Busy time at
Cogload
Bill Elston
Cogload
Bill Elston
It was quite busy between 1300 and 1400 today with much HST action; 3 Cross country,(1V50, 1M49 and 1S51 ) and 2 Castle sets on the
Penzance - cardiff route. Also during that period there was the 6C73 ballast from Westbury to Fairwater yd, and the Cornish
Explorer Statesman tour hauled by 47805 and 47501.
A) 66560 on 6C73
B) 43321 on rear of 1M49 Plymouth - Birmingham
C) 47805/501 Cornish Explorer Statesman.
D) 43098 on CF - PNZ
Best wishes, Bill
66560, 6th May 2022 Copyright Bill Elston
43321, 6th May 2022. Copyright Bill Elston
47805 and 47501, Cornish Explorer Statesman. 6th May 2022. Copyright Bill Elston
43098 6th May 2022. Copyright Bill Elston
A busy, but very interesting time indeed Bill - many thanks.
Happenings at
Hallenbeagle
Martin Scane
Hallenbeagle
Martin Scane
A down service at Hallenbeagle, 6th May 2022. Copyright Martin Scane
The 'Cornish Explorer Statesman' at Hallenbeagle (Wheal Busy Crossing}. 6th May 2022. Copyright Martin Scane.
A few of us were at Wheal Busy this evening for the 47s. The yellow drum caused a bit of discussion. Does anyone know what it is? Someone suggested a flange greaser but not sure what one of those is. There was certainly a fair bit of grease on the rail and ballast. Cheers Martin
Martin asks 'What is this'. 6th May 2022. Copyright Martin Scane.
Many thanks Martin - for your pictures - is 'Flange Greaser' the official title for this item. One wonders how many of these are about and why here - the curves are not particularly tight here.
St Blazey Turntable
Peter Anthony
Peter Anthony
Good evening,
I was wondering whether there was any further news regarding the possibility of the St Blazey Turntable being returned to service to facilitate the turning of steam locomotives.
Kind regards, Peter.
I was wondering whether there was any further news regarding the possibility of the St Blazey Turntable being returned to service to facilitate the turning of steam locomotives.
Kind regards, Peter.
37 101 turned for bed. Copyright Colin Moss (CRS Library picture) Thanks to Colin Moss.
Thanks for your query Peter. Can anybody answer this one please - how is restoration of the turntable proceeding?
Exeter 91
Phil Smith
Phil Smith
A rather grubby 47717 waits at Exeter St Davids. It's 1991. Copyright Phil Smith
Many thanks Phil.
HST's after Carmont
Colin Burges
Colin Burges
The complete loss of the driving cab of the leading H.S.T. power car in the derailment at Carmont makes me wonder whether all the effort that has gone into giving the trains an extended life will have been worthwhile, for now questions are being asked about their substandard crashworthiness and deteriorated structural condition.
The 298-page report looks into the performance of the old trains in some detail from paragraph 462 (page 178). This plate from the report is shocking.
See below :-
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file//R022022_220310_Carmont.pdf
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/rail-drivers-threaten-boycott-type-26448490
The rail accident investigators are less than searching, in my view. I corresponded with one over the Llangennech mishap, where a tank train ran for 13 miles, past a signal box and through a station, with a fitter travelling in the rear cab of the loco, while sparks were being emitted from a vehicle near the front. Yet not once in the report did the investigators mention observation of trains, a duty of all staff, or rearview mirrors on locomotives (Class 66 was originally fitted with them).
The doomed H.S.T. at Carmont stood for two and a half hours on the Up road before N.R. M.O.Ms. arrived by road to clip the crossover. What kind of crackpot railway has been created in which a twenty-year serving signalman is not qualified to clip and scotch points, and a box with a crossover not fitted with F.P.Ls. has no clips and scotches anyway?
Three men waited on the Up for an extreme railway safety measure to be effected, only to die minutes later after a derailment. Had the crossover been clipped as soon as the order came to send the train back, then it would have returned to Stonehaven safely, for it is almost certain that the slip occurred later.
Who remembers Graham Danton, the weatherman on Westward TV? He was actually a Master Mariner. I remember him saying that the safest course would likely have been to have steered Titanic straight towards the iceberg. The ship would probably have survived, but all its third class passengers would have died in the forward compartments. Who on the bridge could have given that order, even with the knowledge that it would save the ship?
The safest course at Carmont would have been to let the H.S.T. cross over without the points being clipped, but who could have given the order to counter established railway practice and who could have known the need for urgency? If the six passengers could have been detrained for the move, it would have been within the rules to cross over. As it was, in the time spent waiting for the M.O.Ms. to make it through flooded roads, a slip developed which covered the nearside rail with six inches of material, enough to derail even the heaviest locomotive, especially as there was less material on the offside rail. Towards this, the H.S.T. was despatched with no order to proceed at reduced speed or to examine the line.
It's purely conjecture and there is no telling that a later train might have been derailed.
Yet there is no recommendation in the report that all signalmen should be capable of clipping points and all boxes should be properly equipped.
Colin Burges
The 298-page report looks into the performance of the old trains in some detail from paragraph 462 (page 178). This plate from the report is shocking.
See below :-
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file//R022022_220310_Carmont.pdf
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/rail-drivers-threaten-boycott-type-26448490
The rail accident investigators are less than searching, in my view. I corresponded with one over the Llangennech mishap, where a tank train ran for 13 miles, past a signal box and through a station, with a fitter travelling in the rear cab of the loco, while sparks were being emitted from a vehicle near the front. Yet not once in the report did the investigators mention observation of trains, a duty of all staff, or rearview mirrors on locomotives (Class 66 was originally fitted with them).
The doomed H.S.T. at Carmont stood for two and a half hours on the Up road before N.R. M.O.Ms. arrived by road to clip the crossover. What kind of crackpot railway has been created in which a twenty-year serving signalman is not qualified to clip and scotch points, and a box with a crossover not fitted with F.P.Ls. has no clips and scotches anyway?
Three men waited on the Up for an extreme railway safety measure to be effected, only to die minutes later after a derailment. Had the crossover been clipped as soon as the order came to send the train back, then it would have returned to Stonehaven safely, for it is almost certain that the slip occurred later.
Who remembers Graham Danton, the weatherman on Westward TV? He was actually a Master Mariner. I remember him saying that the safest course would likely have been to have steered Titanic straight towards the iceberg. The ship would probably have survived, but all its third class passengers would have died in the forward compartments. Who on the bridge could have given that order, even with the knowledge that it would save the ship?
The safest course at Carmont would have been to let the H.S.T. cross over without the points being clipped, but who could have given the order to counter established railway practice and who could have known the need for urgency? If the six passengers could have been detrained for the move, it would have been within the rules to cross over. As it was, in the time spent waiting for the M.O.Ms. to make it through flooded roads, a slip developed which covered the nearside rail with six inches of material, enough to derail even the heaviest locomotive, especially as there was less material on the offside rail. Towards this, the H.S.T. was despatched with no order to proceed at reduced speed or to examine the line.
It's purely conjecture and there is no telling that a later train might have been derailed.
Yet there is no recommendation in the report that all signalmen should be capable of clipping points and all boxes should be properly equipped.
Colin Burges
This picture from the report with permission. 2 March 2022 Rail Accident Report D
The above shocking picture of the front end cab is published with permissions as below. © Crown copyright 2022 You may re-use this document/publication (not including departmental or agency logos) free of charge in any format or medium. You must re-use it accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and you must give the title of the source publication.