Posted on 08/01/2008 2:00:11 PM PDT by Stoat
Lovely. Sometimes the Orient Express has a steam engine especially for local trips around the UK and often she comes through Ashford station.
One night we came in on the normal train from London and as we departed the train we could smell that wonderful coal fired enginee smell.
We turned round and in came the train on the opposite platform I so wished I had my camera.
Probably how the article was edited to fit the space allowed it would have originally said steam on rail being a thing of the past IMHO.
Absolutely IMHO when truly we have green coal either in mining or burning available and we will get there with the amount of coal still under the earth worldwide those countries with great resources untapped will increase their wealth overnight.
Britain has many mines that were closed because not economically and enviromentally viable not that they were exhausted of coal be there a change in the worldwide demand for the stuff many IMHO will be re-opened maybe not in my lifetime but eventually they will have to be.
Many have survived in Britain.
Cheaper but not as much fun and probably not as good a quality.
Here are the 2 in my area, the first one is a miniature railway the second is where they have reclaimed old track and in fact now can link into the main line.
http://www.rhdr.org.uk/rhdr/home_flash.html
Often parents describe train noises to children also as chuff chuff
Awesome!
One of my must visit sites in the UK is the York Museum I know someone who did work on the track round that area and is an absolute railway nut a great engineer as well.
If you like these old Loco’s
Try this site
http://www.irm.org/steamdept/index.html
Has some interesting pics and information
Thanks for the link.
When I was in the States in 1997 I rememebr staying in the Conway area in New England and seeing that railway running. Unfortunately due to time we did not have time to take a trip now I wish we had and not spent so much time in Boston on the way out.
Love it mate, really good pics.
Brings me back to my childhood riding on the nearby Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.
http://www.rhdr.org.uk/rhdr/home_flash.html
I wouldn’t mind a few more of these beauts running up and down the East Coast mainline.
That’s the cog railway from the old train station in North Conway,NH up Mount Washington, one of the coolest tourist traps around.
I’d be really chuffed, too. What a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.
If I ever make it to the home country, I know York is a must see. Family connection also dictate a trip to Plymouth and Buckland Abbey to see Uncle Frank’s stomping grounds of 5 centuries ago.
Thanks for reminding me of the railway’s name I know it is something I want to do in the future.
A few years later a colleague from work went to the same area and as her husband worked for a British Railway company they actually got a free trip on the train.
Are you from Kent or were you just visiting the area as a child, I live in Ashford.
Canterbury, Oxford and Cambridge I would also recomend as traditional cathedral/university cities.
Yup, If you ever get a chance to see the Union Pacific’s Steamer don’t miss it. I thinks it is called The Challenger? It was here in KC some time back and I took the kids to see it. That thing is HUGE, it had two sets of three driver wheels and the wheels had to be over 7 ft tall as they were taller than me. The tender was almost as long as the locomotive.
I live just about 100yards from the BNSF Argentine Yards east entrance and every once in a while a steamer passes through, theres no missing the sound of the steam whistle on an old steamer, sigh
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
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