Unassisted Steam a Thing of the Past ?
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- Опубліковано 14 тра 2024
- At the moment most steam tours seem to have a diesel on the rear be it for operational needs or to provide aircon ,central door locking so is this going to be the norm for the future ( hopefully not ) . This video sees 6201 Princess Elizabeth attacking the climb to Shap Summit in 2011 with no diesel in sight .
More and more true enthusiasts, like myself, are giving up on travelling on main line steam charters. Who wants to travel in a sealed mk 2 carriage with no sound, smell or atmosphere, and a diesel doing half the work on any grade. Only Vintage Trains run occasional unassisted tours, and well done to them.
I wrote practically word for word about the same subject else where, they are just moving restaurants now one coach for what I now call scum class and if it’s Saphos your in an air conditioned tube and being pushed by a diesel so far from removed from the fantastic steam trips I’ve done over the years, to me there are three eras of steam BR days enthusiast days and now lunch on to go days, don’t open the windows don’t stand in the vestibules I’ve even seen it written unless your going to the toilet or buffet stay in your seat so consequently I have sadly stopped doing them myself.
@@martin1703Ditto. An era has ended, sadly - in the UK, at least.
Thanks Nick , certainly putting off a lot of folk at the moment.
Wow. Wonderful sound and no ugly box!
For context, the diesels are usually only used for the braking, BR stopped using vacuum brakes in 1968. Making most steamers incompatible with the rollingstock. Coaches tend to rot a lot faster than locomotives, making it so that there aren’t enough coaches left to make a full train.
I believe the first coach houses the braking equipment.
Thanks Nigel , certainly knew it was just around the corner 😂👍
Great to see archive footage of Lizzie. It was certainly putting on a show and it was good to see no box on the back. 🤓 Well done Steve 🤓
Thanks Anthony, one of my favourite engines 👍
I agree with Nick Gardwood; I look at the likes of Saphos and I am not interested in sitting with the only sign of an engine upfront being smoke drifting past. There was an interesting video on UA-cam a few months ago taken from inside a train of aircon stock and Clun Castle was filmed heading in the opposite direction. One could hardly hear a thing even though it was working quite hard. No, my days of a steam trip are severly limited, Vintage Trains seems to be the only orgasniser with caoches where you can open a toplight window, so a little hope there.
Lovely shot of Lizzie doing her thing, Stephen, thanks for reminding us of her noise and beauty.
Thanks David , must admit I enjoyed my trip to Scarborough last year with Galatea and no diesel so I certainly wouldn’t enjoy it now.
Steam without a Diesel on the back for assistance is now a rare occurance. I like to read the timings, speed and horsepower figures on pure Steam runs. I accept now that the network has to be kept free running with no holdups and delays possibly caused by vintage equipment.
Passengers who book on these tours for a day out in say the dining option would not always be interested in the facts and figures of a pure steam run. The cost is also a factor for anyone who is not so well off.
Thanks Brian, must admit I do enjoy a trip out behind steam but certainly not the same with a helper.
Another lovely video Stephen well done great camera work as usual I am really looking forward to seeing your next video I hope you get a nice video next time also when is your next video going to be on UA-cam bye for now Philip
Great footage Steve.
Unfortunately I think it'll be a while before we see the great lady grace The Fell again with her overhaul only just in its preliminary stages.
The subject of Diesels on the rear is a thorny one but unfortunately is becoming a necessary evil but you have to remember that.....
As a general rule CDL needs both a power supply & an air supply (something vacuum only locos can't provide).
Operators are under pressure to minimise the impact of failures, this is more prevalent when operating far away from base, unlike in BR days there aren't spare locos lying around to assist.
Availability (& cost) of paths to have the diesel following on behind is now generally prohibitive.
Hopefully in time "non-compliant" stock can be modified to meet the requirements but one thing to bear in mind - at the moment all Regulation 4 Exemptions (nothing to do with CDL) to operate Mk1 type stock on the mainline expire in March 2028..........
Thanks Ian , hopefully things might improve.
Very impressive, those were the days when it was down to pure brute power of the loco and there were very few better than Lizzie.
Thanks Alistair, certainly appreciate the performances back then .
Clan Line has been dashing about recently unaccompanied.
Very true 👍Just seems to be up North with assisted tours at the moment.
Working hard there and nothing worse then diesel pushing most of the way.👍
Thanks David 👍
I went on one a couple of months ago in NZ. A tank locomotive, short runs - 14 km in the morning, 60 km in the afternoon, both as close to dead flat as you can get Iin New Zealand, so no need for dynamic braking.
Thanks for the kind comment 👍
@@TheStephengthompson No sweat. I enjoy your content. It often plays on a Sunday morning whilst I'm doing the dishes.
I always understood is was for [air ] brakes, electric heat, lights, esp newer carriages with 1st class dining, plus in case the loco fails or with no turning facilities the diesel pulls it back, they have been on steam specials for 30 yrs. some had generator cars if I remember correctly
nothing to do with air brakes, the steam loco will have an air pump if fitted to create the air pressure. if it does't have air brakes fitted, then it will be a Vac fitted train.
Proper steam action right there! What year was that?
Like you I'm getting a bit fed up of all these tours being pushed around with what amounts to a Kitmaster model on the front. Thought the black5 at the weekend would be half decent still up wilpshire bank but wasn't doing anything, crept up on everyone running early thanks to the big push. Hopefully the 3 Dalesmans will be steam only but getting somewhat sparse!
Thanks Ian , it was 2011 before all the trees were chopped on the right in 2017 . Not sure why sometimes the diesel is on overdrive 🤷😊
Nice video Steve :)
Glad you enjoyed it 👍
Very nice, LIKE !
Thank you! Cheers!
Let's hope it's not a thing of the past Steve, be such a shame if we couldn't see sights like this anymore
I’m sorry to say it’s an extremely rare occurrence now
Thanks Austin, hopefully things will improve soon 🤞
Glorious
Thanks Andy 👍
Assisting or being towed?
This actually makes me feel a bit gloomy. Just booked CME for 22nd June (will wave to you, wherever you may be.) I think this will be my last mainline steam excursion, as they are not as pure as they once were.
Thanks Caroline , hopefully things might have been resolved by June so fingers crossed for you.
What I'm not sure about is if Mk 1 coaches have Central Door Locking fitted, do they require a diesel at the back to produce the power to operate them? All Steam Dreams and Saphos charters run MK 1s with CDL, but always with a diesel. Belmont are the same, but sometimes run with a generator coach and no diesel. Especially with Clan Line as the motive power. If they do need electric power to run CDL carriages, I think that will be the end for most steam power only charters.
Thanks Nick , think the diesel does provide the electric and the aircon for the MK2,s but not sure about MK1’s .
Its not the loco its how good the driver and fireman are
Very true Barry 👍
That's more like it! Give me steam!!!
Thanks for the kind comment 👍
What a load of rubbish. Of course there's a bit of an issue with WCRC at the moment, but they have no choice. There have been several tours in the last few weeks that have run without a diesel, so there goes your whole point.
Hopefully you are correct 👍🤞My worry is that Network rail could eventually insist a diesel is on the back especially on the mainline but that’s a if and but situation. Wasn’t trying to say it would happen either. Regards Steve