Mark 1 and hinged door rolling stock exemptions | Office of Rail and Road
Applying for an exemption for Mark 1 or hinged door rolling stock.www.orr.gov.uk
Which WCRC agreed to and then were witnessed by ORR inspectors not abiding to.
I did have a look at the sectional appendix. Most of the line is 30mph (for non 15x) with a stretch of 11 miles plus a few pockets (the odd mile here and there) of 40mph.
This is the LSL rake which has been fitted with CDL. If I understand correctly this system is air operated and requires an Electric Train Supply (Saphos/Steam Dreams charters always seem to convey a diesel to provide this). LSL’s operation is also rather different, running ad hoc high end charters with high ticket prices, as opposed to the timetabled Jacobite service.
I am fairly sure the stock has air brakes, and air or dual-braked locos have been used in the past. WCRC certainly have air-braked stock even if it's not the regular Jacobite set. A generator van wouldn't need to be crewed and they're used by other charters without a problem. It would of course cost more to run for the fuel and servicing.
Electro magnet systems have been used by other Slam-door operators, possibly even by Chiltern for their bubble car.
I forgot about the bubble car, fair point. Has such a system ever been fitted to LHCS? I think it’s only been used on 1st gen multiple units so far but I guess it would be a similar arrangement.
Fortunately they were given plenty of notice to accommodate the changes and find a solution
The reality is there may not be a solution that makes financial sense, especially if the future of operating Mk1s in general is in doubt, CDL or not.
I agree, then so be it, - they are an anachronism from 75 years ago when 100mph trains were rare to say the least. Safety is a prime consideration in modern life and is a major consideration in the continuing public's support for rail travel. I doubt that a member of the public, purchasing tickets for leisure travel in MK1 rolling stock would accept the safety compromises thatt some here aretrying to justify in their support for the 'heritage' value of these coaches. Given the very high prices that are charge to be carried in these coaches, to see that after a higher risk of injury or even death attributable to their safety that may exist, faith in heritage travel, and on the wider railway might falter.
They're still very rare on the West Highland line!
Nothing in the WCRC submission to the ORR or judicial review puts forward any special circumstances. They have not claimed it's technically infeasible to fit CDL with the cost of work being broadly in line with other operators. Nor did they argue a renewal of track access would be required to commit to a fitment plan. Their case would have been stronger if they did have a solid justification for the standard approach not being appropriate for them, instead they were relying on the dubious argument that their secondary locking operated by stewards was equivalent in safety to CDL.
If that line of argument had been used consistently down the years it might have more credibility
That is a an oversimplification at best. Who actually research's safety records of train companies before boarding?
Almost no one I suspect. Isn't that the point? But even if they sent out a description to all ticket holders of how the carriages are less safe than modern carriages, I reckon most people would still go ahead and travel. Plenty of other day to day activities carry a greater risk.
Other than LSL , who do you mean by "all the others"? VT is on a exemption with a plan that hasn't actually materialized yet and all the other examples are DMUs.
I do agree WCR's presentation of their case has been inadequate and their current PR efforts ( see today's latest on their website) pretty extraordinary. Behind that though, I could believe that, in the situation as it is, there is not a secure commercial business case for fitting CDL to Mk 1s to work on the Jacobite.
Operation of the Jacobite looks like it is to be reviewed after 8 April as only cancelled until then, don't know what they expect to happen to prevent further postponement in the meantime.
Wah, it's not fair..... Utterly pathetic bilge.
My feelings also
The fact they call it a "debate" tells you everything you need to know about their attitude to safety compliance - they treat it as some sort of "nice to have" or something to be negotiated over.