Steam train beats the snow

[thomasucc]

Nothing would stop something that heavy

[ryanlim2002]

Told you to keep STEAM trains running! They'll work day or night, rain or shine, snow or not!

[mekydro]

The diesel is usually there on these trains to provide ETH as well as saving a separate light-engine path into busy London termini. Sometimes they have a generator van in which case the use of the diesel on the passenger section is more for operating convenience.

[Jemalacane]

@mekydro Is ETH anything like dynamic braking? Or is it electrical power for the passenger cars?

[mekydro]

@Jemalacane ETH stands for 'Electric Train Heating (HEP in US parlance); yes it is heating for the passenger cars

[SaxhamMarket]

Usually when a steam special has a diesel on the back it's dead in tow, and is there to drag the train back from a destination without turning and / or run round facilities.

On rare occasions tender-first running might be an option if the loco can be run round but not turned, but only on lightly used lines.

[tom201090]

seams to be struggling or was there a red signal?

[TheOwnagedHunter]

wow a steam train on the same track with normal trains

[mackat4ck]

@TheOwnagedHunter Lol! it's pretty normal in the UK! They runs steam trains on the mainline every week almost!

[bineees78xx]

@mackat4ck Nerly every day in the summer!

[Ramzzy666]

and i've never seen clan line go on a vsoe to bristol or oxford without a rear engine but 6024 didn't have one and neither do alot of the other steam charters that come through on the same route so im guessing with clan line it is something to do with its acceleration being too low on certain busy routes

[tom201090]

@Ramzzy666 although Clan Line is more than capable of pulling the train without a class 66/67 on the back of the train

[tom201090]

@tom201090 oh yes VSOE (Venice Simplon Orient Express) usually operates trains with a diesel on the end. 2bh more of a hinderence in this weather as its just a dead weight. When I was on a steam dreams tour once the diesel followed a few sections behind us. The diesel was a class 57-at least it was a heritage diesel.

[SteamMad]

@Ramzzy666 noooo ask any of the drivers when she is on the move she can accelerate faster than most of the units using the network she is normally getting held up by the units rather than the other way round

[mrspivvy]

inefficient maybe but certainly not unreliable. locos of 70 years old were still in service in the '50s. compared to even the awesome and wondrous class 55 Deltic diesel that didnt even reach 20 years, plus all those less than wonderful diesel hydraulics that BR couldnt wait to get rid of

[KINGANDCASTLE]

If steam engines are that good, why do they need a diesel engine on the back?

[MoovieeMatt]

@KINGANDCASTLE ,,There is know where to turn a loco round these days otherwise they probably would be fine,,,,,,,,,,,yes im that bored...lol

[MoovieeMatt]

@KINGANDCASTLE ,,There is know where to turn a loco round these days otherwise they probably would be fine,,,,,,,,,,,yes im that bored...lol

[Marillionmad]

@KINGANDCASTLE Well the engine is 62 years old, desial is used as a precaution, I've never seen it having to haul the engine at all.

[Ramzzy666]

@Marillionmad i have actually a few times when clan line departs didcot it always has the rear diesel pushing when it goes past my house (very loudly i might add) and the line through didcot is on the flat, merchant navy just dont seem to have very good acceleration which is worsened with heavy coaches every other steam loco i see depart didcot by the time it passes my house is always into its stride much faster than clan line, 6024 didn't have a rear engine when it did the vsoe from bristol

[eddyharris2372]

@KINGANDCASTLE For ELECTRIC Train heat

[taffy402]

@KINGANDCASTLE 

ELECTRIC TRAIN HEATING

[falcons1988]

The modern electric isn't that crap. Generally speaking it is faster, however not as reliable as the good old steam train.

[HOMEHUBBY2]

bring steam loco's back,their reliable and perhaps more people will use the main line trains,i agree modern electric is crap

[Rebekah270984]

But were out of fuel though. Coal won't last much longer, then what will happen to the steam trains???

[mrspivvy]

@Rebekah270984 come to wales, butt. we got about 200 years worth here.

[jamiegoddard4]

@HOMEHUBBY2 Of for gods sake where the hell are you living. As a tool for running a railway, steam trains are costly, slow dirty, unreliable and inneficient. Just becaus one can manage in a bit of snow whilst networkers cant doesnt make the reality that steam locomotives are objectively a bit rubbish any less true. The only reason we've still got them is cos the only critiscism that cant be levied it that they're dull.

[andyg3]

steam is best.

none of that modern electric carp!

[teamrebelion]

@andyg3 thank you finally somebody agrees