Derailment at Barrow Upon Soar

[hippeebus]

Today, while passing the gypsum works in barrow upon soar, I saw a derailed rake of EWS 12ft wheelbase ballast wagons on the north shunt siding. There was no locomotive evident in site, and was probably the result of an accidental manouver from one of lafarge's remote controlled shunters. Later on that day, I passed the scene once again, to find the train majoritarilly cleared (roughly 75% of the train remained on-track) and one wagon in particular being examined by Network Rail staff. I think 3 possible reasons may have caused this incident:

1: Consist hit buffers at north of siding (odd, seeing that this siding is never really used for any other prpose than for locomotives to run around their trains - looks like a pretty big error to me!)

2: Points were not switched to encompass such a manouevre.

3: Problem with one of the wagons brakes or bearings.

I can't be sure, as I have only been afforded a few moments to see the incident. Have any of you heard any more news?

PS: Hooray, something interesting in relation to railways has happened in my local area for once!

[andel]

A radio controlled loco seems to have been at fault... ta for the gen Thunderstruck @ WNXX.

[Ameecher]

PS: Hooray, something interesting in relation to railways has happened in my local area for once!

What, being near to Brush isn't good enough for you?

[hippeebus]

PS: Hooray, something interesting in relation to railways has happened in my local area for once!

What, being near to Brush isn't good enough for you?

Odd, really. I never see any HST's going into the place - is it done under cover of darkness or something?

About the most interesting thing around are the valenta engined HST's - and long may they last!

Ironic, seeing as they work past the very plant where they would have those same engines ripped out some 4 times a day.

Which leads me onto my next point - if the enthusiasts don't want to see the "valenta Vwing" dissapear, then it would be sensible to preserve retired paxman engines, to be re - issued when some loco's inevitably end up preserved - after all, could you imagine a world without the BR 43?

[Kevo00]

Lol, its hard to imagine BR43s trundling up and down the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at 25mph.

[andel]

Odd, really. I never see any HST's going into the place - is it done under cover of darkness or something?

Nope, under the cover of Cotswold and GBRf.

About the most interesting thing around are the valenta engined HST's - and long may they last!

Sad git. Pfft.

Ironic, seeing as they work past the very plant where they would have those same engines ripped out some 4 times a day.

Which leads me onto my next point - if the enthusiasts don't want to see the "valenta Vwing" dissapear, then it would be sensible to preserve retired paxman engines, to be re - issued when some loco's inevitably end up preserved - after all, could you imagine a world without the BR 43?

The engines are just about dead, man! They're 30 odd years old! And could I imagine a world without them...? Yes.

[hippeebus]

The engines are just about dead, man! They're 30 odd years old! And could I imagine a world without them...? Yes.

And yet, in preservation, we see diesels with engines sometimes with ages in excess of 50 years running seamlessly. Ands what of the DRS 37's and 20's? Or the still fairly common brush 47? Heck, there's even talk of a comeback for the now 40 year old 86's! Hmm...

And in responce to your second sentence - well, Britains national network will certainly lose some interest on the passanger front. I feel that you fail to acknowledge that some 40 or 50 years of railway history will come to a close at the point that the last HST retires. They are reliable and impressively speedy loco's that have given the UK sterling service for a long time, and lets not forget that little world speed record for a diesel that they hold! They are to diesel haulage what Mallard is to steam.

And if that comment was directed to the engines rather than the locomotive... erm, well just ignore me.

Lol, its hard to imagine BR43s trundling up and down the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at 25mph.

Heheh. They'd have said the same about Sir Nigel Gresley 70 years ago!

[Ameecher]

Couple of things. Class 37s haven't been in front line service for 30 years doing over a million miles a year at high speeds. The Valentas are knackered.

As for the HST being retired. The average passenger doesn't really give a crap about what engine their has, or which loco it has. So long as it gets them from A to B in an acceptable amout of comfort and arrives on time. They really couldn't give a toss. Bollocks will the passenger sector lose interest. Just because there are more MUs than traditional locos...

Shall we just bring steam trains back?

Get over it. Be grateful we even have a bloody railway.

[Kevo00]

Lol, its hard to imagine BR43s trundling up and down the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at 25mph.

Heheh. They'd have said the same about Sir Nigel Gresley 70 years ago!

Fair point mate, though I bet the visitors will be preferring to ride behind Sir Nigel than the 43s. I understand your points as an enthusiast (although I believe the Spanish now have the diesel record) but back in the real world most passengers don't care if the train is an IC125, they just want the train to be fast, frequent and on time. If Voyagers or whatever can do it better, then thats the way to go. Railways aren't an entertainment industry. Incidentally my father used to go up and down between Durham and London quite a lot in the 1980s and used to complain of the 43s breaking down a lot (as they would for me years later on XC and north of Edinburgh). And that was when they were only 10 years old.

[hippeebus]

Lol, its hard to imagine BR43s trundling up and down the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at 25mph.

Heheh. They'd have said the same about Sir Nigel Gresley 70 years ago!

Fair point mate, though I bet the visitors will be preferring to ride behind Sir Nigel than the 43s. I understand your points as an enthusiast (although I believe the Spanish now have the diesel record) but back in the real world most passengers don't care if the train is an IC125, they just want the train to be fast, frequent and on time. If Voyagers or whatever can do it better, then thats the way to go. Railways aren't an entertainment industry. Incidentally my father used to go up and down between Durham and London quite a lot in the 1980s and used to complain of the 43s breaking down a lot (as they would for me years later on XC and north of Edinburgh). And that was when they were only 10 years old.

A depressing thought. The very essence of journey and discovery has been lost to the grim monotony of modern life. Even passangers were upset at the end of steam haulage on BR. And lets not forget that, even if they were not reliable in their early years, they now have, on average, a 43 is still very much reliable next to, say, a 180!

Meh, this topic is entirely out of hand now. The argument has stemmed from a derailment at barrow yard, coupled with a little comment about valenta HST's being the most interesting thing to me, AN ENTHUSIAST, who is barely young enough to remember british rail, having been born only 15 years ago. However, to end this once and for all, and to shut a lot of you up who are frankly starting to P*** me off -

MML or now EMT is one of the only operators in britain with predominantly Valenta-engined HST's in regular service. This is a route which almost never see's any freight in the hands of anything other than a 66 or occasionally a 60, and passanger services are now increasingly served by 222 meridians, terribly boring units that lack any real character (although i must concede they look very fetching in their new livery!) I don'tknow, maybe it's my over farmiliarity with the route, or maybe it's that i'm not a sad, hardcore *son of an unmarried couple* who follows every special movement of stock to and from brush, which in the collective 30 - or - so hours i've spent staring at the wretched route this year ive not seen a single running of, and with the exception of railtours nothing ever happens that could warrant me battling the elements to watch, and yet these valenta units offer me some little interest, their whistling whine cutting through the relative silence of the smoggy air surrounding the gypsum works near where i live. They just have a certain power to them that is reflected in none of the other units on show, and the MTU units almost sound depressingly weak by comparison. Say what you will, but it is by my own choice that I, and indeed thousands of other UK diesel enthusiasts, choose to follow them, and i personally am glad to live in an area in which they are set to continue operation for a while yet.

Still - we were discussing the DERAILMENT, not the local passanger services?

One wagon is still present at the scene, however the rest has been moved back to the yard. It's remained untouched for a few days now - i wonder if there has been any disrupment to run - round procedures?

[Illegal_Alien]

We got here Electric engines wich are around 50/60 years and still pulling cargotrains.

[Dave]

A depressing thought. The very essence of journey and discovery has been lost to the grim monotony of modern life.

People change and society moves on. It's the 'spotters who refuse to let go that make such a fuss. They'll get over it.

[hippeebus]

A depressing thought. The very essence of journey and discovery has been lost to the grim monotony of modern life.

People change and society moves on. It's the 'spotters who refuse to let go that make such a fuss. They'll get over it.

Meh - still, as i said, there must be plenty of old valenta's lying around the brush to be snapped up - a HST on the central would be an interesting thought, especially with the occasional 60mph running speed - not quite vintage, but it would be popular at diesel galas i'm sure! Remember when the WSR ran that virgin HST rake for a few weeks? It was practically packed throughout!

Which does prove my point that the 43 is popular with diesel enthusiasts.

[RFT]

I don't see whats wrong with an enthusiast expressing a preference for something, even if it's not the most practial thing in the world.

I do suspect that, once the HSTs are properly retired, some group will at least try and re-engine a set back to the valentas if none remain- it seems likely enough that the railtour business would be there for a preserved Valenta (or not) HST. Considering the heavy work that's been done on Deltics in private ownership it does seem possible.

Anyway- This radio-controlled shunter- how does that work? bloke in a tall tower with a model railway style bank of points switches and a hornby speed controller?

[hippeebus]

I don't see whats wrong with an enthusiast expressing a preference for something, even if it's not the most practial thing in the world.

I do suspect that, once the HSTs are properly retired, some group will at least try and re-engine a set back to the valentas if none remain- it seems likely enough that the railtour business would be there for a preserved Valenta (or not) HST. Considering the heavy work that's been done on Deltics in private ownership it does seem possible.

Anyway- This radio-controlled shunter- how does that work? bloke in a tall tower with a model railway style bank of points switches and a hornby speed controller?

I'm not entirely sure, although i think it may be controlled by someone near by (to speed up uncoupling procedures and the like.)

[Dave]

No it just means a train can uncouple/couple without having a five minute process of coupling the train up.

The Lickey Banker 66s have mechanisms fitted to uncouple when the summit is reached, although it sometimes fails and the loco ends up at Saltley.

[hippeebus]

No it just means a train can uncouple/couple without having a five minute process of coupling the train up.

The Lickey Banker 66s have mechanisms fitted to uncouple when the summit is reached, although it sometimes fails and the loco ends up at Saltley.

Heheh, that would be a humourous spectacle to witness...

[Dave]

When the summit is reached there's a board where a Lickey driver is supposed to press a button that activates the mechanism and throttle down (but not brake). As the freight accelerates off the hill the banker is left behind and when the driver knows the loco is clear can apply the brakes and run round in the loop. If the driver braked off the banked freight it'd create.. issues.

[hippeebus]

Just a little update -

I've no idea if this is related to the derailment, but last time i passed the works, i saw a Gronk at work in the yards - this would be the first time i've seen it in the many years I've been by. I think it may have been drafted in to cover the movements of one of the RC shunters.