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Volume 19 - NO CARS :-)
PLEASE NOTE:-
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Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 16 Jan 16 at 21:19
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Nice sunny morning for a trip up the scenic line. Just had a green coloured steamer go past my place pulling eleven coaches. Seemed to be going slower than normal, belching out dark grey smoke....when it went past a few days ago in the same direction it was going considerably faster and belching out white smoke!
About 4 or 5 steam specials a week at the moment.
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>> Just had a green coloured
>> steamer go past my place pulling eleven coaches.
LMS 7P Class 4-6-0 No. 46115 'Scots Guardsman on duty today, pulling "The Fellsman"
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Thanks
Someone here told me that the green one I saw a few days ago was the Duchess of Sutherland. That probably explains why one was going faster. From a half mile away they looked the same to my untutored eye.
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Yesterday I went on a 300 mile, 14 hour chase of a steam tour, ending up strapping a six foot ladder to catch a shot, that because of vandal fences, hasn't been caught for a number of years, one of Kents most notorious climbs, that this steam train blitzed.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcAusnSwFXg
Along the way the fat controller gets his hat blown off.
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opps - can a mod put this int he trains 'n planes thread.
Failing that, Dave can you cock it up?
the former, hopefully
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 31 Aug 15 at 01:34
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Excellent! - one of, if not the best yet.
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Back in the day I don't remember hearing the four or three or whatever cylinders exhausting in turn, I just heard the engine going chuff chuff. So this video has taught me something new after all these years. Chapeau.
Near maximum torque from rest, like an electric motor. That's another advantage of steam locos.
Were the company directors in the Pullman carriage? Was the diesel on the back end there just in case, or was it shoving discreetly up the hills? I hope not the latter.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Sun 30 Aug 15 at 22:57
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>> Near maximum torque from rest, like an electric motor. That's another advantage of steam locos.
Not near, "a steam engine develops maximum torque at zero RPM". A sentence I recall from my days in education.
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>> Not near, "a steam engine develops maximum torque at zero RPM". A sentence I recall from
>> my days in education.
So does a car with electric motors??? e.g. Tesla. Not so sure about hybrids.
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Which is why, a pal I knew with a Stanley steamer describes a traffic light race where his grandfather in the car beat an E type from the lights!
Steam cars can be very quick 0 to 20.
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>> >> Near maximum torque from rest, like an electric motor. That's another advantage of steam
>> locos.
>>
>> Not near, "a steam engine develops maximum torque at zero RPM". A sentence I recall
>> from my days in education.
Which is why you as a driver, with 420 tons to get moving, 32,150 lbf (143.0 kN) of Tractive effort available at once, , and 4 inches of steel to steel surface contact to put it through, has to be something of a magician to get it all moving without slipping it all away.
In truth its not that hard, the very long power stroke available at low speed (using a control called the cutoff or reverser) makes it possible, but its very easy for it all to get suddenly out of hand.
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Cracking. You are very good at this.
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>> Along the way the fat controller gets his hat blown off.
>>
Nice one.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 31 Aug 15 at 21:42
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The reason this loco has a very distinctive beat is that it only has two cylinders, you can see one on each side, larger than normal if you check out the visible cylinder heads.
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>>it only has two cylinders,
How many do they usually have?
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>> >>it only has two cylinders,
>>
>> How many do they usually have?
The more powerful ones have three or four. Two visible outside, and one or two inside the frames on a crank axle. Problems there are difficult maintenance access, and issues with distributing the power and valve control* from inside the main frames to the outside.
They did build a steam turbine train, the UK version was actually very successful, the main turbine failed after 11 years and it was rebuilt as a normal loco which was then promptly smashed to bits in the Harrow and Wealsdstone rail disaster.
* It has a lovely technical term. "Conjugated valve gear"
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 31 Aug 15 at 13:25
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As much as the engines themselves, I do like the old carriage styles.
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In that video? Mostly BR Mk1's of 1951 to 1963 vintage - tho I seem to recall there was a an umber and cream pullman in that rake.
You can't hear it here but at 95mph plus Mk1's (they are limited to 100mph) start to "sing" in a very attractive tone.
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>> You can't hear it here but at 95mph plus Mk1's (they are limited to 100mph)
>> start to "sing" in a very attractive tone.
here for example
Mk1's at 100mph
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1scc2h5PflU
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Katakatakatakatak, you won't like it from me alas but what a terrific link Zero.
Of course the two outside cylinders were always the obvious ones. A lot of people didn't know there were one or even two others.
There was all the small valve gear too, the massive castiron fillets to balance the driving wheels, the huge clanking conrods, the oiling points for conscientious drivers. One was always lost in admiration even in marshalling yards in one-horse towns.
Anyone ever spent a few hours in Mangotsfield? Yuck, don't...
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Zero, lots of publicity this last few days up here about a new trainline that has (re)opened down to the Borders. The Queen is doing a trip on it today on the Union of South Africa?
Not sure if on your radar?
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Yes its on my radar, but its a long way away. Its has LNER A4 Class 60009 Union of South Africa on it and LNER A1 Class 60163 Tornado. Topped and Tailed I believe.
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A long way away! It's only 300 odd miles from your leafy suburb, its a tiny island we live on. :-)
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but it would have meant a journey north of the border, and my rabies jab is out of date.
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I suspected something like that, I will be in the Newcraighall area later this morning I will let you know if I see the train.
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300 miles is a long drive, unless you are spending at least a few full days there. I won't drive more than 90 minutes now to go on a days walk, although my walks are normally 8 hours! I would drive 300 miles to go on a weeks holiday, but 300 miles there then back the next day, forget it.
The exception would be if I had access to a really nice car...Panamera would do nicely thanks.
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timings
Edinburgh [EDB] 7 1033 1033 NL
0 61 Abbeyhill Jn pass 1035 pass 1035
1 50 Craigentinny Jn pass 1041 pass 1041
3 30 Portobello Jn (Lothian) pass 1044 pass 1044
3 36 Niddrie North Jn pass 1044 pass 1044
3 72 Brunstane [BSU] pass 1045½ pass 1045
4 46 Niddrie South Jn pass 1047½ pass 1047
4 54 Newcraighall [NEW] pass 1049½ pass 1049
5 2 Newcraighall South Jn pass 1050½ pass 1050
5 64 Shawfair [SFI] pass 1052 pass 1052
7 11 King's Gate Junction pass 1055 pass 1055
8 25 Eskbank [EKB] pass 1057 pass 1057
9 58 Newtongrange [NEG] 1059½ 1119½ 1059 1119
11 77 Gorebridge [GBG] pass 1124½ pass 1124
12 28 Fushiebridge Junction pass 1125½ pass 1125 1
16 13 Tynehead Junction pass 1134 pass 1133
25 75 Galabank Junction pass 1155 pass 1154
26 45 Stow [SOI] pass 1156½ pass 1156
29 71 Bowland Junction pass 1204½ pass 1204 1
33 22 Galashiels [GAL] pass 1210½ pass 1210
35 14 Tweedbank Sig Emb244 pass 1214 pass 1213
35 34 Tweedbank [TWB] 2 1218 1217
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and the return
Tweedbank [TWB] 2 1322 1322
2 12 Galashiels [GAL] pass 1327½ pass 1327
5 43 Bowland Junction pass 1334½ pass 1334
8 69 Stow [SOI] pass 1342½ pass 1342
9 39 Galabank Junction pass 1344 pass 1344 1
19 21 Tynehead Junction pass 1406 pass 1405
23 6 Fushiebridge Junction pass 1415 pass 1414
23 37 Gorebridge [GBG] pass 1416½ pass 1416
25 56 Newtongrange [NEG] pass 1418½ pass 1418
27 9 Eskbank [EKB] pass 1421 pass 1420
28 23 King's Gate Junction pass 1423 pass 1422
29 50 Shawfair [SFI] pass 1426 pass 1425
30 32 Newcraighall South Jn pass 1427½ pass 1427
30 60 Newcraighall [NEW] pass 1428½ pass 1428
30 68 Niddrie South Jn pass 1429½ pass 1429
31 46 Niddrie West Jn 1433 1445 1432 1444
32 24 Niddrie South Jn pass 1447½ pass 1447
32 32 Newcraighall [NEW] pass 1449 pass 1448
32 68 Millerhill S.S. 1456 1455
No queen on board, unless she wants to get out at Millerhill sidings and rake the firebox.
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I believe she was late in arriving for her train but it didn't leave without her...
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>> Yes its on my radar, but its a long way away. Its has LNER A4
>> Class 60009 Union of South Africa on it and LNER A1 Class 60163 Tornado. Topped
>> and Tailed I believe.
Turns out it was '09 up front and a diesel riding shotgun. 60163 went up on hot standby in case '09 failed (it has history of cooking its bearings)
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Vuck buck buck
I am at old Sarum for my last ever view of the Vulcan the weather is perfect I have perfect field of view and the damn thing has just gone technical with a fuel leak
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Was tracking it's progress on Twitter and wondered if it had aborted some of today's displays.
Back on the ground at DSRH now. Anything serious at this stage of the season could make today its last flight.
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>> Back on the ground at DSRH now. Anything serious at this stage of the season
>> could make today its last flight.
After an airtest it's now on it way to Coventry for a flypast.
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>> Vuck buck buck
>>
>> I am at old Sarum for my last ever view of the Vulcan
>>
O yeh! o Yeh1 there may be hope!
"Announcing dates for a two-day tour in mid-October to say ‘Farewell to Flight’ for the Nation."
A celebratory national tour, XH558’s most ambitious ever, is being planned for Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th October.
It will bring her flying career to a spectacular close in two sorties to cover the north and south, giving as many people as possible a final opportunity to see the dramatic sight of a Vulcan in the air.
In saluting that remarkable period of intense British innovation that XH558 so powerfully embodies, the tour will include fly-pasts of several sites famous for British aviation excellence, as well as other well-known locations chosen to provide good vantage points for supporters.
The flight plan and viewing options on the ground are yet to be confirmed, so please continue to read our email newsletters, Facebook, Twitter and postal mailings for further details.
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At Old Sarum.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp7QNAiKJ9c
I'd wish you do as the "Please Note" message says and post in the correct place!!!
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 13 Sep 15 at 19:16
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What a wonderful fighter aircraft it is. I'd loved to have flown one during WW2 and knocked out a few 109's.
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Spitfire was beautiful looking with its elliptical flying surfaces, and pilots loved its handling. But the pilot had no protection from accurate hostile fire, nor did the engine. Hurricane and Mustang for example, and the ME109, had some sort of armour plating behind the pilot at least.
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I'm sure this will interest some. Probably more so those down south... :-)
www.battleofbritainday.co.uk/
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Firstly you need to be aware it was due to be run today, was moved to tomorrow, and there is a weather risk that means it might not fly then. Secondly although it seems like a lot of spits, the only place you will see them all in one place is at Goodwood (fully booked) and increasingly dispersed between there and Selsey Bill. Once on their routes in dispersed flights from selsey bill they fly quite high, so you wont see that much.
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OK, thanks for that. It's only 50/50 wehether I get there anyway as I have a car to take in first thing for a while you wait tyre change and 4 way track.
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Zero - can you recommend the best free vantage point which I could turn up quite late at please?
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>> Zero - can you recommend the best free vantage point which I could turn up
>> quite late at please?
I'd love to, but in all seriousness, I can't. Somewhere on a line between Goodwood, and Selsey bill between 12:00 and 12:45 would be my guess, but its all pretty flat round there. Having tried to film a flight last month, and failing miserably, I am not going to attempt to go for this one.
If I was a gambling man, I stand on the raised bank outside the Rolls Royce factory.
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Short cut to the routes
www.battleofbritainday.co.uk/#!routes/c1px
Last edited by: henry k on Mon 14 Sep 15 at 17:59
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Royal Air Force Benson
We have been advised that a Battle of Britain commemorative flypast of 8 aircraft is expected to pass over RAF Benson tomorrow (15 September) between 1300 and 1315hrs (1-1.15pm). The flypast will be a mixture of Spitfires and Hurricanes. It is expected they will approach RAF Benson from the West (over Didcot and Brightwell-cum-Sotwell areas) and depart to the East (towards Nettlebed and Henley areas). Weather dependent they are expected to be flying between 500ft and 3000ft.
We hope our neighbours will join us in looking to the skies for this amazing sight while remembering The Few on the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
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well, the weather is not brilliant - but its on for today.
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Take off delayed until 14:00hrs due to weather.
twitter.com/BoultbeeAcademy
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My mate and I ended up at Selsey Bill which was a brilliant viewing spot just as the planes were turning off on their onward journey. We were on a field with a few hundred others plus the TV. I'm sure he got some good pics but I didn't... if there are any worthy I will post a link...
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Various reports in press of plans to purchase a retired Concorde from Le Bourget and return it to flight for display and possibly charters. The Vulcan is mentioned as a precedent.
www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/travel/83904/concorde-flights-planned-to-resume-and-aircraft-proposed-for-display-in-london.html
Can anybody really see this happening?
The Vulcan is on a 'Permit to Fly' which restricts its use and certainly does not cover passengers. Even then, withdrawal of technical support is the reason for it being grounded after this year. Didn't Airbus withdraw support from Concorde on retirement.?
Anfd the investment mentioned £120m won't scratch the surface of the work needed.
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>> Various reports in press of plans to purchase a retired Concorde from Le Bourget and
>> return it to flight for display and possibly charters. The Vulcan is mentioned as a
>> precedent.
>>
>> www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/travel/83904/concorde-flights-planned-to-resume-and-aircraft-proposed-for-display-in-london.html
>>
>> Can anybody really see this happening?
Not in 120 million years
>> grounded after this year. Didn't Airbus withdraw support from Concorde on retirement.?
Yes, and without manufacturer support it will never fly again. There are no concords fit to fly and nor can any be made fit to fly.
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You could make it fly again with enough cash, but I can tell you there is no way Airbus will support its return to flight
G-BOAF is actually in reasonable condition - lots of horror stories about it being neglected, but Airbus have spent a considerable amount of money maintaining it
The group have no chance of getting their hands on a BA aircraft - they still own them. I think when they went to museums etc they were leased rather than gifted with a long list of rules as to what could be done with them.
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The Vulcan is on a 'Permit to Fly' which restricts its use and certainly does
>> not cover passengers. Even then, withdrawal of technical support is the reason for it being
>> grounded after this year. Didn't Airbus withdraw support from Concorde on retirement.?
IIrc it was the other way around. It's final nail was airbus weren't interested in supporting it anymore.
>> Anfd the investment mentioned £120m won't scratch the surface of the work needed.
>>
Never say never, the vulcan took many years of fundraising. But this is another magnitude of complexity.
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I scoped this scene out last year, didn't know it was going to be tipping it down when I got to film it, but it turned out to be a doozy - turn up your speakers
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ChgUlwONuI
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chuff chuff chuff, takatakataka, ooooo-eeeee!
They make good noises, very good.
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Grrreat positioning + what we call drizzle in Cornwall.
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That's not rain, you can see too far. Another excellent video.
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Picture of Euston's Great Hall (about 1/3rd of the way down) looks amazing.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34333684
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The statement about the Waverley station roof is a bit misleading, it has a huge glass door which appears to be at ground level because it straddles a valley.
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>> The statement about the Waverley station roof is a bit misleading, it has a huge
>> glass door which appears to be at ground level because it straddles a valley.
>>
OK, computer geeks, how does a spell gadget turn roof into door?
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OK, computer geeks, how does a spell gadget turn roof into door?
No idea but my new phone decided as I was typing in the word 'Thanks' that I was opening my text with 'Thighs'. Needless to say, it now has predictive text turned off.
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R, D and F are all next to each other on a keyboard. A simple typo followed by an autocorrect in the wrong direction, followed by no proof reading.
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Could be worse. Couple of weeks back I sent an elderly chap a message that should have read "I've made you an appointment for Monday" which got autocorrected to "I've made you an appointment for Doomsday".
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>> OK, computer geeks, how does a spell gadget turn roof into door?
Down here in the posh south its called Velux
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>>Picture of Euston's Great Hall (about 1/3rd of the way down) looks amazing.
Incredible! .. pity the bar stewards had to pull it down though, criminal really :(
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Beautiful Morning, and this is as near to Reading as I am prepared to Brave
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsFyzfla-B4
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 26 Sep 15 at 10:11
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Proper job my ansome. Good head of steam there!
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>>SNOW!
You ain't seen nuffing yet. Why, I may even make a start on my logs this afternoon.
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Soft southern snow....wonder if the train thingy had winter tyres..
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It must be tough living in the frozen South, no wonder you need winter tyres. Dry and sunny here, cool though.
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Couple of nice ones here Mr Z sir: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWSJ2I97rPU
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Take it the steamer was on the down slow?
The foreshortening effect of the telephoto and the platform slew being on the slow side made it quite difficult to identify in spite of going through Apsley every working day for 23yrs.
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>> Take it the steamer was on the down slow?
it was
>> The foreshortening effect of the telephoto and the platform slew being on the slow side
>> made it quite difficult to identify in spite of going through Apsley every working day
>> for 23yrs.
probably never saw it from country end of the up platform at dawn on a cold wet weekend morning.
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=AliTjtMhDec
and a quick quiz. Whats the significance of the music?
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Train Basher?
Several types.
The classic basher is one who logs as many miles as possible but there are several classifications of "basher"
Track Basher: is one who logs unique miles on the network, i.e. bits of track not traveled before, especially non passenger lines, loops, sidings.
Shed Basher*: Entry to, and photographing within depots.
Traction Basher: Logging miles behind a particular type of loco, confusing this one as the title has to use the nickname of the traction. i.e. Ying Basher, Chopper Basher, Donkey Basher, Grid Basher, Crompton Basher. It is traditional for the Tractor Basher (BR Class 37) to get drunk and behave in an obnoxious manner and wave head and arms out of the window. One managed to do a "vivian" *To confuse things one Loco is called a shed, but as everyone hates them no-one wants to log track mileage behind it
There are other type of spotter. The "Festoons" are older spotters with loads of cameras hanging round their necks and get in everyones way, frequently appearing in your shot blocking the view.
Not to be confused with a "Plank" who are regular commuters who suddenly see a steam train coming and stand on the edge of the platform struggling to get their camera phone to work.
I am not a Basher, I am subclassed as Gricer: Photer/Chaser.
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The term "maniac" could equally be applied to "Bashers".
2. A person who has an excessive enthusiasm or desire for something.
www.thefreedictionary.com/maniac
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>> The term "maniac" could equally be applied to "Bashers".
I never claimed they were normal or rational.
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Same for a fan / fanatic / fanatical / maniacal.
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>>www.youtube.com/watch?v=AliTjtMhDec
>>and a quick quiz. Whats the significance of the music?
Some grrreat shots there. No idea on the music, nice though.
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"Whats the significance of the music?"
I think the music is 'Taken' by Francis Monkman off the album Long Good Friday.
Dunno the significance, though. Maybe one of the sequences was a particularly long train, and you shot it on Good Friday?
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>> "Whats the significance of the music?"
>>
>> I think the music is 'Taken' by Francis Monkman off the album Long Good Friday.
>>
>> Dunno the significance, though. Maybe one of the sequences was a particularly long train, and
>> you shot it on Good Friday?
Excellent
It is "taken" and the theme from the film "The long good friday" Anyone who has seen the film will link it to the ending scene where Harold Shand, east end gangster, is driven away by the IRA to an uncertain future after he thought he could defeat them on his patch.
The major operator of UK steam trains in the UK, West Coast Railways Company, is in deep poo with the ORRR and in danger of losing its train operating company certificate, for repeated safety and procedural violations, and for the owner frequently locking horns and arguing with Network rail. WCRC has an uncertain future, and with it, heritage tours on the main line.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 31 Dec 15 at 09:09
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For some strange reason I always get the Long Good Friday music muddled up with the (instrumental) theme music from all those Bourne films. Hear them back to back and they don't really sound alike, but in isolation if one pops up I can never recall which is which.
I like TLGF and rewatch it about once every couple of years. That closing scene is a great bit of movie making and fantastic acting.
Bourne I thought was good fun in the first part, then got repetitive and even sillier in the later ones. I rewatched the first one the other day, only having seen it once and it doesn't stand up as anything special at all for me.
As to trains, Forgotify threw me "Steel Rails under Thundering Skys" (sic) the other day, which is a sound effects record consisting entirely of large American puffing things recorded in thunderstorms. Takes your head off when they whoosh past in your headphones.
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www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35293133
Actually the explanation doesn't sound unreasonable, although not sure why it hasn't happened before.
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>> www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35293133
>>
>> Actually the explanation doesn't sound unreasonable, although not sure why it hasn't happened before.
Trains have crashed because signal lights were rendered invisible by strong sunlight.
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Tangential observation, but I think some trains have more or less vertical windscreens don't they? And others, especially the fast ones have steely raked screens presumably to aid the aerodynamics.
In both instances I guess there would be no hiding place from low bright sun for the drivers.
I've noticed for example that in "normal" cars I rarely seem to need sunglasses because I sit fairly far back under the shade of the roof but in cars with more steeply raked screens ( Ford Galaxy was one ) I needed to wear shades more often.
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What used to annoy me was the number of drivers who'd slow down on a bend because the sun was in their eyes. Now of course, that can apply to anyone, but on a commuter route where if sunny at the right time it will usually be utterly predictable, and having the sunblind positioned in advance in readiness is all that is needed.
That and the 'it's a bend, I must brake' brigade.
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>> www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35293133
>>
>> Actually the explanation doesn't sound unreasonable, although not sure why it hasn't happened before.
A direct consequence of 'One Man Operation' - the removal of conductor/guards to save money. The only way the driver can check the doors are clear in order to close them and move off is via a mirror (or CCTV) which on this day/time was rendered unusable by glare.
On London midland, where we still have conductors, the door closing could have been managed from the 'up sun' end of the train.
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>> A direct consequence of 'One Man Operation' - the removal of conductor/guards to save money.
Ah right - thanks Bromp.
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Percy Pilcher? Never heard of the chap til now - might have beaten the Wright brothers to powered flight if his glider hadn't broken...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-35317174
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 15 Jan 16 at 10:21
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"Percy Pilcher? Never heard of the chap til now"
I recall that back in about 1967, we visited my mate's sister who worked in the stables at Stanford Hall, Leicestershire. Stanford Hall is situated near to what is now the dreaded A14/M6/M1 junction at Catthorpe.
That visit was nearly 50 years ago, but I remember going into a barn/workshop and seeing a Pilcher glider up on the wall - was it an original, or was it the replica mentioned by Wiki? I guess I'll never know the answer to that but, at least, the name of Percy Pilcher registered with me.
Maybe I ought to look in at the hall, and find out more......
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_Hall,_Leicestershire
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Settle-Carlisle steam - legacylad
