Further Update: The stall was due to brakes dragging. Quick Update: After passing Hemerdon, 7029 run with the Class 47 on the back all the way to Bristol Temple Meads. Despite passing Hemerdon 30 minutes late, the service arrived into Bristol TM 5 minutes early! Additionally, you are seeing a cut version of the footage, I have watched the full length, and can confirm that 7029 Clun Castle did roll back preparing to attempt a restart, but was evidently unsuccessful. Thanks for Watching, Lynton & Barnstaple next weekend!
I was in the field to the left of the line in this shot (I belive we have spoken when waiting for SNG to return tender backwards around a month ago) and I can also confirm that it did roll back.
That’s what I thought it was dragging brakes that caused that loco to go to a stop at hemerdon and that’s why the 47 was called in to help it get up the hill
Hemerdon Bank is notoriously hard and the sting in the tail is that final bend before the bridge at Sparkford. The crew did a fantastic job to get the train that far.
Sadly I missed all this drama happen as went to Swanage Railway Diesel Gala I see she's down again with 5043 in September to Plymouth hopefully she won't stall again on hemerdon Brilliant footage mate
I was maybe 50 yards to your right at Whiteball! Spectacular spot to see a proper GW engine on home turf. What a turn of events this morning at Hemerdon - would be interesting to know the exact cause (and I'm sure in time we will) - fair play to the crew for keeping her moving and keeping calm. Thanks for sharing your footage and see you at the next one...!
Great video - sad to see her struggle on Hemerdon - seemed to have plenty of steam and 9 coaches should be well capable for a Castle...maybe dragging brake somewhere? Hope 7029 makes it up to Paddington in fine style later. Many thanks for posting/sharing.
@@AndreiTupolevI’d treat that with a large pinch of salt, you can easily reset the butterfly valves and you’d know if one’s engaged on the loco just by checking your brake gauges.
It’s essentially been confirmed that there were two vegetation strikes on the rear mk2 vehicles as the train departed Plymouth, it meant that although the loco was maintaining 25in vacuum at the front of the train, the pressure was lower toward the rear and the brakes were dragging. No salt required 🙃
Had heard Clun Castle had stalled at the top of the bank you were in right place to capture the unfolding events. I was around the corner at Hemerdon Sidings just waiting, then with no warning wind in the wrong direction 7029 appeared so missed the start of my intend shot coming around under the bridge. Unfortunately these things happen, but was great to see a Castle on home ground.
That rescue locomotive was on the scene remarkably quickly considering the elaborate procedures that must be followed when allowing a light engine to enter a section of track already occupied by the failed train. Maybe there's a time jump in the video that I haven't spotted.
A previous post said Clun rolled back a bit on an attempted restart. Did that mean the brake fault had been corrected? With today's communication systems, the 47's crew knew exactly where Clun and its train were. At least the 47 was not hooked on all the time. So Clun and the nine looked like a real train. Why the leaking vacuum? Where was the fault? Seeing Clun come to a halt with safety valves blowing and a strong Great Western exhaust beat was so contradictory.
Superb video and a shame Clun castle couldn't make it under her own steam. Just shows what beasts of gradients we have in the west country. I saw her depart Plymouth and she certainly wasn't struggling there.
Dragging Brakes seems to be the culprit. It's that last curvy part and that approaching the Bridge at the summit that causes the issues too. Remember it well from actual hauls up there in the early 60s, last one in Steam being a Castle in not good health in 63 I believe it was. It didn't stall though but walking pace for the last half mile. Clun looks and sounds in fine fettle despite all this.
I was hauled up Hemerdon 5 years ago by Flying Scotsman (LNER pacifics not noted climbers) piloted by a Black five (noted climbers). We went up as if the bank was not there. But we also had the 47 on the back, which I fondly thought was supposed to be there simply to haul the train back to Plymouth from Exeter. But it did not seem so, or maybe the 47 was simply providing enough power to propel just itself. I doubt that as well, but does anyone know?
Lovely filming but heartbreaking to see. The loco is in great shape, and the was load not particularly heavy either, so unless there was a catastrophic mechanical failure, it is down to an inexperienced crew! These loco's have mastered this line unassisted many times before.
Steam coal from Kazakhstan, it’s actually really good, just smoky if fired heavily. Note the safety valves were feathering most of the time so she was never short of steam.
A good video and, as you say, all filmed respectfully off Network Rail land. Perhaps NWR could acknowledge the discipline of the people there and at other spotters locations by doing their bit to prevent trespassing by cutting back the foliage.
Aside from being a bit smoky (when the weather is hot, the condensing of the steam in the atmosphere is far less visible making any smoke much more noticeable than if it was cooler) there’s evidently nothing wrong with it as the safety valves were lifting.
It seems these days that our preserved steamers have there fair share of issues on the main line of not being able to manage gradients, where years ago when in service it didn't seem to affect them. Is this because of the coal they use these days being imported and basically the wrong type of fuel for these lovely old girls?.
My observation is based on too much water in the boiler sending it back and risking priming. Normal practice was to hit the bank with water on the bottom of the glass, and the fire well burning, full in the back corners, and hit the exhaust injector half way up. I appreciate your observation, but the Castles were an aquired art to fire at speed. I have fired a 2800 2-8-0, and the long firebox takes some hard work getting to the far end. A Black Five is easier.
@@clancrasher8306 How does your posting to me relate to my asking "Your evidence? Or rudeness?" to @alastairmeanley5091's "What rubbish!". Please tell.
@@steamtothewest-trecanrail 9600 gallons of water weighs about 35 & 3/4 tons which is rather more than a GUV van could withstand.. It is a lot of extra weight though.
Given the load capacity of a GUV being 14T (unmodified) it can carry about 3000gal of extra water. If VT have modified theirs to carry more, then great. More range/surplus water if things get a bit "sticky".... (my rough calculation is based on 220gal = 1 ton)
Looks like poor quality coal? This is the toughest mainline bank in the south west and the biggest test. Anything over 8 coaches and you need a 'big' engine. I think Blue Perter is coming back. It would make light work of that!
@@tgk300xx4 I travel regularly on that line. The difference is Hemerdon is much longer and a 'slog'. Dainton on both sides has a short sharp part near the top (at the tunnel). With a good run the train can usually get up over there before it really slows.
If you can't keep it moving, there is going to be a lot of heavy lifting to get the load moving again. That may not be down to lack of power, more a lack of grip.
I think there is an element of urgency in this situation for the TOC to get moving. The class 47 was patched behind for the journey, in the event of a stall or fail.
Back in the day it was a banker for anything over eight coaches. I Have fired a few engines, and in my opinion, the fireman should have built the fire earlier, notice the smoke. The fire was too cold, and the boiler short of steam at full pressure.
Sorry but this is rubbish, I have fired a lot of engines including over this route. The fire was white hot and the boiler safety valves were blowing off as evidenced in various videos, therefore nobody would be able to create anymore steam pressure! Plain simple fact if you know how a steam loco works.
As a big GWR man it’s time to think about oil firing. If it’s a coal problem which our government have banned then we’ll have to go down that road. Remember it was attempted in the 40s that time it was the government again who forgot they had no money to import the oil!
I bet it was the clout of the NUM that killed oil-firing on a large scale. East African Railways locos were all oil-fired in the 1960s. I drove some of them.
@@Flatscreening Excellent reply I was lucky back in I think 2006 managed to travel behind Mount Gelai Mombasa to just short of Nairobi and a tribal class Nairobi to Kisumu organised by Nigel Dobbing RIP
@@vernongoodey5096 To me, the 59 class were the ultimate Beyer Garratts. Elegance and style with power. In 1964 I was on the footplates of 59s on the Mombasa to Nairobi overnight trains. And handling the regulator. I drove a Tribal class on the run to Kampala, and another on the line from Mwanza to Dar es Salaam. The first engine I drove was in 1958 at Port Dinorwic or Port Penrhyn. The most recent was in 2016 in Sri Lanka on a steam special. Apart from 7 1/4 inch on the West Parley Miniature Railway. Between driving a steam loco and riding a fast horse there is not a lot to choose. How do I PM you?
