Best & Worst Locos to Drive

They weren't very wide to start with, and since the tanks intrude into the cab, a lot more space disappears. But he should have tried one of the 0-8-4 tanks which had the same arrangement, but with a massive combined screw / lever reverser taking up even more space, and a sight feed lubricator blocking most of the front spectacle plate!

The tanks issue is the same on the GWR Prairie tanks, which makes their footplates even more cramped than a pannier's, despite the latter having two huge helical springs on each side.

 

Do you include the "Small Prrairies in these strictures? It was a great pity that L150 could not make it to the IOWSR Gala recently. It would have been interesting to have compared it with the resident Ivatt 2-6-2T. The latter has a cab big enough for a small tea dance and with a flat floor as well!

Paul H

 

Not to mention the added trip hazard half way across the floor...

Far and away the two most uncomfortable locos I've ever been on were products of Swindon...

Tom

 

I think so, Paul, but it's forty years ago since I set foot on a Prairie.

Some people have all the luck!

 

I never fired it, but as I recall L150 had a cut-down cab to fit the LU loading gauge, so it was even smaller than it should have been, at least in height. Certainly not roomy. The one time I did anything "fireman-y" on it was to put a warming fire in, and as I recall it was pretty cramped, particularly for what is ostensibly a big loco. I suspect the perfect GWR loco man would be 5'6" tall and slim enough to get through the doors - any bigger and the cab starts to get quite constricting.

Tom

 

Ashpan hopper doors are a great bonus if you are dropping a live fire through a rocking grate. 45428 as a rocking grate but a conventional pan and dragging hot fires out through the damper is not the nicest of tasks. I do agree, though, that you need to go under and swill a hopper pn out to make sure that there is nothing hanging at the back.

Some NYMR locos have self cleaning smokeboxes, principally for spark arresting purposes. They are a great boon for footplate crews as they do a good job of emptying the smokebox but at the expense of dirtier coaches. Not sure I agree with the S15 smokebox door arrangement compared with a Standard, The latter is generally much easierand requires no real effort. Perhaps your Standard door is misaligned slightly?

 

Possibly, though I seem to recall the visiting 9F we had was similarly stiff. Maybe I just need more shredded wheat in the morning!

Tom

 

But aren't you also unhappy that a replica Atlantic is being built to run on a line which the original worked on? Seems like a train which would have been experienced 'in the day' to me...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Once in a proverbial blue moon.

PH

 

The Atlantic is a great example of part all new engineering and recycling though. Reusing the Atlantic boiler (albeit, not as I'd have originally liked - but have come round to the idea of the LBSCR Atlantic being reborn instead as we have examples of both GNR Atlantics anyway) and the C2X wheel sets will result in a new tourist draw for the railway and a locomotive with ample capacity for all but the absolute heaviest trains.

Whether it was seen in a proverbial blue moon or not, it was seen on Southern and certainly LBSCR metals, and together with Birch Grove and the SECR locos on the line, forms a rather nice collection of rolling stock not seen anywhere else. That's the big draw of many preserved railways IMO - and it is only IMO - I go to Didcot to see the GWR collection, I go to the NYMR to see the Q6, I go to the Bluebell...etc etc.

It's not all about economy of fuel - tourist and enthusiast draw is part of the overall picture. It's very much about maintaining a balance between everything. The best railways manage and others struggle more to balance things. At the end of the day, there is no absolute right way of doing things and I am sure we could all learn from each other and benefit from each other with a more open mind.

 

Just to cheer Paul up, here's 34071 in 1953. The head code and bridge should make the location obvious



(Apologies for the poor reproduction).

Tom

 

Because the SVR can't run an authentic SR train through SR territory behind its Bulleids and with the modern motorway network over 100 miles is not that far.

 

Your missing the point John, I'm saying why would I travel 170ish miles and over 3 hours when I can travel 45 mins and 25ish miles to get the same thing ?, if I wanted Southern Region surroundings then Ropley is a quicker trip than Sheffield Park as it doesn't involve trans London or M25.

 

It has nothing to do with "tourism draws" but everything to do with gricer's "wouldn't it be nice". The average "tourist" would not know the difference between a 4MT and a De Glehn compound. Why should they?

PH

 

I think you underestimate the public at large.

 

My response is that you underestimate the general public.

They may not know the nuances of steam locomotives as we do, but they are - like us - drawn to things which spark an interest and we should remember that in our marketing of our railways.

 

Hardly. I am merely not using them as an excuse for spending a lot of money in a certain way.

PH

 

A further point. So much of the arguments about "punters" stems from a general opinion that they know nothing about railways.

Even if that's true, what are we here for then if not to in some way educate them and to present ourselves in the best way possible?

Marketing is part of that. Beachy Head when finished, I dare say, will have better marketability than an Ivatt 2MT for a variety of reasons. Ignore the possibilities at your peril.

 

Hopefully GWSR will be able to prove that a big name engine does draw the numbers soon.