South Coast Steam and S160 3278

New railway museum, with an Army railways theme, with 3278.

http://www.trainofevents.co.uk/pages/long-marston-military-railway--lmmr-.html

This months steam railway is suggesting what looks to be an amazing gala with a gathering of operational S160's...

Fascinating prospect.

 

From that website:

'Support: We welcome new members, particularly from a service background or “army brats” (our culture is quite different to civilian railway societies). We need volunteers across the whole spectrum of railway engineering and business administration, but also ambassadors for the project, and of course those with experience in funding things.'

I wonder *how* different ...

Richard

 

Cleaning Motion with tooth brushes, painting coal white, all overalls clean and pressed, shiny boots, lots of shouting..... you there yet ?

 

We do that, on special occasions ...

Tom

 

Why paint coal white ?
(And don't say to make white smoke)

 

It was LB&SCR tradition (and who knows, maybe other lines as well) for important trains and we continue that tradition. Most recent occasion was Jack Owen's funeral train earlier this year:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bluebellrailway/13490882324/in/set-72157643115439785

(Not my photo)

Tom

 

I think it was quite common for royal trains in Victoria's time. Not the whole lot though, only the top layer, usually supported by a timber base.

 

Reading SR mag today I see S160 3278 is to stay at Long Marston and is list to take part in Military Railfest 2015.

 

Work has restarted on the engine after the hiatus of moving it, and much of the work is being done, appropriately enough, by ex-army combat railwaymen from Royal Logistic Corps, Royal Engineers, and REME as volunteers. It will return to steam in 2015 with a new number and name, to reflect its future role as a living memorial to the co-operation between the USATC and Royal Engineers during two World Wars and the post war reconstruction of the shattered European continent. It is also the flagship of our Mission to preserve the Kit, Culture and Capability of military railway operations following the disbandment of that trade from the British Army in March this year.

Could I also politely restate that Long Marston is a private site, ad-hoc visitors are not welcome and security remains as it was in MOD days. Military RailFest 2015 runs from 6-10 May, and we look forward to welcoming guests then. Members of our team will also be at Tracks to the Trenches at Apedale Railway in September this year.

 

I believe it was once common to whitewash coal in coal piles to deter pilfering.

 

There is no tradition of whitewashing coal in the military railways, for Royal Trains or any other. although the Royal Engineers ROD were no strangers to conveying the Royal Family or foreign Heads of State, here and abroad. Nor have they ever cleaned the motion of any engine with toothbrushes. But shouting...yes, they were very good at that...and still are. If you would like to learn some new words, we will be at Tracks to the Trenches at Apedale Railway from 12-14 September. Demonstrations of shouting will be available free to anyone who visits our stand. And we'll be crewing 3278 with military railwaymen when it goes on tour next year after Military RailFest 2015. We'll probably do some shouting then as well.

 

It was a joke, it was National service (and no doubt before) tradition that squaddies were made to do pointless things like whitewashing things to keep them occupied

 

Demonstrations of shouting? Sounds a great idea. I said: SOUNDS A GREAT IDEA!

RICHARD (SORRY - CAPS LOCK HAS GOT STUCK...)

 

Although potentially useful for persuading sand away from motion bearings the idea of cleaning the whole motion, or perhaps the ashpan with a toothbrush would be ideal punishment drill for those whose shouting efforts are deemed to be poor...

 

Any Vogon guards in the crew?

Noel

 

All i know is this, i had more than my fair share at being shouted at, get on parade Butler etc, if someone was to shout at me, i might just have to "borrow" a SLR, fix bayonet and chase said person doing the shouting round the square a few times

 

Would be nice to have KWVR'S WD2-8-0 as well, but i think that would only leave the 4f to run the trains... ( or Nunlow)

 

General Reading perhaps instead of Melchett?
"and the exact amount of land captured is...?
"16 inches sir"
"So you see George, Blackadder didn't die for nothing after all!"

and with respect to the late, great Rik Mayall:
"Darling? Funny name for a chap, the last person I called Darling was pregnant 30 seconds later."
"Send the b***h with the wheels now or I'll fly back to England and give your wife something to hang her towels on."

Actually, much of National Service routine did appear pointless at times (I can't vouch for any Nat. Service experience, my 30 years military time was more recent than that) but it was far from pointless for those caught up in Korea, Malaya and the Indonesian Emergency, it was pretty scary.

The US Marine Corps is of course, a classic example of how military training commences with "conditioning", the aim being that the recruit will act without question but will also display courage and skill. "Full Metal Jacket" springs to mind.
I tend to try this on my dog (with little success) as follows by substituting rifle with biscuit:
"This is a biscuit, there are many like it but this one is mine. Without my biscuit I am nothing, without me my biscuit is nothing. Oh sod it, have the blooming biscuit."

 

resistance is useless

 

34092 and 75078 aren't far away from returning.