24th November 2019

Holiday at Dawlish Warren Part 2
Roger Salter

191103a The 10.50 Paignton to Bristol at Dawlish. Copyright Roger Salter

191103b The 1A80 The 08.03 Penzance to Paddington passes Dawlish. Copyright Roger Salter

191104a The 353j The 08.50 Westbury to St Blazey at Dawlish with 66023 on the RHTT. Copyright Roger Salter

191104b The 5Z70 The 10.35 Laira to the Reading Traincare Depot failed at Plymouth on the previous evening whilst on the sleeper. The Night Riviera passengers were transferred to an IET for the remainder of the journey to Paddington. 57604 leads with 57602 at the rear on the ECS sleeper move next morning to Reading. Copyright Roger Salter

Flat Coach
An article by Mick House and plus material from the British Railways Board.
This article was first published in the CRS magazine 2010.

Traveling back from London on the 23.45pm First Great Western Night Riviera Sleeper, (15/10/2010) having had a good nights sleep I proceeded to coach C the first class buffet coach for my breakfast of a bacon roll and orange juice. As I stepped from sleeper coach D though the vestibule to the buffet coach I noticed a familiar sound coming from below, no I did not have wind it was the telltale sound of a flat tire on the B bogie of the buffet coach, (coach No:10219). At the same time the Guard was passing and I asked him if he realized that his train was defective and his reply was yes it’s been like that for a couple of weeks and went on his way. My first reaction was of disbelief as an ex examiner myself in my opinion the noise alone would have warranted further investigation of this type of fault, that’s without the vibration emulating from it, which can lead to other parts of the bogie and wheel set becoming faulty and in the extreme lead to derailment, I wonder if the same standard of examination that I had been taught applies today.
 The following dates back to the 1980s and is taken from my copy of IDENTIFICATION OF WHEEL & TYRE TREAD DAMAGE REQUIRING REMEDIAL ACTION (BRITISH RAILWAYS BOARD CM & EE Department, booklet MT/162, does it still apply today.
                                    Flats
 Passenger vehicles with a speed 90mph and above with a flat length of 30mm to 50mm to be taken out of service for remedial action no later then the end of the day.
· Passenger vehicles with a speed 90mph and above with a flat length of above 50mm and up to 100mm to be taken out of service immediately for remedial action, up to 70mm 60mph over 70mm 35mph.
​· Passenger vehicles with a speed 90mph and above with a flat length greater than 100mm must not be moved, (except where necessary to clear running lines) without the approval of the regional CM & EE.

Flat point on a tire of around 50mm. Copyright Mick House.

ENGINEERING PLANT DIARY

Has just been updated with:
Part 4 of Network Rail Measurement Train Rolling Stock. By Mick House.
We see a number of Network Rail Measurement Trains visit our area over the years and predominantly the photos that have been taken are of the Locomotives that bring the trains down, but what of the rolling s stock that is within the train!
Follow this Link: ENGINEERING PLANT DIARY

Network Rail Measurement Train about pass under Apex bridge 15/11/2017. Copyright Mick House.

Southampton Parkway
Ron Kosys

Virgin Cross Country HST led by 43091 slowing for the Southampton Parkway stop with a northbound  working.  20th July 200. Regards Ron.                              Many thanks to you Ron.

43091Southampton Parkway 20th July 2001 Copyright Ron Kosys

Bristol T.M.
Martin Scane

A Voyager makes ready to depart. 12.26 23rd November 2019. Copyright Martin Scane.

A 'Castle Class' in from the gloom out side nicely lit. 13.13 23rd November 2019. Copyright Martin Scane.