jazzer Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 41 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said: The 2000 performed well for most of their lives, most years having the second or third highest reliability. First was the Type 1s and second or third along with the Type 4s was the Type 3s, which I think is testimony to the sound engineering design by staff at English Electric. True they were on their upper limits performance wise on both the ECML and the WCML. Many can look at the romance of steam locos with rose tinted glasses. Quite a few years ago I was chatting to a Carlisle driver who had experience of steam locos, the various classes of diesels and electrics. He said on a nice summer day with a light Birmingham- Glasgow train it was lovely being on the footplate of a Princess Coronation but on a cold frosty morning with a heavy sleeper behind give him a class 87 topping Shap at 100. Yes, crew comforts ! I was once a guest at an ASLEF dinner when an ex-LMS man and an ex- GWR driver were having some banter about their respective regions steam locos until the LMS man said “ Ah but on those cold windy nights at hanging around at Oxford you always wanted to leave your draughty cab come and sit in our Class5 cab! “ I wasnt knocking the overall reliability of the class 40’s, but with the benefit of hindsight of the cost of the investment of throwing them in the deep end of front line ECML expresses when steam was doing just as well , since it was only a matter of four years of so until the more powerful Deltics and class 47’s were available. I know it is easy to be clever with hindsight , but there were some massive blunders with the Modernisation Programme. It was the same with the Western , with the huge cost of the Diesel Hydraulics, that were withdrawn after a fraction of their potential economic working lives. I agree it is to be clever with hindsight though.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium thegreenhowards Posted December 29, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 29, 2019 5 hours ago, great northern said: One example, two recorded sightings in summer 58 on or near Welwyn viaduct. One was three eight car quad arts going South behind a 9F just after August Bank Holiday, and the other a train consisting of 20 something condemned brake vans. Would there have been specific paths for those? I doubt it. Obviously I don't advocate trying to run either, on the grounds of impracticality, unless we've come into a lot of money, which I haven't. No, we should never do that! (Sorry about the lamps - it’s normally on freight and they’re superglued in place!) Andy 15 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted December 29, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 29, 2019 1 hour ago, thegreenhowards said: No, we should never do that! (Sorry about the lamps - it’s normally on freight and they’re superglued in place!) Andy Only two more sets to do then 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post great northern Posted December 29, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted December 29, 2019 Here's Bois Roussel again, non stop on its way South. That chap who has a fixation with catering cars has been at it again. All Gresley this time though. 23 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted December 29, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 29, 2019 7 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said: The 2000 performed well for most of their lives, most years having the second or third highest reliability. First was the Type 1s and second or third along with the Type 4s was the Type 3s, which I think is testimony to the sound engineering design by staff at English Electric. True they were on their upper limits performance wise on both the ECML and the WCML. Many can look at the romance of steam locos with rose tinted glasses. Quite a few years ago I was chatting to a Carlisle driver who had experience of steam locos, the various classes of diesels and electrics. He said on a nice summer day with a light Birmingham- Glasgow train it was lovely being on the footplate of a Princess Coronation but on a cold frosty morning with a heavy sleeper behind give him a class 87 topping Shap at 100. In my experience (Scotland, 1970s/80s) the Type 4s were let down by some of the electro-mechanical parts, most notably the load regulator which needed frequent adjustment. EE did a much better job with the Type 3s. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post great northern Posted December 30, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted December 30, 2019 Parcels and ECS next, all the way from Craigentinny, but 60505 has only taken over at New England. Let's have another look through the arch. 30 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post great northern Posted December 30, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted December 30, 2019 Another of my occasional attempts at reproducing a prototype image. I've tried this one before, I think, but I fancied another go. So, here is Ben Brooksbank's original photo of the Little Barford coal. Followed by my attempt. Let down by a lamp again, and I couldn't get the platform signal sharp, nor add any exhaust. Not too bad though? 30 5 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post great northern Posted December 30, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted December 30, 2019 Just spent two hours going from Fort William to Mallaig. Very pleasant, and quite relaxing. Not so at PN though, for at Platform 6, a Wolf lurks. There is a Scottish connection though. 60506 will be off to KX with the 1033 stopper, but not until its classmate has gone ahead with its Class C. 24 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 30 minutes ago, great northern said: Just spent two hours going from Fort William to Mallaig. Very pleasant, and quite relaxing. Same here. Done the route many times - at least twice behind 5407 - but not for a few years. But found I still had a pretty good idea of what was round the next corner which was quite satisfying. Mrs 4479 stood it for about 5 mins before declaring it to be 'ard going - 'are we going to be watching THIS for two hours? There's not even any commentary!' Must be a 'man' thing. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted December 31, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2019 1 hour ago, LNER4479 said: Same here. Done the route many times - at least twice behind 5407 - but not for a few years. But found I still had a pretty good idea of what was round the next corner which was quite satisfying. Mrs 4479 stood it for about 5 mins before declaring it to be 'ard going - 'are we going to be watching THIS for two hours? There's not even any commentary!' Must be a 'man' thing. I was lucky enough to get paid for travelling between Glasgow, Oban, Fort William and Mallaig, night or day, passenger or freight, about twice a week in late 1978. What a way to earn a living... 5 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted December 31, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2019 10 hours ago, LNER4479 said: Same here. Done the route many times - at least twice behind 5407 - but not for a few years. But found I still had a pretty good idea of what was round the next corner which was quite satisfying. Mrs 4479 stood it for about 5 mins before declaring it to be 'ard going - 'are we going to be watching THIS for two hours? There's not even any commentary!' Must be a 'man' thing. I got a bit fidgety towards half way through, but then realised that the more spectacular scenery was still to come and stuck with it. I wouldn't want to watch things like this too often, but occasionally, and especially if they are railway related, I enjoy them. As to commentary, given the false jeopardy which has to be injected into otherwise watchable programmes I think the lack of it is no bad thing. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted December 31, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2019 8 hours ago, St Enodoc said: I was lucky enough to get paid for travelling between Glasgow, Oban, Fort William and Mallaig, night or day, passenger or freight, about twice a week in late 1978. What a way to earn a living... Didn't the amount of enjoyment depend on the weather conditions? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post great northern Posted December 31, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted December 31, 2019 More coal, running Class F behind one of our borrowed 02s. And as we really like an 02, don't we, here is 63983 in close up. I forgot the dusting brush again, but I just can't see these specks with the naked eye. 32 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium thegreenhowards Posted December 31, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2019 14 hours ago, great northern said: Another of my occasional attempts at reproducing a prototype image. I've tried this one before, I think, but I fancied another go. So, here is Ben Brooksbank's original photo of the Little Barford coal. Followed by my attempt. Let down by a lamp again, and I couldn't get the platform signal sharp, nor add any exhaust. Not too bad though? Gilbert, In your picture I can see a signal with the distant on and the home off, whereas on the prototype shot there’s doesn’t seem to be a home. What’s going on there? Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted December 31, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2019 22 minutes ago, thegreenhowards said: Gilbert, In your picture I can see a signal with the distant on and the home off, whereas on the prototype shot there’s doesn’t seem to be a home. What’s going on there? Andy Yes, I did a double take at first Andy, but the simple answer is that the home is hidden by the exhaust from the locomotive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted December 31, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2019 1 hour ago, great northern said: Didn't the amount of enjoyment depend on the weather conditions? Not really Gilbert. I enjoyed every trip, regardless of the time of day, type of train, weather or anything else. What more could a young bloke just out of University ask for? (well, quite a lot actually but you get my drift...). 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium thegreenhowards Posted December 31, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2019 25 minutes ago, great northern said: Yes, I did a double take at first Andy, but the simple answer is that the home is hidden by the exhaust from the locomotive. I did consider that, but it didn’t look thick enough. Anyway, mystery solved in which case, it’s a remarkably good recreation. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted December 31, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2019 16 minutes ago, thegreenhowards said: I did consider that, but it didn’t look thick enough. Anyway, mystery solved in which case, it’s a remarkably good recreation. That's why I had another go at it Andy. I just need a lower quadrant arm on the platform signal now, I think, though I still haven't been able to establish exactly when the change was made. Other than that, everything else seems to be nearly in the right place. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post great northern Posted December 31, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted December 31, 2019 Wolf departing. 26 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 6 hours ago, great northern said: That's why I had another go at it Andy. I just need a lower quadrant arm on the platform signal now, I think, though I still haven't been able to establish exactly when the change was made. Other than that, everything else seems to be nearly in the right place. On the forward project plan... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted December 31, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2019 52 minutes ago, LNER4479 said: On the forward project plan... Jolly good Graham. It does irritate me. Mind you , you do have one or two other little bits to do, don't you? Let alone the big revelation tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzer Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 10 hours ago, great northern said: More coal, running Class F behind one of our borrowed 02s. And as we really like an 02, don't we, here is 63983 in close up. I forgot the dusting brush again, but I just can't see these specks with the naked eye. Before you mentioned it it genuinely thought those specks on the smoke box and running plate were specks of ash . Looks very realistic to me ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted December 31, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2019 Love the recreation shot, Gilbert. Getting better with those! 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted December 31, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2019 2 hours ago, jazzer said: Before you mentioned it it genuinely thought those specks on the smoke box and running plate were specks of ash . Looks very realistic to me ! I didn't think I'd get away with that. I wish I'd tried now. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post great northern Posted December 31, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted December 31, 2019 As the year draws to a close, what better to see it out than a Claud standing at Platform 6? and another look at Tim's craftsmanship, the 04/8, in better light which hopefully shows more of the nuances of the weathering. And finally, time to thank you all for following my ramblings for yet another year. A peaceful and prosperous New Year to you all. 35 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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