UK: Steam locomotive takes home passengers stranded by snow-delayed modern trains

The Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | December 23, 2009 | James White

[Stoat]

Please also see:

FR thread from last year which is all about the train featured in this article, and includes many great photos

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

and

Rail Britannia Newly found pix reveal train travel was once glorious experience, not shabby ordeal

[Stoat]

[Frantzie]

A real beauty she is too.

[IAMIUBU]

Makes my day!

[Kirkwood]

The Hogwarts express?

[smokingfrog]

Nothin’ beats steam power.

[WOBBLY BOB]

The Willie G Boondoggle Sled.

[Joe Boucher]

nap,
just Thomas the train.

[Mr. Lucky]

Why would a kingdom able to build such an engineering masterpiece choose to so meekly surrender to the muslim hoardes?

[CholeraJoe]

OMG! It’s the Hogwarts Express!

[sionnsar]

Too cool!

[Constitutions Grandchild]

I love steam engines and really love the whistles. When I was young my mother talked how the sound of the trains would be so relaxing. I thought to myself, being a child of the diesel and jet age, “Well, if you like trains, we'll just buy a house next to the airport and you can really get a thrill!” HOWEVER, and its a BIG HOWEVER, THE FIRST TIME THE OLD NARROW GAUGE RAIL STEAM ENGINE CAME DOWN THE TRACKS AND BLEW IT'S WHISTLE (and MAN COULD HE MAKE IT SING), I was hooked.

The peaceful chug, chug, chug and the haunting sweet whistle had me at “hello”. From that point on, being in a small town outside of St. Louis, Missouri, we used to head over to the tracks and wave like Hoosiers every time we heard that whistle blow. I realized then that Mother and I were talking apples and oranges and there IS NOTHING LIKE the sound of a train — at least the ones she remembered.

[mad_as_he$$]

Three drive axles - interesting. Track radius issue?

[AFreeBird]

When all else fails - low tech rules!

[Mr. Lucky]

Probably no flange on the middle set of wheels.

[Karma Police]

Reading your post gave me goosebumps!

[Tax-chick]

Wrong color ;-).

[ASOC]

If you like photos of trains you will love
this
site with Russian trains. Some working, some as junk, all very interesting.

WARNING - if you are a photo junkie (and even if you are not) the site can be addictive.

[IAMIUBU]

Thanks for the link!

[BallyBill]

Since getting DISH network, the greatest thing has been "trains and locomotives" on RFD-TV every Monday at 6PM.

if it ain't steam, it ain't a locomotive in my mind.