WITH FULL REGULATOR LOCOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE THEN AND NOW

THIS time I am looking in detail at the work of two very different locomotives on Sapperton bank and at their performance elsewhere on their respective railtours – plus some brief comparisons with the work of other locomotives on the Golden Valley Line.

I had hoped that by the time of Vintage Trains’ ‘Cotswold Explorer’on Saturday, May 18, the use of a diesel locomotive in the train consist would have ceased, but for a number of reasons it had not.

The only reason why I booked was due to assurances given to me by Ray Churchill, the driver for the key section on the day, and who has become a regular correspondent.

Diesel use explained

There is a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation about the use of diesel locomotives on the back of steam-hauled charters and certainly I am very reluctant to book ahead for any steam-hauled trip now until I am sure it will be diesel-free or that certain rules are in place concerning their use.

I hope that the following information from Ray Churchill clarifies the issue referring specifically to the ‘Cotswold Explorer’of May 18, though the principles are generic:“The diesel was there as a supplementary operative, if I may put