Ping Posties/Trainies

I watched Night Mail and a fiftieth anniversary version last week
(highly recommended), but I don't understand one thing. In both of
them, they changed engines in the Midlands. I could understand that in
the days of coal and water you might want to change engines rather
than wait for a reload, but why were they doing it in 1986?

 

who's being thick here?

 

Derby.

 

If you mean that they might want to reload diesel in 1986, fair point,
but I can't see that taking as long as coal and water would,
especially since they were loading and unloading post at the same
time.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, M J Carley

They needed to change the crew for one that can make themselves
understood in Her Majesty's South.

 

I parsed that subject line entirely wrongly......

 

Steam was no longer in use in 1986 but your timing guesses are wrong.
Coal was loaded by stopping the tender under a hopper, a few minutes
at the most, and water could be replenished on the fly from water
troughs between the lines, ISTR there was a max and min speed for the
water scoop so it could mean an express slowing down for a few miles.

 

Hard to tell when they wear shorts ...

 

Traction knowledge, or has been stated electric > diesel.

 

I assume you've not done this before. The physical action maybe - but
coaling and watering was done on shed and not a quick process.

 

What is `traction knowledge'?

 

Maybe in your neck of the woods, but God's Wonderful Railway was well
organised. Locomotives were loaded in the sheds at the start of each
day but could be replenished from lineside hoppers.

 

"How to Pull".

 

So they might be changing the locomotive because they were switching
to a driver who was signed off on certain locomotives and not others?

I think I understand now.

 

I'm ex- fucking Western Region and you're talking shit

 

there isn't a week that goes by without the guy proving he knows
nothing about anything.

 

Popcorn anyone?

<sits back>

--
Lozzo
ZX-7R P4 (for sale)
CBR600F-W trackbike
SR250 SpazzTrakka,
RD400F, somewhere
I see a bright new future, where chickens can cross the road with no
fear of having their motives questioned

 

His feet must resemble lace doilies from all the shotgun blasts..

Phil

 

Different locos require different driving and fault rectification methods
so drivers are trained on each type - there were common locos (47s) that
nearly everyone knew.

Different types of locomotives are allocated to different areas (keeps
maintenance and part supply easier), the drivers in those areas are
trained on the traction at their depot or in their link.

The locos don't tend to go out of their region if it can be avoided so
will be changed at a regions 'border' or limit of the crews' route
knowledge. Some engines have restricted route availability based on axle
weight or tractive effort.

The Saltley men were known as Seagulls (go everywhere, shit on everyone).
They had a habit of engineering it so they would take a 'northern' loco
(say a class 45) south or a southern loco (say a class 33) north - the
relieving crews wouldn't have the necessary knowledge and would have to
conduct the Saltley crew over the route and the Saltley crew get the
additional mileage money...

 

Every day's a schoolday though. I thought that they could at least scoop
up some water on the fly - or am I getting confused with those mail
catcher thing-ma-bobs?

<googles> Like this kind of thing: http://www.aidan.co.uk/photo9360.htm