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34059 (Sir Archibald Sinclair) due in traffic??

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by 34007, Jan 26, 2009.

  1. alts1985

    alts1985 Well-Known Member

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    Me being the person you were talking to who was leaning out the first window! Nice to meet you Andy.
     
  2. alts1985

    alts1985 Well-Known Member

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  3. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    No. I was busy taking a photo of the guy at the other end of the train!

    [​IMG]
     
  4. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    Camera settings: NIkon D80 with the 18-135 kit lens set on 50mm. Asa set to 100. Shutter priority and 1/40 second. Circa f20, (that is why I used 100 asa). I had tested the shot on 34059 as it ran downhill on the previous "in" working. So I could judge what shutter speed I needed to get the rest of the photo blurred and what focal length I needed to use from where I was standing.

    Photo 2 was just luck. I doubt you would often get a loco standing on that platform and in that position with the sun out. I spent ages taking a number of photos to get the loco number showing, the wire under the station name not colliding with the loco, the whole name showing on the station name board, the foliage not obscuring the front of the loco etc etc etc! Plus people not walking along the platform I was on to look at the loco, as they were very entitled to do. What I couldn't do was ask the invited guests not to walk around the front of the loco on the other platform! So some of them are in the shot. i.e "I say Viscount Thurso, would you mind moving yourself and your party out of my photo.............." Especially after he gave what I thought was an excellent and very well planned speech at the re-dedication ceremony.
     
  5. MrHillingdon

    MrHillingdon Well-Known Member

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    Some lovely photos Bryan and no doubt a special day for you as well being able to re-acquaint yourself with 34059 after so many years. Thanks for sharing your photos.

    Regards,

    Paul
     
  6. southernman

    southernman Well-Known Member

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    As a follower of all things Southern. The phrase ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo springs to mind!!

    She looks fantastic and yet another reason to pop down to the Bluebell this year.
    Cracking shots Brian!!
     
  7. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    That's my old mate Coco, aka Soapy! Trust him to get in on the act with a Bulleid! \:D/
     
  8. underhound

    underhound New Member

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    Must say 34059 looks the dogs....Full credit to them.
     
  9. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    Tony's nickname was "Midland Bank" back in those halcyon steam days of the 1960s! I didn't know about the more recent ones!

    And he didn't muscle in on the act on Saturday to drive 34059. The duty was booked for someone else who couldn't take the turn. So Tony "stepped in" to take over!

    And he was joined, (all correct and proper with the right documentation being signed before hand at Horsted Keynes, I saw it being done in the office by the loco), by a fireman from the 1960s who rode as a "passenger" on the loco with him.

    And what a fireman!

    He was the man on the shovel on one of the greatest Merchant Navy Runs ever. 35012 on the up Bournemouth Belle in 1964. Gordon Hooper driving, Inspector Brian Smith and the full heavyweight Belle load. Run timed by my brother Don and a couple of others. Seventy four and a half minutes Southampton to Waterloo, (79.25 miles, schedule 84 mins), with an almost dead stand at Worting Junction. 94 mph max, (way below the best that Gordon Hooper got with a MN, I know I was on the run when he got his max!)

    But the most astonishing part was that he went over the top of Roundwood Bank still accelerating at 76 mph! A run pored over many times by the timing gurus and it comes out at one of only three times a MN is properly recorded at circa 3,000 indicated horsepower. I took a photo of the train coming through Wimbledon, (sadly lost, I think).

    That fireman's son is on this Forum and I had the pleasure of spending a large part of Friday with him on the Bluebell. I'll let him take up the story!
     
  10. 34007

    34007 Part of the furniture

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    Go on Bryan you know the story - I'll let you tell everybody how proud I am of my Dad and his firing back in the 60's! And he can still manage even these days!!
    One of Tony's nicknames is Soapy! Bless him! What a lovely guy!! And a huge thankyou to him for Saturday!! A fantastic job done on the loco and the beats are right!!
     
  11. 34007

    34007 Part of the furniture

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    Yep that would have been me my friend! With a huge smile on my face!! :) And that person who was looking out the first coach is also a member on this forum! Had a good time on Saturday!!
     
  12. 34007

    34007 Part of the furniture

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    Hi Bryan, Excellent photos mate - That one of 34059 at speed is fantastic!!! Maybe I should spend more time meeting up and taking photos with you!!! ;-)
    Ashley sorry our meeting was brief mate - But great meeting you as well! You seemed busy with the guard! lol
     
  13. twofnine

    twofnine Member

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    If I recall correctly, didnt the Bournemouth Belle with 35012, arr at Wloo at 1837pm, some 13 minutes early?
     
  14. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    This was before the electrification works started and the scheduled arrival time was, I am fairly sure, 18.40. So it would have been in at 18.30.

    A 13 minute early arrival at 18.37 would possibly have been when the schedule was extended for all the electrification works, and arrival was booked for 18.51. So it would have been 13 - 14 mins early with an 18.37 arrival, and a time up from Soton of circa 80 mins. So a different day when 35012 was on the up Belle.
     
  15. twofnine

    twofnine Member

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    Thanks for that, yes I remember now; you are absolutely right

    Nine Elms men only had the Bournemouth Belle at weekends, Bournemouth Men Weekdays
     
  16. twofnine

    twofnine Member

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    Oh! You were the person whom fired, and shovelled the coal hard then?
    #-o
     
  17. 34007

    34007 Part of the furniture

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    Nah I'm the one who got her steaming beautifully and kept her quiet in SP station.... The coal probably lasted all the way to Kingscote... [-X
     
  18. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Never knew Tony as Midland Bank but the reasons are obvious! He's a great Bulleid afficionado and spent many an hour footplating them in their last days. He was the victim of a blowback on 34087, the tale of which is told here by Les Greer:
    http://www.svsfilm.com/nineelms/last.htm along with many others. A good website if you haven't come across it.
    The speed on Roundwood bank well beats your 76 mph, if true, but it was with a lesser load.
     
  19. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    Oh yes, a much, much lighter load. Usually 180 tons or so. Compared with more than 450 tons for the Belle! 85 mph over the top from the Winchester start was the record. I think my own personal best on that train was just over 80mph.

    All of those speeds were true. Every train had a sizeable number of people well experienced in timing fast runs, myself included. But the Belle performance with that heavy load was the ultimate steam locomotive performance on Roundwood bank. As I said, one of only three times when a MN got to circa 3,000 indicated horsepower. The others being Gordon Porter's 103 mph or 104mph, (there has been some debate as to the exact maximum), through Fleet with the 19.15 ex Southampton with 35028. And 35028 again in April 1999.

    I do remember Tony's blow back incident. I wasn't on that run, but saw him a few days later. I think he was only kept in hospital overnight.
     
  20. Neohagrid

    Neohagrid New Member

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