Train shite

[oman5]

My personal faves are the venerable class 37s.These were built in the early '60s and were so reliable and useful they were kept in active service until only a couple of years ago. I saw a lot of them back in the day around the welsh valleys on coal and ore trains. here's one light engine being given the biscuit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6v3tmPud6Y

They have a couple at my local heritage line the Pontypool and Blaenavon railway as well as 108s, 31 and 73.chuck 'em a fiver on one of thier diesel gala days and they let you drive one.

 

and of course the spectacular class 55 "deltics". from the days when we made stuff in this country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NVNFJcgLmw

[morris_ital_lover]

It wouldn't suprise me about the alleged 56 trade offf as some BAC 1-11s were built out there, and yes they were toally shite once they had touched them as well IIRC.

 

It is a shame the 56s were so poorly exected because when on song they have one of the greatest ever turbo screams.

 

As for 37s, 47s, 55s etc, they are all lovely fish but definite classics (and decent locos to this day Network Rail saw little gain in ordering any new locos and had two 37s rebuilt to as new condition instead!). On the other hand the true shite lies with the later diesels and the hydraulics.

[theorganist]

There are some class 31's still working for Network Rail, not bad for a loco introduced in 1958. And of course no-one has come up with a replacement for the 08 shunter, whose origins go back to the 1940's!!

[oman5]

Diesel Hydraulics were ace. Twin maybach engined westerns sounded awesome.they suffered at the time from problems with the fluid coupling, but bearing in mind that virtually all the mechanical components were bought in from Germany where they were well proven, the problem tended to be a mismatch between engine and the transmission chosen for it when assembled in the UK.

They tended to get branded as a waste of time by many due to their relatively short working lives but BR classified them as non-standard when they standardised on Diesel Electric so had no interest in refining the design.

[idiotboy]

Diesel Hydraulics were ace. Twin maybach engined westerns sounded awesome.they suffered at the time from problems with the fluid coupling, but bearing in mind that virtually all the mechanical components were bought in from Germany where they were well proven, the problem tended to be a mismatch between engine and the transmission chosen for it when assembled in the UK.

They tended to get branded as a waste of time by many due to their relatively short working lives but BR classified them as non-standard when they standardised on Diesel Electric so had no interest in refining the design.

 

The Westerns or the 1000's as they were known to BR (WR) Staff, had probably the best power to weight ratio of any British built diesel. They were also pretty reliable having two separate engine and transmission sets, so in the event of an engine failure they could always limp on. It was a shocking waste of money scrapping them and the Hymeks and Warships when they did as they were still relatively new, and at least one company Foster Yeoman were so annoyed at the scrappage of these powerful locos that they sought to purchase their own loco (class 59) to haul their stone trains, since BR had nothing on its books that could beat the Western for Tractive effort.

 

The North British Built Warships (class 43) should really deserve the Trainshite top spot as they were crap when compared to the Swindon built virtually identical Class 42, sort of shite in the way a Linwood built Hillman is compared to a Coventry built one. They differed in having shonky MAN/NBL built diesel engines instead of the superb Maybach MD units, and different gearboxes It was said that drivers of the '43's used to drive them full throttle out of Paddington with all the windows open and if they hadn't burst in to flame or thrown a rod by Reading then there was a fighting chance of reaching Bristol.

 

If you get a chance to hear a Hymek, Warship or Western running its like ear sex if you are into big powerful engineering.

[willswitchengage]

class 43

 

For a minute there I thought you were talking about one of

. Definitely the great survivor, and due to the intelligent way that the railways have been run since 1992 hopefully IEP will be scrapped or postponed so these get an even longer lease of life. Comfier, smoother, quieter and more spacious than any Voyager or Pendolino*.

 

*The irony of this too is that the Pretendolino is far more comfortable than its stupid tilting accessible-toileted stablemate.

 

[idiotboy]

class 43

 

For a minute there I thought you were talking about one of

. Definitely the great survivor, and due to the intelligent way that the railways have been run since 1992 hopefully IEP will be scrapped or postponed so these get an even longer lease of life. Comfier, smoother, quieter and more spacious than any Voyager or Pendolino*.

 

*The irony of this too is that the Pretendolino is far more comfortable than its stupid tilting accessible-toileted stablemate.

 

 

LOL, nah Paxman Valenta FTW

 

Looking forward to my trip to Knaresborough to collect the Allegro VDP next Thurs, I've not travelled out of Kings Cross much so looking forward to the East Cost Experience. Was sad when the West coast line lost its loco hauled stock for that sad APT wannabe with its tiny windows and ever present public toilet smell.

[willswitchengage]

I live just outside of Knaresborough, it's lovely:

 

 

If you haven't already bought your ticket, travel Grand Central to York. EC is generally standing room only - GC still uses the original seats in their HSTs which are like sofas. Plus it's cheaper

[Volksy]

EC is generally standing room only

 

I think these days, if you buy an advanced ticket with EC, you have to book a seat.

[idiotboy]

I live just outside of Knaresborough, it's lovely:

 

 

If you haven't already bought your ticket, travel Grand Central to York. EC is generally standing room only - GC still uses the original seats in their HSTs which are like sofas. Plus it's cheaper

 

I managed to get a single ticket (via Leeds) for £29 so that's none to bad. If you are around in the afternoon of the 31st May let me know.

[oman5]

I stopped being interested in everyday modern rail traction when they got rid of the Paxman valenta engines. The HST is still a joy to ride on just not the same without the screaming soundtrack.

As for Pendolinos, they just anger me. they use the same technology developed originally for the APT but it was down to another country to make it work properly. why couldn't WE make it work?

As for proper shite, the post war period was rife with it. somebody had a bee in their bonnet about getting rid of steam as soon as possible so all sorts of weird and wonderful crap started appearing, including this beasty.

A brief foray into a diesel mechanical driven loco (brief because it was shit) the 1951 Ivatt designed fell diesel was powered by 4 paxman v12 engines, 2 AEC 150 APUs and a strange transmission arrangement that used 1,2,3 or all 4 engines depending on what gear you were in. Needless to say it didnt work properly and was extremely labour intensive to maintain. I think it was scrapped by 1960 or so.

[idiotboy]

I stopped being interested in everyday modern rail traction when they got rid of the Paxman valenta engines. The HST is still a joy to ride on just not the same without the screaming soundtrack.

As for Pendolinos, they just anger me. they use the same technology developed originally for the APT but it was down to another country to make it work properly. why couldn't WE make it work?

 

Probably the same reason we seem to be no longer capable of running a motor industry, or an aviation industry, or a rail industry... politics.

[willswitchengage]

 

Electro-steam you see? Eh?

 

Used by the Swiss railways during the world wars - a coal shortage led them to convert their remaining steam locomotives to electric induction heating so they could run them from the overhead lines. Fantastic!

[idiotboy]

s

A brief foray into a diesel mechanical driven loco (brief because it was shit) the 1951 Ivatt designed fell diesel was powered by 4 paxman v12 engines, 2 AEC 150 APUs and a strange transmission arrangement that used 1,2,3 or all 4 engines depending on what gear you were in. Needless to say it didnt work properly and was extremely labour intensive to maintain. I think it was scrapped by 1960 or so.

 

Oh yes the infamous Fell. Great idea on paper total shite when made real. I think it caught fire in Derby, and they let it burn.

 

I nominate the GT3 for impressive looking train shite. Take one knackered old steam engine, BR 4-6-0 standard 5 in this case. Remove the boiler, firebox but leave the cab. Install one handy Rolls Royce Avon (or equivalent) and various gubbins to make it drive the massive wheels and give the whole thing have a top speed of 90mph. Then finally what colour would you paint this wonder train, something to herald in the new dawn of a technological era....yes you guessed it Brown! FFS.

 

Unfortunately GT3 had a small design flaw this being that the hot jet engine exhaust would sometimes set fire to nearby railwaymania, you know the sort of thing; stations, bridges, luggage, trainspotters etc.

 

Apart from that it was a world beater.

[oman5]

..And of course the epic shite metrovick.

 

weird co-bo arrangement (six wheel bogey one end, 4 wheel at the other) with a two stroke crossley V8 that hadn't figured out how to run properly. They were put on the "condor" express freight working but proved to be so unreliable (not to mention minor inconveniences like the windows falling out) that they were replaced by steam and the entire class was returned to the manufacturer for modification. I think they just about lasted 11 years or so in service before withdrawl. By happy accident one still survives. I'd like to hear it running- I imagine a 2 stroke v8 diesel locomotive engine to sound quite tasty

[willswitchengage]

v8 diesel locomotive engine to sound quite tasty

 

Yep, as exemplified in this American Z-DRIVE EVERYTHING! bus:

 

http://youtu.be/X3TQRwtsmXQ

[oman5]

 

Electro-steam you see? Eh?

 

Used by the Swiss railways during the world wars - a coal shortage led them to convert their remaining steam locomotives to electric induction heating so they could run them from the overhead lines. Fantastic!

 

THAT is bloody fantastic!! must have got through a fair bit of juice. like keeping a big kettle constantly boiling

[idiotboy]

..And of course the epic shite metrovick.

 

weird co-bo arrangement (six wheel bogey one end, 4 wheel at the other) with a two stroke crossley V8 that hadn't figured out how to run properly. They were put on the "condor" express freight working but proved to be so unreliable (not to mention minor inconveniences like the windows falling out) that they were replaced by steam and the entire class was returned to the manufacturer for modification. I think they just about lasted 11 years or so in service before withdrawl. By happy accident one still survives. I'd like to hear it running- I imagine a 2 stroke v8 diesel locomotive engine to sound quite tasty

 

Yes I wish they'd get on with it at Bury and get it fixed, its in the queue with the class 15, and worthy of a lottery grant or something. The descendant of the same company makes Submarines....oh christ.

[morris_ital_lover]

Right these will probably come out far too big but I'll give it a go... now you can combine cyber train spotting with shite spotting:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above picture even has my parents Pug 205 in it.

 

As we can see, I am spending too much time researching Charlbury station for a non shite project which is the reason why I have no money to spend on shite (...yes I play with little trains ). I thought these pictures would be appreciated as the good people of charlbury do appear to have a tendency to park alot of shite in their station car park. Now get spotting!

[morris_ital_lover]

Right these will probably come out far too big but I'll give it a go... now you can combine cyber train spotting with shite spotting:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above picture even has my parents Pug 205 in it.

 

As we can see, I am spending too much time researching Charlbury station for a non shite project which is the reason why I have no money to spend on shite (...yes I play with little trains ). I thought these pictures would be appreciated as the good people of charlbury do appear to have a tendency to park alot of shite in their station car park. Now get spotting!

[Captain Mainwaring]

Have they even made a start on the Metrovick yet? They seem to have been on with that restoration forever.

[Captain Mainwaring]

Have they even made a start on the Metrovick yet? They seem to have been on with that restoration forever.

[morris_ital_lover]

Have they even made a start on the Metrovick yet? They seem to have been on with that restoration forever.[/quote

 

Yes they have, certainly it's off it's bogies but I think the project will start to make real progress when the class15 is finished whenever that'll be the case I'm not sure.

[morris_ital_lover]

Have they even made a start on the Metrovick yet? They seem to have been on with that restoration forever.[/quote

 

Yes they have, certainly it's off it's bogies but I think the project will start to make real progress when the class15 is finished whenever that'll be the case I'm not sure.

[Vin]

Posted it once on here a long while ago, but..The trainshite motherload

 

Stranraer 1984 apparently. Norn Iron bound I expect.

 

 

Lifted off RMWeb.

 

These are always worth another airing as well...

 

 

 

Class 37s

 

 

Class 31s

 

[Vin]

Posted it once on here a long while ago, but..The trainshite motherload

 

Stranraer 1984 apparently. Norn Iron bound I expect.

 

 

Lifted off RMWeb.

 

These are always worth another airing as well...

 

 

 

Class 37s

 

 

Class 31s

 

[jakebullet]

So anyone else planning a shite day out at railfest?

 

carol vorderman's arse, battle of britain flypast, oh and some trains.

[jakebullet]

So anyone else planning a shite day out at railfest?

 

carol vorderman's arse, battle of britain flypast, oh and some trains.

[willswitchengage]

 

 

Train Car Transporter by Brimen, on Flickr

[willswitchengage]

 

 

Train Car Transporter by Brimen, on Flickr