Leander on Lickey

Just watched this older vid of Leander climbing Lickey Bank solo. Anyone remember how many coaches behind her tender? Also watched a 2016 video of the double headed Black Fives #44871 & #45407 climbing Lickey w/Diesel. Very eyecatching light show from both stacks of the 5's at night. Hot gasses burning well above the locomotives. Just wonder if the hard to obtain Welsh Steam Coal would do that also? From what I read on several sources the Welsh coal is not available and some sort of lower grade coal is what they have to use now. Is this true?

 

Flames are extinguished as soon as they enter the tubes and flues, and would need a source of ignition to relight them. This was one of the reasons for adding combustion chambers to fireboxes; they extended the flame path and allowed more heat to enter the water via the greater area of the firebox sides.

Francis Webb with the Greater Britains, John Hicks and the first 0-8-0s had a combustion chamber part way along the boiler barrel with a tube bank either side. It was some time later that it was realised that they simply didn't work as there was no combustion taking place in the so-called chamber.

 

Thanks very much for the responses Gents. I should have realized that by the time fire passes through the entire length of the boiler flame would likely be extinguished. That glow is something I have never seen before and considering I have not observed steam locomotives hard at work at night the sight was impressive to say the least.

 

I notice at Vigo crossing currently there is a worksite in the field directly behind it with floodlights, which certainly seem to be helping with a bit of illumination at night currently.

 

The answer to the first question is 6 vehicles, the date 25th March 2006, IIRC. The driver was Ray Poole and the fireman was Dean Morris, TI was Albert Seymour. We got stopped at Stoke Works on the Droitwich branch as the driver of a preceding train had reported trespassers near the Navigation Inn to the north of Stoke Works and we stood there for just over 40 minutes until the road was declared clear, so you can imagine what that did for a carefully built up fire and the amount of steam which went out of the safety valves until the heat went out of the fire . We were eventually cleared to proceed at caution as far as the Navigation Inn (watering hole well known to Saltley men apparently), where the only people on the track were two BTP bobbies and a hobby bobby on the down goods, so Ray opened it up to try and get the best run at the bank that we could, bearing in mind that Dean was trying to get the fire back into some sort of shape. According to the late great O S Notley we were doing 18 mph at Stoke Works junction and had got up to 55 at Bromsgrove. Despite the terrific noise speed decayed as it always does and you eventually begin to get some idea of how fast you will be going at the top. Our estimate of 20 wasn't far out and we eventually went over the top at Blackwell at 19 mph. OSN put the load at 213.5 tons tare 235 tons gross. I think that this was the first time that a 5X had gone up the bank unassisted since the LMR trials in the 50's when they tested both a 5X and a Black 5 including testing whether they could get going again from coming to a stand on the bank. If I recall correctly 5 coaches for a 5 and 6 for a 5X were pretty much considered to be the maximum unassisted load for them and proved to be rather to close to the limits for everyday service.

And please do not start the Galatea debate again, it has been done to death and suffice to say that some believe it and some don't, and the situation is never likely to change.

Regards
Bob

 

Even though it was 10 years ago I can still vividly remember the sound of Leander as it approached my location on the Lickey Incline. I've never heard a steam loco sound like that before or since. It certainly added to the excitement of watching Leander.
Having watched the video taken from the train I have now uploaded my own photos of that run to my website.
The day commenced with the 6 carriage excursion being hauled from Tyseley by 4965 Rood Ashton Hall with Leander coupled onto the rear of the train but only as far as Bordesley Junction (adjacent to Birmingham City football ground) where 4965 was uncoupled. The train then changed direction to be hauled by (4)5690 Leander as it went west onto the Camp Hill line (I think that's how it should be described) and 4965 returned to Tyseley. As an experiment I took a couple of mini vids and I am so pleased I was able to record the sound of Leander on the climb. The quality of the Lickey photo images aren't up to much as I had to use 1/8second shutter due to the failing light but they record the event.
I hope you enjoy taking a look and turn up the volume, particularly on the final video.
http://evergreen.zenfolio.com/leander_lickey