Tornado

You're right, Steamage. I'm sure that loco performance experts (Mike Notley et al) use your formula as a rough and ready estimate of the train's speed when mileposts or GPS aren't available.

Although traditional rail joints, whether 45' or 60', are probably becoming rare on the national network.

John.

 

FYI.
a peice of rail can be any lenght you want. Someone will know the exact figures and hopefully ill correct any mistakes but i think the steel mill at workington can produce lenths of about 400 yards long.

 

It's pretty rare today to have rail joins on the mainline to calculate speed. This method used to be used a lot and it's pretty accurate if done over a long enough period (although that only give an average speed over that section). You can buy a CD of 60007 in 1959 doing 112mph which can be verified by counting the rail joins.

 

Tornado out this Saturday and Sunday on normal service trains, also a beer festival on at Loughborough with 35 ales and ciders.

Normal fares apply.

 

Thanks, AlexS. I'm afraid I (and a few friends) took this thread on an unauthorised jaunt on the slow line. Laid, of course, with 60' jointed rail!

John.

 

Since I believe we have both 60 ft and 45 ft rail on the GC, it won't help you much I'm afraid

Forgot to mention the beer festival is 2 quid for your glass and drinks from £2.30 a pint.

 

And I'm sure those travelling behind Tornado will be more interested in the chattering sound coming from up front than the clicketty-clacking sound from beneath!

One final aside: as a student in the '70s I used to travel on the ex-Southern branch from Exmouth to Exeter. This was laid with a combination of 60' track panels on wooden sleepers and 45' panels on concrete sleepers. The latter gave a noticeably rougher ride [DUM-DUM-dum-dum-DUM-DUM-dum-dum...] and it was always a relief when the DMU regained the smoother, more pleasing 60' sections [diddly-dum...........diddly-dum].



Erm, I must get out more methinks. :-k

John.

 

As I say in my signature "Steam And Real Ale You Can't Beat It"

 

Ah reet, not half an austerity bolted to an enlarged mamod boiler.

They seem to be doing a good job of keeping the grey bits clean though.

 

Hum, lets lay this to rest shall we?

The track joints around Kinchley Lane are all roughly 60ft in length, and that train was the third and final of that evening, the first train was restricted to 25mph, the second restricted to 35mph and the fourth restricted to 45mph. So, that answers your question, she'd have been doing between 40 and 45mph at that point.

 

Tornado has been out today running at up to 60mph past Kinchley Lane.Track measurements were taken as the engine gradually built up to 60.I will post my pictures later.

 

Pictures of today's high speed runs at Kinchley Lane now up.

http://steamgalore.fotopic.net/c1584802.html

 

The speed isn;t the important bit in this test as they measuring the hammer blow of the loco, all part of the vehicle acceptance bodies tests with Tornado being a new engine. Its going to be very interesting to see how it performs in relation to modern standards.

 

Any info on the sensors and instrumentation used for this test ?

David

 

Just happenned to be in the area last Monday, much to my Wife,s suprise, and had a couple of wonderfull trips behind "Tornado".
It was also good to meet Mark Alitt again and took the opportunity to re-new a couple of contacts, great day.

Regards
Chris

 

I don't know i am afraid, no doubt some fancy computerised gismo.

 

Jamie is right, so this is my last comment on the speed:

Its 43.6mph (using 64ft for a mk1 not 57ft)

Also, length of rail section is irrelevant, as long as you are listening to the same joint!

 

I was the fireman on sunday 28th sept, i was luck enough to fire and drive her but i didn't enjoy it! there was a feel about the loco, it didn't have a story like an old engine does. people are going to be shock for me to say that but its true.

 

yeah i know what you mean, its the new and not done anything feeling, everything else feels like it has been worked it and has all the tell tale signs of being work worn and not perfect. Hopefully this is something that will pass in time as she proves herself physically and in peoples minds.

 

Did you notice any differences in the loco to an older loco? I understand she has a few bits from an old A1? Is that correct?