Fires on the Cumbria Coast

[PyrahnaRanger]

Maybe oil fired steam locomotives might be tried again. GWR made them work after WW2.

Having seen some videos of Tangmere at the weekend, I'm not convinced it wasn't using diesel anyway... Thick black smoke and plenty of it as it went past Salterbeck, which doesn't seem a particularly taxing bit of line?

 

[renegademaster]

Having seen some videos of Tangmere at the weekend, I'm not convinced it wasn't using diesel anyway... Thick black smoke and plenty of it as it went past Salterbeck, which doesn't seem a particularly taxing bit of line?

That's just the coal used now it doesn't come from wales and has to be imported, very sulfury and stinks out wherever it goes for about a minute

 

[Harpo]

No, but the Jacobite was 47826 yesterday and today.

Now even Harry Potter’s bowled by an EH duff on air-cons! Get your wand out Hermione.

 

[sh24]

The La'al ratty has been running diesel only for the past few days,

The what?!

 

[Gwr12345]

The what?!

Ravenglass and Eskdale

Maybe oil fired steam locomotives might be tried again. GWR made them work after WW2.

The Ffestiniog had oil fired locomotives just for this reason for about 30 years. It was deemed to be more cost effective to pay the extra cost for oil than any insurance premiums caused by setting half of Snowdonia on fire, until it wasn't, and everything reverted back to coal about 15 years ago.

 

[Krokodil]

The Ffestiniog had oil fired locomotives just for this reason for about 30 years. It was deemed to be more cost effective to pay the extra cost for oil than any insurance premiums caused by setting half of Snowdonia on fire, until it wasn't, and everything reverted back to coal about 15 years ago.

The Durango and Silverton sparked a major fire a few years back, and have now converted to oil for similar reasons.

 

[Meole]

NYMR are converting 2253 Omaha to oil with Dame Vera to follow.

 

[PyrahnaRanger]

The what?!

Sorry, I slipped into Cumberland dialect for a moment. La'al = Little, Ratty = Railway.

Spyatri is only the half of it - don't ask about deek and dook...

 

[43096]

March and April have been bone-dry here in the south, and the north is little different. There has been a surfeit of sunshine, getting stronger every day, plus persistent strong, dry winds at times. It's not at all surprising that the lineside vegetation is so dry and vulnerable to sparks/cinders. I am surprised steam was/is being allowed to run unassisted, and I suspect a national ban on unassisted steam will be in force very soon. Despite my love of steam, I hope so, because further fires will only damage steam's reputation further and will probably accelerate a general ban.

To add to that it is still fairly early in spring so new vegetation growth is still starting, leaving last year’s dead and now dry foliage still in place - ideal conditions for catching fire.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Sorry, I slipped into Cumberland dialect for a moment. La'al = Little, Ratty = Railway.

Doesn't the 'Ratty' bit in 'La'al Ratty' not mean a "Rat Trod" (or 'rat run' / 'rat track') which originally meant a narrow right of way?

 

[Iskra]

That's just the coal used now it doesn't come from wales and has to be imported, very sulfury and stinks out wherever it goes for about a minute

Blue Peter didn’t have the same issue though.

 

[renegademaster]

Blue Peter didn’t have the same issue though.

Mabye LSL have a different supplier from WCRC, Clan line had the same smell.

 

[robvulpes]

The La'al ratty has been running diesel only for the past few days,

True on Sunday, not true by yesterday - there's a video on FB of a steam departure from Ravenglass. I think there were enough staff and volunteers available to have a 'fire train' on standby. However I'm not there at present, so can only report what I've seen on social media.