Misc steam railway, traction, station and rail-related news

[Roadkill]

Portugal got up to the mid-70s (narrow gauge a bit longer), there’s still a line of rusting steam locos in the sidings at Gaia station like Barry hulks.

I remember seeing those when I was in that part of Portugal back in 2001. A sad sight, even though I wasn't very interested in railways at the time.

Lovely film here of steam behind the Iron Curtain back in the late 60s, some of which carried on for another twenty years or more after this was shot:



How Harry P. Dodge managed to get permission to film all of this from Eastern Bloc authorities who often treated trainspotters as possible spies is anyone's guess, but I'm glad he did.

 

[StoneRoad]

I remember seeing those when I was in that part of Portugal back in 2001. A sad sight, even though I wasn't very interested in railways at the time.

Lovely film here of steam behind the Iron Curtain back in the late 60s, some of which carried on for another twenty years or more after this was shot:



How Harry P. Dodge managed to get permission to film all of this from Eastern Bloc authorities who often treated trainspotters as possible spies is anyone's guess, but I'm glad he did.

As for the last point - no specific explanation, but two possible routes for gaining permission would be very good personal contacts plus not having a linguistic barrier and approaching someone very sympathetic to his aims.

 

[Roadkill]

As for the last point - no specific explanation, but two possible routes for gaining permission would be very good personal contacts plus not having a linguistic barrier and approaching someone very sympathetic to his aims.

I'm sure you're right, but how he'd have gone about finding and cultivating those contacts across the Iron Curtain and in languages ranging from Polish to Romanian is anyone's guess, and even if he did manage it I still can't help thinking he must have been very good at talking his way out of possible trouble with suspicious Eastern Bloc police officers...

 

[teuchter]

As for the last point - no specific explanation, but two possible routes for gaining permission would be very good personal contacts plus not having a linguistic barrier and approaching someone very sympathetic to his aims.

There are many things that are made possible by the fact that for many who work on the railways it's more than just a job. It always cheers me to see the things that happen because of this - things that have no commercial benefit and which seem on some occasions remarkably able to transcend beaurocratic hurdles.

 

[StoneRoad]

I'm sure you're right, but how he'd have gone about finding and cultivating those contacts across the Iron Curtain and in languages ranging from Polish to Romanian is anyone's guess, and even if he did manage it I still can't help thinking he must have been very good at talking his way out of possible trouble with suspicious Eastern Bloc police officers...

I suspect that Esperanto probably had something to do with the situation.
There is an international society for railway professional that speak Esperanto - they have their AGM at the annual international Esperanto congress.

My late father went on a trip over the Trans-Siberian railway as an Esperantist ...

 

[StoneRoad]

There are many things that are made possible by the fact that for many who work on the railways it's more than just a job. It always cheers me to see the things that happen because of this - things that have no commercial benefit and which seem on some occasions remarkably able to transcend beaurocratic hurdles.

Should have specified that I was referring to Esperanto - see my reply above - Misc steam railway, traction, station and rail-related news

[something I have also benefitted from personally]

 

[teuchter]

My late father went on a trip over the Trans-Siberian railway as an Esperantist ...

I went on the trans-siberian about 20 years ago; don't speak Russian but found a bit of German to be quite useful. I would not have thought of Esperanto as an option!

Does it still exist as a thing, then?

 

[StoneRoad]

I went on the trans-siberian about 20 years ago; don't speak Russian but found a bit of German to be quite useful. I would not have thought of Esperanto as an option!

Does it still exist as a thing, then?

Of course !
It is remarkably easy to learn - all letters are always sounded, and in the same way, only a limited number of grammatical rules - which are without exceptions, all verbs are regular.

There are plenty of clubs, even in Britain.
The UEA is based in Rotterdam.
Each year the UEA holds an international Congress, somewhere in the world ... or it did, damm covid.

[I've been to a couple of the Universalaj Kongresoj, with my father]

 

[editor]

Disused Stations: Barnard Castle Station (2nd site) a lovely station Barnard's Castle was (pre Cummings)



(Photo by
John Clark

More Disused Stations: Barnard Castle Station (2nd site)

 

[Puddy_Tat]

 

[not-bono-ever]

'Holy grail' rail posters collection saved from attic

Great Western Railway posters dating back to the 1930s had been forgotten about for 60 years.

www.bbc.co.uk

i love me posters me - look at this shepherd heavy hard core stash

 

[Roadkill]

Knocking around on railway sites, I've spotted a bit of new-build steam news. For the last few years there've been two parallel projects going to built a new B17-class locomotive, one a recreation of 61662 Manchester United and one an addition to the class in the same way as Tornado. Last month the 61662 group announced they're stopping work and donating parts to the other project, which looks as if it might be the prelude to a merger.

It's sad to see their dream come to an end, of course, but I can't help thinking this is basically a good thing. There's too much daydreaming about new-build steam engines, and there are too many groups promoting projects without the money, expertise or access to facilities to stand a realistic chance of completion, so it's strangely encouraging to see one of them face facts. It'd be great to see a B17 in action again - it'd fill a real gap in the preserved fleet, in which the LNER is still very under-represented, and they were handsome engines too - but there was no way two were ever going to happen, whereas one consolidated project might.

 

[teuchter]

This bizzare formation is currently testing the overhead line installation on the Midland Main Line.

It really looks like something assembled in a moment of boredom on a model railway.

 

[StoneRoad]

Must have a word with my bro about that !

 

[hipipol]

Disused Stations: Barnard Castle Station (2nd site) a lovely station Barnard's Castle was (pre Cummings)

View attachment 239644

(Photo by
John Clark

More Disused Stations: Barnard Castle Station (2nd site)

Bizarrely I thought this was an example of the death skills of Cummings, and so was an after shot, but no an earlier Govt hard man, Dr B. did this. Both lovely and sad, this pic

 

[hipipol]

Knocking around on railway sites, I've spotted a bit of new-build steam news. For the last few years there've been two parallel projects going to built a new B17-class locomotive, one a recreation of 61662 Manchester United and one an addition to the class in the same way as Tornado. Last month the 61662 group announced they're stopping work and donating parts to the other project, which looks as if it might be the prelude to a merger.

It's sad to see their dream come to an end, of course, but I can't help thinking this is basically a good thing. There's too much daydreaming about new-build steam engines, and there are too many groups promoting projects without the money, expertise or access to facilities to stand a realistic chance of completion, so it's strangely encouraging to see one of them face facts. It'd be great to see a B17 in action again - it'd fill a real gap in the preserved fleet, in which the LNER is still very under-represented, and they were handsome engines too - but there was no way two were ever going to happen, whereas one consolidated project might.

If they could divert some of the cash to the Great Central complete the reconnection, there would be nearly 33 miles of double track mainline to run em on. Saw Britannia on the Severn Valley years back, lovely but would have given, well not everything but quite a lot, to see her barrelling along with a full, or at longer than 5, rake of carraiges attached

 

[t0bytoo]

I'm currently living next door to this Steam Illuminations | Mid Hants Railway Ltd 'Watercress Line'

LED steam train extravaganza, they say. Hopefully my night time smoke spot overlooking the platform won't be too crowded. But should be fun to watch.

Just looked at the price. Blimey. 45 quid for 2 people

 

[Roadkill]

If they could divert some of the cash to the Great Central complete the reconnection, there would be nearly 33 miles of double track mainline to run em on. Saw Britannia on the Severn Valley years back, lovely but would have given, well not everything but quite a lot, to see her barrelling along with a full, or at longer than 5, rake of carraiges attached

It'd certainly be great to see the GCR reconnected, but I don't see why money need be diverted from this project to achieve it?

As for Britannias, it's a regret of mine I didn't get to see Oliver Cromwell doing its stuff on the GCR before its boiler ticket expired the other year, as it's probably my favourite preserved main-line loco. I even got in the cab of it at King's Cross a few years back, after it had arrived with a charter train:





Back in 2010 it and the Black Five 44871 were star guests at the South Devon Railway's Easter gala, working top and tail until this happened:



We were there for about half an hour before they simply uncoupled the derailed Black Five and 70013 took the train back on its own. I got the impression the driver was showing off a bit. Certainly he was working the engine much harder than he really needed to, and leaning out of the window listening to the Britannia's exhaust beat echoing off the valley sides made for one of the best trips I've ever had on a preserved railway.

 

[StoneRoad]

It'd certainly be great to see the GCR reconnected, but I don't see why money need be diverted from this project to achieve it?

As for Britannias, it's a regret of mine I didn't get to see Oliver Cromwell doing its stuff on the GCR before its boiler ticket expired the other year, as it's probably my favourite preserved main-line loco. I even got in the cab of it at King's Cross a few years back, after it had arrived with a charter train:

View attachment 241423

View attachment 241422

Back in 2010 it and the Black Five 44871 were star guests at the South Devon Railway's Easter gala, working top and tail until this happened:

View attachment 241424

We were there for about half an hour before they simply uncoupled the derailed Black Five and 70013 took the train back on its own. I got the impression the driver was showing off a bit. Certainly he was working the engine much harder than he really needed to, and leaning out of the window listening to the Britannia's exhaust beat echoing off the valley sides made for one of the best trips I've ever had on a preserved railway.

Opps (in-coming interview without tea n biscuits !)

If you want to hear engines really working hard ...
When the world is back to more like normal, have a trip up the WHR between Beddgelert & Rhyd Ddu .
This is over a steep and highly curved section so all the locos work hard, and also see the Aberglaslyn Pass - spectacular scenery !.
It's the bit they use for the "King of the Mountains" - the haulage competition at the "Superpower Gala"
You would expect the pairs of South African Garrats do be the champions at that - but the 2011 "superpower" runs saw the double heading Hunslets (Blanche & Linda) crowned "Queens of the Hill" as the RPS calculations showed they developed more power at the drawbar.
Veteran trains are declared King of the Hill in Welsh Highland Railway Superpower event - North Wales Live (dailypost.co.uk)

 

[Roadkill]

Opps (in-coming interview without tea n biscuits !)

Probably, but it wasn't the crew's fault so I doubt it ended badly for them. As you can see from the photo the train had just entered a 5mph restriction - over a foot crossing - and it was doing no more than walking pace at the moment it derailed. IIRC it was a track defect that caused it. I did feel rather sorry for the SDR, because their gala had been going really well up to that point, and then 44871 went and blocked the line for the last day.

 

[StoneRoad]

Probably, but it wasn't the crew's fault so I doubt it ended badly for them. As you can see from the photo the train had just entered a 5mph restriction - over a foot crossing - and it was doing no more than walking pace at the moment it derailed. IIRC it was a track defect that caused it. I did feel rather sorry for the SDR, because their gala had been going really well up to that point, and then 44871 went and blocked the line for the last day.

In that case, they probably got tea n bikkies later !

But, initially, at least, they would be treated as potentially culpable while the investigation was made.

 

[Roadkill]

In that case, they probably got tea n bikkies later !

But, initially, at least, they would be treated as potentially culpable while the investigation was made.

Oh of course, but in this instance I doubt that lasted long. I suspect the experience was more uncomfortable for the track maintenance bods.

That said, the incident is a good illustration of why tender engines are limited to much lower speeds running backwards than forwards. I remember some comment to the effect that the derailment probably wouldn't have occurred if 44871 hadn't been running tender first.

 

[StoneRoad]

We had an unfortunate incident (or two) at the Gateshead garden festival, the worst one was during trial running, and before the official inspection.

One was caused by a jerk jamming a fairly small stone (walnut sized) into a turnout, "to see what would happen" , when identified, he was sacked. [I found the stone, and someone suggested it was ballast, it wasn't, it was something quite different ...] It took a couple of hours to re-rail the errant set of wheels and check the turnout for damage.

 

[Roadkill]

We had an unfortunate incident (or two) at the Gateshead garden festival, the worst one was during trial running, and before the official inspection.

One was caused by a jerk jamming a fairly small stone (walnut sized) into a turnout, "to see what would happen" , when identified, he was sacked. [I found the stone, and someone suggested it was ballast, it wasn't, it was something quite different ...] It took a couple of hours to re-rail the errant set of wheels and check the turnout for damage.

I bet he was sacked - what an idiot!

As for mishaps on preserved railways, I bet the driver still hasn't lived this one down:

 

[Puddy_Tat]

As for mishaps on preserved railways, I bet the driver still hasn't lived this one down:

 

[Puddy_Tat]

surfaced on tweeter today - a 1970s design (that never got beyond the drawing board) involving 2 HST (Paxman Valenta) engines

 

[Mumbles274]

I know this isn't a train porn thread but this picture

Class 33 at Dover Marine in '77

 

[teuchter]

I know this isn't a train porn thread but this picture

Class 33 at Dover Marine in '77

View attachment 243373

There are people in the world who will never understand the beauty to be found in this image

 

[Roadkill]

surfaced on tweeter today - a 1970s design (that never got beyond the drawing board) involving 2 HST (Paxman Valenta) engines

That's magnificent. Just imagine what it would have sounded like!

Scrolling down the thread, here's a drawing:

 

[Mumbles274]

There are people in the world who will never understand the beauty to be found in this image

Surely everyone loves a proper old school red phone box