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

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

[Stoat]

Passengers stranded when modern-day trains fell victim to the freezing weather have been rescued by the crew of a steam engine.

About 100 passengers climbed aboard the first mainline steam locomotive to be built in Britain for almost half a century at London Victoria when electric trains were delayed.
 

The 1940s technology used to power Tornado, a £3million Peppercorn class A1 Pacific, was able to withstand the snow and ice that brought much of the South East to a standstill on Monday night.

Historic solution: The Tornado A1 locomotive came to the aid of stranded passengers let down by modern trains in freezing conditions

The locomotive's 'Cathedrals Express' service was offering festive trips in the region when staff on board heard about the stranded passengers.
 

The travellers were offered free seats and were dropped off at stations as it chuffed through Kent, said Mark Allatt, chairman of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, the charity which built Tornado.

Mr Allatt said they were pleased to be able to help some of London's stranded commuters 'get home in style' and joked that rail operators could learn lessons from them.

[mad_as_he$$]

Guess I have been in the West so long and have become used to seeing these monsters I forgot that configuration was dominate in the rest of the world.

http://www.upsteam.com/

[abb]

Here ya go.

http://www.crosby-steam.com/csw.htm

[seemoAR]

The reader railroad was also known as the Possom Trot. I have rode on it several times. The passenger cars are open and all the black smoke from the engine seems to go into the cars. It wasn't a good idea to wear white clothes.
The last time I rode it was in the hot dry summer time and sparks from the smokestack would blow into the woods. I think we must have stopped 3 times to put out small woods fires before they could grow. ;0)

[Steve Van Doorn]

you can not buy those today can you?

[abb]

Don’t think Crosby is in business any more.

Take a look here. There may be some useful information.

http://www.hornandwhistle.net/

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Cue up the Kinks!

Last of the Steam-Powered Trains
Written by: Ray Davies

Published by: Noma Music, Inc./Hi-Count Music, Inc. BMI

Like the last of the good ol’ puffer trains,
I’m the last of the blood and sweat brigade,
And I don’t know where I’m going, or why I came.
I’m the last of the good old fashioned steam-powered trains.

I’m the last of the good old renegades.
All my friends are all middle class and grey,
But I live in a museum, so I’m okay.
I’m the last of the good old fashioned steam-powered trains.

Like the last of the good ol’ choo-choo trains,
Huff and puff ‘till I blow this world away,
And I’m gonna keep on rollin’ till my dying day.
I’m the last of the good old fashioned steam-powered trains.

Like the last of the good ol’ puffer trains,
I’m the last of the soot and scum[?] brigade,
And all this peaceful living is drivin’ me insane.
I’m the last of the good old fashioned steam-powered trains.
I’m the last of the good old fashioned steam-powered trains.

[thecodont]

This will delight you:

San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society, Santa Fe Steam Locomotive 3751

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zFTW3eK8fQ

[GonzoGOP]

Probably no flange on the middle set of wheels.

All drivers are flanged. A 4-6-2 isn't going to have any problems with curves, but with that much horsepower on only three drivers (especially ones that big), that thing is going to slip like crazy. The engineer (driver in the UK) is going to have to have a light hand with that one.

Cool thing is she is a three cylinder design (unlike the vast majority of US locomotives that had only 2) The third cylinder is between the frames. I hope it has automatic greasers for the bearings or the poor fireman gets to crawl in the snow.

[GonzoGOP]

Looks a lot like the Pennsylvania T1. The T1 was one of the sharpest looking US steamers, but with four cylinders on only eight axles she slipped too much to be called truly successful.

My personal favorite is the Norfolk and Western J.

Equally at home pulling a long varnish up the side of a mountain or blasting across the open plains. The 611 is still runnable, but the lawyers have it tied up in a roundhouse. Can't get the insurance to run it.

[thecodont]

Thanks for posting this nice memory.

[Oztrich Boy]

Looks a lot like the Pennsylvania T1.

There's a reason for that. SA Railways copied the streamlining of the T1, which appeared a year earlier. But the 520 mechanicals were based on the more conventional 4-8-4 500B "Mountain" series which ran the interstate line, the 520 being a reduced weight version capable of running on the 60lb local tracks.

Equally at home pulling a long varnish up the side of a mountain or blasting across the open plains

That's the Adelaide-Melbourne run - 2.2% climb out of the city then 500 miles of open plains

[Balding_Eagle]

How is the electricity for the headlight generated on the the steam engines?

[PA Engineer]

If you are ever in Skagway, try out the White Pass Line.

[GonzoGOP]

There is a small steam turbine just in front of the cab. In cold weather you can usually see a little plume of steam rising up from there.

[Balding_Eagle]

Thanks, I’ve always wondered.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

How heavenly! I would gladly ride that kind of transportation to and from work each day! It's such a peaceful life.

Our little town and the one next door to it were built up in the 1890s. The wealthy families in St. Louis would board the steam locomotives to Webster Groves and Kirkwood (while lesser people would sleep out in Forest Park) to escape the summer heat and the furnaces of brick and pavement in the City.

Those summer “cottages” here are on a slightly lesser scale than those in Newport. You know, those quaint little “get-a-ways” that are three stories, plus stables, tennis courts and require an army of grateful servants who get to escape the heat. Anyway, I digress.

The wooded landscape, the golf courses placed among the open spots and the chug, chug, chug of the train made commuting a lengthy, however, elegant way for the men in the families to maintain their work and enjoy their families at leisure.

Of course, now, you wouldn't set foot in Forest Park (our equivalent of Central Park) at night, nor are there any “commuter trains” from any areas where those who have steady employment live. How far we've slipped no matter how far we've come.