I must look at photos of Bittern on her 90mph runs, I don't recall seeing headlights but then I wasn't looking for them.
Here we go. Not my photo Not sure if these are modern ones or not, as in whether they use oil or LEDs (or equivalent)
-Peter
I must look at photos of Bittern on her 90mph runs, I don't recall seeing headlights but then I wasn't looking for them.
Here is something from Tim Dunn's Twitter feed, a while ago:And they can go faster I believe. I'm sure that way back when it was Howey's railway he got something up to 60, I forget what though.
One of the two creators of the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway in Kent - Captain Howey - had his Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost car rebuilt into a locomotive to drive along his 13-mile long train-set. He drove it at a terrifying 60mph - on @RHDR tracks just 15" wide.
Here we go. Not my photo Not sure if these are modern ones or not, as in whether they use oil or LEDs (or equivalent)
-Peter
Here is something from Tim Dunn's Twitter feed, a while ago:
https://twitter.com/mrtimdunn/status/987063701655228417?lang=en
-Peter
My question is: why?
OK. Thanks. I'm not too sure myself but maybe someone else could help out here.They look like battery lamps but not headlights but I'm not really sure tbh.
Yes, it would have been! Imagine speeding around like that today... no chance! Mr Health and Mr Safety would be all over that!That would be it! Would've been quite a ride I imagine!
OK. Thanks. I'm not too sure myself but maybe someone else could help out here.
What it doesn’t say there (and it may have actually been a different vehicle) I think stated in the book “One Mans Railway” is that on one of his blistering runs he didn’t even slow down for some of the open crossings!Here is something from Tim Dunn's Twitter feed, a while ago:
https://twitter.com/mrtimdunn/status/987063701655228417?lang=en
-Peter
Oh gosh! Are we sure that he was alright?!What it doesn’t say there (and it may have actually been a different vehicle) I think stated in the book “One Mans Railway” is that on one of his blistering runs he didn’t even slow down for some of the open crossings!
Re the Rolls Royce conversion - I think RR weren’t too impressed with what he’d done and were a bit sniffy when it came to supplying spare parts.
I think was more to do with him sticking the sacrosanct RR grille on the front of it.Oh gosh! Are we sure that he was alright?!
I'm surprised that RR didn't want to supply spare parts; surely he could have just said "I want some parts" and leave out the whole train bit?
-Peter
Oh OK.I think was more to do with him sticking the sacrosanct RR grille on the front of it.
The one pictured was the second version, the first one was a more old fashioned looking machine.
Ok dragging this back on topic: What’s the arrangement with the North Yorkshire Moors where they run onto Network Rail metals? I believe they run at 35mph, but do they have central locking?
Thanks for filling in the details there Paul.Taking the longest heritage railway as 23 miles in length a theoreticall non stop run at 40 mph versus 25 mph would save just under 20 minutes. Put in intermediate stations and restrictions (for passing loops) this saving would be down to single figure minutes, taking the additional costs incurred I don't believe this would ever be financially viable.
The NYMR can operate at line speed on the Esk Valley Line if their coaches which are fitted with manual bolts are manned by extra stewards. I understand that they are not normally provided and the trains are restricted to 25 mph.
I'm fairly sure they use some sort of modern headlight. They don't use oil lamps for sure!
-Peter
Thought so.Yes, steamers used on the main line use a modern headlight. Designs are available that look reasonably traditional. No reason something similar could not be used on a future 40 MPH heritage line.
A class 08 isn't geared highly enough to even reach 25 mph let alone going up a steep bank with 5 on.
08's are either 15 or 20 mph max depending on the model.
09s are quite useful to heritage railways - they're a higher-geared version of the 08 and can do 27mph.
I politely object to your use of the word tight - I'd love to go on a charter but my disposable income does not stretch to even the cost of the lowest price ticket for a S&C/SSE run.My question is: why?
It often seems this kind of question is generated by posters being too tight to pay for a mainline steam charter
Have you seen the prices they charge?The fact remains that if you want to ride on heritage rolling stock at speeds faster then 25mph then there’s a simple answer, buy tickets to ride on charters!
Have you seen the prices they charge?
Personally as a few others have expressed, I'd be concerned about lower limits when the amazing sprinters [especially 150s] go into preservation [assuming someone takes a few...]. Almost feel like there should be a separate "new heritage" line built for "modern age" trains which could have such higher limit, but that's just a pipe dream.
I think that they could go faster but the steamers would have to be restricted to 25 mph.
Considering that the High Speed Trains, Pacers and the class 153 Sprinters are close to retirement maybe just maybe the speed could be increased to 45 mph on the more suitable heritage lines since these type of rolling stock will have the latest safety equiptment fitted / retofitted.
I can't imagine seeing a Pacer, half a Sprinter (a 153) or even an HST on the Bluebell Railway but I can on the West Somerset Railway, the Bluebell Railway will always be stuck in the 1880's where as the West Somerset Railway will more or less be straddling three centuries with various types of late 20th century rolling stock.
The other thing to note is that the steamers won't last forever.
You forget that the Light Railway Order doesn't say that 'A strict 25mph limit must be observed', it says an 'average speed of 25mph' so yes you do get faster running when necessary to make up time or if there are limits in place on certain parts of the line.Wasn't there a quote from a railway inspector from a few years ago who said something along the lines of, "your limit is 25mph and we tacitly know that's 30mph sometimes, so if we allowed 30mph you'd be doing 40" - I'm sure I've heard that quoted!
You forget that the Light Railway Order doesn't say that 'A strict 25mph limit must be observed', it says an 'average speed of 25mph' so yes you do get faster running when necessary to make up time or if there are limits in place on certain parts of the line.
Plus factoring in people excitedly posting videos of anything speeding on YouTube etc and mentioning what the speed was showing on their personal GPS equipped phones.You can't get away with doing that any more. Speed limits are now much more strictly enforced, and many railways have fitted GPS devices to their locos to ensure speeding doesn't occur. If you give people the option to break the rules, it'll become a serious problem.
The Light Railways Act doesn't actually specify a limit, and in any case is no longer the governing legislation - that's theTransport and Works Act 1992.You forget that the Light Railway Order doesn't say that 'A strict 25mph limit must be observed', it says an 'average speed of 25mph' so yes you do get faster running when necessary to make up time or if there are limits in place on certain parts of the line.
The Light Railways Act doesn't actually specify a limit, and in any case is no longer the governing legislation - that's theTransport and Works Act 1992.
As I understand it, each heritage railway operates under a safety case that will, amongst other things, specify a speed limit, and which has been accepted by the regulator. If someone wanted to make the case that measures X, Y and Z would ensure that operating at (say) 45mph achieved an acceptable level of safety, they would be more than welcome to do so. And the regulator would assess their application for increased speeds, making a decision on that basis. The NYMR's runs to Whitby, and their reluctance to implement the measures needed to run over 25mph, suggest that it's probably not worth the cost of generating the paperwork.