Well, each of those flask wagons contain the equivalent of 100 coal trains in financial and energy terms, I was always told Always have two locos on, built in redundancy, just in case. The last we ever want is having one stranded somewhere loaded with spent nuclear fuel due to a loco failure. Equally, they are always a Nuclear consist train only running in dedicated timetable paths from Sellafield to the power stations and back. Only DRS have the licence (and the train crews) to haul Nuclear material in the U.k Scenes like this could never happen now! Kev
So rail action in daylight has been sporadic in the winter months and the weather has been pretty grotty anyway but since Christmas things have been improving a bit The LSL owned HST set, repainted in an approximation of the old British Railways 'Blue Pullman' has been through a few times Brooklyn and I went to Hellifield to get it on its way to Carlisle followed by one of his favourite Sausage sandwiches from the cafe on the station. I'll do a thread on Hellifield soon as it is a bit of a railfan hotspot Never thought I'd see the day when the HSTs, the 'train that saved British Rail' would be getting to the stage when the only way to get them is on railtours. I think the Crossrail ones are getting withdrawn very soon and the Scotrail ones are under threat as well So it was nice to see one blasting up Shap again Displaced by the Class 390 Pendolino EMUs this one was still a total master of the grade as it headed to Inverness Many of the employees of LSL are former colleagues of mine at DRS and this set is always immaculately turned out. Brooklyn wants his 00 Hornby one repainting in this colour. Or maybe this, the class 37 hauled Network Rail test train is now powered by former East Midlands Trains HST Power cars. Nowhere near as tidy as the LSL ones these are operated by Colas and look pretty tatty You'll see more of these on the video if it ever finished rendering, I think the PC is running really slow tonight! Also on the video is 57 313 'Scarborough Castle on a 'Northern Belle' working operated by WCR with an immaculate and very luxurious rake of coaching stock. Nothing wrong with the diesel except this train was supposed to be hauled by 'Tangmere' one of my favourite preserved steam locos. The Unrebuilt Southern railway (Not that one) Bulleid 'Battle of Britain' class 4-6-2 had failed on Thursday but the news had not filtered down to us. No worries , we were already planning lunch at the 'Shap Chippy' fish and Chip shop as part of our excursion In contrast to the Carnforth scrap line this immaculate Mk III Sleeper is typical of the Northern Belle rake More soon Including the , Still, rendering Video! Kev
This Sunday we are going to the Eden Valley Railway at Warcop. Brooklyn is going to drive this (Driver for a Fiver) And w are going to ride in a train hauled by the MLV, This Class 419 is a battery powered Motor luggage van, Built in 1959 for the London Victoria-Dover service and able to work on non electrified lines in the dock when not taking 600V DC from the third rail. Eden actually have two of these and they run one on the third Sunday of evey month. Report to follow Kev
Interesting that 9003 has a knuckle coupler with its buffers rather than a link/hook configuration. What causes that choice to be made?
I knew someone would ask this question and this is something I personally know a lot about From the Mk I coaches onwards it was decided to new build passenger stock with Buckeyes. The problem being that you could not convert all the locos as well. The compromise was vehicles fitted with Buckeyes that can drop down revealing a conventional Drawhook and buffers that can retract when the Buckeyes are in use but be extended out when the drawhook is in use. When I used to train the fitters on these the big test at the end was to see if they could get the Buckeye back up. In one seemless motion you had to swing it up (It is Heavy) and when it is at the top push the pin through to hold it in place. Getting it wrong was painful! Here is one with the Buckeye up Of course it does U.K modellers a genuine reason to fit Kadee 5s in 00! Kev
As I was typing the above I looked across at the office bookshelf and spotted the Mk II Escort Coach Technical training pack so here is a diagram I hope explains it
Thank you Kev. Merely an advancement in operation and safety. Much like America's advancement from the link-and-pin to the knuckle coupler.
Boy is a natural! And it turned out he was the first one to drive it. He will want to go here every weekend of he could https://i.imgur.com/0GXEk9K.jpg Kev
On Saturday we had another sort of 'Super Saturday' in prospect so Brooklyn and I set off on a very wet morning to Hellifield Standing water on the roads everywhere, Not nice but when we got there it was packed, OMWDCs everywhere (Old men with Digital cameras, I know, I am one! It was me that coined the phrase). The car park, cafe and lineside I have never, ever, seen so busy First up. Brooklyn's first mainline Great Western Railway engine, 4-6-0 7029 Clun Castle and his first picture of one. This is what we had all come out for This is perhaps the ultimate development of GWR Steam development and is a rare visitor to the North West of England. It has to be carefully routed due to the width of the cylinders and speed restrictions were put in place at various locations in case it hit the platform edges The conjugating levers to drive the valve gear to the inside cylinders It is a beast but tiny compared to Steam locos in the U.S Some bloke behind me was moaning about the British Railways double chimney it has, Luddite! Next a loco I have shown you before Jubilee 4-6-0 45690 Leander arrived on a light engine working from York to its Carnforth base after working some Yorkshire specials. Accompanied by its support coach. Now all of us reckoned that it would not stay for its booked 2 hours stop but that the signaller would let him run. Wrong First through came an LSL Worcester to Appleby special hauled by two classic Class 47s The Jubilee is still in British Railways black The third steamer was supposed to be Southern Railway Battle of Britain class 4-6-2 34067 Tangmere. Sadly it had failed again and has a diesel substituted. Turning into a problem chld that one. Anyway, as the crowds dispersed we were finally able to get into the Hellifield station cafe for some sausage and bacon. Some stage this summer I'll do a thread just on Hellifield and its railwayana, cafe and general vibe.. On weekdays the weather last week was mostly nice so I set my stall out to to find different vantage points to film and photograph the Lakeide and Haverthwaite Of which, More soon Kev
The loco slated for Saturday's Steam special, The 'Lakelander' was one from a choice of three LSL Main line steam locos. Either Braunton, Royal Scot or Brittania. In the event it turned out to be LMS Black 5 4-6-0 45231 'Sherwood Forester' Don't mind, some of the last main line steam I saw as a kid in the late 1960s were the legendary Stanier mixed traffic locos So with half the grandkids in tow, I went to 'White Bridge' at Askam where a steam loco opens uo to start the unremitting climb to Lindal summit. As it approached from Askam station I was concentrating on framing etc but subconciously something didn't seem to be quite right As the train headed the long way through Barrow in Furness we headed over the hill to get the train again at Lindal itself (There actually was a convoy of Railfans all heading down the A590, It was like 'Wacky races') and again, as it came out of Lindal tunnel something still didn't gel. Looking at the photos and video today it became obvious that there was something on the front of the loco not quite right. It looks like a microphone boom pointed at the stack. I presume LSL are helping some Model manufacturer to record some sound files for DCC Sound but it does nothing for the look of train Kev
The weather is baking hot in Cumbria at the moment and we have had no rain for nearly three weeks but perfect weather for railfanning. Not ventured far as the wife has had a few hospital appointments but there has been plenty of action locally anyway we saw the first appearance of a Class 69 on the Cumbrian Coast. These are the old Class 56 heavy haul freight engines that are being re-engineered for GBRF and fitted with GM 12N-710G3B-T2 engins the same as fitted to the EMD built Class 66s. They sound totally different and seem odd to me 69 001 has been named 'Mayflower' and carries the Stars and Stripes and Union Flag. In the old days it was 56 031 It was working as 3Q99 which is the weedkilling train. Drifting down the hill towards Askam station. I made sure I was upwind as it was spraying On the other end was EMD built 66 744 'Crossrail' This is the dominant class of freight locos in the U.K with 405 in active service and not suprisingly I haven't seen every one! Over a couple of days we had a Colas Class 37 running around light engine. This was 37 254 'Cardif Canton' and was being used for route learning. Included in the video is it using the cross over at Askam station in a reversing move More soon Kev
Nuclear was busy with the Heysham power stations running twice a week 68 005 'Defiant' and 68 009 'Titan' head towards Park South signalbox where they will be routed through the Park Loop avoiding the line through Barrow. With the Cumbrian Fells rising in the distance 68 002 'Intrepid' and 68 007 'Valiant' top and tail the Heysham bound flasks as they approach Dunnerholme level crossing Best catch was at Roose where I got 68 017 'Hornet', 68 001 'Evolution', 68 016 'Fearless' and the un-named 68 034 on 6K73. This is the Sellafield to Crewe Coal sidings train that is pathed through Brrow in Furness They look well on the video! Kev
Yesterday's treat. 47 593 and 47 853 double head 1Z63 Bangor to Ravenglass '3 peaks Challenge' The annual charity event where volunteers climb the three highest peaks in England, Wales and Scotland..In three days Starting with Snowdon in North Wales this train was taking participants to Ravenglass where they would ascend Scaffel Pike before it coillected them again to take them on to Fort Wiliam for Ben Nevis The train was made up of immaculate Mk II coaches in the Intercity Executive color sheme with a mint Mk I restaurant buffet in the middle in the classic Blue/Grey color scheme Kev
Brooklyn's picture of the Empty stock move back to Barrow Carriage sidings. Alan Munroe was driving and just after Brooks took this pic Alan opened the 47s up and Brooklyn got clagged as the train past beneath him! Kev
Sometimes, the trouble is, not what to put in, but what to leave out The only regular Nuclear traffic on the Cumbrian Coast southern section is the Sellafield to Heysham Nuclear power station and return working, which is currently running twice a week 68 005 'Defiant' top and tails a pair of FNA-D Nuclear flask carriers with Diesel/25KV AC Hybrid 88 007 'Electra' at Lidgate UWC I was hoping the the 88 would be on the front on the return leg but the train crew had swapped hem round. Probably did not fancy taking on the climb to Lindal summit with just 950HP with the 88 in diesel mode Brooklyn and I headed to the Eden Valley on Sunday to see the Platinum Jubilee liveried Class 67 007 on a rail charter train at Appleby. Never have liked these locos and don't care for the colour scheme much, but a nice rare train to catch Much more to my taste was the weekend before when we caught the classic Electric blue 25kv AC electric 86 259 at Leyland returning from a Setle and Carlisle excursion, The steam loco having come off at Preston. This was the Saturday evening when we in town doing the Leyland Model rail show with the new Z layout. In the interim I had a problem. When I put the EOS 5D back in the bag I forgot to turn it off. The battery went completely flat over the next few days and the damn thing, despite following all the tips on youtube, stubbornly refused to switch back on. It has now gone to a Canon repair shop but I'm worried it will be bad news In the next installment, Tomorrow, I'll show another rare working that came out of the blue today and a classic German built Railbus in action on Wednesday. And I'll try an edit all the video footage down into a video that is manageable in terms of length! Kev
I had already spotted 6Z69 slated for the 17th on TOPS. Sellafield to Barrow marine terminal so obviously Nuclear. perfect light 68 006 'Northern pride' waits at the dock gates with Pacific Heron and Pacific Grebe (International Nuclear material carrying vessels) in the background and the 250 Tonne dock crane Top and Tailing, the loco was special color scheme 68 033 'The Poppy', a WW1 war memorial loco seen exiting the dock. The load was an empty FNA-D Nuclear Flask wagon being used for a publicity event Rounding the sharp curve off the Ramsden Dock branch towards the boundary where the line becomes Network Rail with the Nuke boats in the background The reversing move at Salthouse Junction that neccesitates the Top and Tailing gave us time to scoot through Barrow to the site of the former Cocken Junction of the Furness railway which is in a natural setting formed by the slag bank of the long gone Barrow iron and Steelworks 68 006 is now back on the head end more soon kev
Having replaced the BIOS battery on the big P.C (Good job I knew what it was) Perfect light, dreadful wind noise! Kev
On a more general topic I've posted the latest video on youtube which goes from June to August. Class 47,66,68,69,88,HST and an LMS Black 5 4-6-0 in action More soon Kev
