Running Electric Traction in preservation

[DarloRich]

The blue 86 (Les Ross) was out at the weekend speeding up and down the WCML. Heritage Traction is available if you pay for it. You get a free kettle thrown in

 

[Journeyman]

The blue 86 (Les Ross) was out at the weekend speeding up and down the WCML. Heritage Traction is available if you pay for it. You get a free kettle thrown in

Electric locos aren't too much trouble - it's multiple units that are difficult, usually because of the body construction and need for extra safety kit. You can squeeze that into a loco more easily, and use carriages that meet modern standards. LUL use Sarah Siddons, which dates from the twenties, on a fairly regular basis.

 

[yorksrob]

Electric locos aren't too much trouble - it's multiple units that are difficult, usually because of the body construction and need for extra safety kit. You can squeeze that into a loco more easily, and use carriages that meet modern standards. LUL use Sarah Siddons, which dates from the twenties, on a fairly regular basis.

It's a pretty limited experience travelling in an electric loco with modern rolling stock though. At least with 86's there are mk2's and 3's that operated with it, but a 73 on the Southern hauling a load of air conditioned sliding door stock, for example wouldn't be particularly authentic for the most part.

 

[bluegoblin7]

Electric locos aren't too much trouble - it's multiple units that are difficult, usually because of the body construction and need for extra safety kit. You can squeeze that into a loco more easily, and use carriages that meet modern standards. LUL use Sarah Siddons, which dates from the twenties, on a fairly regular basis.

The Underground isn't really a great example to use. There's very little additional kit fitted onto Sarah, because the underlying train safety features have been am inherent part of the Underground signalling system since Sarah was in revenue service (I.e. tripcocks). Modern train radio is provided via hand-portable units, just like all the engineering fleet.

The big question is with the impending 4LM resignalling which is much more in line with the challenges that will be faced on the mainline. These challenges will also apply to LU's preserved 1938 stock.

 

[Roast Veg]

You either need an open access TOC to run your services, or you need to set one up. Ask the NYMR how much of a ballache that is, and how much it costs. What you are proposing, happens every day in the summer months between Grosmont and Whitby, but it needed an orgnisation with 40+ years of experience, hiring in several ex BR managers to smooth the way and a stretch of line that is effectively totally isolated from the rest of the network. Plus they can fill seven coach trains full of passengers, on their way to the seaside. A 1950's EMU, shuttling between nowhere and nowhere - you'd be lucky to get a dozen dribbling, twitching types turn up, half of whom would walk off in disgust, because you'd got the "wrong" class running that day. Too niche to be financially viable.
Best hope for these sets, is as hauled stock on a heritage railway, perhaps paired with an ED or 33.

Some great points in there, I agree that the complexity is probably the killer. With that section of line you could have total isolation while (as it is currently operated that way), though access for the stock would not be isolated. I believe if operated as a special rather than a regular service then it would bring enough of a crowd in to MAYBE offset a fair proportion of the costs. As it stands now there are organisations that might be able to help tackle it as a problem, such as the BLS - though if this is a new idea to them I'd be very much surprised.