Lickey Bankers

[andrewmay]

I was down at the Lickey Incline today and about 3 trains were banked up the incline and after they reached the summit the banking loco rolled back down the incline light engine waiting for the next train to be banked. A few times though the banker would return light engine up the incline and dissapear for a few hours or so before returning well in advance of the next train to be banked.

Does anyone know why the banker does this and also where it goes?

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[TicketMan]

I was down at the Lickey Incline today and about 3 trains were banked up the incline and after they reached the summit the banking loco rolled back down the incline light engine waiting for the next train to be banked. A few times though the banker would return light engine up the incline and dissapear for a few hours or so before returning well in advance of the next train to be banked.

Does anyone know why the banker does this and also where it goes?

Cheers,
Andrew

Usually goes to Saltley/Washwood Heath - presume it's for crews to go elsewhere/change over etc - only a handful of trains are banked each day - it's pointless having a crewed loco sitting at Bromsgrove all day.

The loco has to return downhill after banking - even if it's going up again - not sure why - probably something to do with the rules regarding having more than one train in a block section.

 

[HR2]

IIRC an accident occured on Lickey many years ago with a runaway as the banker was attached to the front of the train. After that the rule was that the banker must always be at the rear of any ascending train. There have been occasions too when a banker was attached to the FRONT of a DESCENDING train to give extra braking power to an unfitted freight

 

[TicketMan]

It's also a lot quicker for the Banker to drop onto the back. Apparently the loco used at Lickey Bank (66055) is fitted with extra gear to make coupling and uncoupling quicker (I think it can be done from in cab but not sure)

 

[andrewmay]

Cheers for that info. I'm uploading my pictures from today soon and they show that 66055 has got some serious clag issues at the moment. Any idea what it is that makes 66's clag as normally all you see is a heat haze?

 

[TicketMan]

055 is known to be a bit of a beast. I think the technical term is... erm... 'buggered'. Remeber that it's its job to push heavy loads up a steep hill several times a day, at pretty much full power.