Loco hauled

[whole diary]

[vacman]

Do I understand correctly that the 153s based on the Falmouth Branch have been replaced with 150s?

That'll do miracles for the branch punctuality and FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s road transport costs. 

the service is currently run by 3x153's (used to be 2 single cars and 1 spare at Truro but is now 2x153 on 1 diagram and 1 on the other), and will apparently be replaced with 1x153 and 1x150 so technicly a slight decrease in capacity.

[Mookiemoo]

There was a loco yesterday on the 1955 from bristol to taunton

[The SprinterMeister]

There was a loco yesterday on the 1955 from bristol to taunton

There should in fact be two locomotives, one at each end. This diagram will continue to be LHCS^▸ (Locomotive Hauled Coaching Stock) operated until Mid November as I understand things. The ex LOROL^▸ (London Overground Railway Operations Ltd) 150/1 should all be running by then.

[Chris from Nailsea]

There should in fact be two locomotives, one at each end.

Sorry, but I found that funny.  Thanks, TSM^▸ (Track Section Manager)! 

CfN.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

well... would it not have been cheaper to have 1 and do a run around  you can do this as both taunton and cardiff

[JayMac]

Not sure whether there are the pathing opportunities for run rounds at Cardiff and/or Taunton. I'd assume that if there were FGW^▸ (First Great Western) would've operated the CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains)-TAU^» (Taunton - next trains) loco hauled with one loco from day one.

[The SprinterMeister]

well... would it not have been cheaper to have 1 and do a run around  you can do this as both taunton and cardiff

Probably not. The Exeter guards would have required training on items below solebar (and probably paid at train manager rate) or a shunter provided. Taunton is not the best place to run loco's round trains since the 1985 remodelling and I doubt the West end of Cardiff would actually cope with locomotives running round trains and bunging up both roads at the West end. And that's without the requirement to block roads for the safety of the person doing the uncoupling / coupling up. ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) do their run rounds at Canton and not Cardiff General station or the West end of the layout.

An AAR^» (Association of American Railroads - about) fitted DBSO^▸ (Driving Brake Standard Open (carriage))? Yes much better idea but as the LHCS^▸ (Locomotive Hauled Coaching Stock) has run on the basis of 6 month contracts reviewed at each 6 month period there is no incentive to find an AAR fitted DBSO or train the West drivers to drive LHCS, both of which would have reduced the costs of operation over a two year period.

[JayMac]

Thanks for that TSM^▸ (Track Section Manager). A lot more to it than just having a clear path for a run round.

Can you just clear up what AAR^» (Association of American Railroads - about) is? The forum Acronyms/Abbreviations page only gives up the answer: Association of American Railroads, which can't be right in this context, surely!?!

[The SprinterMeister]

Correct. In this context 'AAR^» (Association of American Railroads - about)' refers to the type of multiple working found on class 67. Also the 59's & 66's and virtually any main line diesel locomotive running in America. You'd need to through wire the stock and have a 67 fitted with automatic fire suppression as well of course. I believe there are two DBSO^▸ (Driving Brake Standard Open (carriage))'s at Eastleigh requiring overhaul and fitting with AAR multi and one AAR fitted passenger DBSO lying overhauled but unused at York Road, Belfast. The latter has BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) standard ETS^▸ (Electric Train Supply) but would need a bogie change and it's buffers moving back to the original positions.

[fatcontroller]

The remaining loco hauled diagram finishes on 12th November. No point in doing anything different now.

[The SprinterMeister]

The remaining loco hauled diagram finishes on 12th November. No point in doing anything different now.

However as I suspect there is going to be a continuing market for LHCS^▸ (Locomotive Hauled Coaching Stock) nationally for spot hire due to DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) shortages it makes sense for the rolling stock suppliers (DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about)-S / Cargo Rail / Riviera) to have solutions in place that reduce the cost in terms of fuel, track access & expensive locomotive assets tied up in providing loco hauled trains for short / medium term hire.

As far as the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) operation is concerned we are indeed talking in the past tense, unless there is to be a continuing requirement to provide Locohauled trains in peak summer to provide capacity and to free up units to provide capacity elsewhere.

[JayMac]

....and will there not also be some consideration given to spot hiring 67s to cover for the increasingly unreliable 57s used on the Night Riviera?

With a possible longer term solution, involving regular use of 67s?

[The SprinterMeister]

....and will there not also be some consideration given to spot hiring 67s to cover for the increasingly unreliable 57s used on the Night Riviera?

With a possible longer term solution, involving regular use of 67s?

The problem there being that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) drivers are not trained on class 67. As the sleepers is a franchise commitment rather than a short term fix any traction used on the service in normal use will be driven by FGW drivers.

The 67's would also find some of the stations a bit of a struggle at this time of year due to only four powered axles trying to transmit a higher rail HP. In terms of tractive effort 67's are relatively puny (31000lb starting effort) compared with the 57/6 (55000lb if I remember correctly). The 57/6's have fun starting away from St Erth on the 1C99 at this time of year.

I don't consider the FGW 57/6 are that unreliable, however you must bear in mind that one broken loco out of four is going to have more of an effect on the reliability figures than one broken loco out of a fleet of thirty. And the sheer logistics of recovering broken down loco hauled trains these days. I understand one recent failure was nothing more serious than a broken air pipe behind the drivers dashboard gauge panel.

[JayMac]

Again, thanks for that detailed response, TSM^▸ (Track Section Manager).

I pondered on regular use of 67s as they are what First ScotRail use for the Highland portions of the Caledonian Sleeper. Obviously, as a layman I'm in no way versed in the comparative tractive efforts of a 57 versus a 67. But if FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail) can use 67s over the difficult terrain to Fort William then surely using them on the Night Riviera would be a breeze, not withstanding the need to either train Exeter drivers on the class or hire in DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) Schenker drivers.

I guess FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will do the best they can with their 57s, but in the longer term are they (or the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)) looking at other options?

[The SprinterMeister]

Again, thanks for that detailed response, TSM^▸ (Track Section Manager).

I pondered on regular use of 67s as they are what First ScotRail use for the Highland portions of the Caledonian Sleeper. Obviously, as a layman I'm in no way versed in the comparative tractive efforts of a 57 versus a 67. But if FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail) can use 67s over the difficult terrain to Fort William then surely using them on the Night Riviera would be a breeze, not withstanding the need to either train Exeter drivers on the class or hire in DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) Schenker drivers.

I think you will find that by the time 1S25 has split at Edinburgh into 1Y11, etc at Edinburgh the 67's are hauling much smaller trailing loads than what the 57/6's haul round on 1A40 / 1C99. The 67's used by FSR have been modified in terms of the brake blocks, they now use cast iron tread brake shoes rather than composite ones after the latter were found to overheat and break up on the long descending gradients. These 67's are restricted to 90mph I believe.

I guess FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will do the best they can with their 57s, but in the longer term are they (or the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)) looking at other options?