Suggestions for Dawlish avoiding route(s)

[Rich McLean]

High tide at Dawlish was 2018, and 1V60 appears to have been the last XC train through at 1902. Met office forecast was winds from the south 30 mph average.

1V64 2045 off EXD (due to depart 2058) may still run down, decision still to be made

 

[Tobbes]

If the LSWR was relaid could 70 - 90 mph be possible in several sections?

If I read the NR options paper correctly, £875m (including 66% optimism bias) buys you a double track mainline all the way, new Meldon Viaduct and 100mphg running.

Sounds great!

(And in the grand scheme of things, not an enormous amount of money).

 

[Rich McLean]

1V64 is running. Turns out XC Cancelled many services due to making sure sets end up in the right locations if the wall had to shut to traffic, plus delays to an earlier service. Remaining XC diagrams due to run to Plymouth as planned

 

[21C101]

If I read the NR options paper correctly, £875m (including 66% optimism bias) buys you a double track mainline all the way, new Meldon Viaduct and 100mphg running.

Sounds great!

(And in the grand scheme of things, not an enormous amount of money).

The line to Okehampton is already 50mph. For a diversionary route, a single track with 75mph and a permanent speed restriction of 30mph over a refurbished Meldon Viaduct as well as loops at Okehampton and Tavistock would be enough to support an hourly service and I would think cost rather less than that. (but its discussed to death further up the thread so I won't say any more)

 

[Ash Bridge]

If the LSWR was relaid could 70 - 90 mph be possible in several sections?

The Class 42/43 Warships could manage 80/90mph on the stretch from Sampford Courtenay through Bow and North Tawton before the line was closed as a through route.(Source:The Withered Arm, TWE Roche)

 

[D1009]

This rather shows that it is not just extreme events that shut the line. Plenty of people tonight would be quite happy to have a half hour longer journey while they go at 60mph via Okehampton while remaining on the same train.....

To be fair the line isn't shut, it's just that a certain type of train doesn't like seawater crashing over its roof.

 

[Cliveblackpool]

The damage from salt water corrosion to rolling stock must cost the railway a pretty penny over a period of time. Living in Cornwall it certainly caused severe corrosion to body work & components of many cars near the coast!

 

[Rapidash]

Huh, I got the bus back this evening without even knowing about high tide! My intutional magic powers!

I highly recommend getting a train along the wall in a storm. Best thrillride you can get as a commuter without being a theme park reviewer

Always a laugh when theres some newbies are on board, the screams can last for aaaaggggess.

 

[DDB]

1V64 is running. Turns out XC Cancelled many services due to making sure sets end up in the right locations if the wall had to shut to traffic, plus delays to an earlier service. Remaining XC diagrams due to run to Plymouth as planned

Dawlish being closed caused knock on effects up and down the country with stock being in the wrong place and not being able to get stuff back to the right depot for big exams. (I'm assuming trains can 'holiday' at the wrong depot for day to day stuff if the line is blocked for a couple of days.)

It only needs a low capacity diversionary route to be able to recover stock stuck on the wrong side and move sets between depots over night for deep maintenance. In this case it would probably have meant that XC would have kept running because they knew they would have been able to get their trains back for tomorrow whatever happened.

It would also allow the sleeper to keep running.

DBB

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Dawlish being closed caused knock on effects up and down the country with stock being in the wrong place and not being able to get stuff back to the right depot for big exams. (I'm assuming trains can 'holiday' at the wrong depot for day to day stuff if the line is blocked for a couple of days.)

When the fire occurred on the Britannia Bridge in 1970, there must have been some motive power on Ynys Mon that was stranded there.

 

[MarkyT]

When the fire occurred on the Britannia Bridge in 1970, there must have been some motive power on Ynys Mon that was stranded there.

And without the (ironically resultant) modern road bridge, presumably any road haulage of stock over the old suspension bridge would have been impossible.

 

[snowball]

According to this page, two class 24s, some coaching stock and some DMUs were stranded on Anglesey and operated a service. Maybe they were maintained at Holyhead?

I've read more detailed accounts in the past but have forgotten a lot of details and I'm not sure whether the info is online.

 

[Ash Bridge]

According to this page, two class 24s, some coaching stock and some DMUs were stranded on Anglesey and operated a service. Maybe they were maintained at Holyhead?

I've read more detailed accounts in the past but have forgotten a lot of details and I'm not sure whether the info is online.

I think this stock was retained to operate the service, but there were other locomotives (class 40/47s)stranded. These were separated from there bogies and taken by sea from Holyhead to Barrow-in-Furness, and re-railed there.

 

[Rich McLean]

XC Voyagers banned down the sea wall until after 1000hrs this morning

 

[MarkyT]

I think this stock was retained to operate the service, but there were other locomotives (class 40/47s)stranded. These were separated from there bogies and taken by sea from Holyhead to Barrow-in-Furness, and re-railed there.

I hadn't thought of that! Makes a lot of sense seeing as road haulage would have been impossible.

 

[HSTEd]

Basically the Voyagers are causing all sort sof problems.

Please tell me IEPs are supposed to be hardened against splashes of sea water?

 

[Rich McLean]

Basically the Voyagers are causing all sort sof problems.

Please tell me IEPs are supposed to be hardened against splashes of sea water?

Will only be 1 or 2 diagrams per day operated by IEP to Paignton and back, unless the add on order is taken for the West of England

 

[21C101]

XC Voyagers banned down the sea wall until after 1000hrs this morning

So its not just a 1 in 30 year event its a semi frequent low level disruption. Probably worse than before as no one will want to take the risk of the wall falling down with a train on it.

And presumably when the IC125s are retired the replacement stock will have the same difficulties as the voyagers, so the line will close whenever the sea gets a bit rough?

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Better start building the Okehampton to Tavistock section right now then.

 

[Rich McLean]

I wonder what 455Driver thinks, with him being a driver that is new to the area, and by now (or shortly) sign the road along the wall?

 

[PHILIPE]

Will only be 1 or 2 diagrams per day operated by IEP to Paignton and back, unless the add on order is taken for the West of England

Will IEP not be going to Plymouth and Penzance ? They will have to pass through Dawlish also.

 

[Rich McLean]

Will IEP not be going to Plymouth and Penzance ? They will have to pass through Dawlish also.

At the moment its still going to be HSTs to Plymouth and Cornwall, and some paigntons will still be HSTs, but a Paignton diagram during the day at least will be IEP, so will have to pass the wall.

If the extension is taken to order more IEP for West of England services, then yes, everything London - WoE will be IEP,

 

[HowardGWR]

The Class 42/43 Warships could manage 80/90mph on the stretch from Sampford Courtenay through Bow and North Tawton before the line was closed as a through route.(Source:The Withered Arm, TWE Roche)

It's as straight as a die all along that stretch. I cannot see any reason why it could not be engineered for a very high speed indeed.

 

[Ash Bridge]

It's as straight as a die all along that stretch. I cannot see any reason why it could not be engineered for a very high speed indeed.

Yes absolutely, and just to quote some additional information from the same source, the Class 42 operating the final Plymouth-Brighton through service in 1967 ran non stop Okehampton-St Davids in 28 mins. So what could more modern traction achieve on a modern alignment?

 

[Rapidash]

I wonder what 455Driver thinks, with him being a driver that is new to the area, and by now (or shortly) sign the road along the wall?

Considering his last few sig messages have involved him being drunk or bored, I'll guess 'Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!'

 

[LateThanNever]

It's as straight as a die all along that stretch. I cannot see any reason why it could not be engineered for a very high speed indeed.

I thought it was actually authorised for 125mph not so long ago? Presume now the track has deteriorated.

 

[Busaholic]

So its not just a 1 in 30 year event its a semi frequent low level disruption. Probably worse than before as no one will want to take the risk of the wall falling down with a train on it.

And presumably when the IC125s are retired the replacement stock will have the same difficulties as the voyagers, so the line will close whenever the sea gets a bit rough?

Yes,yes and yes. Never thought I'd become a 'yes' man but in this case....

Sea over the wall again at Penzance tonight, when it's a lot less rough than last night. When we get it, Dawlish often gets it about 1 to 2 hours later.

 

[LateThanNever]

Yes,yes and yes. Never thought I'd become a 'yes' man but in this case....

Sea over the wall again at Penzance tonight, when it's a lot less rough than last night. When we get it, Dawlish often gets it about 1 to 2 hours later.

Does the Penzance 'washover' impair the operation of the station signalling? Which could be all the more fun when it is run from Didcot?

 

[plymothian]

It was wet.
Basically.

Mainly wave and associated debris that caused problems - for train electrics and track. Dawlish station had flooded on the up line up to the railhead at one point, however Level 1 working was in operation on the down until around 10.00 with pilotmen assisting the driver on the down under a 30mph speed limit.

XC 1C11 made it through with a 40 min delay, the decision was taken to cut back the service to EXD until conditions had improved and any pathing delays could be kept to a minimum.

 

[LateThanNever]

It was wet.
Basically.

Mainly wave and associated debris that caused problems - for train electrics and track. Dawlish station had flooded on the up line up to the railhead at one point, however Level 1 working was in operation on the down until around 10.00 with pilotmen assisting the driver on the down under a 30mph speed limit.

XC 1C11 made it through with a 40 min delay, the decision was taken to cut back the service to EXD until conditions had improved and any pathing delays could be kept to a minimum.

So a really rigorous, reliable train service for Plymouth then?