New Haven Neil

These ones were more interesting to watch with the uniflow exhaust valves operated by rockers, but went wrong a lot more often! See those valve springs at the back - when they go, you duck!!!! This is a Burmeister & Wain, the one in the other photo is a Sulzer - superior machine. Sorry about the pants photo.....only one I have, it's not mine. The modern ones have done away with the pushrods and rockers and use hydraulic actuation, nothing to watch!

So who else had the beat of a Bulleid pacific in their head watching the Meccano version? Oh, just me then....as an engineer, I was taught to listen to the sounds of machinery and try to isolate what made which sound, by synchronising movements to sounds and so on. Those big marine diesels I worked on only did 120 rpm flat out, so it was easier than a car engine to imagine and diagnose!

Uuummm, my area too....hard one. I'm going to 'do a Clive' with his prompting above, and vote Shildon electric. 1500v DC became more prevalent later, and indeed still powers the Tyneside Metro system not so far away, so was truly innovative. Only the one loco ever ran again (at Ilford) a shame the others weren't used on the Woodhead as had been hoped - I wonder why that was, they surely would have had use as bankers. Maybe their long period out of use got the works too damp for recovery.

The late N&W steam also floats my boat, O Winston Link to blame - I have the books, I have the records.....

A difficult one for me, but as a half-Scot, with Scots names, it has to be the J38, which IIRC were all allocated in Jockalia.

Yes the coaches have internal lights with a battery box underneath. That night the snow wasn't really deep enough to need ploughing (we don't get snow very often here) but it has happened once - a bit OT as its light, but....

Christmas 2009. Took a bit of finding!

The V2, but a mention in dispatches for the K3, it's close for me. But a V2 on the Waverley Route - yeah, wins.

The N2 for me, although if we nudge out the B17's Gilbert will be starting a cull of followers.....I'm already on thin ice in that regard due to not liking them! Their wheels are to big for their boots sort of thing, lop half a foot off them and they would have looked so much nicer.

A4 for me please, as the ultimate development of the Gresley style. Just off to listen to SNG doing 112 on the 'Triumph of an A4' record. Oh yeah. The civils must have freaked out!

Mine is fine, as are it's Minerva and Lionheart compatriots. Are these recent points? Mine are only a year old, I was wondering if like in OO, they change over time.

As powers increased this became an efficiency issue, so later large engines had four cylinders, but were triple expansion, with two low pressure cylinders. Getting the steam in and out is a problem with such large volumes - valves have to be huge, and are restrictive and also take a lot of power to actually move. In my field of large slow speed diesel engines the same issues applied, with cylinder bores peaking at about 1050mm, then easing back into the 900's as the diminishing returns came into play. The improvements in power now are to to massively improved injection systems an

The connection to religion is passing me by! Well done though, to lecture your class on compounding , and engage them! Impressed, young man.

Yes,

Without doubt the 9F. 93mph on a passenger train (Gerry Fiennes) or the Tyne Dock iron ore, where they were driven 'full engine' - full cut off, full regulator, sending coals to the moon. (Peter Handford's record recommended) Magnificent machines.