Ton-up Steam locos that survived into preservation

Re the LMS pacifics and 100mph running.

Reading past logs on this line it seemed that it was almost impossible to travel at any sustained speed without getting checked either down to slower trains or pway slacks.

I have no doubts that the princess coronations could do it with a reasonable train, not the massive loads that they often had to pull.

There is a story I have heard repeatedly that 46229 did the ton descending from Shap on a drivers last run but no-one can substantiate this although I do know from experience that this engine can really move achieving almost 90mph at Knowle and Dorridge from a standing start at Tyseley.
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I would also think 71000 would probably a better bet with Caprotti valve gear.

Re Worcester Castlesw.

Another Worcester Castle I remember was Lockheed Hudson I forget the number but I saw it go through Honeybourne at one hell of a rate of knots.

Cheers Dave

 

If you are referring to 46229's last mainline run in preservation from Euston to Glasgow in 1996 - no, she didn't do the 'ton'
but wasn't far off!

 

KentYeti's comments about the Milwaukee Road Hudsons are very valid. UK Steam cracking the ton was special, but the Milwaukee had steam hauled workings timed for 95 running for a couple of years as standard.

I'd be quite happy to court controversy and suggest that at least one of the 100-106 batch got well over 127mph, and on level track.

 

From memory 46229 reached the dizzy heights of 93mph on that rail tour.

 

Just slightly more than that....96mph.

 

I read a report in a Railway magazine concerning a time during the 50's when the Kings were withdrawn due to some bogie problems and the WR had a couple of Princess Coronations to help for the temorary loss of the Kings.
Apparently the WR drivers really took to them and used them to such good effect that one hauling the next train after the Bristolian got the back boards from the Bristolian at Didcot, if this is true the driver must have really been giving it the gun'

That line from Didcot to Bristol would be ideal to see what different locos could do as it is relatively flat.

As to which engines 71000, 46229/33,35028,60007/9/19 WR locos not sure but maybe a certain pair of double chimney castles might do very well indeed, not that we will ever find out.

Back to the PC's did anyone really find out what these locos were capable of? didn't Brell Ewart say he thought that 6233 would easily do 120mph given the chance?

The people who said 100mph running didd not happen very often are correct the timetable did not call for it the opportunity to try may have arisen when the driver of a very late running train had a clear track and was trying to make up for a delay.

Cheers Dave

 

OK, Next question. Which locos in preservation have achieved 110 mph +? That will be Sir Nigel and Mallard. (in the UK, at any rate). So much for your red engines and Bullieds.

 

There was an article in Steam Railway afterwards, including a line along the lines of "we can't tell you how fast it went, but if you send £96 we will"!

 

In relation to this, my father used to work inside in the 1950's and 60's and used to speak to many of the trials drivers at Swindon in his lunch break. The overnight fitted trains (newspapers and milk for instance) were favourites I assume as the running would often go unseen bar the signalmen?

He also always tells me another tale about the Castles (always his - and now my favourites), he apparently casually asked one old driver once just how fast they would go, the driver replied 'they are a lot faster than people think they are' with a wink!

Keep trying to persuade him to write all his stories down!

 

If we're brutally honest though, aren't most British steam speed records rather more than a bit of a joke in that there's a large element of who had the best hill, from Churchward's "go ahead and break your bloody necks" through the LMS nearly piling up in Crewe and so on? Wouldn't a serious performance record need to be set on the flat? And realistically where could you do that and run a proper railway service?

 

Well for a proper speed record you'd also have to do a run in the opposite direction, like for land speed records. But for whatever reasons, railway records ignore downhill gradients and don't worry about doing runs in each direction.

 

Not to the best of my knowledge.