The ranges quoted were only rough minima, to ensure the loco would do the day's work without running out of fuel. Whether it ended up with a quarter tank left, or something less, there was not great precision. A key issue is to give plenty of leeway in case of disruption to the diagram. I don't believe locos had a fuel gauge on the drivers' desk.
Early diesels commonly had equal space taken by tanks between the bogies for fuel, and for boiler water. Once steam heating was given up the space was there to double the fuel capacity, though I think only some Class 47 actually were so modified (and Class 50 never had boilers). Warships on the WofE could need refuelling by the afternoon, which I believe was done at Waterloo in the sidings over on the Windsor side from tank wagons. Similarly, when at Paddington they would refuel at Ranelagh Bridge, just outside the station on the Down side.
Am I one of the few on here who actually experienced running out of fuel? Described it before, it was 1963 when Warships had taken over the Plymouth-Liverpool day train, through as far as Crewe, the longest through run they had ever done. Ran out beyond Shrewsbury, guard said it wasn't for the first time. Shortly afterwards locos started being changed at Bristol.
Early diesels commonly had equal space taken by tanks between the bogies for fuel, and for boiler water. Once steam heating was given up the space was there to double the fuel capacity, though I think only some Class 47 actually were so modified (and Class 50 never had boilers). Warships on the WofE could need refuelling by the afternoon, which I believe was done at Waterloo in the sidings over on the Windsor side from tank wagons. Similarly, when at Paddington they would refuel at Ranelagh Bridge, just outside the station on the Down side.
Am I one of the few on here who actually experienced running out of fuel? Described it before, it was 1963 when Warships had taken over the Plymouth-Liverpool day train, through as far as Crewe, the longest through run they had ever done. Ran out beyond Shrewsbury, guard said it wasn't for the first time. Shortly afterwards locos started being changed at Bristol.