West Somerset Railway General Discussion

It certainly was, back in the day, and many diesels were even fitted with water scoops to replenish their heating supply on the move.

One of the reasons for the withdrawal of the WR hydraulics was that they could not easily be retrofitted with ETH equipment, as was becoming standard on BR coaching stock.

 

When diesels were introduced, all carriage stock was steam heated, so arrangements had to be made to fit steam heating boilers to mainline diesels. However, that is a layer of additional complexity, whereas diesels (or at least diesel electrics) have a supply of electricity to allow electric train heating. So long term, carriages became electrically heated, with some being dual heated for a transitional period so they could be hauled by either steam- or ETH-fitted locomotives.

Steam heating on a diesel introduces an additional complex system (boiler, water tanks, automatic control system etc.) so that I am not sure if there are many preserved diesels running today that incorporate the system in working order.

There is an interesting discussion of the design of the steam heating system for the pioneer diesels 10000/10001 in Langridge, making the point that what steam locomotives did without much thought from the designer presented very complex problems to the drawing office when designing a diesel. The power supply required to heat a train is surprisingly large: it is certainly noticeable to a fireman in terms of extra coal and water usage.

Tom

 

Not many diesels with working boilers, and not always for long.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

West Somerset Railway - Then and Now #147

Stogumber 1936+? / 2017

A view from one of those perfect pre-WW2 summers before the world descended into madness which I think of as ‘Agatha Christie Land’, perhaps because it only really existed in fiction.

In the centre of the photographs the platform waiting shelter is prominent. The most significant change is the tree growth, although Station House is hidden by greenery in the 1930’s View.

Plenty more changes to spot.

1934


2017

 

What a beautiful scene. Agatha Christie Land. I like it.
I guess such things can only ever exist through the prism of hindsight.
I can't help but wonder what, in 80 years time, people will be fondly calling our own era?...

 

Some locos (e.g. Class 47) had a door in the side for taking water from a column. If you know where to look, it can still be seen on some preserved diesels.

The excellent chaps at the Bo'ness railway have refitted a working boiler to a class 37. Fantastic !

 

There are a few diesels with steam heat operational still around, notably on the Glous-Warks Railway and East Lancs among others. Of the current DEPG fleet, the Hymeks and Western certainly had steam boilers in BR days. The DEPG removed them from the Hymeks in the early days of preservation, I've heard that this was to bring them within the load restrictions of the early WSR, but may be wrong! I don't know if the Western still has its boiler, but if so, it would take a great deal of time and money to get it operational again, which could be spent on more important things. The 47 had a boiler fitted from new, but it was replaced with ETH (which it still has) under its BR ownership when it underwent refurbishment. Both 33s have ETH.

 

Indeed. The magnificently restored green class 37 D6948 will be steaming and providing heat on the GWR on the 26/29/30 December and 1st January.

 

Class 33s were built from new with ETH only, there was a transitional period where I believe lesser locos such as 24 or 25 were coupled inside in order to steam heat older unconverted coaches.

 

May I just mention that, like Paul in this instance, a lot of us are not aware of the meaning of the many initials used on the Forum. May I suggest that out of courtesy to those of us who are not totally familiar with the meaning of the many initials used, could posters type the full words please? We cannot all be as well aquainted as some might think. Thank you.

Sorry I deleted my post (above) by accident...

 

Is that a Camping Coach I see there?

 

It’s clear from those two images that it’s not just the railways that don’t bother very much these days with keeping the vegetation under control.

 

When the D10xx diesels were fairly new it was not uncommon to see one on an express with a steam loco coupled inside purely for heating when the diesel's boiler was giving trouble. Daftest of all was one recollection of a Castle performing that function with a D10xx on the front on a lightly loaded "Chelteham Spa Express"!

 

Or even, what used to happen when I was younger, use the full words on the first instance. With the initials in brackets after, then using the initials only when referenced again in the same document.

 

It was.

I'm working on it at Station House!

Robin

 

I believe the DTG plan at some point to reinstall a steam heat boiler to D821. They have one, it's finding the time to do it.

 

The camping coach was 9987 (taken from Ian C's Book) which was converted from a U19 5 compartment 6w composite c1931-5, (the first camping coach is listed as arriving in 1936 (page 196) so your date of 1934 doesn't match up and Ian C lists the photo as mid 1930's) built in 1884 lot 302 with two third compartments at the outer ends then two second compartments and one first compartment in the middle. It doesn't look like any grounded bodies of this diagram has survived. At least two other camping coaches were used including a T35/6/7? Break third (listed as a 6w coach in Ian C's Book but the information I have it is a 4w coach) and a clerestory bogie coach.

 

Both the DEPG Hymeks and D1010 have had their train heating boilers removed post preservation and I think all were scrapped.
Although the two 33s are capable of providing ETH it is currently isolated.
No brushes are installed in the ETH generators and reinstatement will only be considered if it is justified.
The 47 has operational ETH but the only time it has been used at the WSR to date was to test the heating in the 6024 KE1 support coach.

Ian R

 

I knew where the steam came from a steam hauled train obviously and as I explained earlier I thought I knew about diesel heating . Never occurred to me how the more modern locos made heat for the train . I do know however that the shunters I saw around Temple Meads when I was in short trousers the crews had a hotplate in them , so much easier than a shovel I assume and as the shunter would have been a diesel/electric , ie a power station so why wouldn't it have a hotplate .

 

As a quick follow up to your question all loco's and coaches with Electric Heat have an index, as shown here on 37422
In this case 37422 has an ETH index of 30 and a Mk1 coach will have an index of 4. Basically a 37/4 can heat up to 7 1/2 Mk1s and no more, other stock will have different ETH index ratings. Just as long as the train doesn't exceed the ETH rating of the loco, your passengers will be warm! Hope this makes sense, Matt