Silly season? - The K3 project

I'm tempted to sign up someone I don't like to recieve updates

 

I've signed up, just for fun!

 

That's cruel - you really don't like them do you!

 

Makes my dreams of a new build Thompson Pacific look sane.

 

Well, ...

 

Or King Ridiculous.....

 

I dont know what all the fuss is about.Just get Hamilton repaired and with its bathtub send it down stoke bank. Easily do 140mph, and no Crew crossover to curtail the fun. And it wont run a hot big end either

 

To be honest, I thought Silly Season summed up 95% of posts on NP Forum.
The steam loco idea mooted is quite sane compared to some of the bizarre suppositions posted here!

 

Maybe should have called it K9 as it'd need to be 3 times a fast as a K3 and would definitely be a bit of a dog

 

And you feed it Pedigree Chum?........

 

OK, since it is "silly season", and since we, collectively, know more than enough about steam locomotive design, how would we design a world-record breaking steam locomotive? How fast do we think it would go?

Let's set some ground rules: the speed must be achieved hauling a moderate load of conventional coaches, say 200 tons, and be sustained for a mile. Do we accept Stoke Bank as the course, as used by Mallard, or do we want something more level, where the train can do a return run within an hour, like a car record? If so, where is there a suitable stretch? On the Great Western between Swindon and Reading?

Perhaps we should have 2 categories: 1) minor modifications of an existing (i.e. preserved) loco; 2) new build, new design, anything goes, so long as it fits the loading gauge and is driven by steam generated in/on the loco from water carried with it.

Let me start things off by saying that I think both Tornado and Duchess of Hamilton are capable of exceeding Mallard's record over the same ground with the same load, though I'd give Tornado A4-style streamlining to keep the smoke clear of the boiler without the huge bow-wash created by smoke deflectors and a flat smokebox front.

@Sheff - what would you and your 5AT chums propose, given a clean sheet of paper?

 

With the beast built and tested, how much would we need to pay NR for the path? Would it be easier in Germany or Poland? Germany would be good to share the glory of beating the pre-war records of both: British loco on German track.

They were already intending 113 mph in regular service and 120 max, so their design might not need a huge amount of tweaking for a one-off 140 mph. Even 130 mph would be enough for the world record.

 

Don't forget the square law relationship between speed and power loss through drag (which dominates at high speed): 130mph is only 8% more speed than 120, but needs 18% more power. You'd better hope the aerodynamics are good to minimise the power requirement.

To put it into context, the land speed record for a steam-powered car is only 139mph over a measured mile and 148mph over a measured kilometre, and that from a car optimised for that task (normal car rules of two runs in opposite direction within an hour). So 140mph for a steam locomotive pulling a load - even a pretty nominal one - will be, well, interesting to say the least!

Tom

 

Collapse in a heap at the first sight of a hill? ;-)

 

^^^ What he says. If outright top speed were the aim then some slight tinkering with driving wheel diameter might need to be considered.

 

Oi! I refer you to the endeavours of driver Swain and fireman Hooker on the Highland main line in 1948.

 

Given all the doubts about the accuracy of Mallard's record, the German counter claim (a credible close if not better) and U.S claims for an unverified excess of 126 going for it with modern measuring equipment would be a sensible project to pursue with the right locomotive. However what parameters?

As for allowing it on UK rails why not for a modern steam design as 140mph is allowed on HS1 and I guess the publicity for the event would allow paths, for example off peak on Sunday's, for the attempt to be planned for.

This project may not be credible, an attempt on the record by the right loco could be.


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