Superb film. Great opening shot with the beach huts and Bittern up in the clouds. And what a sound from the Manor as it was banking. First class. Thank you. All the best.
Hi and thank you for your kind and interesting comments. With steam locomotives it is not a question of outright power but how much of that power you can convert into traction. Bittern has plenty of power but is designed for speed on the relatively flat East Coast routes, not the steep twisty Westcountry routes. That's why A4's suffer down here, especially in damp conditions! Thank you for subscribing and I hope you find my material interesting. Welcome aboard! Alan (also a GWR fan!)
Hello Jay and thank you very much for your kind remarks. You are quite right that we are lucky to see so many trains hauled by steam on the mainline and hopefully many more to film this coming season. Best regards, Alan
The P&DSR prairies and Manors often have 7&8 coaches which they manage at 20 mph up Churston bank unassisted often facing tender or bunker first. I Think More route familiarisation is needed :) and i'm sure P&DSR would be happy to explain the tactics of their beautiful but challenging railway. Thanks again for the great VID
First class camera work and editing. An object lesson for all other RUclips railway videotographers. No rapid zooming in and out. No flash-panning. No wind noise. Carefully selected viewpoints. Excellent work, everyone should subscribe.
Hello any thank you very much for such kind comments, your positive feedback, which I suspect is from a fellow photographer, is very much appreciated. Best regards, Alan.
And best of all, no "coaching the viewers"! (American TV, same for the World Cup. "You gotta, he gotta, they gotta" (got to, have to), etc. Annoying as hell).
Excellent camera work. Being an amateur camera buff myself I can appreciate the finer points and technicalities shown here. My favourite engines are the Bayer- Garratts. This piece of video work deserves the Oscar equivalent. Thank you.
Great shots! Can't be easy for footplate crews working so near to the limit of adhesion. No wonder the GWR loved it 4-6-0s!!! Loved the shot of the pull away which showed 60019s kylchpap exhaust and its starting wheeze. Once that tough Manor got a grip they powered off round the bend!!!!.…☁☁☁☁☁⁘⁙⁙……Hᴜɢʜ…..ツ
Hi and thank you for your interesting comments and questions. Yes, 4464 returned to Churston light engine (the platforms are designed for huge holiday trains!), turned, then went to Paignton for servicing before reversing back to Kingswear to take up the train. The Torbay Expresses were well supported and will run again in 2013, motive power has not yet been published. Alan
Hello and thank you for your kind and very much appreciated feedback. Sorry for the late response, I have been off-line for 4 weeks. Best regards, Alan
Thanks for posting.No doubt there was some old codger watching when all those carriages were being added saying "Ye 'll never make the climb to Churston with that lot, me lovely"....;-)
Hi and thank you for your subscription and your kind & interesting comments. This climb has particular difficulties because the reverse curves approaching the last steep section effectively increase the load and wipes off speed. This is a big problem for Pacifics with their relatively light axle loading because they lack the adhesion required to get things going again, especially in damp conditions. Alan
I don't know how I got to this video while searching for a Vauxhall Corsa thermostat but I am very glad I did, Brings back great memories of 65 years back when as a lad I lived at Broadsands and spent all my spare time down by the railway. Thanks for taking the trouble to post this magical video.
When you get here be sure to enjoy the view whilst eating a Devonshire Cream Tea, then you truly will be in "paradise"!. Thank you for the nice comment. Best regards, Alan
Beautiful video. Looks like a perfect English summer's day. Fantastic shots across the bay with train action to boot. What could be more perfect ? Many thanks...
Hi and thank you for the kind and interesting comments, thanks also for your subscription. Yes, there does look like a fair amount of dust in the remaining coal at 10:57 but the wide shallow firegrate on an A4 can burn almost anything, they probably picked up better stuff at Paignton. Alan
An American who truly enjoyed this great video and the useful documentation you provided with it. Too many just show video without explanation and context, leaving the video far less useful for any but the best experts on equipment, location, and situation. Thanks for going the extra mile.
Hi and thank you for your kind comments. Interestingly, the Manor had a very serious problem getting up the same stretch this morning in drizzle after at least 2 weeks without rain, I wished I had been on the same bridge as I listened to all the commotion from my bedroom window! Unlike the A4, it did finally make it to the top without help. Alan
Sounded like the 25 was doing nearly all the work. Crew unfamiliarity as I think that's the first time Bittern's worked that, i wouldn't be surprised. Lovely panorama in the last clip.
Hi and thank you for your interesting comments. Luckily the track had dried by the time 7827 had been attached, which gave 4464 a chance to contribute to the re-start, she certainly sounded good being so near to the chimney. Alan
Hi Andrei: thank you for your kind and interesting comments as always. Visiting locos usually have a local driver on the footplate for this very reason. The problem with the A4 has always been adhesion. Couple that with the conditions, 13 coaches and a very twisty climb and you have all the ingredients for an interesting spectacle! Alan
I think it adds a little bit of extra fun to the passengers service. Sure they were delayed, but how many people can say that they climbed Churston Bank with an A4 being assisted by a BR Built Manor and a Class 25? Wonderful video there sir! Fantastic! :D
Yes, Goliath 5239 is still there - poorly at the moment. They bought another 2-8-0T (4277) a couple of years ago. Goliath has no trouble getting a 13 coach train plus stalled loco going again, did so with Tangmere and the Torbay Express a few years back. She would have done better than the Manor, which did a pretty good job herself with almost no adhesion from the A4
Absoloutley brilliant shots! 5 Stars. Just cant believe Bittern wasnt powerful enough on its own to get up that bank. Congratulations to Lydham Manor, and it just shows why the GWR is better than the LNER! Sam.
What a wonderful catch to see bittern on the Torbay. I couldn’t make out from the film whether the rescue loco was a manor or a castle or a king possibly? Either way, tremendous filming and I loved the beginning with the train passing over the viaducts with the beach huts in the foreground. Lovely. Thanks for sharing!
Hello Chris and thank you for your positive feedback and question. As I stated in the description (worth reading for the full story), the loco is 7827 Lydham Manor. Kind regards, Alan
@@Steamclips Many thanks Alan! You’re quite right, I should have read the full description. At least I was in the right ball park with the support loco. It’s amazing how many folk don’t write a good description (usually the ones I read) and of corse the odd good description slips through the net. Either way, what a wonderful video you’ve kindly shared with us all. Thanks for getting back to me. Let’s hope this year brings us the chance to get out and about again and able to enjoy this spectacle first hand. Take care!!
Hi EM: as you can see, strange things happened down here on Sunday and I am glad that I decided to go out at the last minute. Thank you for the great comments, much appreciated. Alan
Fantastic footage!! I've seen a double banking before but never a steam and diesel combination so very well caught!! A4's can tackle any gradient easily its just unfortunate that the weather conditions made things difficult. Though it did make for an interesting display. Brilliantly captured!! :)
Hi Hugh and thanks again for the kind and interesting comments from Down Under. Amen to your GWR sentiments. It certainly was lucky to get the action which most missed. Alan
Hi Ali and thank you for your kind and interesting comments. You are quite right about the loco swop: in 1925 Pendennis Castle was loaned to the LNER for comparison with their new A1 pacific and was shown to be better in all respects. The LNER learned a lot from the Castle and applied this knowledge into all subsequent Gresley pacifics, so we can thank the GWR a certain amount for splendid loco's like Mallard. Google: "UK Preserved Steam Locomotives" for J class 0-6-0 survivors. Alan
interesting video! Your pictures (esp. towards the end) have a postcard quality which increases the enjoyment. Just an impression I got: that 25 didn't really seem to be pulling its weight. By contrast the GWR loco just rolled its sleeves up and got to work.
That 25mph speed restriction is absurd. How are locomotives expected not to stall on the climb when weather conditions aren't favorable? Health and Safety gone mad with power... as usual. The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway has a severe 1 in 24 gradient just after the rail over bridge near Big Pit. The railway inspectors thought it fun to impose a 10mph speed limit there, knowing full well a train would easily get stuck going uphill. Thank goodness they appealed, and won to have it increased to 15.
Hi and thank you for your interesting comments. Although not the favourite of the preserved steam press, there are few preserved lines that can match the P&DR for quality of stock and wonderful views. Alan
Hi Alan - I've viewed this video yet again... it's always a treasure. I posted it to a group member, as we were discussing the need for a 'helper' (banker) on a train of 3 cars (apparently the head-end diesel is an 'antique' - his word), and I was wondering if the helper doubled as auxiliary electrical supply, etc. He responded later to tell me that, he was not aware of excursion trains needing that over here, and added that when he was young he'd wait for the steamer going up the grade to Lake Louise in the Rockies... he said that it was usual to have 3 or 4 helpers, and that " You could feel the ground shaking before you could hear or see anything". Wouldn't that be an absolutely wondrous event!
Hi Peter, nice to hear from you with one of your interesting questions. What you see is an Excursion train headed by 60019 (165 tons) plus tender (60 tons) hauling 12 coaches (480 tons): a total weight of 705 tons. The P.D.R. diesel at that time was a 1250 B.H.P. Class 25 (see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_25 ) attached to the rear as "Pacifics" have a poor record of climbing the bank to Churston unaided, it was not part of the excursion train. Due to the conditions, the A4 completely lost traction leaving the poor little Class 25 to push the whole 705 tons up a 1 in 60 incline, an impossible task! hence the call up of the Manor from Paignton. We have two issues here, the first and most important to all railways is adhesion, without good adhesion the full effort of the locomotive cannot be applied (notice I did not say Power!). Adhesion is the biggest challenge for a steam locomotive and the larger the driving wheels the worse this problem becomes because, believe it or not, the wheels actually have to deform the rail surface to get purchase, so the smaller the wheel the smaller the surface area in contact and the higher the pressure, deforming the track more and resulting in better adhesion. It is defined as the locomotive's "tractive effort". The A4 is built for speed and therefore has huge driving wheels, it also has a total of 6 axles (4-6-2 Pacific) which distributes the load of the locomotive and further reduces adhesion and so has a comparatively low tractive effort. On the other hand, your trains in the Rockies would have featured locomotives designed to climb those grades, they would have had small driving wheels and big cylinders producing high tractive effort but not necessarily any more power than an A4. The second and far less common issue is power, or lack of it, as train operators will usually have the correct power of locomotive hauling appropriate trains, however, on this occasion, the only available assistance was the underpowered Class 25, which ironically had the best adhesion of all because of its' small wheels!! Hope this helps the discussion. Kind regards, Alan
@@Steamclips Thankyou so much Alan for your erudite response - that's what I need, and more. Helpers/pushers/bankers were indeed all low-drivered... the noise of several dozen strokes per minute would certainly be most impressive. A 6' driver at 70mph makes 327 rpm...I don't know what half that diameter would do (if they ever reached 70). I am aware that the Lickey incline was a huge challenge for locos, for instance, and that special locos were purpose-built specifically for it. The 0-10-0 comes to mind. Yes - power and tractive effort are distinct forces. The concept of deforming the rail is new to me... I am as surprised at it in the same way I was surprised to realise I had been skating on water. As the skate causes friction on the ice, that turns it to water for mini-seconds. Seems there's lot of forces that govern our world, and that we take for granted. Another example is that part of a loco's wheel is always going the opposite way... which I'm sure you know from your physics teacher. With a dearth of new videos (and the onset of rainy season) it's time for me to look back thru your catalogue. Thanks again, Alan.
Hi and thank you for the kind and interesting comments. I guess to most bystanders these days a steam engine is a steam engine, no further questions asked! Alan
Oh man, what a great video! I loved watching the action, turning the engine, etc. Wow! And the photography is fantastic...every detail on the engine visible and clear as glass! Thank you. (I don't post comments like this very often, but this one impressed me.)
Hi and thank you for your interesting question. The problem on the day was the damp conditions after a dry day before, which left the track very slippery. In fact if it had been pouring down, it probably wouldn't have been as bad! The tight curve at the top of the cutting effectively increased the load which the 25 on the back was barely coping with, hence the stall and return to the viaduct and the need for further assistance. Alan
Hi Brian: good question. There is certainly one 42XX running but not sure if it is Goliath. Look at my (low res) clip featuring Tangmere on 28th Sept. 2008, where Goliath comes to the rescue. Thank you for your comments. Alan
Hi Ryan: welcome back on line. I agree with what you say and this climb in particular has shown to be a bit of a graveyard for any Pacific if the conditions are anything less than perfect. It seems a long time since we saw a GWR loco on the mainline down here! Alan
I meant to say I took a video of one of their 42xx locos a few years ago and it is surprising how little attention this railway gets now you mention it. One other thing that appeals to me about this railway is that it is also provides a link for the towns it's serves
Hi Alan... YT brought this up again... I bant be complainin' tho. One of my top 3 favourites. And then YT gave me a link to "a4 bittern in trouble as it stalls on the tobay express at waterside 14/09/14"... I won't say who the videographer is/was, but it's not a patch on yours: terrible wind noises, shaking long shots (prob because of wind), too many cuts. He did catch some wheel-spin - that was good. BUT, there's no indication that the rail operator learned for the mistakes of 2 years earlier - can't even find if there was a banking loco. To put it in the modern vernacular: You rock, Alan
Superb film. Great opening shot with the beach huts and Bittern up in the clouds. And what a sound from the Manor as it was banking. First class. Thank you. All the best.
Well done, Lydham Manor. You know where there's a will there's always a way. Sam would have been proud of you.
Hi Kelly and thank you for your valued comment. Regards, Alan
Great n enjoyable. Steam n Diesel sounds are great. Thank you 😊👍
Hello David and thank for your kind and very much appreciated comment. Best regards, Alan
A fantastic video,What a eventful day for the passengers & all crew members involved with the tour Thanks for posting 5*****
Hi and thank you for your kind and interesting comments. With steam locomotives it is not a question of outright power but how much of that power you can convert into traction. Bittern has plenty of power but is designed for speed on the relatively flat East Coast routes, not the steep twisty Westcountry routes. That's why A4's suffer down here, especially in damp conditions! Thank you for subscribing and I hope you find my material interesting. Welcome aboard! Alan (also a GWR fan!)
Excellent capture of mixed double banking, great sound, bet punters would be happy with that every week!
Hi Mike and thank you for your kind comments. I am sure that you are right about the punters but not sure if the P&DSR would agree! Alan
4464 made a pretty gallant effort to restart its train. Impressive beasts, A4s.
Nice video and very interesting. Folks in the UK are fortunate to have so many live steam locomotives operating and so frequently.
Hello Jay and thank you very much for your kind remarks. You are quite right that we are lucky to see so many trains hauled by steam on the mainline and hopefully many more to film this coming season. Best regards, Alan
Superb cinematography showing this absolutely beautiful engine in all her glory
Hi and thank you for your kind and much appreciated comment. Best regards, Alan
The P&DSR prairies and Manors often have 7&8 coaches which they manage at 20 mph up Churston bank unassisted often facing tender or bunker first.
I Think More route familiarisation is needed :) and i'm sure P&DSR would be happy to explain the tactics of their beautiful but challenging railway. Thanks again for the great VID
First class camera work and editing. An object lesson for all other RUclips railway videotographers. No rapid zooming in and out. No flash-panning. No wind noise. Carefully selected viewpoints. Excellent work, everyone should subscribe.
Hello any thank you very much for such kind comments, your positive feedback, which I suspect is from a fellow photographer, is very much appreciated. Best regards, Alan.
And best of all, no "coaching the viewers"! (American TV, same for the World Cup. "You gotta, he gotta, they gotta" (got to, have to), etc. Annoying as hell).
Excellent camera work. Being an amateur camera buff myself I can appreciate the finer points and technicalities shown here. My favourite engines are the Bayer- Garratts. This piece of video work deserves the Oscar equivalent. Thank you.
Hello John and thank you for your very kind feedback. So glad that a fellow photographer appreciates my work. Best regards, Alan
Great shots! Can't be easy for footplate crews working so near to the limit of adhesion. No wonder the GWR loved it 4-6-0s!!! Loved the shot of the pull away which showed 60019s kylchpap exhaust and its starting wheeze. Once that tough Manor got a grip they powered off round the bend!!!!.…☁☁☁☁☁⁘⁙⁙……Hᴜɢʜ…..ツ
Hi and thank you for your interesting comments and questions. Yes, 4464 returned to Churston light engine (the platforms are designed for huge holiday trains!), turned, then went to Paignton for servicing before reversing back to Kingswear to take up the train. The Torbay Expresses were well supported and will run again in 2013, motive power has not yet been published. Alan
Wow, My best friend, Thank you for your hard work in making the video. I enjoyed the good video. Have a happy day.
Hello and thank you for your kind and very much appreciated feedback. Sorry for the late response, I have been off-line for 4 weeks. Best regards, Alan
Thanks for posting.No doubt there was some old codger watching when all those carriages were being added saying "Ye 'll never make the climb to Churston with that lot, me lovely"....;-)
Thannk you for sharing, you caught definetely the best moment when the "Elegant Blue" went on the hill again.
Amazing !!!
Hi and thank you for your kind comments, glad you enjoyed. Alan
Fantastic video work, Thanks for showing PP
Thank you for your kind and very much appreciated feedback Peter. Best regards, Alan
Hi and thank you for your subscription and your kind & interesting comments. This climb has particular difficulties because the reverse curves approaching the last steep section effectively increase the load and wipes off speed. This is a big problem for Pacifics with their relatively light axle loading because they lack the adhesion required to get things going again, especially in damp conditions. Alan
I don't know how I got to this video while searching for a Vauxhall Corsa thermostat but I am very glad I did,
Brings back great memories of 65 years back when as a lad I lived at Broadsands and spent all my spare time down by the railway.
Thanks for taking the trouble to post this magical video.
+savodent The beauty and enigma of RUclips.
I hope that looking for spares for your Vauxhall Corsa, brings you many happy times in the future savodent.
Lovely video, very well presented and documented. A real pleasure to watch all the way through.
Many thanks for your kind comments Andy, I really appreciate your positive feedback. Best regards, Alan
Superb sequence full of interest and very well filmed and edited. Many thanks for the upload, David.
The setting is simply gorgeous! The English blood in me wants to travel there to enjoy the sites firsthand. Thank you.
When you get here be sure to enjoy the view whilst eating a Devonshire Cream Tea, then you truly will be in "paradise"!. Thank you for the nice comment. Best regards, Alan
What a rare pairing of locomotive power there is something you don't see every day
Thank you for your valued comment Liam. Regards, Alan
An amazing event, A4 at the front and two bankers
Hello David and thank you for your valued and much appreciated comment. Regards, Alan
Beautiful video. Looks like a perfect English summer's day. Fantastic shots across the bay with train action to boot. What could be more perfect ? Many thanks...
Many thanks for such kind comments, glad you enjoyed the clip. Best regards, Alan
Steamclips
Hi and thank you for the kind and interesting comments, thanks also for your subscription. Yes, there does look like a fair amount of dust in the remaining coal at 10:57 but the wide shallow firegrate on an A4 can burn almost anything, they probably picked up better stuff at Paignton. Alan
An American who truly enjoyed this great video and the useful documentation you provided with it.
Too many just show video without explanation and context, leaving the video far less useful for any but the best experts on equipment, location, and situation. Thanks for going the extra mile.
One of the nicest comments I have ever received, thank you so much, I truly appreciate your kind remarks. Best regards, Alan
tm502010 i
Hi and thank you for your kind comments. Interestingly, the Manor had a very serious problem getting up the same stretch this morning in drizzle after at least 2 weeks without rain, I wished I had been on the same bridge as I listened to all the commotion from my bedroom window! Unlike the A4, it did finally make it to the top without help. Alan
Sounded like the 25 was doing nearly all the work. Crew unfamiliarity as I think that's the first time Bittern's worked that, i wouldn't be surprised. Lovely panorama in the last clip.
7827 rescued 60009 7 years ago on the same climb. The A4 stalled further down the bank. Dry rail that day, but no class 25 that day though
Hi and thank you for your interesting comments. Luckily the track had dried by the time 7827 had been attached, which gave 4464 a chance to contribute to the re-start, she certainly sounded good being so near to the chimney. Alan
Great video Alan, many thanks.
Thank you for your kind and much appreciated comment Barry. Best regards, Alan
Superb video, loved the sequence of the A4 on the turntable. Thanks for posting.
Regards, John.
Hi Andrei: thank you for your kind and interesting comments as always. Visiting locos usually have a local driver on the footplate for this very reason. The problem with the A4 has always been adhesion. Couple that with the conditions, 13 coaches and a very twisty climb and you have all the ingredients for an interesting spectacle! Alan
Brilliant stuff - what excitement and captured superbly!
It certainly was the worst possible conditions for a light-footed Pacific! Alan
Hi and thank you for the kind comment. It is true what you say although Brits and DoG seem to cope because of better traction. Alan
What a beautifully filmed video. Fantastic to watch.
Thank you again for your always welcome comments and observations. It was just one of those days and I was in the right place. Alan
Really like your opening shots of the beach and the surroundings. Gives that video a certain something. Excellent!
Many thanks Tom for your kind and very much appreciated comments. Best regards, Alan
I think it adds a little bit of extra fun to the passengers service. Sure they were delayed, but how many people can say that they climbed Churston Bank with an A4 being assisted by a BR Built Manor and a Class 25? Wonderful video there sir! Fantastic! :D
Hi and thank you for your very kind and amusing comments. You are pretty accurate regarding my rush for the bike! God bless Gerry Anderson!! Alan
Really great video. Many thanks, and congratulations on the sharp photography
Many thanks to you Philip, your kind comments are very much appreciated. Best regards, Alan
Yes, Goliath 5239 is still there - poorly at the moment. They bought another 2-8-0T (4277) a couple of years ago. Goliath has no trouble getting a 13 coach train plus stalled loco going again, did so with Tangmere and the Torbay Express a few years back. She would have done better than the Manor, which did a pretty good job herself with almost no adhesion from the A4
Absolutely brilliant video, particularly of the turntable operation. Best I have seen, congratulations!
Hello and thank you for such a nice feedback message, I really appreciate it. Best regards, Alan
Hi and thank you for the kind comments. Thanks also for subscribing, I hope you find other things of interest on my channel. Best regards, Alan
Hi and thank you for your very kind comments. Much apprerciated. Alan
Absoloutley brilliant shots! 5 Stars. Just cant believe Bittern wasnt powerful enough on its own to get up that bank. Congratulations to Lydham Manor, and it just shows why the GWR is better than the LNER!
Sam.
What a wonderful catch to see bittern on the Torbay. I couldn’t make out from the film whether the rescue loco was a manor or a castle or a king possibly? Either way, tremendous filming and I loved the beginning with the train passing over the viaducts with the beach huts in the foreground. Lovely. Thanks for sharing!
Hello Chris and thank you for your positive feedback and question. As I stated in the description (worth reading for the full story), the loco is 7827 Lydham Manor. Kind regards, Alan
@@Steamclips Many thanks Alan! You’re quite right, I should have read the full description. At least I was in the right ball park with the support loco. It’s amazing how many folk don’t write a good description (usually the ones I read) and of corse the odd good description slips through the net. Either way, what a wonderful video you’ve kindly shared with us all. Thanks for getting back to me. Let’s hope this year brings us the chance to get out and about again and able to enjoy this spectacle first hand. Take care!!
A superb video Alan, one up to the Manor born for coming to the rescue, It's a like from me, and added to my favourites, cheers...Bill
Really nice to watch. Steam loco's and the seaside, what more can you want.
Thank you for the nice comment Jon, glad you enjoyed the clip. Regards, Alan
Hi David: thank you for the kind comments, it's always nice to hear from one of my "Favourites". Best regards, Alan
cool video! it must have been confusing for all those bystanders. enjoying the south- western coast and suddenly an north eastern engine goes by!
Hi John and thank you for your very kind comments. Alan
Hi EM: as you can see, strange things happened down here on Sunday and I am glad that I decided to go out at the last minute. Thank you for the great comments, much appreciated. Alan
Also, as an artist, and photographer, the final few minutes has about five or six photo / painting opportunities. I am so jealous!
Absolutely bloody marvelous! really enjoyed that!
A pleasure to receive such kind feedback. Best regards, Alan
Hi and thank you for your subscription and your kind comments. What you say is true, welcome aboard! Alan
Thank you for uploading the video.
Fantastic footage!! I've seen a double banking before but never a steam and diesel combination so very well caught!! A4's can tackle any gradient easily its just unfortunate that the weather conditions made things difficult. Though it did make for an interesting display. Brilliantly captured!! :)
Thank you for your kind comments David, they are much appreciated. Alan
Hi Hugh and thanks again for the kind and interesting comments from Down Under. Amen to your GWR sentiments. It certainly was lucky to get the action which most missed. Alan
that is just awesome, thank you so much.
Thanks for the upload! Very nice video! Also, you now have my three year old squealing 'Mallard, Boco, and Douglas!'
Pure audio organism (lol) well recorded - subbed.
Hi Oscar: Thank you for your kind feedback and subscription, welcome aboard! Best regards, Alan
Hi and thank you for the nice comments. Good old GWR bark, nothing like it!! Alan
Hi Ali and thank you for your kind and interesting comments. You are quite right about the loco swop: in 1925 Pendennis Castle was loaned to the LNER for comparison with their new A1 pacific and was shown to be better in all respects. The LNER learned a lot from the Castle and applied this knowledge into all subsequent Gresley pacifics, so we can thank the GWR a certain amount for splendid loco's like Mallard. Google: "UK Preserved Steam Locomotives" for J class 0-6-0 survivors. Alan
Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed. Alan
Glad you enjoyed it Bill, thank you for your kind comments. Alan
thank god for the GWR AGAIN rescuing A4s seems to be quite common these days
Thank you for your kind comments David, they are much ap[opreciated. Alan
Hi and thank you for your interesting comments, the incident has caused much debate here and I am glad that you have contributed. Alan
Dramatic footage indeed Alan, right place right time to get that shot . Regards Steve
interesting video! Your pictures (esp. towards the end) have a postcard quality which increases the enjoyment. Just an impression I got: that 25 didn't really seem to be pulling its weight. By contrast the GWR loco just rolled its sleeves up and got to work.
Hi Daniel: thanks for your comments, sounds like you had a good time. Alan
That 25mph speed restriction is absurd. How are locomotives expected not to stall on the climb when weather conditions aren't favorable? Health and Safety gone mad with power... as usual. The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway has a severe 1 in 24 gradient just after the rail over bridge near Big Pit. The railway inspectors thought it fun to impose a 10mph speed limit there, knowing full well a train would easily get stuck going uphill. Thank goodness they appealed, and won to have it increased to 15.
abloogywoogywoo it's the max allowed by the Light Railways Act.
Hi and thank you for your interesting comments. Although not the favourite of the preserved steam press, there are few preserved lines that can match the P&DR for quality of stock and wonderful views. Alan
Hi Alan - I've viewed this video yet again... it's always a treasure. I posted it to a group member, as we were discussing the need for a 'helper' (banker) on a train of 3 cars (apparently the head-end diesel is an 'antique' - his word), and I was wondering if the helper doubled as auxiliary electrical supply, etc. He responded later to tell me that, he was not aware of excursion trains needing that over here, and added that when he was young he'd wait for the steamer going up the grade to Lake Louise in the Rockies... he said that it was usual to have 3 or 4 helpers, and that " You could feel the ground shaking before you could hear or see anything". Wouldn't that be an absolutely wondrous event!
Hi Peter, nice to hear from you with one of your interesting questions. What you see is an Excursion train headed by 60019 (165 tons) plus tender (60 tons) hauling 12 coaches (480 tons): a total weight of 705 tons. The P.D.R. diesel at that time was a 1250 B.H.P. Class 25 (see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_25 ) attached to the rear as "Pacifics" have a poor record of climbing the bank to Churston unaided, it was not part of the excursion train. Due to the conditions, the A4 completely lost traction leaving the poor little Class 25 to push the whole 705 tons up a 1 in 60 incline, an impossible task! hence the call up of the Manor from Paignton. We have two issues here, the first and most important to all railways is adhesion, without good adhesion the full effort of the locomotive cannot be applied (notice I did not say Power!). Adhesion is the biggest challenge for a steam locomotive and the larger the driving wheels the worse this problem becomes because, believe it or not, the wheels actually have to deform the rail surface to get purchase, so the smaller the wheel the smaller the surface area in contact and the higher the pressure, deforming the track more and resulting in better adhesion. It is defined as the locomotive's "tractive effort". The A4 is built for speed and therefore has huge driving wheels, it also has a total of 6 axles (4-6-2 Pacific) which distributes the load of the locomotive and further reduces adhesion and so has a comparatively low tractive effort. On the other hand, your trains in the Rockies would have featured locomotives designed to climb those grades, they would have had small driving wheels and big cylinders producing high tractive effort but not necessarily any more power than an A4. The second and far less common issue is power, or lack of it, as train operators will usually have the correct power of locomotive hauling appropriate trains, however, on this occasion, the only available assistance was the underpowered Class 25, which ironically had the best adhesion of all because of its' small wheels!! Hope this helps the discussion.
Kind regards, Alan
@@Steamclips Thankyou so much Alan for your erudite response - that's what I need, and more.
Helpers/pushers/bankers were indeed all low-drivered... the noise of several dozen strokes per minute would certainly be most impressive. A 6' driver at 70mph makes 327 rpm...I don't know what half that diameter would do (if they ever reached 70).
I am aware that the Lickey incline was a huge challenge for locos, for instance, and that special locos were purpose-built specifically for it. The 0-10-0 comes to mind.
Yes - power and tractive effort are distinct forces. The concept of deforming the rail is new to me... I am as surprised at it in the same way I was surprised to realise I had been skating on water. As the skate causes friction on the ice, that turns it to water for mini-seconds. Seems there's lot of forces that govern our world, and that we take for granted. Another example is that part of a loco's wheel is always going the opposite way... which I'm sure you know from your physics teacher.
With a dearth of new videos (and the onset of rainy season) it's time for me to look back thru your catalogue.
Thanks again, Alan.
@@Steamclips because of what happened they now got a 37 instead
Hello John: thank you for your subscription (welcome aboard!) and for the kind comments. The A4 looks splendid in its current form. Alan
Fantastic complimation and well shot. Good thing it didn't happen on on Network Rail!
Hi and thank you for the kind and interesting comments. I guess to most bystanders these days a steam engine is a steam engine, no further questions asked! Alan
Oh man, what a great video! I loved watching the action, turning the engine, etc. Wow! And the photography is fantastic...every detail on the engine visible and clear as glass! Thank you. (I don't post comments like this very often, but this one impressed me.)
Hello Paul and thank you so much for your most kind and encouraging comments which I can assure you are very much appreciated. Best regards, Alan.
Hi and thank you for your interesting question. The problem on the day was the damp conditions after a dry day before, which left the track very slippery. In fact if it had been pouring down, it probably wouldn't have been as bad! The tight curve at the top of the cutting effectively increased the load which the 25 on the back was barely coping with, hence the stall and return to the viaduct and the need for further assistance. Alan
Hi Brian: good question. There is certainly one 42XX running but not sure if it is Goliath. Look at my (low res) clip featuring Tangmere on 28th Sept. 2008, where Goliath comes to the rescue. Thank you for your comments. Alan
Hi Ryan: welcome back on line. I agree with what you say and this climb in particular has shown to be a bit of a graveyard for any Pacific if the conditions are anything less than perfect. It seems a long time since we saw a GWR loco on the mainline down here! Alan
Hi and thank you for the kind comment. Alan
I meant to say I took a video of one of their 42xx locos a few years ago and it is surprising how little attention this railway gets now you mention it. One other thing that appeals to me about this railway is that it is also provides a link for the towns it's serves
went on the 7827 Lydham Manor on dart railway she is a beauty
Hi and thank you for your kind and delightful comments, start them young!! Alan
Nice camerawork!
Excellent film. Looks like A4's and Spamcans aren't fond of this bank.
Hello Michael and thank you for your kind comment, glad you enjoyed. Alan
Hi David: thank you for the kind comment and for your subscription, welcome aboard! Alan
Again another loco Id have loved to seen.
You are very welcome David, thank you for the kind comment. Alan
Hi Alan... YT brought this up again... I bant be complainin' tho. One of my top 3 favourites. And then YT gave me a link to "a4 bittern in trouble as it stalls on the tobay express at waterside 14/09/14"... I won't say who the videographer is/was, but it's not a patch on yours: terrible wind noises, shaking long shots (prob because of wind), too many cuts. He did catch some wheel-spin - that was good. BUT, there's no indication that the rail operator learned for the mistakes of 2 years earlier - can't even find if there was a banking loco.
To put it in the modern vernacular: You rock, Alan
Nice view, beaut sounds but its still GWR to the rescue, good video,THANKS
Hi Jim and thank you for your kind comments, they are much appreciated. Alan
A cosy sound, this exhaust in the cutting.
I was at Goodrington. She stalled on the bank there and at waterside caravan park. It was horrible conditions....