WITH FULL REGULATOR LOCOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE THEN AND NOW
FIRST this time are two runs with No. 46115 Scots Guardsman battling the weather and the Fells with Railway Touring Company’s (RTC)‘Cumbrian Mountain Express’(CME) – on February 8 this year, and set alongside it in Table One, a trip from February 22, 2014.
The usual load is 11 coaches but for some reason the load for the 2014 run was 12 coaches, a substantial 475 tons full for this class seven locomotive on a very blustery day. Gordon Hodgson and Chris Holmes had charge and the schedule then was 72 minutes rather than the more normal 77 minutes which applied to the recent run.
Mick Rawling and Martin Soames were the crew on February 8 and they had to contend with weather which was even worse than the 2014 run, but had one coach less at 440 tons full. Their net time was a very good 68 minutes compared with 72 minutes on the 2014 run, which kept the schedule though the four minutes difference was rather more than explained by the extra coach.
“BR Standard Britannia No. 70010 backed on to take us forward 14 late. It ran well, reaching 76mph prior to passing Warrington Bank Quay in 26 minutes 29 seconds for the 24.10 miles. Two temporary speed restrictions followed, the second
