Thread: S&D Changeover
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Old 11th July 2011, 13:40
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John H-T John H-T is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Derbyshire
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Hi Marv,

Had the full route not been closed and the Pines Express had continued to run over the S&D, it is reasonable to expect that the S&D might have been one of steam's last bastions along with the North East.

I think that it would have been extremely difficult to find diesels that could have equalled the 9F's for passenger work over the route and anyway Class 40,44,45,46 would probably have been too heavy. I am assuming that the S&D was probably Route Availability 6, with the rebuilt Bullied Light Pacifics being the heaviest allowed (a wondering Clan could have been substituted!)

It would mean that all other standards would have been able to use the route appart from the Brits and D of G. There would have been an influx of locos after the end of steam on the Southern in July 1967, which would give you all the Class 4's; Class 3 tanks and a glut of Rebuilt Bullied Light Pacifics. The Class 5 were already well establish over the route.

LMS 8F's would have done any freight work. Class 37's brakes would probably been inadequate (remember they had to have the break tenders for unfitted frieghts on much flatter routes). The 37's would probably haven taken over the passenger service in due course, as they did in Scotland.

In the post Steam Era, Westerns and Class 50's might have been used if they were not too heavy.

As trains had to reverse at Bath Green Park changing from Diesel to steam would not have been a problem for train arriving from the North.

Finally the new copy of Model Rail (due out at the end of the week, but my subscription copy has just arrived) is a special S&D edition.

So just a few more thoughts for you.

Best wishes,

John H-T.
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