For the Train Buffs amongst us...

[Fozzer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7876162.stm

I can remember travelling on these steam Monsters in the 1930's, '40,s and '50,s

...and the noise...and the steam...and the smoke... ...!

Paul...Choo-Choo!... 8-)...!

[expat]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7876162.stm

I can remember travelling on these steam Monsters in the 1930's, '40,s and '50,s

...and the noise...and the steam...and the smoke... ...!

Paul...Choo-Choo!... 8-)...!

Built entirely with donations over 18 years............not a good enough cause for the National Lottery, maybe they need a save the gay whale sticker on it and they would have been quids in

Matt

[H]

I've only seen the type in old western movies. There are still the deisel and electric variety around, although I've never boarded any. I suppose it's crossed your mind that I was never well-trained.

8-)

[Hagar]

Excellent. [smiley=thumbsup.gif] I bet that doesn't get held up by a couple of inches of snow.

[beaky]

Very nice to see that. And the sound... sounds like she's breathing.  And a compressed-air horn just isn't the same as a steam whistle.
External combustion is so simple and reliable, it's a shame it's been outmoded.  There's got to be a way to keep machines like this running with "greener" fuels... there's nothing quite like steam.

[machineman9]

"Tornado pulled 13 carriages, equating to about 500 tons, and ran at speeds of up to 75mph."

And it has a black box 'train recorder'. Lol.


Very good stuff. If it goes up to Crewe I think it would be great to get a trip down to London in it.

[Fozzer]

I remember them with much affection.

I can recall the smell of the smoke and cinders, and the hot steam mixed with oil.

The Pulman carriages with corridors stretching the length of the train, with passenger compartments leading off, containing plush bench seats facing each other, with drop-down arm rests, and a map of the railway route above the seat showing the stations en-route to enlighten the worried traveller that he or she was travelling in the right direction...or not!

The heavy doors with polished brass handles, which slammed shut noisily, and the frightening gap, (for little legs), between the platform and the first high step leading into the carriage!

The Railway Station was a noisy place, full of folks meeting each other off the train, or seeing each other off on the Train, carrying suit cases, and shaking hands, and kissing and hugging each other.

The Railway Porters with their sack trucks carrying Passengers luggage, or Royal Mail to and from the Mail Van at the rear of the Train.

The Train Guard carefully eyeing his pocket watch, waving his Green Lantern, and blowing his whistle, the toot-toot from the Engine as the Engine Driver released the hand brake, the hiss of steam, the plume of smoke, and the monster slowly and deliberately picked up speed, with all its passengers settled down to read their books and Newspapers, or gaze out of the windows at the passing scenery....A window seat, facing forward was always the best place..;)...!

The musical, clackity-clack of the Bogey Wheels as they passed over the expansion gaps in the Rail Track.
(Modern Rail Tracks are welded solid, and therefore quiet).

Mmmmmm...... :-*
........................

The Modern Diesel Locomotive may be quick, clean, and efficient, but they don't have anywhere near the same "feeling" as the old Steam Trains from the "Olden Days".

Paul...getting all weepy and nostalgic!... ::).... ;D....!

A typical Train Compartment on my stretch of the line, ....complete with hot water radiators under the seat!....The Great Western Railway (GWR)....>>>>

[Hagar]

Blimey Paul! That's an eloquent description. I can almost smell the smoke. 8-)

I travelled on a steam train every school day for 6 years. Not quite as grand as the Tornado it was fondly known as the 'Steyning Flyer'. Us lads called it the 'Steyning Stinker'. An apt description as I recall. I tracked down this photo of one of the locomotives.


The station is long gone & the track has all been ripped up. Thanks to a vandal by the name of Beeching.

[Steve M]

I enjoy seeing those old locomotives. My grandfather spent his youth working on one of those old steam trains as a conductor.

[Fozzer]

It breaks my heart when I remember all the myriad of fantastic Railway routes that traversed Herefordshire and surrounding Counties in every direction.
Railway tracks hugging the river banks, making their way through Woods with overhanging trees, winding their way through little Villages, popping in and out of tunnels and over bridges...

The most beautiful scenery imaginable could be taken in, during the frequent stops between local Stations, with passengers alighting and dismounting, to and from their Shopping trips to the big City!

Lord Beeching devastated the whole local railway system, which quickly disappeared, with many stretches being built upun, ensuring that the system could never be re-opened again in the future, if the situation demanded!

I close my eyes, and I can still see all those familiar stretches of Railway lines in Herefordshire, and appearing in my old Maps of the County, and the Railway Stock which regularly used them... ...!

Such a shame to see them all gone!

Paul... ...!

[Flying Trucker]

Thanks Paul you certainly know how to bring back a lot of fond memories.

[HawkerTempest5]

That looks very much like a rebuilt Battle of Britain class 4-6-2 Pacific. Built for the Southern region it would have had an "Air Smoothed" casing when new. BR rebuilt them, mostly for ease of maintenance.

I saw Tornado at Loughborough last autumn. It was in its grey primer back then but it looks much better in LNER apple green. I looked for the photos but I think they must be on my laptop

[Hagar]

That looks very much like a rebuilt Battle of Britain class 4-6-2 Pacific. Built for the Southern region it would have had an "Air Smoothed" casing when new. BR rebuilt them, mostly for ease of maintenance.

I don't know when that photo was taken or what the occasion was. It was the only one I could find of the Steyning branch line. The locomotives normally used on that line when I travelled on it were more like Thomas the Tank Engine.

[HawkerTempest5]

I don't know when that photo was taken or what the occasion was. It was the only one I could find of the Steyning branch line. The locomotives normally used on that line when I travelled on it were more like Thomas the Tank Engine.

It was very unusual for a big main line steam loco like that to be running a branch line service. It does have a named train header on the front so it was most likely a Saturday Special. Complete anorak time now . Those white discs on the front are peculiar to the Southern region, all other regions used lamps. Two discs (or lamps) in the position they are on that photo denote an express passenger service.

[Flying Trucker]

Good afternoon all...

While on this subject and I hope Paul doesn't mind but I have several more questions.

1 In Great Britain are all the rail gauges the same?

2 Is there a difference between the rail gauges in Europe to Great
  Britain?

3  Were there any Electric Engines in Great Britain?

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug