Both my father and grandfather, both of whom had connections to steam locomotives in their life are undoubtedly cheering this story(wherever they are) from the BBC. So am I. Inconveniently, it runs on coal.
Steam train’s snow rescue ‘glory’
Passengers were rescued by a steam locomotive after modern rail services were brought to a halt by the snowy conditions in south-east England.
Trains between Ashford and Dover were suspended on Monday when cold weather disabled the electric rail.
Some commuters at London Victoria faced lengthy delays until Tornado – Britain’s first mainline steam engine in 50 years – offered them a lift.
They were taken home “in style”, said the Darlington-built engine’s owners.
Train services in Kent were hit hard by the freezing conditions at the start of the week.
The weather-related disruption included three days of cancellations for Eurostar services through the Channel Tunnel.
Tornado, a £3m Peppercorn class A1 Pacific based at the National Railway Museum in York, was in the South East for one day, offering “Christmas meal” trips from London to Dover.
…
About 100 people were offered free seats, according to Mark Allatt, chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust – the charity which built Tornado.
…
Mr Allatt, who was on the service at the time, said he only saw a handful of other trains between London and Dover throughout Monday.
…
A spokesman for Southeastern Trains congratulated Mr Allatt on his “moment of glory”.
He said: “I’m sure those passengers were saved from a lengthy wait, all credit to him.”
Read the complete BBC article here
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
When I were a wee lad in Dublin,steam trains were still running and our “gang” spent ages scrounging bottles to redeem for the deposit to pay for the fare to the seaside. I worked all my time at sea on steam and later worked at the former British Rail depot at Tysley in Birmingham [on diesel locos ] Tysley had,and i hope still has, a restoration society which rebuilt steam locos using volunteers. Pure magic to see the old girls come back to life.
Can I start a fight by saying that what is wrong now is lack of pride in the old handcrafts? Or are the folks who work in the old ,dirty smoky industries demoralised by the left wing Juan Kerrs who have squatted in Government and who control MSM ?
The building of the 50th Peppercorn A1 Pacific locomotive is a wonderful example of courage over adversity. http://www.a1steam.com/
The biofuel (spit, cough, groan, the fuel, not the locomotives) Mt. Washington cog railway is examined in detail at http://www.martynbane.co.uk/modernsteam/nday/mw/ndaymw-biodiesel.html
As for the future development of steam locomotives, then Livio Dante Porta’s work remains extant, in readiness (tongue in cheek) for a new http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_punk era
As the Tornado design is only good for 100 mph, flat out, then perhaps a modern design of steam locomotive that would run at 113 mph in service and top out at 125 mph, is devoutly to be wished. http://www.5at.co.uk/
If only.
There was something on the History Channel about a restored 1950’s steam locomotive (one of the last built in the US). It’s top speed was 125 mph! One “modern”, restored steam loco I traveled on in SW Va (the Norfolk & Western J-611) also had once traveled well over 100 mph, tho it only went 60 mph on the trip due to liability issues.
Shows how advanced steam locos had become.
Royinsouthwest (01:02:00) :
The GWR used South Wales produced steam coal. The LNER locomotives used bituminous coal produced by East Midlands and North Eastern collieries, hence the differences in fireboxes and wheel arrangements. However, the coal used in Tornado is probably imported as there are fewer than ten pits remaining, so I believe. http://www.ukcoal.com/
Excellent! Who doesn’t love a bit of nostalgia at Christmas?
Here’s another steam-powered means of public transport. Have a look at the fuel consumption figures!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/5004770.stm
But steam is a green house gas! That means steam from locomotives and cooling towers need to be taxed too! : )
Cracking 1950s short Britsh Transport Film about snow drifts on steam railways, Grommit!
THATS the way you deal with snow!
hotrod (00:09:04) :
It elicited several personal experience stories from him, about him riding the rails during the depression.
Our 1906 house sits right above the railroads that haul coal out of the mines. During the depression our house was empty and very conspicuous to the rail riders. They would squat in our house, the story is, starting campfires that spilled onto the wood floors, evidence of it still. All the windows were broken out by neighborhood boys, one who told me that he helped. Can still see the water marks on the floor joists from the wind blowing snow and rain in. Someone bought the house and made it into apartments for boarders later in the depression, still a three kitchen home when we bought it.
Roger Knights (17:28:32) :
There’s only white smoke (steam, I presume) shown in the photo, not black. That can’t be right.
Roger, actually, yes, I think it probably is in the picture you see – The color of “smoke” you get through the smokestack depends on the throttle setting. It looks in this case as though the train is moving at constant speed, implying that the engineer has the throttle open only far enough to maintain that speed. Hence, the draft through the firebox would not necessarily be terribly strong, and the amount of smoke from burning coal would be reduced. Exiting through the smokestack, the coal smoke would be masked by the steam, strongly condensed by the cold outside temperature in this case. On the other hand, during acceleration, the throttle is opened wide, causing increased draft from the increased force of steam through the smokebox under the smokestack in the front of the locomotive. In turn, draft increases through the boiler tubes back into the firebox. Increased draft causes increased burning of the coal on the grate in the firebox, resulting in increased levels of smoke through the smokestack.
I grew up living a block away from the Central Railroad of New Jersey at a time in the 1940s when steam ruled (until April, 1954). On a cold winter’s day, the steam rising from the engine as it left the town station would literally blot out the sun for a few moments. I live with memories of steam engine whistles and their “chuff-chuff” and rejoice in them. Of note, when the diesels could not get through, the steam engines did! I find it incredibly ironic (and delightful!) that coal-fired steam saved the day for these folks in England.
If anyone ever has the opportunity to take a ride in the cab of one of these mechanical wonders (I have), unhesitatingly do so! Shovel coal into the firebox, blow the whistle, and do anything else the engineer and fireman permit you to do. You will instantly become a wonder-filled kid again.
http://www.windsolarenergy.org/images/windmill-pump.jpg
Wind mills like this are still in use.
In comparing this proven system to wind generation
there is one major difference. It is clearly visible in the
picture.
Can you guess?
No it’s not the cow.
Merry Christmas
A much-travelled friend tells the story of the time that Peru was persuaded to change its old steam locos for diesel. The only factor which affects the efficiency of a steam engine is the temperature of the steam, whereas the diesels have to take in air. The Peruvian railways reach extremely high altitude, and while the steam engines could cope easily, the diesels had to be doubled up or even trebled to get to the top!
PS. This comment is done on a steam PC. Replacements are so expensive.
@ur momisugly Alastair (07:24:51) : – Thanks very much for that wonderful film clip. Thawing out with burning rags and steam hoses is not something you can do with an electric loco!
If we ever get snow like that nowadays the country will come to a total standstill….
farmersteve (08:41:01) said:
It’s the battery! (Effective storage system to handle those times when the wind is not blowing.)
In dispute; here’s what could be found from the US Transportation Energy Data Book for Passenger transportation in 2006: (hope this come out!)
………………………. Average
………………………. passengers MJ per
Transport mode …………. per veh .. pass-km
————————— ——— ——-
Vanpool ………………… 6.1 ….. 0.867
Efficient Hybrid ………… 1.57 …. 1.088
Motorcycles …………….. 1.2 ….. 1.216
Rail (Intercity Amtrak) …. 20.5 ….. 1.737
Rail (Transit Lite & Heavy). 22.5 ….. 1.825
Rail (Commuter) ………… 31.3 ….. 1.964
Cars …………………… 1.57 …. 2.302
Air …………………… 96.2 ….. 2.138
Buses (Transit) …………. 8.8 ….. 2.776
Personal Trucks …………. 1.72 …. 2.586
.
.
Try again; I wonder if the <code> tag works any better than the <tt> tag:
............................ Average
............................ passengers MJ per
Transport mode ............. per veh .. pass-km
--------------------------- --------- -------
Vanpool ..................... 6.1 ..... 0.867
Efficient Hybrid ............ 1.57 .... 1.088
Motorcycles ................. 1.2 ..... 1.216
Rail (Intercity Amtrak) .... 20.5 ..... 1.737
Rail (Transit Lite & Heavy). 22.5 ..... 1.825
Rail (Commuter) ............ 31.3 ..... 1.964
Cars ........................ 1.57 .... 2.302
Air ........................ 96.2 ..... 2.138
Buses (Transit) ............. 8.8 ..... 2.776
Personal Trucks ............. 1.72 .... 2.586
Right.
From the Common Knowledge category of thought: “Everyone knows that ‘steam’ engines only belch black smoke.”
Proper F/A mixture, an oil-fired boiler rather than coal-fired boiler and the products of combustion being substantially CO2 water vapor have _nothing_ to do with it.
( Something along the lines of: CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O )
/mild sarc
.
.
To pat (19:26:37) :
You should know that State of Fear is not about whether or not global warming is real; it is about exposing the failures in the scientific system today. It is stated directly at the end. Global warming was just the best way to show how flawed science has become.
The second point of the book is that when it comes to hot-button issues, make sure you are not naive and gullible. Make sure you do your own research.
I too read the book. I also did some spot checking of the references. Of the ones I checked, about 50% were accurate and 50% were taken out of context. Not a big deal because the book isn’t about disproving global warming. Of course the science in the book is flawed. But that is not the point of the book. Anyone who says otherwise either didn’t read it, including the epilogue, or is an eco-zealot who is trying to attack the messenger.
Please don’t miss the point of the book. The book is attacking entrenched power-hungry and money-hungry scientific institutions using global warming to do so.
Unfortunately, the eco-commies and eco-zealots were so enraged by someone having the audacity to use some proof in global warming that they missed the point. It became self-fulfilled prophecy.
And State of Fear wasn’t as good as Prey. Crichton’s last book, Next was great either, but it wasn’t bad.
You only get black, black smoke if you are using
1) rubbish bitcimous coal (the sort you would use in an open housefire, or
2) rubbish fireman- throwing coal in faster than the firebox can burn it
Locos use hard anthracite (steam coal)- very, very hard and the oldest coal around. Burns hotter and longer and with just a faint grey smoke trail.
Anthracite would not burn very well on your open fire as it needs the forced draft of air through it, from either the exhaust steam expelled from the cylinders, or the blower- a jet of steam, up the chimney and controlled by the fireman or driver in the cab.
When it burns, it burns very,very hot, with near complete combustion and cleanly with little visible smoke.
(Just lots of nice CO2 for the plants.Think of all the trees you see happily growing next to railway lines.)
Just for interest, this loco is named Tornado in honour of the Tornado fighter bombers used by the RAF during the first Gulf War.
The builders of this loco started the project just after the Gulf War in 1991
i honestly think this story sums up england perfectly…….
Some blokes with a ‘big shead’ decide they want to build a steam engine.
Do EVERYTHING them selves, without a scrap of goverment help.
Have the ENTIRE engine custome built !
Create a profitable enterprise, with happy willing paying customers.
Our ‘modern infrasturcture can’t cope with some global warming breaks down.
they ride to the rescue.
check out their website http://www.a1steam.com/
makes you proud to be english !
My dad worked for the Missouri Pacific until he retired in 1975. We used to get passes to travel from Alexandria, LA, to Monroe, LA, in the days when there were still passenger trains running. I have very fond memories of steam locomotives, including one clandestine ride in the cab when I was about six.
The Missouri Pacific kept a dozen or so steam locomotives into the late 1960s for those times when the water was too high on the tracks to run diesels. Both China and North Korea run steam locomotives in lieu of diesels, since they have abundant coal and have to import oil.
“Richard Sharpe (08:56:57) :
farmersteve (08:41:01) said:
http://www.windsolarenergy.org/images/windmill-pump.jpg
Wind mills like this are still in use.
In comparing this proven system to wind generation
there is one major difference. It is clearly visible in the
picture.
Can you guess?
No it’s not the cow.
It’s the battery! (Effective storage system to handle those times when the wind is not blowing.)”
I’d say it’s the water storage tank (stock tank). Cows = livestock.
As the conversation is about steam, this BBC video presents the recent attempt to beat the steam driven land speed record.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/8209288.stm
I rode trains pulled by steam locomotives in the 40s and 50s and remember the soot streaming back over the cars.