/ GPS 14/14 GPS=Yes 26.50 54 08 Cardells 25 26 78 77.9 miles M C Timing Point Sch. m s mph ave 28.31 55 73 Offord LC 26 50 77 77.5

0.00 0 08 Kings Cross p4 0 0 00 RT P1 29.68 57 22 Corpus Christi 27 55 75 75.3 0.48 0 46 Gasworks TN 2 57 9.7 31.24 58 67 Huntingdon 25 29 08 78 77.4 0.65 0 60 Belle Isle 2.5 3 27 17 20.8 32.40 60 00 MP 30 02 76 77.4 1.05 1 12 Copenhagen TN 4 29 23 23.4 33.80 61 32 Stukeley OB 31 09 75 75.2 1.23 1 26 Holloway Rd 4 51 29 27.5 34.40 62 00 Leys Summit 31 37 75 75.3 2.41 2 41 Finsbury Park 5 6 48 46 36.6 35.14 62 59 Abbots Ripton 32 12 78/80 76.2 3.31 3 33 Harringay 7 55 49 48.6 36.44 64 03 New England 33 11 79 79.6 4.00 4 08 Hornsey 8 42 56/59 53.1 37.68 65 22 Green Lane 34 07 78 79.1 4.88 4 78 Alexandra Pal 8.5 9 37 57 57.4 38.80 66 32 Five Arch Br 35 00 77 76.5 6.36 6 37 New Southgate 11 14 52 54.8 39.75 67 28 Connington S 35 45 74 76.5 7.78 7 70 Barnet Tnnl N 12 54 50 51.0 40.75 68 28 Connington N 36 33 74 75.2 8.25 8 28 Oakleigh Park 13 28 49 49.5 41.73 69 26 Holme LC 33 37 20 75 74.7 9.08 9 14 New Barnet 14 29 50 49.1 42.43 70 02 Holme Lode 37 53 77 76.7 10.46 10 45 Hadley Wood 16 09 50 50.1 43.38 70 78 Stilton Fen x 38 38 77 76.0 11.21 11 25 Potters Bar Tnl S 17 07 41* sigs 46.5 45.20 72 64 Yaxley OB 40 03 74 76.9 11.90 12 00 Potters Bar Tnl N 18 37 27 XSL 27.5 45.93 73 42 Haddon OB 40 38 75 74.1 12.61 12 57 Potters Bar 16.5 20 01 37 30.4 46.86 74 37 Fletton Pk Way 41 22 77 76.6 13.40 13 40 MP 21 05 48 44.1 47.53 75 10 Fletton J 41 53 77/78 77.6 14.39 14 39 Brookman's Pk 22 14 54 51.7 48.74 76 27 Peterborough 41 42 49 77 77.8 15.48 15 46 Welham Green 23 22 61 57.3 50.46 78 05 New England 44 11 77 76.3 16.78 16 70 Howdell OB 24 37 67 63.1 51.10 78 56 Walton FB 44 41 79 76.5 17.60 17 56 Hatfield 25 19 72 70.1 51.83 79 34 Werrington Jn 45 13 80 81.4 18.39 18 39 OB 25 58 68 72.3 52.36 79 77 Marholme FB 45 37 80 79.3 20.23 20 26 Welwyn GC 30 27 35 51*/3* 68.5 53.69 81 23 Woodcroft 46 36 81 80.8 20.98 21 06 Knightsfield 30.5 31 36 13 11.2 54.29 81 71 Helpston LC 47 03 80 81.1 21.85 21 76 Welwyn North 33 12 42 17.3 54.88 82 38 Maxey Lc 47 30 79 78.3 23.71 23 65 Woolmer Grn 33 35 35 52 FL 46.9 55.81 83 33 Lolham LC 48 12 78 79.5 24.94 25 03 Knebworth 36 51 61/72 58.3 57.20 84 64 Tallington LC 49 49 16 79 78.3 26.59 26 55 Langley Jn 38 19 68 67.7 58.40 86 00 MP 50 10 79 79.8 27.50 27 48 Stevenage 36 39 47 4 Late 37.1 58.78 86 30 Casewick 50 27 79 78.8

0.00 27 48 Stevenage (38) (41 17) 3 Late P3 59.49 87 07 Greatford LC 51 00 80 78.0 1.03 28 50 Stevenage old 2 54 46 21.2 59.93 87 42 Banthorpe 51 20 79 80.6 2.03 29 50 Chantry Lane 4 04 54 sigs 51.7 61.19 88 63 Essendine OB 52 18 77 78.6 2.89 30 39 Arch Road 4 56 64 58.8 62.40 90 00 MP 53 12 79 80.2 3.61 31 17 Wymondley Rd 5 37 67 XSL 64.7 64.06 91 53 Stamford Rd 54 29 78 77.5 4.35 31 76 Hitchin 4.5 6 15 69 69.0 64.51 92 09 Little Bytham 54 50 76 77.2 5.71 33 25 Cadwell 7 21 77/79 74.4 65.79 93 31 OB 55 51 75 75.9 8.04 35 51 Three Counties 9 09 77 77.8 66.66 94 21 Counthorpe La 56 33 74 74.5 9.46 37 05 Arlesey 10 16 76 76.8 67.40 95 00 MP 57 09 75 74.7 10.96 38 45 Langford OB 11 29 73 73.6 68.54 96 11 Corby Rd OB 58 04 75 74.5 11.83 39 34 East Road LC 12 11 76 74.2 69.59 97 15 Corby Glen 58 53 76 76.1 12.48 40 06 Holme Green 12 41 78 76.5 70.76 98 29 Burton Lane 59 49 75 76.5 13.59 41 15 Biggleswade 13 32 78 78.4 71.74 99 27 Stoke High OB 60 36 74 74.4 14.53 42 10 Shortmead 14 17 77 75.7 72.15 99 60 Stoke Junction 61 60 55 74 75.4

Milepost 34½ -213 - October 2013 . miles M C Timing Point Sch. m s mph ave miles M C Timing Point Sch. m s mph ave 72.54 100 11 Stoke RR 61 15 74 72.8 37.84 143 17 Torworth LC 34 08 77 77.2 73.39 100 79 Stoke Tunnel N 61 54 77 77.3 38.61 143 79 Ranskill LC 34 44 77 76.2 74.51 102 09 Great Ponton 62 47 77 76.7 40.48 145 68 Scrooby 36 13 76 75.5 76.38 103 78 OB 64 24 50* sigs 69.3 42.28 147 52 Bawtry 37 38 75 76.2 66 07 / 67 19 sig stop 43.98 149 28 Pipers Wood 39 02 69 73.0 77.78 105 30 Grantham DGL 66 69 51 7 Late 15.4 44.99 150 29 PC 39 53 77 72.0 0.00 105 30 (84) (81 03) RT 45.99 151 29 Rossington LC 40 38 78 79.9 0.99 106 29 Grantham NJ 3 58 30 14.9 47.19 152 45 Loversall Jn 44 41 34 75 77.0 1.63 107 00 MP 4 59 40 37.8 48.65 154 02 Potteric Carr J 42 50 50 sigs 69.1 2.99 108 29 Peascliff T N 6 38 59 49.5 49.56 154 75 FB 44 16 29/18 38.3 4.30 109 54 Barkston S J 7 51 71 64.5 50.61 155 79 Doncaster 46.5 46 45 33 25.3 6.29 111 53 Hougham OB 9 24 79 77.3 51.45 156 66 Moat Hills LC 48 03 48 38.7 8.34 113 57 Westborough 10 57 78 79.2 52.65 158 02 Arksey LC 49 21 60 55.4 9.96 115 27 Claypole LC 10.5 12 12 79 78.1 53.76 159 11 Daw Lane LC 50 25 66 63.1 11.49 116 69 Balderton LC 13 22 76 77.8 54.91 160 23 Shaftholme J 49.5 51 26 71 67.8 12.95 118 26 Bullpit Lane 14 31 76 76.6 55.23 160 48 Joan Croft LC 51 41 72 72.1 13.66 119 03 Barnby LC 15 04 77 76.8 56.06 161 35 Noblethorpe 52 22 75 74.2 14.78 120 12 Newark Nthg 16 15 57 75 76.7 56.80 162 14 Barcroft LC 52 58 75 74.7 15.41 120 63 Newark X 16.5 16 27 75 75.0 57.65 163 02 Moss LC 53 38 76 76.4 16.71 122 07 Church Lane 17 29 76 76.3 58.80 164 14 Fenwick LC 54 33 75 74.8 17.59 122 77 Bathley Lane 18 10 77 76.2 60.55 165 74 Balne LC 55 57 73/72 74.7 19.33 124 56 Cromwell LC 19 30 78 78.2 61.81 167 15 Heck OB 57 00 73 72.6 20.95 126 26 Carlton 20 47 76 76.4 63.83 169 16 Templehirst Jn 57 58 37 76 74.6 21.96 127 27 Crow Park 21 35 76 74.9 64.35 169 58 UB 59 02 76 75.2 23.00 128 30 Grassthorpe Ln 22 24 75 76.3 66.20 171 46 A 19 OB 60 27 79 78.1 24.99 130 29 Egmanton LC 23 60 73 74.6 67.78 173 12 Gateforth Rd 61 40 78 78.5 26.56 131 75 Tuxford North 25 17 74 73.3 68.69 174 05 Hambleton SJ 62 21 80 79.2 28.39 133 61 Markham Sum 26 46 73 74.1 69.65 175 02 Hambleton NJ 61.5 63 04 79 80.2 29.09 134 37 Askham T S 27 20 76 74.5 71.28 176 52 Bish’dyke Rd 64 19 77 78.1 30.81 136 15 Gamston OB 28 40 78 77.8 73.69 179 05 Moor Lane 66 11 78 77.9 31.18 136 44 Eaton Lane 28 56 78 78.9 75.84 181 17 Church Lane 67 51 76 77.4 32.08 137 36 Grove Road 29 38 78 78.0 77.61 182 79 Colton J 68 69 15 77 76.3 33.25 138 50 Retford 31.5 30 33 75 76.3 79.41 184 63 Copmanthorpe 70 40 75 75.5 33.81 139 15 Babworth Rd 31 00 76 74.4 81.21 186 47 Chaloners Whin 72 18 54 sigs 66.4 34.20 139 46 Retford N Jn 31 19 76 75.2 81.69 187 05 St Helens Rd 72 54 39 47.1 35.29 140 53 Botany Bay 32 09 78 78.3 82.74 188 09 Holgate Jn OB 75 44 26.6 P10 36.33 141 56 Sutton LC 32 57 77 77.1 83.09 188 37 York 73.5 77 06 3.5 L 15.4

In August 2010 I timed a trip behind Tornado with a similar load which reached York in just over 74 minutes from the Grantham DGL (on a 70 minute timing!), log to follow. Edinburgh was reached in 7 hr 54 mins from Kings Cross which I gather was slightly quicker overall than the 'Top Gear' run which only had 10 coaches.

Dear Editor,

In view of recent correspondence concerning schedules between the capital of God's Own Country and the Rest of England, I thought readers might be interested to see this 're- opened' HST York to King's Cross record. The schedule seems realistic, perhaps a shade generous in the performance allowance stakes, and the driver seemed to be intent on running down the preceding 1E10 10.00 Edinburgh-King's Cross Class 91 which looked as though it had arrived in London say 2min in front of us, 1½E on advertised times (½L on working). Our arrival was 7½min early on advertised, 5½E on working times, 105.50 gross,

Milepost 34½ -214 - October 2013 104min net. In contrast, I returned north on the 15.00, the famous flyer now an HST, which performed as non-MTU 2+9s used to do. Despite a check to 58mph at Peterborough, arrival at York would have been a shade early on a 110½min schedule had it not been for a Glasgow-Plymouth Voyager running 3min late on an optimistic 5min booked platform re- occupation. Actual was 112m07sec, 108½min net.

York to King's Cross Miles Miles Ch. Location Sch m s M.P.H. Avge Pow er Cars 43308/43xxx 96.29 92 17 Little Bytham 53 41 126/121 125.2 Load 2+9 99.80 88 56 Essendine 55 23 123 124.0 Train 07.52 Aberdeen-King's Cross 101.41 87 7 Greatford 56 10 125 123.5 Date 30/07/2013 103.70 84 64 Tallington 57½ 57 17 122/127 122.9 Recorder/Position/GPS J. Heaton 2/11 Yes 106.60 81 72 Helpston 58 42 124 122.8 Miles Miles Ch. Location Sch m s M.P.H. Avge 109.00 79 40 Werrington Jct 59 51 127 125.2 0.00 188 40 YORK d. 0 0 00 1E P3 112.14 76 29 PETERBOROUGH 62½ 61 27 101/110 117.7 1.96 186 43 Chaloners Whin 2 33 76 46.1 115.71 72 63 Yaxley 63 33 107/98 102.1 4.18 184 26 Copmanthorpe 4 01 96 90.8 119.18 69 26 Holme 66½ 65 33 104 103.9 5.50 183 0 Colton Jct 5 4 49 104 99.0 121.25 67 20 Connington S 67½ 66 40 112/113 111.5 13.50 175 0 Hanbleton N. J 9½ 8 58 124/126 115.7 125.05 63 36 Abbot's Ripton 68 43 111 111.2 19.25 169 20 Temple Hirst J 12½ 11 44 124/126 125.1 126.50 62 0 Ley's Summit 69 29 114/126 111.8 22.58 165 74 Balne <1> 13 19 125/126 125.3 129.66 58 67 HUNTINGDON 72 71 05 123 118.6 25.50 163 0 Moss 14 43 124 125.4 132.60 55 72 Offord 72 32 120/123/119 121.6 28.30 160 16 Shaftholme Jct 18 16 04 124 124.4 136.75 51 60 St. Neots 74 36 120 120.5 30.48 158 2 Arksey 17 14 92/sigs30 111.9 141.03 47 38 Tempsford 76 42 123/125 122.1 32.50 156 0 DONCASTER 20 19 33 62/107 52.4 144.38 44 10 Sandy 79½ 78 19 122 124.3 37.14 151 29 Rossington 22½ 22 39 105 89.8 147.31 41 15 Bigglesw ade 79 45 124/125/123 123.0 40.75 147 60 Bawtry 24 40 110/108 107.5 151.50 37 0 Arlesey <2> 81 47 124 123.6 44.50 144 0 Ranskill 26 40 117/123 112.5 156.50 32 0 Hitchin 87½ 84 20 116/117/115 117.6 49.89 138 49 RETFORD 29 29 21 121 120.5 160.90 27 48 STEVENAGE 89½ 86 33 118 119.1 51.04 137 37 Grove Road 29 56 117/111 118.3 163.50 25 0 Knebw orth 87 49 124 123.2 54.00 134 40 Askham TNP 31 30 113 113.5 164.69 23 65 Woolmer Grn 91½ 88 27 109/101 112.5 56.55 131 76 Tuxford 32 51 116 113.3 166.50 22 0 Welw yn North 89 30 102 103.6 58.14 130 29 Egmanton <1> 33 39 123/126 119.1 168.25 20 20 Welw yn G.C. 93½ 90 28 111 108.6 62.19 126 25 Carlton 35 37 122/124 123.6 170.80 17 56 Hatfield 91 51 111 110.6 65.50 123 0 Bathley Lane 37 14 123 122.9 174.00 14 40 Brookmans Park 93 34 115 111.8 67.71 120 63 Newark X 39 38 22 98 117.1 175.75 12 60 Potters Bar 97½ 94 33 104/99 106.8 68.39 120 9 NEWARK N. 39½ 38 47 100 99.2 177.95 10 44 Hadley Wood 95 51 100/102/81 101.5 73.16 115 27 Claypole 42 41 24 116/120 109.1 180.15 8 28 Oakleigh Park 97 20 84 89.0 77.00 111 40 Hougham 43 21 119 118.1 182.04 6 37 New Southgate 98 33 98 93.1 78.83 109 54 Barkston S J 44 18 113 115.3 183.50 5 0 Alexandra Pal 102½ 99 28 95 95.7 80.14 108 29 Peascliffe TNP 45 00 112 112.5 185.09 3 33 Harringay [2] 100 31 88 90.7 83.06 105 35 GRANTHAM 47½ 46 37 101/98 108.6 186.00 2 40 Finsbury Park 106 101 10 72sigs? 84.2 86.41 102 7 Great Ponton 48 38 104 99.7 187.75 0 60 Belle Isle 108 103 07 34 53.8 88.75 99 60 Stoke Jct 50½ 49 57 108 106.5 188.41 0 7 KING'S CROSS 110½ 105 50 14.6 91.35 97 12 Corby Glen 51 19 124 114.1 adv 112½ 104m net

John Heaton

NEWS

Ebor Streak – Sandy Smeaton

Sandy Smeaton has produced a report which should be read in conjunction with the log shown in the “Specials” supplement with the July edition:

This was the first of three special runs with Jeremy Hosking’s ‘Bittern’, permitted to run up to 90m/h over specially designated sections of the ECML to celebrate the anniversary of Mallard’s record. It was the first officially sanctioned 90 m/h running with preserved steam. The cheapest adult fare was a steep £199, the reason I had not originally booked and

Milepost 34½ -215 - October 2013 presumably why the train was only about 75% full. There was also the consideration that 90 m/h running would only occur if operating conditions permitted.

The DBS crew were Don Clarke, Steve Hanczar, Bob Cottrell and Inspector Gareth Jones. The load was a moderate 10/353/370. Departure from Kings Cross was slightly late, but this was easily made up by the Potters Bar pick up. The first 90 approved section was Hitchin to Offord and as we ran through Hitchin speed was 77½ and rising. 90 was achieved at MP34½. We then ran at 90±1 until the signal check before Huntingdon to be turned onto the slow to take water at Holme. The maximum on this section was 92 before Everton LC. The average speed from the Potters Bar start to the signal stop at MP58 was 71.4 m/h.

We had been booked on the down slow from Peterborough to Stoke but the following 09.30 from KX was running 14 late, because East Coast had made a late decision to change the set, and we ran on through Peterborough on the down fast, on to Essendine at 75 and then up the 1 in 200 to Stoke summit at 72. A most acceptable bonus!

The second 90 permitted section was originally from Great Ponton to Crow Park, but subsequently changed to start at Claypole, due to concern about running at 90 through Peascliffe Tunnel. 90 was reached exactly at Claypole LC and we had the maximum for the day of 92½ just before Newark, and at both MP122 and MP124 for at least a half mile after each post. The excitement ended at Carlton-on Trent, near Crow Park, as speed drifted back down to the normal 75 limit.

The third permitted high speed section was from Arksey LC to Colton Jn. After watering in Babworth loop outside Retford, we left 6½ early, probably a mistake in hindsight. Once through Doncaster speed rose quickly to 83 at Arksey LC and 90 at Barcroft LC. This section, level with a few short undulations, required 4464 to accelerate to 90 without the assistance of gravity, but it seemed no more difficult than the previous sections and 90±1 was held until approaching Hambleton S Jn when signals intervened. 4464 was 9 minutes early at Hambleton S Jn and the 11.05 Hull to York, booked to pass Hambleton N Jn at 11.49½, stumbled out ahead of us over the single lead junction to curtail any further 90 m/h running. We recovered to 73 after Colton Jn and despite being stopped outside York arrived in Platform 10 still 6½ early.

The ease with which 4464 achieved 90 on the permitted sections, albeit mostly downhill, makes it hard to understand what all the fuss was about. This was a magnificent run completed with no hitches. Don Clarke drove to the Holme water stop and Steve Hanczar, drove to York. Bob Cottrell was the second fireman throughout.

After the event was over some more of the background to the operating issues arising on the day came to light via David Veltom.

The 21.47 Cricklewood Depot – Hornsey ECS brought down the wires on the down slow in Copenhagen Tunnel on the Friday night (28/6) blocking the slow lines with normal working not being restored until Sunday. Consequently the ECS for the Ebor Streak arrived at KX 51 late at 07.42. 1z22’s 2½ minute lateness departing KX was caused by the 04.45 Newcastle – KX suffering a signal reversion at Belle Isle due to a track circuit failure, consequently delaying the 08.12 KX – Sunderland which departed at 08.17.

The small delay at Potters Bar before 1z22 could gain access to the down main was caused by the 08.30 KX – Edinburgh running 3 late.

The check at Huntingdon South Jn waiting to cross over to the down slow was caused by the 08.23 KX – Peterborough which was 3 late due to the Copenhagen Tunnel OHLE problem.

Milepost 34½ -216 - October 2013 The 11.05 Hull to York was 9 late at Selby due to failed crossing barriers at Eastrington.

One of these events worked in our favour, but considering the others we were very lucky to keep the planned path especially given the Copenhagen OHLE problem.

Average speeds m/h Potters Bar to MP 58 71.4 Hitchin to St Neots 88.3 Holme to Babworth Loop 65.1 Tallington to Stoke Summit 73.6 Claypole to Carlton 90.1 Shaftholme Jn to MP171½ 89.4

OMNICOM’S TRACK LOCATOR Omnicom Engineering have introduced a smart

phone app that uses Network Rail’s ELR (Engineers’ Line References) and the GPS facility on the phone to locate the position of the train, which it records based on the milepost distances. It works reasonably well, although recording to 1/1000 of a yard seems statistically optimistic. The example was recorded by the escalator at the west end of Platform 11 at Reading, although I’m not sure about the present or past location of the “down goods” at Reading. Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co. omnicomengineering.tracklocator&hl=en_GB Apple: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co. omnicomengineering.tracklocator&hl=en_GB Windows phone: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co. omnicomengineering.tracklocator&hl=en_GB These links will be added to the download section of the RPS website

Realtimetrains

The major development in open rail data over the last three months has been the upgrade to the realtimetrains website, which will be covered by Tom Cairns, in his presentation at the Lamb on 2nd November.

Milepost 34½ -217 - October 2013

Network Developments

There are many positive developments taking place at the moment together with those completed over the last period. The capacity increase following the remodelling of Nottingham station should result in more unchecked and faster arrivals and departures; in particular the curve from Mansfield Jn towards Mansfield is now available at 50 mph in place of the former 30 mph. An unflagged change was the reinstatement of a double track junction at Manton Junction from the Corby direction; unfortunately the PSRs on the line from Peterborough have had to be downgraded by 5 mph to accommodate this. Hitchin Flyover has opened but with few trains using it until train crews are fully conversant with it. There is a time penalty for using the line but the removal of delays to ECML trains will be of great benefit. A similar improvement north of Doncaster (the Doncaster North Chord) can now be viewed; this viaduct will take freight trains away from the ECML Just to the north a new road bridge has enabled closure of Joan Croft LC. A few PSR improvements are expected early next year at some ECML locations by modifying the signalling. However the most anticipated PSR improvements are scheduled to take place on the Midland Main Line in December where a step change in those allowed will allow speeds at up to 125 mph; Cross Country will also benefit between Derby and Sheffield. Speed increases on the latter between Birmingham and Bristol have been slow to come on stream with a 100 mph section south of Bromsgrove being implemented but that between Charfield and Yate being postponed at short notice. The line from Hall Royd to Gannow Junctions will close this winter to allow repair work on the unstable Holme Tunnel and permit the 20 mph restriction in force since the last repair to be restored to 45 mph. Use of the new spur at the Todmorden end from Stansfield Hall, due to be opened in May 2014, may be restricted at first due to a lack of spare dmus. The week-long closure of the WCML to allow relaying of Golborne, Bamfurlong and Balshaw Jns took place, but the expected PSR increases have not yet taken place. The first stage of the North West Electrification programme will be implemented in December when trains start running over the Manchester to Golborne Jn route although dmus may be used at first. It is expected that the Windermere branch will join the list of lines to be electrified. Other electrification work in Scotland, from Glasgow to Whifflet/ Cumbernauld, is still on course for opening next Spring/Summer. A new up slow line has been commissioned between Alexandra Palace and Holloway but the platforms serving it at the former and Finsbury Park are not yet ready. Work continues on the capacity enhancements at Reading, Peterborough, London Bridge and Gatwick with Stirling also being modernised. In the long term all of London Waterloo International’s platforms are to return to domestic use. The Up slow line is being extended southwards from Eastleigh towards Southampton. The August closure of the Swindon to Kemble single line has allowed work to commence on laying a second track with completion next year. The reinstatement of double track between Swansea and Llanelli and replacement of Loughor Viaduct has been very beneficial to West Wales services. Lines scheduled to see better services from December are Hatton Curve – a fast Birmingham – Stratford-uopn-Avon service – and Chippenham to Trowbidge serving Melksham. September’s resignalling of the Cardiff to Coryton/Rhymney lines and installation of a new loop at Tir-phil will bring more frequent services shortly; Energlyn station north of Caerphilly should open in December. A series of weekend closures will allow the repair work on Selby Swing Bridge to take place after its postponement following the Hatfield slip clearance work now complete. In August the double line junction at Busby Jn (for East Kilbride) was reinstated. Battersea Park station’s Atlantic Lines’ platforms have been reduced to one and the junction with the Brighton slow lines abolished, creating a terminus. A crossover at South Bermonsey will allow trains to terminate short of London Bridge. There has been an acceleration in the provision of “Harrington Humps” (a short section of elevated platform at low platform locations) in England over the Summer. Resignalling work has taken place on the Salford-Swinton-Wigan, Retford-Gainsborough, Walsall-Rugeley and

Milepost 34½ -218 - October 2013 Brookwood to Alton lines as well as at Nottingham. Those from Crewe to Shrewsbury, Lewes to St Leonards, Christs Hospital to Arundel and Horley to Three Bridges are to be implemented before January but the Dorset scheme appears to have been delayed. In Ireland modernisation of the Coleraine to Londonderry continues and the Antrim to Lisburn line reopened for one Sunday in September for diverted trains. Oranmore station between Athenry and Galway opened in July.

Ian Umpleby

THURSDAY 31st OCTOBER 2013

Area Meeting

BRISTOL PARKWAY

SATURDAY 2nd NOVEMBER 2013

Really Useful Realtimetrains

The Lamb, LONDON

TUESDAY 19th NOVEMBER 2013

Area Meeting

LEEDS

THURSDAY 23rd JANUARY 2014

Area Meeting

BOROUGH, LONDON

Milepost 34½ -219 - October 2013