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ross replied to the thread GWR four-cylinder arrangement?.
I have to ask Mr Hermod, how familiar are you with Britain and it's geography? At times you have stated that any locomotive with driving wheels greater than 5' is an error, and that designing locomotives to operate at more than 75mph is...
Jul 15, 2026 at 12:51 AM -
Trevor Beglin replied to the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.
Excuse my ignorance as not from the line but does anyone know which steam locomotives are currently serviceable at the NYMR? Or at least in a position, heat aside, where they could run in the next four weeks? 44806 and 2253 are running. I'd seen...
Jul 15, 2026 at 12:51 AM -
Fred Kerr liked The Gricing Owl's post in the thread Adding in the infrastructure.
As I sort and scan the photos for my various steam loco memoirs books, I am reminded all too often that I should have spent more time using locations where I could not only capture steam loco action - but also the surrounding infrastructure. One...
Jul 15, 2026 at 12:38 AM
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Bluenosejohn liked Jamessquared's post in the thread LE movements, ECS and test runs 2026.
Nothing wrong with ashpan sprays, and they are a tool in the armoury of reducing line side fires - and also, importantly in financial and maintenance terms, reducing ashpan fires. It's worth remembering though that if you turn on an ashpan spray...
Jul 15, 2026 at 12:37 AM -
Bluenosejohn liked The Gricing Owl's post in the thread Adding in the infrastructure.
As I sort and scan the photos for my various steam loco memoirs books, I am reminded all too often that I should have spent more time using locations where I could not only capture steam loco action - but also the surrounding infrastructure. One...
Jul 15, 2026 at 12:32 AM
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ross liked Jamessquared's post in the thread GWR four-cylinder arrangement?.
All this Americana is very interesting, but all we seem to have established is that by the 1950s. the only places where high-powered coal fired locomotives were still viable was where coal was dirt cheap - which was rather my original point! Tom
Jul 15, 2026 at 12:01 AM -
ross liked 35B's post in the thread GWR four-cylinder arrangement?.
Yes, one-offs. In comparison to what was coming out of GE and GM, the N&W steam types were relatively few in number, and lacked the economies of scale that the diesels provided. Taking your list of Y6, A and J classes, that was a total of 138...
Jul 14, 2026 at 11:58 PM -
ross liked 35B's post in the thread GWR four-cylinder arrangement?.
That doesn't answer the question of why you'd continue to develop the steam locomotive rather than other technologies that give significantly greater efficiency across the piece. In the early 90s, I remember braking for the summit at Shap when...
Jul 14, 2026 at 11:56 PM -
ross liked LMS2968's post in the thread GWR four-cylinder arrangement?.
This is all absolutely true but fixed and marine plant tends to work at a constant speed and power output over a long period so the 'maximum' and 'continuous' ratings are vital and staying within them is critical. A railway locomotive however,...
Jul 14, 2026 at 11:55 PM -
bluetrain liked 21B's post in the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.
My observation about the challenge of running a railway is this: The railway is a system. Unless all parts of that system (infrastructure, trains, business systems, communications and people) are in sync it doesn't work, and problems in any one...
Jul 14, 2026 at 11:54 PM -
21B replied to the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.
My observation about the challenge of running a railway is this: The railway is a system. Unless all parts of that system (infrastructure, trains, business systems, communications and people) are in sync it doesn't work, and problems in any one...
Jul 14, 2026 at 11:50 PM -
ross liked LMS2968's post in the thread GWR four-cylinder arrangement?.
Erm . .. have you ever tried driving a heavily loaded diesel up a steep gradient?
Jul 14, 2026 at 11:46 PM
