DRS Kingmoor open day 2017

[kevsmiththai]

Another year on and this time it was our Carlisle Kingmoor depot's turn to host our charity open day. This was going to be the first time the public were going to get close to our new Class 88 25kv/Diesel hybrid locos so were expecting a lot of interest.

I headed up on the Friday to do the prep stopping at the rural station of Kents Bank to catch one of our Class 37s on the Carlisle to Lancaster train. Propelling from the rear 37 401 'Mary Queen of Scots' is finished in the classic British Railways 'Big Arrow' livery

 

 

As the weather deteriorated I nipped off the M6 motorway to catch the Class 88 hauled 'Tesco' ascending the notorious climb up to Shap Summit on the West Coast main line. If anything was going to catch these 5,800 Hp Bo-Bos out it was bad rail conditions on a heavy intermodal train but it never missed a beat as it passed Scout Green

 

 

The weather was getting pretty rotten as you can tell by the rain on the lens.

 

Once at the depot first order of the day was the first shunt. 88 001, working on its CAT disel engine,  was used to dig out the snowploughs and some freight stock to make room

We positioned EMD built 66 301 by the car park ready for its naming ceremony the following day. This was to be the first 66 to be named and I was pestered constantly by people wanting to know in advance what it was to be called. I did wind a couple of them up by telling them we were going to name the 66/3s after popular children's toys and 301 was going to be called 'My Little Pony'!

 

more soon

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

In contrast to the ultra modern 88s we had brought a couple of the Class 20s along. We only have three left in active service, ready for this years leaf fall season where they will be used on the RHTT (Rail head treatment train). they have no restriction on loading gauge or axle load so can get down branch lines other locos can't access

30 302 and 20 312 have just arrived behind 37 059

 

You can spot the bodyshell is roughly the same on the 88s and Diesel only 68s. The obvious difference being the Pantograph. This 68 is in a plain blue colour scheme for now as it is going to be on the TPE (Trans Pennine Express) loco hauled trains and will be wrapped in their colour scheme nearer the time. For the same reason it remains un-named

 

 

To add a bit of drama we had positioned 88 010 on the 'Ski Ramp' a facility we use to load rolling stock straight onto a semi trailer


 

[kevsmiththai]

88 008 was picked up on the jacks to let people see underneath

 

to show the various colour schemes the 68s carry we lined them up alongside, from L-R Chiltern, standard DRS and Plain Blue

 

60 012 is in the rather plain Chiltern livery

 

 

37 425 was left with its nose doors and hatches open

 

more soon

 

Kev

[kevsmiththai]

So the queue on Saturday morning had started early in the morning, the forecast wasn't good with a break in the rain expected about 10.00 but at least the wind had dropped

 

 

With the depot filling up quite quickly there was a dash to the main shed when the heavy rain kept returning

 

This year we had moved the the merchandise stall into the stores loading bay (Much to the annoyance of the stores lads!) but it was a lot more sheltered than the marquee used in previous years. The Dapol 00 scale Class 68s were flying out

 

 

It was good to see a lot of families attending and enjoying seeing real railways close up






 

[kevsmiththai]

One of the major attractions was the cab visits into the Class 88 and 68 cabs with lengthy queues for both. Not unlike something from Star Trek the high tech control desk was a revelation to many.

 

Just after lunch the excursion train we were running came onto the depot to be tanked. The passengers had got off at Carlisle Citadel station so we had another surge of visitors shortly after

68 004 arrives onto the fuel road with a rake of Mk II coaching stock

 

 

Now.. back to 'The name'.

By early afternoon the weather was rotten and I had to keep going back to the modular building to dry the cameras out but we stuck to the timetable anyway

66 301 was named 'Kingmoor TMD'. this name was previously carried by one of our 37/6s which has now been sold

 

Following this was the auction of some nameplates and headboards with some serious money being bid. Diesel plates are now as collectable as steam. For example the 37 fifty plates were fetching £2,300 each and the 47 number and Pullman Crest £1,500

More tomorrow

 

Kev

[miyakoji]

Thanks for the posts Kev.  I also watched the two videos you included in the other thread, very interesting.  British trains are a natural extension of my general interest in trains as well as British TV mysteries :)

[kevsmiththai]

The most surprising thing at the show for many visitors was a steam locomotive on display in the U.K for the first time

 

Whillan Beck, a 15" gauge Krauss built 4-6-2 had been imported from Spain where it had a rather chequered history over he last few decades.

 

 

It is on its way to join the other 15" gauge locos on the world famous 'Ravenglass and Eskdale' railway in Cumbria

 

More remarkably it was being delivered being delivered to the railway in the same fashion as the early locos were, by road haulage pulled by a steam traction engine

 

 

'Providence' A Fowler road engine was going to make fairly steady progress down the A590 from Kingmoor to Ravenglass. You did not want to get stuck behind this on a Sunday afternoon!

 

It was beautifully turned out

 

 

Just in case an early Scammel was added to the rear pushing the ensemble with a traction bar

 

 

More in a mo'

[kevsmiththai]

Videos can be found below

 

First one is the open day itself

 

https://youtu.be/WznGhC72V1g

 

and using some of the same footage Class 88s in action 

 

https://youtu.be/4KXkBhxMI1w

 

Kev