Nene Valley Railway to replace steam with diesel over hot weekend
A heritage railway has replaced its steam services for diesel for a second weekend.The Nene Valley Railway (NVR) in Peterborough made the switch because of the hot weather and an increased risk of fire.It said sparks from its steam locomotives, either from the chimney or ashpan, could easily ignite dry grass and vegetation, especially when carried on the wind.Changes have also been made to protect crews as the temperature of the firebox of a steam locomotive can rise to more than 400C (752F).
With the weather set to reach temperatures up to 30C, a NVR spokesperson said reducing its steam operations "helps us ensure safe working conditions for our teams".They added: "Due to the ongoing extremely hot and dry weather, our lineside fields and embankments are at an elevated risk of fire. "To help manage this risk, we're temporarily replacing some steam-hauled services with our heritage diesel locomotives. "These diesels pose no fire risk to the lineside, allowing us to continue safe and enjoyable operations."NVR said the Thomas Branch Line would still run at the weekend as it uses a smaller steam locomotive over a shorter section of line between Wansford and Yarwell, via Wansford Tunnel."The tunnel provides a cooler environment for our crews and reduces fire risk, making it ideal for operation in hot weather," the spokesperson added. "Additionally, due to Thomas's size and lighter workload, the physical demands on the crew—especially the fireman—are significantly lower."NVR is one of the UK's leading charity heritage railways. Last year it launched an urgent appeal to raise £300,000 to keep it running in the face of financial challenges, and has since raised £120,000.
Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Emma Raducanu declares she's ready to EMBRACE the UK heatwave - with temperatures at Wimbledon soaring to 34 degrees Celsius on Melting Monday
Emma Raducanu insists she's ready to handle the heatwave as Wimbledon braces itself for its hottest-ever opening day. Temperatures are predicted to soar to 34 degrees on Monday, smashing the previous record for the hottest start to the tournament of 29.3C in 2001. 'I'm ready to embrace it,' declared Raducanu, who faces fellow Brit Mingge Xu third on No1 Court on Melting Monday. 'I feel like the heat in the UK is extra hot. Even when the number says a certain level, it feels hotter always. I'm prepared. I'm going to stay hydrated, do all the right things and hopefully I'll be okay.' Forecasters predict the high humidity could make conditions at Wimbledon feel as hot as 37 degrees with orange weather warnings issued for parts of the UK, including London. The hottest day during an entire Wimbledon was on July 1 2015 when thermometers reached 35.7C. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz revealed he will wear special patches that analyse his sweat so he knows how much water he needs to drink to cope with the sweltering conditions. 'I always say the details makes difference,' said Alcaraz, who could become only the fifth men's player to win three successive Wimbledon titles. 'Next week it's going to be pretty hot so I think it's going to be great to know what if I should take more water or whatever.' Wimbledon organisers will provide more water refill stations for spectators around the grounds as part of their extra measures to deal with the sweltering temperatures. Weather alerts will be announced on the big screens while medical teams will be on hand to assist if anyone feels the effects of the heat. Wimbledon's heat rule will also come into force, which allows the players to break from play and leave court during matches. British No 2 Katie Boulter, like Raducanu, is looking forward to soaking up the sun when she faces off against Spaniard Paula Badosa second on Centre Court on Monday. 'I enjoy the heat, so I won't complain' said Boulter. 'Paula's more used to it than me, she's got one up there! I think everyone is a little bit surprised as to how long the heat has been here for. I'm really enjoying it. I do need some more AC in my house but aside from that. I like playing in the heat, when it's hot it's usually a bit quicker.' Former semi-finalist Cameron Norrie, who faces Roberto Bautista Agut on Court 18 on Monday, said: 'I'm going to have to get a lot of match shirts ready! There's going to be a lot of long rallies and playing second match in the hottest part of the day – so they've definitely thrown me out there!'
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Moment music festival is SHUT DOWN and crowd forced to evacuate due to medical emergency
A MUSIC festival in Kent was shut down this afternoon due to a medical emergency. Margate's drum and bass festival - held at Dreamland - came to an abrupt halt today as the extreme heat got the better of people. 3 3 In our exclusive footage, the crowd can be seen dispersing as a man on a tannoy tries to evacuate the area. He can be heard telling festival goers: 'Everyone will be entitled to a full refund, but what they need is for everyone to please leave as easily as possible, the way that you came into the venue. 'It's a medical emergency so they have to close the entire venue.' He continued: 'As I say, everyone's entitled to a full refund, but there's nothing we can do about it. 'It's completely out of our hands, it's due to people needing medical assistance. They're inundated.' Dreamland's official X account confirmed the news, writing: 'Sorry guys, it was just too hot today so we had to close early. Get home safely.' The over 18's festival was due to be headlined by Andy C, with performances from Wilkinson, K Motionz, Mozey, Basslayerz, Harriet Jaxxon, Promo Zo,and Fish56octagon. Temperature's reached 28 in Margate today as people flocked to be by the sea - days before temperatures are set to hit 34C. It comes as thousands of music lovers packed out Glastonbury Festival in Somerset. Met Office meteorologist Ellie Glaisyer said the heat "continues to build", particularly in the south and southeast, thanks to an area of high pressure. "We could see highs of 29, 30, perhaps even 31C." 3
BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
In pictures: Hot weekend for the East of England
BBC Weather Watchers have been out in force as the East of England experienced high temperatures. From a dog enjoying a trip to the beach to a sunset across a lake, people were making the most of the warm weather and trying to stay cool. An amber heat health alert has been issued for the region, and a second heatwave is forecast over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the warning was in force from 12:00 BST on Friday until 18:00 BST on Tuesday, with the warmest weather expected on Sunday and Met Office said temperatures could hit about 30C (about 86F) across the East of England on Monday. Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk.
