Nene Valley Railway

Arrived safe and sound only to find nobody at my digs to let me in. Another guy turned up but he’d been told that his keys were under the mat. Pity mine weren’t

 

Enjoy while the link lasts, folks - 22:09 in.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bkf36n/look-east-west-evening-news-27092018

6,300 ticket-holders over the three days, according to Mr. Thurston.

 

Oh, that's a bit bloody tiresome...

 

Vauclain balanced compounds, created by the man who would become the President of the Baldwin Locomotive Works. A large multi-ported piston valve served two cylinders, both the h.p. and the l.p. of a pair. There is no receiver in this type of compound, in reality what was referred to as a continuous expansion or Woolf type compound. The original design had superimposed cylinders (Vauclain preferred external mechanisms and plain axles) and so presented balancing issues and the first engine appeared in 1889. They were built at the rate of about 100 per year and the type was admired for both its simplicity and robustness (where have we seen this before?). Some of the test results were rather encouraging but by 1908 Du Bousquet had produced his 4-6-0 for the Nord and very few 4-6-0 types could equal the performance of this machine.

We live in an age where information and ideas can spread far, far more rapidly than 110 years ago. In 1914 could Nydquist and Holm be reasonably expected to produce a more advanced machine than they did? They might have been able to, the Wayermann 3 cylinder 2-6-0 first appeared in 1896, the first Smith compound in the same year. The verdict on the compound vs simple question remained unresolved. Which way was best, which alternative to try, to believe in?

People make motive power choices and many factors shape the decision. So why look for an alternative design when an existing engine is still found to be acceptable? The cost savings in producing more of an existing type can look very attractive. By the time these repeats were ordered these machines could be viewed as outdated in a global sense but the decision to perpetuate an old design must have made sense at the local level.

Chapelon was no coward either physically or intellectually and if any man knew how to transform a locomotive design by means of changing a few carefully selected components then Andre Xavier was that man.

 

Another Scotsman at the NVR snippet:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-en...cotsman-locomotive-visits-nene-valley-railway

 

I have tried to upload and failed,but maybe a link t the important figure works:

http://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?aid=lok&datum=1941&page=228&size=24

If we substitute a german 01 two cylinder for Brittania/Clan`s and a 03 three-cylinder for all the other UK pacifics we are not a mile of technologywise.

A describtion of the Norwegian 2-8-4 locomotive can be seen here:

http://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?aid=lok&datum=1941&page=197&size=24

 

Three in steam today! 60103 working private charters, 60163 on test, and No. 1 shunting up and down the yard after a few months out being repaired.

 

This picture's now on the NVR website home page

 

After having the pleasure of volunteering on the loco on Thursday, I spent the next 3 days fiming the Scotsman on it's JustGo holiday runs and the weekend sold-out trips. Video below.

 

Better quality version attached. The one time I didn't take my camera and this shot presents itself with only a phone camera to hand.

 

Ah, so that was you at Lynch Bridge on Friday afternoon then?

 

From the NVR FB page:

Tornado Sunday
We are pleased to advise that with thanks to the A1SLT. A1 No 60163 Tornado will be hauling our services on Sunday 7th October. Services start at 10:00 from Wansford on our Blue Timetable. Normal fares apply. www.nvr.org.uk

 

Another green machine visiting (from the NVR FB page again):

Ex GWR Pannier 6430 to run at NVR in 2019
We are pleased to announce that GWR Pannier No 6430 will be running at the NVR from April to October 2019. With thanks to the Llangollen Railway. www.nvr.org.uk

 

Hi,

What does the NVR currently have in terms of home based steam operational?

Thomas, 34081? Is Swiftsure still resident?

Chris

 

34081 is operational and has just returned from a trip to NYMR for their gala.

Thomas has just returned to service after several months of extensive bottom end/brake work.

Not sure about Swiftsure - have a vague recollection it is expected back but is currently elsewhere (ELR?) undergoing work - will check Nene Steam when I get home to see if I can confirm.

 

Thomas was cheerfully chuffing up and down the tracks around the station today, whilst Tornado was taking driver experience classes. One volunteer taking what looked like a late breakfast up to the signal box remarked how nice it was to have three operational steam engines present - "another one fixed!" he said with a smile as Thomas puffed past the crossing gates.

I also noted a very shiny EE Type 1 in the yard.

Given the origin of the line, it'd be nice to see something small and LMS there one day: I never saw the Webb Coal Tank.

 

They’ve got something small coming next year but it’s a Swindon design.

 

Yes, I noticed. So that'll be Thomas and 'Duck' then? I had something like a 2MT in mind, in the vein of 78018 last year.

 

Another day with Tornado haulage on the 10th - no trips to/from Yarwell though.

 

A well-known Hudwell Clark 0-6-0T is expected back in service at the end of the month, according to Heritage Railway magazine's website: https://www.heritagerailway.co.uk/thomas-steams-again-at-the-nene-valley-railway/? fbclid=IwAR2UqWzHqbQgr62jhV8J5dfblG4Rf9Q5yNMdFUu9pvv7BAGTma6ek8u0iS0

Hope it's of interest