The Pride of Swindon 5043 to Carlisle via the S & C -16th October

this was a brilliant tour by a brilliant loco handled by brilliant enginemen supplied by brilliant engineers and brilliant operators on a brilliant line on a brilliant day.

 

Watching Linesider's brilliant video of the southbound climb to Ais Gill summit, it's apparent that over the last mile or so, the safety valves on 5043 lift with increasing intensity. If this was the section where the maximum power output is being achieved, it proves an often quoted saying regarding Castles to be wrong. Several times I've read in books that Castle cylinders would beat the boiler i.e. the cylinders could require more steam than the boiler could produce. It appears to me that 5043, a four-row superheat double chimney loco, can be worked in the manner required to produce that epic climb with that approx. thirteen coach load over the S&C without mortgaging the boiler.

I don't claim to be an expert in these technical matters, the above are just my ideas.

But it does appear that if I'm correct in the loco disproving the cylinders beating the boiler theory, 5043 has re-written the history books once again. Also, if the final ihp is revealed to be around 2,200, I think that's the record for the Castle class by some margin. I don't know if a King has ever recorded a figure that high. I guess all will be revealed soon.

Who would have thought that heap of cannibalised scrap that was 5043 by the turntable at Tyseley in the 1970's or 80's would one day do what it did on Saturday?

 

Thanks very much Steve, and all who have commented on the video. Glad you enjoyed it. I did post the link after uploading, post no.124.

 

Gentlemen,
After watching all the videos on YouTube, both lineside & on the train. This has got to be one of the finest railtours in mainline steam preservation. And probably the hottest topic on Nat-Pres since one of the Cotton Mill threads from 2008.
A massive well done to Bob Meanley, the Tyseley crews & Vintage Trains for organising such a memorable railtour, for which I think either passenger, photographer or videographer will forget.

 

I keep watching GreatWestern175s Youtube video of the southbound approach to Ais Gill summit. The sound from 5043 is just fantastic. The lads at Tyseley are complete experts in producing loco overhauls of the very highest standards, the loco is perfection. Whoever set the valves on the loco is as good as anyone at Swindon in steam days.

Obviously the double chimneyed four-row superheater 5043 is the final development of the Castle class. I wonder how well an original two-row superheater, single chimney Castle such as 4079, 5029 or 5080 would do in similar expert hands, with good coal over the S&C? The power output of the original condition locos would be expected to be less and they couldn't match 5043, but it would be interesting to see just how well one of those locos could do. Maybe one day we'll see?

 

We didn't do any thing different to what we normally do before any trip. Best Crews? Well her firemen are some of the best and as for the drivers well on the Northbound run it was Peter Walkers first time driving a Castle and Micks Southbound run speaks for it's self. As for the coal it was normal Daw Mill coal and wasn't hand picked for the job, as Bob Meanley said a few pages back 5043 seems to thrive on the stuff.
We never set out to break records....if they happen they happen, as with the Up Bristolian in April. All we try to do is give the passengers a good value for money day out.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRRCjsuhC2g
have a look and turn up the sound, my offering filmed at Horton-in-Ribblesdale, oops, says i have removed it, still on utube, will try again later
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ip-mTPs6C0
try that one now

 

Perish the thought! I was thinking more of a Little Pink Rosette for the smokebox door.

 

It was a splendid day and a great piece of railway theatre, whether one was on board or, like me, on a hillside with a camera. Many, many thanks to all who made it possible.

Regarding ihp and similar figures: there are lots of different ways of measuring it. Saying a Castle is more powerful that a Duchess (for example) is a bit like saying a Lotus Super 7 is more powerful than a Porsche 911 - total power at the road is greater in the Porsche, but the Lotus probably has more power per litre of engine capacity (depending how it has been tuned) and almost certainly more power per ton. Comparisons with roughly simlar locos, such as Scots Guardsman or perhaps Oliver Cromwell, are perhaps more revealing, though they probably tell you as much about conditions on the day as about the loco design.

When time comes round for the National Preservation 2010 "oscars", 5043, the Tyseley team and The Pride Of Swindon are sure to be among the nominations.

 

Thanks Mark et al for the positive comments; I'm an LMS man through and through but 5043 certainly left a superb impression. Bring on the next run!

 

Just to show how it was!

http://www.shakespeareexpress.com/tlw/5043_barry.htm

 

Just back from a week back 'up north' and to echo what everyone else has said. Superb performance. I've been watching steam over the S&C since Green Arrow in 1978 and 5043 was awesome. Well done to everyone concerned including WCRC for doing the right thing for the time of year and providing 47 insurance at the back. I have lost count of the number of diesel and steam hauled trains over the years that have come to grief around Stainforth during the leaf fall season on a damp rail (Although the RHTTs have made a difference)..

 

My vote would go to Tyseley, but for the non-stop Bristolian because they found an ingenious solution to a problem (lack of troughs) and they and/or the tour operator created such a good working relationship with someone at NR that the amazing up run was made possible.

I was interested to read Bob's comment on the coal used, especially as the same source's coal was (pun alert!) slagged off in the thread on the A4+Duchess ECML tour recently. It was "never buy on a Monday morning" coal I guess.

 

Well in either case, it's Tyseley and 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. Loco of the year!

And so far they top the Nat Pres "What's Going On" chatter charts for 2010, that's for sure. The Bristolian, 601 posts. Pride Of Swindon, 233 posts and rising, There are a few multiday trips up there, eg the Cotton Mill 321 posts, Torbay Express 317 posts etc, but for one-off events, 5043's trips are defintely THE ones to be seen chatting about

 

Ah well, 5043's set down the gauntlet for some 'proper' motive power to lay a smokescreen up north at some point in the future. We can't have these coppertops taking all the glory! ... Seriously, I'm intending to do the 'Collett Double' from Solihull to Bristol next year just to get a ride behind 5043, and this will break my five-month long steam 'fast' to kick off my 2011 steam season. I'm looking forward to it, as steam on the direct route between Bristol and Cheltenham is fairly rare these days.

 

A bit late (been on holiday in the Lakes), but here is my offering from the southbound run near Birkett Common....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRVdAbwhfH4

 

Photo and video both superb, thanks for posting them!

 

The valves were set by someone called Alastair Meanley, and no I don't think for a moment that a 2 row Castle would go as well as this. In themselves they are still pretty good engines, but the double chimney draughting is miles more fierce than the single chimney, and gives the D/C engines a considerable edge. Back in April, I was firing 5043 back from Oxford and got into trouble with some dodgy coal. Despite the pressure coming back to 165psi after Fenny Compton, if you look at the following month's Steam Beano you will see that Mr Notley pronounced this as his first ever even time run start Banbury to pass Leamington; you would not do that with a S/C Castle that far down, and that is the difference. It is why they fitted the double chimneys - so that they were better able to cope with dodgy coal, and it works.

 

After watching all the videos I noticed that whenever a group of linesiders were seen the whistle was blown, nice touch that. :clap2: