Imaginary Locomotives

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, ScottishRailFanatic said:

Right, getting the full IC livery went down the drain so I modified the BR lined blue. Not much to look at but I’m happy with it.

 

Nice!

The "Intercity" logo on the tender could be a tad higher!

 

Looks like a HD Ringfield loco with the back end of the motor in the cab...

[The Johnster]

2 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

Hence the derogratory term "kettle" for a steam loco... 

Sort of elemental, isn't it?

 

9 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

Nice!

The "Intercity" logo on the tender could be a tad higher!

 

Looks like a HD Ringfield loco with the back end of the motor in the cab...

 

Not a million miles away from no.7's early BR livery.  I reckon that standard rail blue would have sat well on an A4, medium size double arrow of indecision on the tender and split headcode panel let in to the fairing at the front over the buffers.

[Corbs]

4 hours ago, ScottishRailFanatic said:

Here's a random idea - steam-electric locomotives? They could use the same principles as a normal locomotive, but as opposed to burning coal, they could use electric superheaters powered by third rail (or overhead) electricity, effectively being a giant version of the Hornby Live Steam mechanism. They'd also use modern advancements, improving on the older design like they did with Tornado, or a completely new locomotive design. Opinion?

I did a flight-of-fancy 'shop of a 9F earlier in this thread with a big pantograph-equipped tender and electric heating elements in the boiler/firebox, to get the remaining lifespan of the engine and the occasional heavy shunt in non-OHLE yards (using the boiler pressure as a power source, a bit like charging up a battery)  

 

EDIT: Found it!

 

 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Corbs

[Rockalaucher101]

2 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

I reckon that standard rail blue would have sat well on an A4, medium size double arrow of indecision on the tender and split headcode panel let in to the fairing at the front over the buffers.

Now there's an idea... Headcode panel, like the split ones on the peaks.

Might have to see if I can incorperate one somewhere on the smokebox, seeing as there'd be no need for it to open otherwise. Although mine already has electric lamps from the tornado detail pack so there might not be much point.

[Rockalaucher101]

33 minutes ago, Corbs said:

 

 

No that is really something.

Looking at how water is put into the tender though I may have to copy that. Not exactly safe to be clambering around on top so close to the wires

Edited March 8, 2021 by Rockalaucher101
Useful Observation

[scots region]

28 minutes ago, Rockalaucher101 said:

Now there's an idea... Headcode panel, like the split ones on the peaks.

Might have to see if I can incorperate one somewhere on the smokebox, seeing as there'd be no need for it to open otherwise. Although mine already has electric lamps from the tornado detail pack so there might not be much point.

didn’t the western region do that with train identification boards?

[Rockalaucher101]

2 minutes ago, scots region said:

didn’t the western region do that with train identification boards?

Yes on the 52's I think

[ScottishRailFanatic]

1 hour ago, Rockalaucher101 said:

That looks cool. Quick question though, what happened to your attempt at full IC livery? Just couldn't get the lines or...

I could get the livery but it would take me about a week to apply on my editing software. Diesels would be no problem but the A4 is just a bit too intricate.

[Rockalaucher101]

1 minute ago, ScottishRailFanatic said:

I could get the livery but it would take me about a week to apply on my editing software. Diesels would be no problem but the A4 is just a bit too intricate.

Might have a crack at it myself when I get home. Depending on how tired I am...

You thinking IC Swallow? Original HST?

Who knows, might even play around with making a livery for mine

[ScottishRailFanatic]

46 minutes ago, Corbs said:

I did a flight-of-fancy 'shop of a 9F earlier in this thread with a big pantograph-equipped tender and electric heating elements in the boiler/firebox, to get the remaining lifespan of the engine and the occasional heavy shunt in non-OHLE yards (using the boiler pressure as a power source, a bit like charging up a battery)  

 

EDIT: Found it!

 

 

My goodness, that is absolutely beautiful! I never thought I’d say it but WOW!

[ScottishRailFanatic]

Just now, Rockalaucher101 said:

Might have a crack at it myself when I get home. Depending on how tired I am...

You thinking IC Swallow? Original HST?

Who knows, might even play around with making a livery for mine

Hmm... a bit odd, but I think Chiltern would look lovely on an A4. Just me who thinks that?

[Philou]

Just thought I'd have a butt-in regarding a comment made by @The Johnster regarding Beeching and rail/railway station closures and their counterparts in Europe. I cannot speak for 'the rest of Europe' and I speak only as I see it here in France. The main railway system outside of the new shiny shiny TGV has been shot to bits and is falling apart due to a lack of investment in the 'classic' lines, all due to the Government insisting (forcing) SNCF to spend money that they didn't have on the TGV network. They're so badly off that last year, IIRC, there was mention made of REDUCING the TGV stations to about 30 to serve the whole of France. Our local TGV station is at least an hour's drive away (Besançon) and very little on-site parking. Our local station on the classic line (Line 4) is Vesoul only 35 mins away with parking - but the train service is limited to 4 up and 4 down to/from Paris. Want go elsewhere? Nah mate, need to go to Paris first and then come back.

 

It's not only in the UK where there have been massive closures, but here too, without the re-opening of lines as in the UK. You want to go cross-country? You're having a larf - up to Paris and back down again. At least in the UK you CAN use X-Country - maybe not everywhere - but you can. Whatever people think of privatisation, I do think that it has been A Good Thing (TM) and they could do with a bit of that over here. (Pity HSTs are rather old and probably non-compliant emission-wise as I could see them on our local line.)

 

Sorry if it's coming over as a bit of a rant, but it just seems such a waste of a vast infrastructure that could be put back to good use. They're so insular (bit of an oxymoron there) over here, that they won't look to the UK for ideas - though they seem to have woken up to the fact that there is a case for bringing back sleeper trains - yay!

 

Right! As you were and back to the Neverwazzas - I think they're all excellent.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[Rockalaucher101]

3 minutes ago, ScottishRailFanatic said:

Hmm... a bit odd, but I think Chiltern would look lovely on an A4. Just me who thinks that?

Found this one whilst digging as well

Edited March 8, 2021 by Rockalaucher101

[ScottishRailFanatic]

Remember that Russian-style 2-16-0 monster I created with a pair of 9Fs? Well, inspired by Corbs (thanks for the idea!), I have given an electric tender to my hideous creation. I plan on giving the same treatment to the Creature of Consett (remember that one? Haha!).

Edited March 8, 2021 by ScottishRailFanatic

[ScottishRailFanatic]

[The Johnster]

2 hours ago, Rockalaucher101 said:

Now there's an idea... Headcode panel, like the split ones on the peaks.

Might have to see if I can incorperate one somewhere on the smokebox, seeing as there'd be no need for it to open otherwise. Although mine already has electric lamps from the tornado detail pack so there might not be much point.

It only needs electric lamps if it is portrayed as running in modern preservation.  BR blue period did not have hi-intensity lamps and relied on the marker lamps or the dim 25watt filament bulbs behind the screens in the headcode boxes.  Don't forget the carriage key operated cam to change the blinds, bottom left corner of headcode box, as per WR hydraulics; you can't do it from inside the cab or the nose on an A4!  Replicated on the tender of course, split so that the corridor connection can still be used.

[The Johnster]

2 hours ago, scots region said:

didn’t the western region do that with train identification boards?

 

[Flying Pig]

3 hours ago, Corbs said:

I did a flight-of-fancy 'shop of a 9F earlier in this thread with a big pantograph-equipped tender and electric heating elements in the boiler/firebox, to get the remaining lifespan of the engine and the occasional heavy shunt in non-OHLE yards (using the boiler pressure as a power source, a bit like charging up a battery)  

 

EDIT: Found it!

 

 

 

I think the highlighted phrase is key, as it is clearly a major mod of the existing boiler retaining the original shell.  A purpose-built boiler wouldn't need either a firebox or a smokebox and would probably look very bland, quite like a fireless loco.  This would probably make a good cab-forward conversion, with no firing needed and everything electric.

[The Johnster]

3 hours ago, Rockalaucher101 said:

Yes on the 52's I think

All the WR hydraulics that were given headcode panels (which TTMOMK is all of them, eventually) were given the same sort, a two character panel mounted either in a box either side of the gangway connection doors (22, 41) or paired in the centre of the nose/front (42/3, 52, 14)  These were operated from the outside of the loco by a shaft which connected to the square part of a carriage key, turning which rotated the blinds.  WR steam locos used 3-character codes on boards mounted in metal frames hung on to the loco's smokebox number plate.  This was perpetuated on the early class 41 and 42 Warships (not sure about the 22s) with a frame affixed to the locomotive nose that carried the boards, replaced from around 1960 by the headcode boxes. 

 

The 3-character train description boxes in their orignal form showed codes delieating where the trains had come from rather than their destinations, and were number codes, but these were changed to a 3-character alpha numeric system related to the 4-character headcodes by the time the first of the hydraulics were in service.

 

I have an idea that the production Warships were the first of the 1955 MP diesels not to be given gangway connecting doors, maybe someone can confirm this or show me wrong.

[The Johnster]

6 minutes ago, Flying Pig said:

  A purpose-built boiler wouldn't need either a firebox or a smokebox and would probably look very bland, quite like a fireless loco.

It wouldn't need a firebox but it would still need to exhuast the spent steam from the cylinders into something that looked like a smokebox, with a chimney (or double chimney in this case) and would probably still have needed the smoke deflectors to lift the steam unless we go for the cab forward version.  If we go for the cab forward version, given that the length of this beast probably takes beyond most main line depots' turntables, we need a cab at the rear of the tender as well, which means it needs to be about 6 feet longer.

[Flying Pig]

14 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

It wouldn't need a firebox but it would still need to exhuast the spent steam from the cylinders into something that looked like a smokebox,

 

No it wouldn't - a smokebox is part of the draughting of a locomotive type boiler.  The criteria for exhaust would be minimising back pressure while ensuring the driver's view was clear, no draught needed.   A fireless loco has no smokebox and the boiler usually just looks like an insulated tank.

[Corbs]

59 minutes ago, Flying Pig said:

 

I think the highlighted phrase is key, as it is clearly a major mod of the existing boiler retaining the original shell.  A purpose-built boiler wouldn't need either a firebox or a smokebox and would probably look very bland, quite like a fireless loco.  This would probably make a good cab-forward conversion, with no firing needed and everything electric.

Precisely my thinking, otherwise you get into the area of 'if you want to get there, I wouldn't start from here'!

[Flying Pig]

1 hour ago, Corbs said:

Precisely my thinking, otherwise you get into the area of 'if you want to get there, I wouldn't start from here'!

 

It's worth a bit of imagineering.  A post apocalyptic scenario perhaps, where you somehow have electric power, but have to make the best of the S*******c R*****e for traction. 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Flying Pig
speling

[Corbs]

1 hour ago, Flying Pig said:

 

best of the S*******c R*****e for traction. 

 

SHHHHH

 

It attracts them

[62613]

On 07/03/2021 at 18:11, Northmoor said:

The ECML scheme in the 80s came in 10% under budget.  I think the East Anglian schemes came in at or under budget as well.

Generating hydrogen by electrolysis is pretty inefficient (and no amount of research is really going to change that), certainly compared to reforming it from diesel.

 

The current "Rolling Back Beeching" schemes continue to paint him as the villain for any number of closures he had nothing to do with, instead of the politicians who actually signed off on the closures he did and didn't recommend.

By the way the Marples conspiracy re: his wife, would be libellous if he or she were still alive.  There has never been any firm evidence put forward that the alleged share transfer ever happened.

Although, we must recall that he decamped to France, just ahead of the old bill, in about 1965, so he was surely up to no good somewhere