Non-motoring > Unusual planes, trains but no automobiles vol 7   [Read only]
Thread Author: VxFan	Replies: 106

New Sun 4 Mar 12 04:09   Unusual planes, trains but no automobiles vol 7 - VxFan

***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 8 ***** Volume 7 - NO CARS :-) PLEASE NOTE:- To try and maintain some kind of logical order of discussion, if you start a new subject then reply to this post and remember to change the default subject header. Volume 6 is here Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 19 Apr 12 at 20:57

New Sun 4 Mar 12 13:45   St Davids Day Express.... - Ted

It's not a particularly fast line. The trams can, and, do do50mph on the Altrincham line but the stations here are not far apart. I notice the tracks are concreted in at the next bridge which is far less used than the one in question. Never got to speak to the engineers. I think they were ' up the line ' somewhere. I'll be on the tram tomorrow so I'll see if I can find one. Your theory is as good as any so far, NC. Ted Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 4 Mar 12 at 17:35

New Sun 4 Mar 12 14:43   St Davids Day Express.... - Zero

Yes those extra rails are to keep the stock moving more or less in the right direction, within the confines of the gauge, and hopefully upright in the event of a derailment. Usually deployed in areas where derailment outside the running gauge would cause death, destruction and havoc. Close bridge or tunnel abutments, over busy roads, etc etc. Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 4 Mar 12 at 17:35

New Sun 4 Mar 12 14:49   The Bristolian - Zero

And now - just for Big Tee, we have some diesels mixed with the steam. Yesterday it was the king again, running Bristol to London. On the back you will find a diesel generator car for electric train heat as there have been complaints about the steam heating not working. The diesels are class 47's - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_47 - And we have a Class 43 HST with a smoky bearing or brake. The video www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B2jpZoOlwc

New Sun 4 Mar 12 23:16   The Bristolian - Bigtee

The HST does not have many carriages unlike East Coast. Nice to see some diesel traction. :-)

New Mon 5 Mar 12 08:45   The Bristolian - Focusless

>> The HST does not have many carriages unlike East Coast. On the Bath-Reading 1643 train home carriage E is quite often missing from the usual set of A-H ie. 7 instead of 8, like in Z's vid. I can only assume it's deliberate from the number of times it happens, although it isn't every time.

New Thu 8 Mar 12 20:28   It must mean something else in French! - Roger.

i115.photobucket.com/albums/n297/penfro/ATT00037.jpg

New Thu 8 Mar 12 20:54   It must mean something else in French! - Bromptonaut

Photo shop aire I suspect. The aircraft is a Soviet era Ilyushin IL-86

New Thu 8 Mar 12 21:22   It must mean something else in French! - Old Navy

I like this one - tinyurl.com/yl2ll78

New Fri 9 Mar 12 09:16   It must mean something else in French! - Dog

Most likely a Fokker.

New Fri 9 Mar 12 22:55   steam leccy and diesel - Zero

One for BigT here. A castle and a Duchess were moving around the midlands today, so they got filmed by me as I happened to be in the area. Also some virgin voyagers, and a fairly rare class 70 www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UyOmYLgiO8

New Sat 10 Mar 12 00:18   steam leccy and diesel - rtj70

The Voyager in the video to me looked like a Cross Country painted train and not a Virgin trains one. They lost the franchise didn't they so the Manchester to Brighton service is no longer a Virgin run service. www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/_SiteImages/Template/CrossCountryX.gif Thought Zero might want to correct his video if incorrect.

New Sat 10 Mar 12 10:56   steam leccy and diesel - Zero

>> The Voyager in the video to me looked like a Cross Country painted train and >> not a Virgin trains one. They lost the franchise didn't they so the Manchester to >> Brighton service is no longer a Virgin run service. You are right. I had some Virgin Voyager clips and was going to use them, but put the cross country ones instead. Stupid me. >> Thought Zero might want to correct his video if incorrect. Nah, give the gricers something to complain about, plus it takes 45 minutes to upload each clip, so I will leave it.

New Sat 10 Mar 12 08:20   steam leccy and diesel - Bigtee

At last some modern traction. Thanks.

New Sun 11 Mar 12 09:04   steam leccy and diesel - Bromptonaut

Would one or both the kettles have gone thru' Northampton later in day Zeddo? Something steam came through around 16:30 when Mrs B was collecting daughter from station.

New Sun 11 Mar 12 09:42   steam leccy and diesel - Zero

>> Would one or both the kettles have gone thru' Northampton later in day Zeddo? >> >> Something steam came through around 16:30 when Mrs B was collecting daughter from station. Hmm. That pair were going up to do Shap and the Settle - Carlisle. (the princess failed at Carlisle and had to be dragged around by the castle) There was other stuff steaming north of you, but I can't see anything planned to go through Northampton yesterday.

New Sun 11 Mar 12 09:46   steam leccy and diesel - Bromptonaut

Ahh the Northampton visitor was on Friday. Loco(s) and service coach judging by Miss B's description.

New Sun 11 Mar 12 09:51   steam leccy and diesel - Zero

Ah right, that would be the Black 5 sent down to cover for the missing Tangmere. Its running today Waterloo to Bristol return. just off out to film it.

New Sun 11 Mar 12 10:00   steam leccy and diesel - swiss tony

>> Ah right, that would be the Black 5 sent down to cover for the missing >> Tangmere. Its running today Waterloo to Bristol return. >> just off out to film it. How do you find out when/where the steamers are running?

New Sun 11 Mar 12 10:04   steam leccy and diesel - Zero

>> >> Ah right, that would be the Black 5 sent down to cover for the >> missing >> >> Tangmere. Its running today Waterloo to Bristol return. >> >> just off out to film it. >> >> How do you find out when/where the steamers are running? www.uksteam.info/index.htm

New Sun 11 Mar 12 10:12   steam leccy and diesel - swiss tony

Many thanks. Not running near me today - oh well.

New Sun 11 Mar 12 12:28   steam leccy and diesel - Zero

>> Ah right, that would be the Black 5 sent down to cover for the missing >> Tangmere. Its running today Waterloo to Bristol return. >> >> just off out to film it. and here it is www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIQAK8QRbsU

New Sat 10 Mar 12 13:13   tornado season - Zero

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzjjFSZC9P4 Pretty spectacular smoke wise, no idea what they were burning - cant have been coal.

New Sat 17 Mar 12 22:41   Clan Line - Again - Zero

Sorry it was a such a super walk with the dog in the country, I came over all arty and wistful www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBeU22KyEIM

New Sun 18 Mar 12 03:23   Clan Line - Again - devonite

Thought I`d tuned into "Countryfile" at first! - that was until I heard you chewing your gum at 2.00! ;-) Music is Grieg 'Peer Gynt' Suite No. 1, Op. 46 - 'Morning' Yep thought I recognized it! - Hall of the Mountain King next Please! A very nice video to watch! - Kudos!

New Sun 18 Mar 12 13:46   Clan Line - Again - Bigtee

Quality 3 car DMU. Shame about the kettle.................

New Sun 18 Mar 12 22:31   Clan Line - Again - Ted

Spot on BigT...all the decent kettles were crimson lake ! Ted

New Sun 18 Mar 12 23:20   Clan Line - Again - Ted

A leetle quiz.... While we're on about little cities and cathedrals, who knows the name of the smallest island in the world to have a double track, intercity railway running over it ? Ted

New Sun 18 Mar 12 23:35   Clan Line - Again - bathtub tom

Isle of Thanet?

New Sun 18 Mar 12 23:36   Clan Line - Again - RattleandSmoke

I know the Isle of Weight and the Isle of Man have proper railway systems. Is this Island apart of the UK? Anglesey could be a good candidate too, not sure if it is double track but it certainly has intercity services to London. Not really sure you can count it as island though! Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Sun 18 Mar 12 at 23:37

New Mon 19 Mar 12 00:03   Clan Line - Again - Ted

All far too big. I'm off to bed now so I'll give the answer so you won't all be up all night poring over your maps. Inchgarvie......... tinyurl.com/7jy5vb8 HeHe. Ted

New Mon 19 Mar 12 00:06   Clan Line - Again - rtj70

You did say running over it.... :-)

New Mon 19 Mar 12 01:21   Clan Line - Again - devonite

>>You did say running over it.... :-) I agree! - When you post a quiz, you`ve got to make sure the answer is "Inch perfect"!!

New Mon 19 Mar 12 15:53   Clan Line - Again - Ted

>> >>You did say running over it.... :-) >> >> I agree! - When you post a quiz, you`ve got to make sure the answer >> is "Inch perfect"!! >> I didn't say ' running on it ' The line goes over it...100 ft over it...or whatever. :-P Ted

New Mon 19 Mar 12 07:55   Clan Line - Again - Bigtee

I know the Isle of Weight and the Isle of Man Isle of Weight would this be the same as the Isle of White? or is this a new island?

New Mon 19 Mar 12 08:09   Clan Line - Again - Duncan

>> I know the Isle of Weight and the Isle of Man >> >> Isle of Weight would this be the same as the Isle of White? or is >> this a new island? >> No. But they are both quite close to the Isle of Wight.

New Mon 19 Mar 12 09:19   Clan Line - Again - Pat

Tact and diplomacy has long gone.....so have I, out into the garden where there is no one to correct me if I happen to make a mistake. Do you ever stop to think just how much you may embarrass people? This is aimed at ALL of the pedants on here...not just one. You understood perfectly what was meant so what may I ask is the problem? Would you prefer that those of us who make typo's or simply don't spell well, don't post at all? Once again, to a casual reader of these forums who may have those very problems it's certainly not conducive to encouraging them to make a post. Pat

New Mon 19 Mar 12 10:02   Clan Line - Again - Bigtee

It was too early when i woke up.................or have i.

New Sat 24 Mar 12 07:43   The Double Lickey Banker - AnotherJohnH

Was woken up by the plaintive wail and chuff... chuff.. chuff. chuff of this www.uksteam.info/tours/t12/t0324b.htm setting off in the fog just over half an hour ago.

New Sat 24 Mar 12 11:28   The Double Lickey Banker - Zero

Just videod it at Oldfield Park, Bath. Waiting for a black 5 to come through the same station, then off to catch Lizzie again near tewksbury. Then a pleasant drive across the Cotswolds home picking up a chinky on the way. Yes maybe even a meal too

New Sat 24 Mar 12 19:15   The Double Lickey Banker - AnotherJohnH

Well, I went out in the gloom to see what had made all the noise this morning... and waited, and waited (aren't there a lot of people with fancy cameras and tripods at these events?)... Nothing happened: it terminated at Tyseley - never got to see it.

New Sat 24 Mar 12 19:20   The Double Lickey Banker - Zero

>> and waited, and waited (aren't there a lot of people with fancy cameras >> and tripods at these events?)... Yes The platform was crowded with them this afternoon >> Nothing happened: it terminated at Tyseley - never got to see it. Just got back, I'll show yo what you missed.       1

New Sun 25 Mar 12 08:44   The Double Lickey Banker - Zero

And here it is www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPhblIYUZAM I hope you realise the efforts I go to for you folks, I have now have sunburn.       2

New Sun 25 Mar 12 11:27   The Double Lickey Banker - Dog

Er indoors says "they all look the blimmin same to me" - typical woman!

New Sun 25 Mar 12 08:56   The Double Lickey Banker - AnotherJohnH

Thanks for that. I'd guess it was too late (nearly dark) for the final scheduled part of the run - Tyseley / Acocks Green / Olton / Solihull / Widney Manor / Dorridge and then back up to Tyseley - to be worth doing.

New Sun 25 Mar 12 09:11   The Double Lickey Banker - Zero

The dark or time of day is not usually a problem, loads run up to very late hours. The only reason I have heard for the early termination is "operational reasons" As the title suggests the highlight of this tour was the double banking up "the Lickey" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lickey_Incline Two pannier engines on the back to provide some extra shove. Popular indeed - there were estimated to be three hundred gricers there or thereabouts to try and film that bit.

New Sun 25 Mar 12 09:59   The Double Lickey Banker - AnotherJohnH

looks something like this, apparently: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBlot3_AEX4 who was that with Percy at the back ;-)

New Sun 25 Mar 12 16:56   The Double Lickey Banker - Bigtee

Do you think in the 1930's crowds stood there watching steamers? Yes i guess they did no tv or x box to entertain them. Nice shot 50 secs in the HST and the kettles were ok i guess. Enjoy a beer in the garden you deserve it.

New Sun 25 Mar 12 22:42   The Double Lickey Banker - Ted

Here#s one for BigTee. A class 37 gets a grunt on pushing a heavy oil train up the Lickey. www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAT6VtnPNV8&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL7BF76DE3D48448C6 Ted

New Thu 5 Apr 12 08:36   The Double Lickey Banker - Zero

>> Do you think in the 1930's crowds stood there watching steamers? Yes i guess they >> did no tv or x box to entertain them. More than that my oily fingered friend. The Trains, and the crews were famous in the 30's. People watched newsreels enthralled at the risk taking of the drivers, and the modern streamlined shapes of the engines, as LNERs Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley's A4's took on LMS's Sir William Arthur Stanier's Coronation Class locos at ever increased speeds.

New Thu 5 Apr 12 08:26   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - Zero

Warning its a longun, 10 minutes, so If you don't like long lingering shots of steam against a stormy sky and the sound of birds, use the 3:00 entry link on the video description. This video starts off in Fenlanders old back yard, and whilst not her stomping ground Pat will know the area. www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6sGoBXAWiw

New Thu 5 Apr 12 08:34   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - Focusless

>> use the 3:00 entry link Nice - was the freight diesel at the back helping or just hitching a ride? Couldn't hear it.

New Thu 5 Apr 12 08:38   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - Zero

It was hitching a ride, at that point just grumbling away. Probably just used to give it a shove at a rather nasty grade junction near Highgate, and to turn the stock round at Winchester.       1

New Thu 5 Apr 12 12:06   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - devonite

Nice video Z! - why have the lights changed sides on the last shot, from right to left?

New Thu 5 Apr 12 12:32   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - Zero

Well spotted! I have absolutely no idea! Spamcan might know,

New Thu 5 Apr 12 14:10   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - zookeeper

now the tracks have seamless welds i bet the experience from inside those old carriages doesnt quite sound right,none of that did dit-did dit did dit-did dit ( if you know what i mean)

New Thu 5 Apr 12 15:07   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - devonite

>>tracks have seamless welds If they don`t use the old Fish-plate method anymore, how do they allow for expansion / contraction nowadays?

New Thu 5 Apr 12 15:25   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - Zero

>> >>tracks have seamless welds >> >> If they don`t use the old Fish-plate method anymore, how do they allow for expansion >> / contraction nowadays? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Expansion_joint,_Hayle.jpg Dont always work of course, you get buckled rain syndrome in hot weather.

New Thu 5 Apr 12 16:07   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - Old Navy

Are those expansion joints usually fitted with the inner leaf pointing away from the normal direction of travel?

New Thu 5 Apr 12 16:23   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - Zero

Blimey! you lot want me to start videoing and photographing track features now? I'll line up some catch points, some interesting ground frames, and some fascinating track greasers for you all.       1

New Thu 5 Apr 12 16:30   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - crocks

Don't let the Mods see the Greasers especially on a Bank Holiday. :-)       1

New Thu 5 Apr 12 16:34   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - Armel Coussine

>> fascinating track greasers It always interested me that when you looked down the lavatory in a train while flushing it, you saw a rail flying past immediately underneath it. Is that what you mean by track greasers Zero? Made me realise that a railway line wouldn't be a good place to lie down for a rest, however clean and inviting the ballast may look.

New Thu 5 Apr 12 16:38   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - Zero

>> It always interested me that when you looked down the lavatory in a train while >> flushing it, you saw a rail flying past immediately underneath it. Is that what you >> mean by track greasers Zero? >> >> Made me realise that a railway line wouldn't be a good place to lie down >> for a rest, however clean and inviting the ballast may look. I had my video camera set up to video the Venice Simplon Orient Express (known as the VSOE - goes nowhere near Venice, simplon or the orient) whie it waited for route clearance. I was kinda at track level, when someone used one fo the Pullman Class porcelain with gold handles toilet. Yup the crap still hit the track, and it actually bounces and splashes quite a long way. Its not unusual to see used toilet paper hanging from the bogies of that old rolling stock. Last edited by: Zero on Thu 5 Apr 12 at 16:39

New Thu 5 Apr 12 16:48   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - Armel Coussine

Riding the rods... must have been a hard life for a hobo, even without the train captain trying to knock you off with a tethered lump hammer or piece of steel.

New Thu 5 Apr 12 21:32   Once, twice, Three times Tornado.... - spamcan61

>> Well spotted! I have absolutely no idea! Spamcan might know, >> Sorry I have no idea to be honest. I don't think the position of the lights is significant these days, unlike steam days, when the position indicated the type of train, apart from the Southern Region, where it indicated the train's route.

New Thu 5 Apr 12 21:20   The Sea Vixen had a bit of a prang today - spamcan61

www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/9635534.Runway_closed_at_Bournemouth_Airport_after_Sea_Vixen_incident/ Hopefully not too serious :-/

New Fri 6 Apr 12 10:18   Poohing in a train. - Bigtee

Just a gentle reminder to you all not to have a number two in the station toilet and flush it onto the tracks as, WE HAVE TO WORK DOWN THERE!!!!! The fleet some have toilet tanks on the 158 and electric EMU others do not and these tanks do whiff in summer lots of complaints. Last edited by: R.P. on Fri 6 Apr 12 at 10:19

New Fri 6 Apr 12 10:20   Poohing in a train. - Zero

I wondered when this little thread drift would flush you out BigTee.

New Fri 6 Apr 12 16:21   Poohing in a train. - bathtub tom

I did a rail trip from Ostend to Salzburg back in the '60s. It took around 24 hours IIRC. The lavatories at each end of the carriage had a simple hinged flap at the bottom of the pan and you had to be aware of which way it hinged if the train was doing any speed to avoid 'getting your own back'. Every now and then the train would enter a station and leave in the opposite direction, just when you thought you'd got it sussed.

New Fri 6 Apr 12 17:16   Poohing in a train. - Bigtee

On the 333 fleet EMU the toilets when blocked it works of a vacuum pipe when the pot is full the only way to get it to flush is to go into the cupboard behind the toilets and give it either a service flush which usaully works or a reverse flush, which in the one case blew the remains in the toilet all over the cubicle walls, not a nice mess for the cleaning team to sort out i was hiding from them for a while.!! On the DMU when the pot is full of floaters a mop handle down the pan onto the butterfly flap a good prod usually gets it shifted and the plop floats away. And the door locks on the old 142 drop to bits when locked and your stuck in the bog only way to open the door is to smash the lock off with a big emergency bar done it 4x times now no way will the door be leavered open.

New Fri 6 Apr 12 17:21   Poohing in a train. - R.P.

So the moral of the thread is pooh at your peril

New Fri 6 Apr 12 18:37   Poohing in a train. - AnotherJohnH

>> On the 333 fleet EMU the toilets when blocked... Too much information.       1

New Sat 7 Apr 12 14:27   Poohing in a train. - Bigtee

You spotters love this information. :-)

New Sat 7 Apr 12 14:41   Poohing in a train. - Harleyman

Reminds me of a little song my mate (ex BR fireman) used to sing as a "party piece".... Gentlemen will please refrain From urinating on the train When standing in the station at Crewe Some poor shunter underneath Is bound to catch it in the teeth He wouldn't like it much, and nor would you. Ladies wishing to pass water Kindly ask a friendly porter To direct them to the vestibule We encourage constipation While the train is in the station Taking on water at Crewe. Piddling while the train is moving Is a certain way of proving That control of eye and hand is sure We like to keep our toilets neat So please don't dribble on the seat Or even worse, excrete upon the floor. Gentlemen please be discreet And do be sure to lift the seat Lest undulation make you miss the pan And lady passengers following on May get it on their sit-upon 'Cos they can't stand and wee-wee like a man. Tune; Dvorak's Humoresque in G Flat major Last edited by: Harleyman on Sat 7 Apr 12 at 14:44

New Sat 7 Apr 12 20:34   Titanic - different theory to her sinking... - swiss tony

Not a new theory, in fact over 11 years old. Sounds very interesting though.... www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/last-log-of-the-titanic~chapter-0~part-1.html

New Sun 8 Apr 12 22:06   Churnet Valley Railway - Alastairw

Inspired by various excellent youtube videos from Zero I intend to visit the above tomorrow. I like diesel traction, and as luck would have it they are running their Class 33 tomorrow, as well as a DMU. Unfortunately I dont have Zeros video skills (or equipment) so it will be a purely photographic expedition. Just hope its not too wet.

New Mon 9 Apr 12 00:03   A jolly day out - Ted

Also had some rail experience this weekend. A trip up to our friends in the Eden Valley for the weekend saw us book 2 seats on the 12.16 Manchester to Penrith on Thursday. This was a direct service from Manchester Airport to Edinburgh and was already crowded when we got on. Our 2 seats were occupied by a young lady and her luggage, together with a picnic spread out over both seat back tables. She soon packed up and left, grumbling, with not a single hint of violence from SWM ! Penrith was made a few minutes early and the Peugeot Bipper was waiting for us. On Saturday there was a classic vehicle rally spread out over several villages around Brough and Kirkby ....Lot of nice stuff and a ride on a Guy single decker to the pub was a bonus. Then off to Alston for a look at the North Tynedale Railway which had a Henschel tank engine in steam. Home today, but by bus. The WCML being under an engineers possession for the day.Two and a half hours from Penrith to Preston via Oxenholme and Lancaster stations. Diesel train down the Lancashire & Yorkshire main line through Chorley and Bolton. We got off at Deansgate andwalked the 50yds to the tram station where one of Metrolink's best took us home. A tiring afternoon but SWM enjoyed her Kindle and I enjoyed the train. Ted Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 9 Apr 12 at 00:37

New Thu 12 Apr 12 17:23   Busy Week - Zero

Clan Line on Wednesday www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD50vHk4WOI Britannia on Wednesday www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewKVcN1j-AU Britannia today, (looking good in its fresh new green colour scheme) good pull away sounds. www.youtube.com/watch?v=P14Ks2c5MWI And just for BigT two Diesels - class 66 sheds. www.youtube.com/watch?v=P14Ks2c5MWI www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgbNNrf8boQ

New Thu 12 Apr 12 19:50   Busy Week - Dog

>>Britannia today, (looking good in its fresh new green colour scheme) good pull away sounds<< Nice one - I enjoyed that.

New Thu 12 Apr 12 20:10   Busy Week - devonite

luvly set of cross-over points in the "Shed" vid!! They may be "kettles" to some, but dont they look good when you`ve time to look at them!

New Thu 12 Apr 12 19:55   Busy Week - Focusless

>> Britannia today, (looking good in its fresh new green colour scheme) good pull away sounds. >> >> www.youtube.com/watch?v=P14Ks2c5MWI >> >> And just for BigT two Diesels - class 66 sheds. >> >> www.youtube.com/watch?v=P14Ks2c5MWI >> www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgbNNrf8boQ Sorry Z but that first diesel link is the same as the Britannia one; is the diesel hidden in there somewhere or typo?

New Thu 12 Apr 12 20:10   Busy Week - Zero

opps www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGM9VFwwiGU is the right link for the oiler.

New Thu 12 Apr 12 20:23   Busy Week - Armel Coussine

You are getting good at this stuff Zero. The sound is especially good. The thrush or blackbird - thrush I think - in the first link but in the last one too there's some good and clear birdsong. As for Britannia pulling away a bit uphill with that rather job lot of old rolling stock, chuff chuff heaven. Steam must have been on the way out before you got interested I think? Perhaps you remember it well. I certainly do. The accelerated chuffing of engines getting wheelspin up wet slimy slopes with heavy loads... I guess they try to avoid that now because it wears out the machinery and the rails. But it used to be part of the sound picture.

New Thu 12 Apr 12 20:29   Busy Week - Armel Coussine

I don't suppose modern pet steam engines need them, but working steam expresses used to pick up water on the go from water troughs between the rails. I remember them well, but I can't remember ever being aware of one being used. Of course inside the train you wouldn't have been aware of it, but standing near the track when a water trough was being used by an express doing 70 plus may have been a dampening experience. I think they just dropped a forward-facing scoop into the water and let the train's speed do the rest. Devilish clever those Victorians, what?

New Thu 12 Apr 12 20:51   Busy Week - Zero

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQPdRS-9p_I Around the three minutes 30 mark, water troughs in use.

New Thu 12 Apr 12 23:46   Busy Week - Ted

The Midland Rly had the highest troughs in the country on Blea Moor. They were lethal in winter and teams of men were employed to try and keep them clear of ice. The wind would whip the water from the troughs and it would build up on the rails and sleepers as thick ice where the men were working.If the troughs were solid, no water could be picked up and the driver could cause real damage to the scoop. There's a tale of a very small ganger slipping and falling into the trough only to be scooped up with the water by a passing train. The last that was seen of him was a small face peering at the driver from inside the water gauge ! A film shot I really like is of a Claughton class 4-6-0 ' Frobisher ' piloted by a 2-4-0 Jumbo or Precedent at speed on Bushey troughs picking up water about 1925. A real cool bit of filming for the time, from a train pacing the Claughton on the next track. I've not found it on YouTube but it's in some compilation films around. Ted

New Fri 13 Apr 12 08:22   Busy Week - Dog

Eh, I still can't see how the train takes on water, does it take it on while the train is in motion?

New Fri 13 Apr 12 08:30   Busy Week - Zero

There is a long water trough between the rails, a scoop is lowered from the engine into the trough, and the forward motion of the train forces the water up the scoop through a tube into the water tank.

New Fri 13 Apr 12 08:32   Busy Week - Dog

Good grief, how amazing - pity we can't find the vid Teddy mentioned.

New Fri 13 Apr 12 00:21   Busy Week - devonite

Now thats working trains as I remember them!! - not the "polished posers" of today ! ;) excellent video Sir!

New Fri 13 Apr 12 09:04   Busy Week - Old Navy

>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQPdRS-9p_I >> >> Around the three minutes 30 mark, water troughs in use. >> I read somewhere that the clever bit was not overfilling the tender and putting spray through the air vents and any open windows in the carriages when on express passenger work.

New Fri 13 Apr 12 09:15   Busy Week - Bromptonaut

There were more watertroughs at Castlethorpe in Northants, between Wolverton station and the Northampton line divergence at Roade. The gradually decaying supply tower still stands on the west side of the tracks. www.mkheritage.co.uk/cv/docs/railway/watertower.html Out that way with the folding bike club tomorrow and will see if I can get a more current pic.

New Fri 13 Apr 12 09:19   Busy Week - Bromptonaut

One or two of Z's films (I'm thinking of the one in Wilts/Avon in particular appear to feature the West Coast Rail set including a couple of what look like the old Metro-Cammell coaches from the Yorkshire Pullman of the sixties/seventies. They were in use yesterday on a charter, probably to Aintree, hauled by one of the preserved class 86 electrics. Unfortunately while stabled overnight at Willesden they've been tagged/graffitoed. A sad sight just waiting to move off round the west London line as i came into Euston today. Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 13 Apr 12 at 09:20

New Fri 13 Apr 12 09:23   Busy Week - Dog

The way my brain is wired up - I'm likenening steam trains taking on water while on the move to Vulcan bombers refuelling in flight en route to the South Atlantic during the Guerra de las Malvinas c1982.

New Fri 13 Apr 12 09:35   Busy Week - Focusless

>> I'm likenening steam trains taking on water >> while on the move to Vulcan bombers refuelling in flight The steering is probably harder in the latter :)

New Fri 13 Apr 12 22:59   Busy Week - Ted

Another problem came with a ' double header ' The pilot engine had to dip the trough first then pull his scoop up to let the train engine have it's fill. Tricky timing coupled with some nifty work on the whistle ! Ted

New Sun 15 Apr 12 00:01   The derail. - Ted

One for our resident railman, BigTee. Do network rail use these devices ? I've never seen them mentioned in The Railway Magazine. www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaIQgNM_pMA Seems to me a good thing to have a couple out on the line while the engineers are working. I'm sure one would have saved the lives of the three guys killed at Tebay when a wagon ran away at Shap and hit them. They can't be costly and have the advantage of being portable so a gang could set one up a hundred yards before the work site. In the video they are in use as ' catch points ' to krrp a runaway off the main line. Ted

New Sun 15 Apr 12 00:39   The derail. - Harleyman

Ted, reading the small print it does say that they don't work at speeds of over 10 mph, I'd suspect that the wagon at Tebay was moving considerably faster than that. Does seem a relatively simple idea though.

New Tue 17 Apr 12 21:12   The derail. - Bigtee

Yes we use de railers. They work we have these in maintenance yards and sidings as said in the clip to stop a run away unit. In sheds brakes can be isolated to work on the braking system and scotch the wheels to stop it moving but if that fails the de railer will knock it off. We "have" to use them in one of the yards we work in, we don't as there a right pain in the backside and as it's flat nothing rolls towards the mainline anyway, my mate forgot about these and one dropped off on his shift, med team had him urinating in a bottle and the driver also. Thats what you get for mistakes on the railway drug/alchol screening. Once a de railer has knocked one off the de railer is replaced for a new one. The job of getting a unit back on is not cheap and it's time consuming.

New Tue 17 Apr 12 16:29   70000 Brittania on the move - -

The above steam loco was parked overnight at Uttoxeter on a low loader, saw it this morning as i passed. Suppose its the start of the steam season, anyone know where its going?

New Tue 17 Apr 12 21:25   70000 Brittania on the move - Zero

No, I know where its been, but it should be on rails, not on a low loader, if its not on rails its broke, unless its off for some preserved railway for a gala that has no main line link

New Tue 17 Apr 12 21:49   70000 Brittania on the move - zookeeper

ship out of water

New Tue 17 Apr 12 22:02   70000 Brittania on the move - Zero

Its due at LLANGOLLEN RAILWAY for a steam gala in 4 days time.

New Thu 19 Apr 12 08:07   70000 Brittania on the move - Focusless

Be careful Z... news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8683750.stm !

New Thu 19 Apr 12 08:12   70000 Brittania on the move - Zero

Yeah, that's a famous clip that every gricer gets to see at some time or other. The gormless look on his face is a picture.

New Thu 19 Apr 12 08:17   70000 Brittania on the move - -

Sorry missed the answers, North Wales for a shindig then, many thanks.

New Thu 19 Apr 12 09:06   70000 Brittania on the move - Bigtee

With the noise of the clankering old clanker he was filming he "may" not have heard the horns of the DMU behind him. Also could have had partial hearing, still worth a punch on the nose for been stupid.