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A3 4472 Flying Scotsman Overhaul - 15 November 2008

Sun, 17 Nov 2008 21:48:00 GMT

posted by smithsj1

The LNER Class A3 Pacific locomotive no. 4472 "Flying Scotsman" (originally no. 1472) was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Doncaster Works to a design of H.N. Gresley. It was employed on long-distance express trains on the LNER and its successors, British Railways Eastern and North-Eastern Regions, notably the 10am London to Edinburgh Flying Scotsman service after which this locomotive was named. In its career 4472 "Flying Scotsman" has travelled 2,000,000 miles (3,200,000 km).

The locomotive was completed in 1923, construction having been started under the auspices of the Great Northern Railway. It was built as an A1, initially carrying the number 1472.

Flying Scotsman was something of a flagship locomotive for the LNER. It represented the company at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1924 and 1925. At this time it acquired its name and the new number of 4472. From then on it was commonly used for promotional purposes.

With suitably modified valve gear, this locomotive was one of five Gresley Pacifics selected to haul the prestigious non-stop Flying Scotsman train service from London to Edinburgh, hauling the inaugural train on 1 May 1928. For this the locomotives ran with a new version of the large eight-wheel tender which held 9 tons of coal. This and the usual facility for water replenishment from the water trough system enabled them to travel the 392 miles (631 km) from London to Edinburgh in eight hours non-stop. The tender included a corridor connection and tunnel through the water tank giving access to the locomotive cab from the train in order to allow replacement of the driver and fireman without stopping the train. The following year the locomotive appeared in the film "The Flying Scotsman".

On 30 November 1934, running a light test train, 4472 became the first steam locomotive to be officially recorded at 100 mph (160.9 km/h) and earned a place in the Land speed record for railed vehicles; the publicity-conscious LNER made much of the fact. On 22 August 1928, there appeared an improved version of this Pacific type classified A3; older A1 locomotives were later rebuilt to conform. On 25 April 1945, A1 class locomotives not yet rebuilt were reclassified A10 in order to make way for newer Thompson and Peppercorn Pacifics. This included "Flying Scotsman", which emerged from Doncaster works on 4 January 1947, as an A3 having received a boiler with a long "banjo" dome of the type it carries today. By this time it had become no. 103 in Edward Thompson's comprehensive renumbering scheme for the LNER, then 60103 from 1 January 1948, on the nationalisation of the railways when all the LNER locomotive numbers were prefixed with 60.
60103 "Flying Scotsman" painted in the darker BR green livery it wore when withdrawn in 1963.

Between 5 June 1950, and 4 July 1954, and between 26 December 1954, and 1 September 1957, under British Railways ownership, it was allocated to Leicester Central shed on the Great Central, running Nottingham Victoria to London Marylebone services via Leicester Central, and hauled one of the last services on that line before its closure[citation needed].

All A3 Pacifics were subsequently fitted with a double KYLCHAP chimney to improve performance and economy. This caused soft exhaust and smoke drift that tended to obscure the driver's forward vision; the remedy was found in the German-type smoke deflectors fitted from 1960, which somewhat changed the locomotives' appearance but successfully solved the problem.

In 2004 "Flying Scotsman" was put up for sale because of the mounting debts of its owning company. After a high-profile campaign it was bought in April 2004 by the National Railway Museum in York and it is now part of the National Collection. In 2007 "Flying Scotsman" entered the Museum's workshops for a major overhaul to mainline running standard; planned to be completed by mid 2010, if sufficient funds are raised.[5] The bay in which the locomotive is being refurbished is on view to visitors to the NRM but currently the engine has been dismantled to such an extent that the running plate is the only component recognisable to the casual observer.

4468 - A4 Mallard

Sat, 16 Nov 2008 22:01:00 GMT

posted by smithsj1

This video is of the Mallard which is housed at the National Railway Musuem in York.

LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Number 4468 Mallard is a London and North Eastern Railway Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive built at Doncaster, England in 1938.

Mallard was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley as an express locomotive specially built to power high-speed streamlined trains. Its wind-tunnel-tested, aerodynamic body allowed it to reach speeds of over 100 mph (160 km/h). Mallard was in service until 1963, when it was retired, having covered almost one and a half million miles (2.4 million km).

It was restored to working order in the 1980s, but has not operated since, apart from hauling some specials between York and Scarborough in July 1986 and a couple of runs between York and Harrogate/Leeds around Easter 1987. Mallard is now part of the National Collection at the United Kingdom's National Railway Museum in York. On the weekend of 5 July 2008, Mallard was taken outside for the first time in years and displayed alongside her A4 sisters, thus reuniting all four A4s extant in the UK for the first time since preservation.

The locomotive is 70 ft long and weighs 165 tons, including the tender. It is painted LNER garter blue with red wheels and steel rims.

Mallard is the holder of the world speed record for steam locomotives at 126 mph (202.7 km/h). The record was achieved on 3 July 1938 on the slight downwards grade of Stoke Bank south of Grantham on the East Coast Main Line, and the highest speed was recorded at milepost 90¼, between Little Bytham and Essendine. It broke the German (DRG Class 05) 002's 1936 record of 124 mph (200.4 km/h).

An Era of Steel and Steam

Mon, 13 May 2008 23:41:00 GMT

posted by soundfoundation

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound and Recording - blogment -
National News wire - The Infinite Echo

It was an age of steel and steam. It was a time of great power and wealth. Soon the world would be forever changed by this new mechanical marvel, the steam locomotive, the driving force behind the industrial revolution.

For centuries, man had understood the potential of steam as an energy source, but it took until 1803 before Samuel Homfray was able to successfully harness that energy with his invention of the steam engine. The first successful railway followed soon after, when on March 25th, 1807, England began passenger service between Swansea and Mumbles.

Across the pond, America was developing it’s own railway, and by 1869, eighteen hundred miles of track connected Omaha, Nebraska with Sacramento, California. The resulting improvement of trade routes was felt throughout the world. Within a decade, the industrial revolution was on a roll.

By 1893, the U.S. had completed five transcontinental trunk lines and no less than 260,000 miles of track. Monopolies flourished. A brilliant engineer named Theodore Judah successfully persuaded Washington to pony up ten to twenty square miles of land and at least $48,000 for every mile of track completed. The track was laid by armies of imported Chinese ’coolies’, laborers who toiled relentlessly while rail barons were popping champagne corks and charging glasses in celebration.

Enter, Andrew Carnegie, philosopher and opportunist, and in later years, philanthropist. At age 18, Carnegie caught the eye of Pennsylvania rail baron Tom Scott, becoming his personal secretary and telegraph operator. Carnegie however, had great plans for the future. The unbreakable grip of the iron industry was about to give way to steel.

By the turn of the century, William McKinley was president, and in 1903, New York State enacted legislation prohibiting the operation of steam locomotives south of the Harlem river, thus ushering in the era electrified tracks. The first use of internal combustion engines began in 1913, and was quickly superseded by the invention of the diesel locomotive, which proved more effective. The times, they were a changing.

During the great depression, the railroad became symbolic of the American struggle. Today we look back on these amazing machines as products of a bygone era. The mighty iron horse has been put to pasture. Or has it?

The steam engine may be a thing of the past, but today, light rail tracks and monorails are springing up in greater numbers. Perhaps these are not the romantic machines made famous by daring engineers like Casey Jones, but they provide safer, if not more efficient service. Meanwhile, thousands of miles of railway still grace the countryside, as modern locomotives pull seemingly endless processions of freight cars, hauling lumber, cattle, and virtually everything in between.

Away in the distance, a lonesome whistle blows. Tonight, perhaps further in the distance than in recent memory. The age of steel and steam has passed, but the dreams of those who dared make it happen, remain. An era, vanishes in a puff of smoke. A new era begins.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound and Recording - Sound Foundation - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo - Impeachment Now! - Skate the Razor -
Skate the Razor Blog - blogment

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Railroads in the News Thursday Jan 31st

Wed, 31 Jan 2008 10:27:00 GMT

posted by RonPare
Modelers in the News...
'I've been workin' on the railroad ...'
Fans of model trains create their own little worlds. Full bits here.

Club News...
Note if you have club news to add email it to me
Model Trains Draw Crowds in Wilmington
"I think everything speaks for itself here. A large crowd and a lot of people interested in the hobby. I want to encourage everyone to come out tomorrow from ten to four as well," said Ben Jackson, a member of the Cape Fear Model Railroad Club. Full bits here.

Blissfield Model Railroad Club Open-House

Amherst Show care of passingloop.com

Blogs and Column's...

Mike Hamer's Blog's
These blog here showcase top notch modelling skills and interesting rail fanning bits.
Edmonton and On Westward! (Railfanning blog)
Mikes B&M Layout blog can be found here.

Grade Crossings and cracked Roads
Scott Blog writes on his Derwins Drop layout today he takes us through grade crossings. Full bits here

Eddie's Rail fan page - was updated as well with some rail fanning images and write-ups Full bits here.

Prototype in the News...
A train car blows off the tracks over Sandusky Bay
The last car of a 20-car Norfolk Southern train derailed on a bridge over Sandusky Bay about 3:40 this morning. Spokesman Rudy Husband said high winds may have knocked the car off the tracks. It did not fall into the Bay. The car was carrying a dozen empty containers, Husband said. Ten of the empty containers fell into the water. The train's engineers were not injured. Full bits here

Presszoom - New, Safer Brake Technology for Freight Trains Gains Traction as Second Railroad Launches ECP Train. Full bits here

prnewswire - Chicago Metropolis 2020 Says Railroad Plan Could Ease Highway Congestion and Benefit Economy. Full bits here

indybay - $50,000 Sunday Stroll on the Westside Railroad Tracks
People Power, an advocate for human-powered transportation in Santa Cruz County, hosted a walk along the rail corridor in Santa Cruz in response to recent threats by Union Pacific to fine "trespassers" up to $2,000. Full bits here

Yankton - Fight Brewing Over Possible Closing Of Railroad Crossings
Hundreds of railroad crossings across Nebraska could be closed under a law that is angering some residents who think state officials are being heavy-handed in applying it. Full bits here

neweraprogress - Some steam ahead: Amherst train depot gets moved
More than 10 years of work and planning on the part of county officials and a determined group of citizens has paid off, in part. Full bits here

Train speeds to rise
Union Pacific Railroad will increase speed for some freight trains from 35 mph to 50 mph and to 60 mph for passenger trains on crossings at West Park, Burton, Link and Cordrey avenues in Orange. Full bits here
Development Council Supports CSX Center
BARTOW | The Central Florida Development Council on Monday unanimously supported the controversial CSX logistics center in Winter Haven on the condition regional planning officials address its impacts in Lakeland and on the environment. Full bits here
2 new possibilities for rail logistics center proposed in Thurston County
Two new Thurston County sites and one in Lewis County are being studied for a multimillion dollar rail logistics center. The sites are in addition to a Maytown site under consideration for the development by the ports of Tacoma and Olympia. Full bits here

Governor delivers tough message to rail company

International bits...
South Africa: Busses Provided for Stranded Train Commuters
The South African Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC) suspended train services in the area after six train engines and eight train carriages were burnt by angry commuters two weeks ago. Full bits here

Next Stop, FUN: The French Summer Party Train!
That’s right. Starting this summer, SNCF is booking overnight trains from Paris to Biarritz, Montpellier and Nice - three towns very familiar with partying, even without the government’s blessing - complete with bar cars, DJs, dance floors, video game and talent competitions, and low-lighting cars for chatting up fellow passengers. Full bits here

Historical Bits...
Independant - When railroads crisscrossed Monmouth County
A brief history in photographs of riding the rails. Full bits here

siskiyoudaily - Railroad enthusiasts in Siskiyou County now have to look no further than their local bookstore to get their fix of local rail history. Full bits here

Railroads in the News Thursday Jan 31st

Wed, 31 Jan 2008 10:27:00 GMT