Really chuffed: First full-size British steam locomotive for 50 years fires up

The Evening Standard (U.K.) ^ | August 1, 2008

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Bust my buffers, she makes my boiler tingle!
Apologies to Rev. W. V. Awdry.

[Fiddlstix]

Bump

[Freedom4US]

WHAT ABOUT THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF THIS MONSTROSITY!!!!

I’M GOING TO REPORT THIS TO THE UN OR SOMEBODY, AND THEN HAVE A TOFU SANDWICH. THAT IS ALL.

[Mr Inviso]

Idiots.. they put in a comment about the carbon footprint of 90 cars.. bet this thing hauls a few more than 90 people at a time, so it’s a net gain. Math and logic are completely beyond them.

Besides.. it’s alternative energy.. it doesnt use oil, after all.....

[elcid1970]

(Sorry, can’t resist)

How about a fully animated Thomas the Tank Engine face for the locomotive?

Anyway, I see a lesson in British socialism run amok as early as 1966. Did it not occur to anyone at all at the time that these locomotives would have enduring historical value and that preserving a few of them would be worthwhile?

Is it just because the U.S. is a much bigger nation that so many classic steam locomotives survived here?

[VOA]

Peppercorn Class A1 Pacific 60163 Tornado - to give her her
full title - is a brand spanking new steam locomotive,
built by more than 100 hands out of the fund-raising efforts of
thousands of enthusiasts.

Well, I'll give them highest marks for effort, skill and sacrifice.

Maybe 10-20 years ago a small town in Iowa wanted to get a steam
train running on some abandoned track that ran through the town.

Somehow, somebody learned that steam engines that looked just
like the ones of the first-half of the twentieth century were
still being built in mainland China...
so after fund-raising, they went and got their replica steam engine
from China; apparently at lower cost than finding and refurbishing
an authentic example in North America.

[Nick Danger]

Video

[Little Pig]

I dunno, we’ve ridden the life-sized Thomas that comes around every year (my 3yo daughter and I). It’s kinda wierd.

I think the engines survived here mostly because we had so many extra sidings and corners of railyards to hide them in that we just never got around to scrapping all of them before someone decided they should be kept. They were just never in the way the way here they must have been in Britain. Also, we don’t have the limited supplies of ore here like they do over there, so we didn’t have the pressure to reclaim the metal. I’d bet that a lot of those old engines over there are still involved in the rail lines, except that now they’re the rails and spikes.

[Little Pig]

I have to say, building a new steam engine, even if only for exhibition purposes, is way cool. I’d love to see someone actually front the money to rebuild some of the more important or impressive engines over here. I’d love to see first-hand (along with legions of railfans) why those big articulated engines were known as “gods of iron”. To see an Allegheny 2-6-6-6 pound past at 40mph under load must have been incredible.

[okie01]

To see an Allegheny 2-6-6-6 pound past at 40mph under load must have been incredible.

A Rock Island 4-8-4 with a mile-long string of freight cars making 70 mph across the prairie was pretty exciting, too.

[Stoat]

YouTube - Johnny Cash- Rock Island Line

[Stoat]

Thank you; just wonderful :-)

[Winniesboy]

Is it just because the U.S. is a much bigger nation that so many classic steam locomotives survived here?

Many survived in Britain also. The National Railway Museum in York has a wonderful collection, and there are dozens more kept running by enthusiasts' groups on short private lines.

[elcid1970]

As late as 1987 there was a Baldwin locomotive works in China still turning out classic 4-8-4’s. Cheap and abundant coal was one reason.

[snugs]

Also a steam train is referred to as a chuffer (chuffa) not sure how it is spelt which refers to the noise is makes.

[snugs]

There are many local steam enthusatist in Britain where I live we have a miniature railway and full size one both within 10 miles of me and I have never heard of any objection.

[snugs]

Yep people should read the article first though maybe you can say back as it is an old design.

[snugs]

I have been amazed that we actually got through Parliament recently a new coal fired power station.

[snugs]

LOL though in a way you are right it is an old design being bought back to life.

[snugs]

Our local railway I believe runs throughout the year, I know the miniature one does.