ruddingtonrsh56's Recent Activity
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ruddingtonrsh56 replied to the thread No smoke without coal?.
As somebody with no knowledge of the specifics myself, guesses I have include: 1 - The NYMR is running a bit short on motive power at the moment (especially large motive power) and doesn't have the capacity to take one of their locos out of...
Apr 16, 2024 at 12:23 PM -
ruddingtonrsh56 replied to the thread 6880 Betton Grange.
I do wonder how disruptive it would be for an experienced crew to have to deal with multiple different cab configurations in the course of their work, especially as a fireman at, say, Saltley in the 1950s would have encountered locos with...
Apr 15, 2024 at 1:00 PM -
ruddingtonrsh56 replied to the thread No smoke without coal?.
Is there the potential for, in the same way that McDonalds refine their used cooking oil to use in their lorries, waste cooking oil and the like being used by railways for oil firing? Or is this the wrong consistency / calorific value / too...
Apr 15, 2024 at 12:43 PM -
ruddingtonrsh56 replied to the thread 6880 Betton Grange.
You can, but in my experience (which admittedly has only covered 6 GW locos) that doesn't mean they all do have those types of mod cons. I've only crewed one GW loco with a hopper ashpan and one with a section of the grate as a drop grate, but...
Apr 15, 2024 at 12:26 PM -
ruddingtonrsh56 replied to the thread 6880 Betton Grange.
But I'd imagine preparing the standard and (to an extent) the Bulleid is less arduous than a Western. No inside motion on the standard, rocking grates and hopper ashpans, plus you have an enclosed cab to keep more of inclement weather out. For...
Apr 15, 2024 at 10:38 AM -
ruddingtonrsh56 replied to the thread 6880 Betton Grange.
I think the best way of describing GW locos is that they are a good performing product as far as the outcome of steaming well and pulling a train goes, but their packaging is not the most user friendly. Ultimately different people will have...
Apr 15, 2024 at 9:44 AM -
ruddingtonrsh56 replied to the thread Bluebell Motive Power.
It's still perhaps a little earlier than one might have expected - unless it was either coming up to the renewal point of it's current agreement and/or the Bluebell thought "well there aren't really any other locos of that size/power that we...
Apr 14, 2024 at 12:46 PM -
ruddingtonrsh56 replied to the thread The Gwili Railway thread.
Out of curiosity what is the operational need for a derailer at Abergwili? Is it in place of catch points or something like that?
Apr 13, 2024 at 9:48 PM -
ruddingtonrsh56 replied to the thread Battlefield line.
Although they weren't complete in time for Easter, 5199's boiler repairs were sufficient to grant an extension through to October, which she will work out at Shackerstone. She ran the services today and as her fireman I can confirm that she was...
Apr 13, 2024 at 7:37 PM -
ruddingtonrsh56 replied to the thread 6880 Betton Grange.
Depends on the heritage line - I've crewed a Hall, Manor, Large Prairie, Small Prairie, 5700, Standard 2 and Caley Tank at Shackerstone and I'd say the Standard 2 was the best of the bunch for what we need.
Apr 12, 2024 at 7:41 PM -
ruddingtonrsh56 liked steam_mad's post in the thread Strathspey Railway.
[ATTACH] 46464 reunited with 46512 in steam yesterday for the first time in a very long time. Photo by Robin Taylor, taken from: The Carmyllie Pilot Company Ltd | Facebook
Apr 12, 2024 at 6:08 PM
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ruddingtonrsh56 replied to the thread 6880 Betton Grange.
I really don't think we need to be behaving so childishly when it comes to steam locomotive preferences. For grown adults we can be unnecessarily rude when it comes to differences in opinion about which designs we like more, and in my opinion...
Apr 12, 2024 at 7:20 AM -
ruddingtonrsh56 replied to the thread 6880 Betton Grange.
Well you'd probably still have lost because it looks like the loco most ready to swoop in beat the Grange would be Beachy Head, wouldn't it?
Apr 11, 2024 at 3:07 PM
