Steve Beck

Chartered Engineer. 42 yrs rail vehicles engineering with BR & Atkins. Now part time consultant. Also NT volunteer and author. All views my own.

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@Captain_Deltic @SteveWhiteRail @Hrushworth Couldn’t agree more. Need a strong GBR chairman who knows how to run a railway. I can think of a few but they’re either retired or dead !!

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@Prita_o81 @SteveWhiteRail @Hrushworth Cutting the TL services is a DfT initiative not a SE trains one.

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@SteveWhiteRail @Hrushworth Absolutely agree, but fear it might just be quick fix DfT agenda which may not be the right way forwards from an integrated railway point of view.

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@Days_Are_Gone @jsamways @ovsbulleid Ok thanks

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@ChristineKayNow @DomRants_ The problem is the tunnel and NR extortionate access charges for freight. Plenty of capacity though if it could be made economically viable

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@DomRants_ For those of us in Kent, taking HGVs off the M20 and out of Dover / Tunnel entrance would be brilliant. No more operation Brock on the M20 or TAP at Dover. If only we had the rail loading gauge to allow that.

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@MarkHay55822123 @Kentishtrivia Interesting rake of what looks like LNER coaches in the background. In all 6000 coaches from all 4 railway companies were used in 620 special trains to move the troops away from the Kent ports as quickly as possible. An amazing success. Could we do that again today ??????

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@BRCWCo @Andym13 @kingy69beard @LeicRailAle170 @thesatnav89 @WilsonBone @holtona72 @Bennybizzle1 @MrDeltic15 An increase from 75 to 85 is 1.133 times as fast. Braking distance increase is that squared = 1.284 times the distance or just over 28% increase. Also an additional 28% in braking kinetic energy that the pads & discs have to absorb. Does that help?

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@mrspotato2004 @PRRFanDoesTrain Great. Thanks.

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@jsamways @ovsbulleid In those days SE and Central shared the EPB fleet with maintenance at either SG or Selhurst. Sharing between divisions - who would believe it.

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@jsamways @ovsbulleid No. That was the 2 car 2 EPBs. The last batch were ex Tyneside with very large guards compts. No idea why. Tyneside never had 4 car units. The 2 units in pic are indeed BR mark 1 body 4 EPBs fitted with 1957 camshaft equipment

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@mark395625 @ChimeWhistle Yes. Building round Ashford just crazy. Wait till Lenham Heathlands get built.

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@mark395625 @ChimeWhistle Always amazes me just how well used the AFK to STP leg is used. Yesterday went up on the 16.39 from AFK and back on 20.40. Both busy. Where were all these people before the HS service ran? What is interesting is the high level of counter peak business.

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@stephen37292ML Steady on now. South of the border? Whatever next !!

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

2040 STP to MAR busy tonight. 6 coaches nearly full. Where’s everyone been? .

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@tms1967 @RAIL That’s where we are the German Gym. Really great meal tonight. Popped up to update Sylvia’s priv oyster and a meal here.

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@tms1967 remember this area around KX? Changed a bit since we worked at East Side offices.

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@FXMC1957 @Ogilvie_CJ Fractured wheel pan on a monobloc wheelsets.

[Steve Beck @Charing_Steve]

@Jonathan_55555 @NicholasLe81575 @tomhfh Things were very different then. The average person had no say in planning, and rules completely different. When I researched the Maidstone to Ashford line built in 1884 for my book, locals wanted the line built, not opposed it. They could see the benefits. Different now.