The DRS Open day and the return of the DBSOs

[kevsmiththai]

Bit of a rambling one this but an update of this summers action here in the Northwest of England. As you are aware the company I work re-introduced Loco hauled passenger trains onto the Cumbrian Coast, Fife circle and East Anglian lines much to the delight of the U.K railfans.

 

initially on the Cumbrian Coast the services were worked 'Topped and tailed' with a Class 37/4 (fitted with E.T.S) and a 37/6 (freight only) at the other and these worked an intensive service between Carlisle in the North to Preston and Lancaster in the south of the region

 

Initially not enough refurbished MKII coaches were available in DRS livery so we ended up running a real mishmash of colour schemes for the first few weeks

 

 

But the plan was always to run the service with some Re-activated DBSOs (Driving Brake Standard Opens) which are MKIIF coaches converted to 'Cab cars' back in the late 70s, these had been in store since 2006 and recently both DRS and Network Rail have started to refurbish and redeploy them into traffic. Using Jumper cables it allows the driver to control the Class 37/4 at the other end in 'Push-Pull' mode.

 

DBSO 9705 seen coasting into Dalton station before the thrash up the gradient to Lindal on the 2C32 Carlisle to Preston working

 

 

Here at Kirkby we see the same train with 37 409 'Lord Hinton' accelerating hard towards Askam down the Duddon estuary

 

 

Now the theory was that running should be more relaxed now the lead loco was not hauling 105 tonnes of dead weight with the removal of the loco at the other end but the tight timings and frequent stops means that 'thrashing' is still very much in evidence particularly when the gradients are encountered between Askam and Ulverston.

 

example below of the line's profile

 

 

Sadly nearly all the sidings and branch lines seen on this old Furness Railway line map have now gone but the hills are still there.  more in a minute

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

The entire summer has seen the area flooded with Railfans riding, photographing and videoing these trains. Some have come to ride behind specific locos, some to ride in coaches that still have compartments and wierdest of all some who have come to ride these trains constantly to acheive a specified number of hours on them! takes all sorts I suppose?

 

The most recent footage I have shot shows action both on the level parts on the line around the coast where the trains are trying to maintain the schedules with lots of full throttle action and also attacking the banks at Askam, Dalton and Pennington. Because of the rural nature of the area the sound of these trains reverberate for miles around with the 1750HP English Electric motors at full bore.

 

https://youtu.be/814wNuFHfc0

 

In addition we had our 20th anniversary Open day at our Kingmoor depot in Carlisle. To the delight of the huge crowds we showed 37 401 'Mary Queen of Scots' in its 1980's 'Big Arrow' British rail livery

 

 

And also one of our former Class 47s 47 712 now restored to classic 'Scotrail' liverybrought over from the weardale railway for the occasion

 

 

And, of course, an example of the newly introduced Class 68s

 

[kevsmiththai]

One of the Class 57s was wrapped in an anniversary livery during the show so that people can see how it is done. 57 307 'Lady Penelope' is one of the 'Thunderbird' rescue locos deployed on the West Coast main Line

 

 

 

Video of the event at

 

https://youtu.be/r__XvgMUOmA

 

Includin the arrival of a Class 68 charter train from Newport arriving on the depot

 

cheers

 

Kev

[wartsilaone]

I've been having fun driving the East Anglian set to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, Fans of the locos come from far and wide to travel on these trains. A guy from Belgium tuned up last week. 

[bikkuri bahn]

Brings back memories of my college days trip to the UK.  Rode a summer-only 37-hauled service from Cardiff to Dorset.  Stood in the vestibule of the lead Mk II and listened to the EE symphony made by the class 37 climbing out of Bath.

[westfalen]

I've been having fun driving the East Anglian set to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, Fans of the locos come from far and wide to travel on these trains. A guy from Belgium tuned up last week. 

There will be a couple of guys from Australia turning up in November. :)

[wartsilaone]

While you're here make sure you visit Ipswich, Suffolk. Plenty of GM's and GE's on the Freightliners. 

[kevsmiththai]

the other thing I did recently was take the youngest member of the family, our Brooklyn, for his first visit to Barrow Hill Roundhouse.  a major rail centre in the U.K that I have been involved with from the very outset and which has grown beyond everybodies expectations since we took possession of the 24 road, derelict, roundhouse back in the late 90s.

 

Thanks to the co-operation of Mervyn Alcock we had arranged the treat of a lifetime for him. A ride on the turntable in the cab of Jamie and Shaun's immaculately restored Class 37 newly restored in BR Green and then a cab ride up the branch in a pair of class 20s. Lucky lad

 

Here Brooklyn has his serious face on

 

 

 

Video here at

 

https://youtu.be/QlMSndHjKYE

 

I know a lot of adults who would have loved this opportunity!

 

Kev

[cteno4]

Kev,

 

Want another big kid? Lucky lad!

 

Jeff

[westfalen]

While you're here make sure you visit Ipswich, Suffolk. Plenty of GM's and GE's on the Freightliners. 

Spending three nights in Ipswich at the Bridge Guest House, literally a stone's throw from the diesel stabling point at the station.  Passed through in 2010 and shot a few freights on the Felixstowe branch but this will be a chance to see a bit more.