Reduction in number of trains available on the network ... Lymington Branch

[whole diary]

[Btline]

I'm sure the 2013 deadline could b extended. What are heritage railways with Mark 1 stock and older doing?

Perhaps apply for a light rail permit. (unless that limits the trains to 25 mph)

[grahame]

SWT^▸ (South West Trains)'s current dispensation to use Mark 1 stock expires March 2013, so there always was a chop date. Not sure if it was ever widely publicised though.

A check of a few of the other operators listed seems to have all mainline registered Mark 1 stock end dated together, I haven't seen anything yet about another stay of execution for the railtour operators, but it may be there somewhere.

Paul

Not sure if it was 'widely' publicised, but I don't think that it was being masked away at all ... suffieciently know for it to have come to my attention a while back.  Which is why it's a bit of a surprise to see them being cut three years early.

There are also cutoffs on the 125s, 142s and 143s in (? forget exact date ?) ten years time.

[Steve Bray]

Just a reminder (and I did consider starting a new topic, but remembered that this branch had appeared in a topic a number of months ago), that this is the last week of the slam-door stock on this line. I took the opportunity to ride the line today. The trains I caught (1229 ex Brockenhurst and 1416 ex Lymington Town), were lightly loaded and I would say half the pax were those doing what I was doing, and just riding the rare unit. On Saturday evening, a number of events have been lined up to mark the end of the slamdoor sets. So with warm weather forecast, what better excuse is there than to take a trip to the New Forest and Hampshire coast? Incidentally, the waiting room at Lymington Town station has an interesting exhibition of old photos and information on the branch line; it's worth getting to the station well ahead of the train and spend time to enjoy those items.   

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for posting that, Steve! 

[onthecushions]

The Lymington 158 Scandal is IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) another reflection of privatisation failure.

There was supposed to be a "market" in train leases - the price depending on demand.

1. Why aren't dmu's going up in price?

2. In BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) days, capital stock was written off over 10 years (the equivalent of a lease charge). After this the stock was free of capital charges and so made cascading such as for electrification, a useful option.

3. The BR/SR^‡(resolve) 1967 stock like its predecessors, had very few moving parts, so apart from brake blocks, tyres and bearings, and t. motors, needed little maintenance (just as well).

The CIG's were a very civilised way to travel.

OTC

[MrC]

3. The BR^▸ (British Rail(ways))/SR^‡(resolve) 1967 stock like its predecessors, had very few moving parts, so apart from brake blocks, tyres and bearings, and t. motors, needed little maintenance (just as well).

Well, not quite. They needed frequent hands-on maintenance to keep them at their best and items such as camshafts and current limit relays weren't the easiest to set up, maintain and calibrate. Easy enough when spare parts were plentiful, labour relatively cheap and quite a few engineering areas around that could handle them. The Lymington CIGs are due heavy exams and that's probably why they're being phased out now. Even simple things like the doors needed a fair bit of TLC^▸ (three letter code ) to keep them problem-free (and why the Lymi CIGs needed to be sent out on regular turning turns).

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for your comments, MrC - and welcome to the Coffee Shop forum! 

[onthecushions]

Welcome too, Mr C.

You're quite right about the PCM units and the doors, of course.

Both planned and tweaking maintenance of only two units, having 50 year old technology, would be unwelcome to a modern depot as it would involve odd (for today) skills and resources. Perhaps a niche provider, such as Knights at Eastleigh, might be up to it, although they did get cold feet with 1881.

SWT^▸ (South West Trains) did achieve great things with these emu's, with reliabilities well in excess of the most modern (and German) stock.

Regards,

OTC

[MrC]

I think one of the other things that scuppered the Lymington CIGs was the downgrading of Bournemouth Depot when the 442s left, leaving Wimbledon as the only other place for most maintenance.

[grahame]

From RailwayWorld . net

Returning to the 5¼-mile Lymington branch line this weekend, almost a decade after the end of heritage traction, I was interested to see how the designated community railway had fared in the absence of the slam-door stock that had made it an enthusiast mecca from 2005 until May 2010.

and

Given the self-contained nature of the line, and the fact that its passenger traffic is overwhelmingly made up of leisure travellers, it seems a missed opportunity not to try to replicate the success of the 2005-10 period and to find some suitable heritage 3rd rail traction to run on the line – at least at weekends.

[Oxonhutch]

Linda, The Lymington Flyer is currently housed on our railway at Chinnor.  She gets an outing on our unelectrified railway using our air-braked diesel locomotives. I am sure the owners would love to run her up and down her former haunt as nature intended - using an energised third rail 

[grahame]

Linda, The Lymington Flyer is currently housed on our railway at Chinnor.  She gets an outing on our unelectrified railway using our air-braked diesel locomotives. I am sure the owners would love to run her up and down her former haunt as nature intended - using an energised third rail 

[Oxonhutch]

I am confused Grahame - or just missing your point.  Please could you expand.

BTW^▸ (by the way): Is that your recently severed locks in your avurtar?