Mike Ashworth
Forum Replies Created
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The truth is Michael that I have actually been under the Metrolink vehicles looking as how to mount equipment under the high (“BR’ standard) floor, at that visit batteries were discussed using the same technology as in the battery powered ex underground trains.
In one of the offices it showed proposed routes. One of which was the ELR, I did common it and the reply was Metrolink during the week and steam at the weekends.
With the ELR and Metrolink having a direct connection the idea is not just a pipe dream.
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Hi Clive I am not sure exactly what you are looking for but this is a book with lists of locomotives on Amazon
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It’s not set in stone that it will use platform 6 as this can change dynamically depending on other train movements especially if any of them are running early or late, or even terminating short. As they are running the steam with a head code it should be displayed on the station’s arrivals and departure board.
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O’dear. So who has upset who? The last time I saw Tornado at Hellifield it appeared to be in good condition after coming out of Carnforth and was being driven considerably, and WCR staff seemed to be checking it over whilst it was topped up with water.
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A lot of it recently has been down to the steam ban imposed by Network Rail so the Steam Locomotive sets fire to the lineside vegetation that Network Rail has let grow ranplantly out of control along the network.
As you are running two engines (Steam and Diesel) then it is going to cost more in labour and fuel, but it is easier to move a steam locomotive by rail than to move it by road, in fact some celebrity engines are not allowed to be road transported for fear of damaging them, and as such can only go to places that are connected to the national rail network.
For all Network Rail certified steam locomotives there is no reason that they can’t run solo whilst traveling to and from work locations and depo’s, infact before the hotter weather all the light steam engine movements where observed with them pasting by solo except for there service coach.
An example of this is the Heritage Steam Locomotive BR 44871 Black 5 as it is seen running light engine as it passing through Accrington Station on a move from the East Lancashire Railway to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, on the 17th of March 2025
It was taking a roundabout route from Bury going via Rochdale, Todmorden, Copy Pit, Burnley, Accrington, at Blackburn it then reverses onto the Blackburn to Hellifield line, where it reverses again and heads down the Leeds to Carlisle line until it reaches the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.
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I was talking to people at Hellifield on Thursday and responses were there would in all probability be a steam ban on the network. 45212 appeared at Hellifield being dragged, and when it departed the diesel pusher was giving it plenty of power, sort of the steam engine was more for effect and show, than providing power.
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Sounds like a diesel hauled service but the speed sounds like a type 2 possibly class 20 or 33
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Hi Ian, I have just had a look on Real Time Trains and it appears to be Diesel Hauled fully on both the out bound service and it’s return service, as it shows that it is ‘Pathed as Diesel locomotive, trailing load 455 tonnes and Planned for 95mph max running’ .
If any part of this was to Steam hauled then it would indicate ‘Pathed as Diesel locomotive, trailing load 715 tonnes and Planned for 60mph max running’.
I hope that this makes it clear.
It’s a usually reliable indicator that any excursion running at 60mph is steam hauled.
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You are correct with line inspection, but it would be unlikely for the train to go past Preston (it’s not timetable to for starter) as it is possible to pull Caroline south but come off onto the East Lancashire Line as far as Bamber Bridge, then by using the crossover and a south bound cord re-join the WCML at Farrington Junction, and push Caroline back down south.
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Tornado would have come down from Carnforth and appears to go into the up goods loop, but it’s unclear which points where faulty, as it could have been the at the crossover south of the signal box which would have meant going down the Blackburn line a short distance and using the crossover there to come up to the down side of the station.
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So how does the train come from Skipton if there is a points failure at the souend?
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This sounds a bit confusing which loop is out of use? Is it on the up or down loops.
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It looks okay if a little over the top, not sure how well it will look on other classes of train, maybe a more linear design would have looked better than this wavy design
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People in the UK always complain about the weather, it’s too hot or too cold, we live in a part of the world where it should be a lot colder as Preston is further north of every Canadian city. Carlisle is as far north as the most southern parts of Alaska and it’s only the Gulf Stream that makes the Uk liveable. Currently the warmer temperatures are only the same as 1,000 years ago., that’s why the Vikings called Greenland, Greenland. Sea levels rising is nothing new as they have been rising for 9,000 years.
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It down to saggy point and signal cabling, just have a look at this video https://youtu.be/ODQC9JAx_1A?si=ULGJ6qMCYaN5ngV_