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Clive Mortimore
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1 hour ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Has anyone else lost sight of what day it is with this lockdown?

 

Days have names? :chok_mini:

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4 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Has anyone else lost sight of what day it is with this lockdown?

Yes, but I have managed to narrow it down to seven possibilities.

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20 minutes ago, Ray H said:

Don't those locos carry a Government health warning?

Now that is not fair, they are diesels. Mind you the (Great) Western Region did try its best to muck up the modernisation plan by wanting do things its own way. :nono:

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Hi again,

 

This is a genuine question, as I've been told different versions of the perceived 'truth' of the matter:

 

Was the problem that the WR went it's own way via hydraulic transmission, thereby producing 'non-standard' classes, or was it more a reflection that some locomotive builders (e.g. NBL) struggled with diesels exacerbating the issue?

 

Thanks and regards,

 

Alex.

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My understanding is that the WR argued that they didn't have any/enough electrical engineers or experience along those lines, but plenty of mechanical engineers, so argued for less electrics in locomotives.

They got what they wished for, and the rest is history, although I reckon a combination of numerous factors contrived to create the problems.

 

Mike.

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There was no single issue that killed off the hydraulic classes but the non-standard transmission and small fleets were only part of the issue.  There were roughly as many Hymeks, which had probably the best reputation for reliability of the hydraulics, as BRCW Type 3s (Class 33s).

The Westerns were redundant as soon as air-conditioned passenger stock entered service on the WR.  They couldn't be fitted with ETH (no space) which limited them to secondary passenger traffic or freight.  Increasingly the heavy freight was air-braked and other, more numerous types with air or dual braking were available. 

Then of course there was the problem with almost every diesel built by North British.  The problem was that they were built by North British.

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14 minutes ago, Alex TM said:

Hi again,

 

This is a genuine question, as I've been told different versions of the perceived 'truth' of the matter:

 

Was the problem that the WR went it's own way via hydraulic transmission, thereby producing 'non-standard' classes, or was it more a reflection that some locomotive builders (e.g. NBL) struggled with diesels exacerbating the issue?

 

Thanks and regards,

 

Alex.

Conspiracy theory number 4, the Swindon/Paddington  mafia were still smarting after being forced to join with the other three railways it was set on doing anything for this coalition fall apart.

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If your having a running session tonight Clive, will we get some sound effects later, or just a detailed description of what went where and in what colours, etc?

 

P.S. Hope you had a good Birthday mate.:good:

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1 hour ago, Alex TM said:

Hi again,

 

This is a genuine question, as I've been told different versions of the perceived 'truth' of the matter:

 

Was the problem that the WR went it's own way via hydraulic transmission, thereby producing 'non-standard' classes, or was it more a reflection that some locomotive builders (e.g. NBL) struggled with diesels exacerbating the issue?

 

Thanks and regards,

 

Alex.

 

Both. The WR wanted to be different and have its own traction policy. And NBL built lemons when it came to diesels. NBL  Type 21  (This is the diesel-electric flavour of lemon - one model I've actually managed to finish during lockdown)

 

Apparently the killer for both the Hymeks and the Westerns was that they didn't have ETH - and in the case of the Hymeks it couldn't possibly be shoe-horned in (so The Johnster in a post somewhere)

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1 hour ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

My understanding is that the WR argued that they didn't have any/enough electrical engineers or experience along those lines, but plenty of mechanical engineers, so argued for less electrics in locomotives.

They got what they wished for, and the rest is history, although I reckon a combination of numerous factors contrived to create the problems.

 

Mike.

Hi Mike

 

That is why the GWR lumbered 2 gas turbines with electric transmission on BR and Swindon was building Diesel-Electric shunters in 1948 (15101-15106).

 

They could have recruited some electrical engineers.  It would have been faster promotion than the other regions deadman's shoes systems.

 

Plus up to 1933 and the formation of London Transport Passenger Board the GWR had some EMUs on the Hammersmith and City Line.

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