What a lovely thought, GK! Dear old Isambard certainly did not want to be seen doing things by halves! In a book passed on to me by my late father, it states that when the review was being held regarding the future gauge stipulation, the superiority of the "Broad Gauge" was, obvious. The board could not properly explain the preference for the 4F 8 1/2 gauge on those terms, and actually congratulated Brunel on the success and safety of the gauge - except that so much of the narrow gauge had been built already. Like so many things over the years, the final result is nearly always a compromise. Thanks for helping me take a trip at 70mph behind the "Iron Duke" or similar! Bev.
It's a shame that this is the only safe haven place for working broad gauge locomotives, if it still existed in to the 21st century we may even have broad gauge diesel and electric locomotives - this was one of brunels best engineering feet and he will always be remembered r.i.p Isambard kingdom Brunel 😥
An astonishing accomplishment to recreate a working broad gauge locomotive and carriages. Also incredible to think of what was to follow on from this comparatively humble beginning
ive seen other videos of broad gauge track and had no idea of scale . i now have something to compare with fire fly. i hope her restoration went well and is back in service .
A wonderfully philanthropic billionaire needs to fund the building of a broad gauge heritage railway. Maybe in Devon or Cornwall, or nearer to London, somewhere where magnificent beasts like this can roam in the wild one again instead of living in cages.
Broad Gauge was technically better dan the narrow gauge which we now know as "normal". Brunel favoured his broad gauge en Stephenson his narrow gauge. In the end the Stephenson gauge won the battle of the gauges purely because they could lay more tracks than broad gauge. So in 1892 the last broad gauge kilometers were converted to Stephenson gauge.
I wish broad gauge caught on instead of standard, imagine how massive trains would be on broad gauge? Imagine a scaled up Big Boy meant for broad gauge.
You may notice that Brunel gage trains were only slightly wider than the tracks. Stephenson ("standard") gage trains are up to ten feet wide, over twice the track gage (1435 mm/56.5") or the wheel track (about 1500 mm/59").
You Will Be Remembered, Old Steam Locomotive. I Promise, Because We'll Celebrate the Memorial Anniversary of You, Our Beloved Steam Locomotive. (Sigh).
A question: What looks like the reversing lever seems to be in neutral position, yet the exhaust sounds like it is in full forward ? (see 1:05) I tried to look up if the replica has the original gab valve gear or the later Gooch gear, but couldn't find it.
You mean at Ponta Delgada in the Azores? One of them was built in Loughbrough by Falcon. I think that Brush Electrical Machines occupy their old Works.
my Dad took a photo of me standing on her footplate during a visit a few years back possibly while everyone was having lunch. would have loved to have had a ride behind her. got a mug with a picture of fire fly on it
Clearly, we need to reintroduce broad gauge and extend it to Penzance. How much easier and sooner it would have been to achieve 300+ mph trains, if, by 1929, every line in GB was 7’0”1/4 (84.25”). They were huge! The Victorian artists don’t quite get it right with standard gauge scenes.
I get really tired of misleading titles that make is sound like a locomotive is retired permanently when they are just going in for routine service, STOP DOING THAT.
Re. comments about broad gauge engines and coaches not using the gauge to it`s possible extent. This is certainly true, although it has to be said that they were certainly wider than the other gauge stock at the time. It depends which way you look at it, surely. With the standard of track laying at the time, the ride would have been better and speeds achieved higher. Looking at a modern scenario, think how large the locomotives could have been if built to the same scale as, say, a King class, or a Princess Coronation - let alone some of the large goods engines we have had. Coaches could easily become double deck types - crumbs we had those anyway under Bulleid and America certainly has them still on 4` 8,1/2. With the 7`gauge, these would be really spacious - and less trains would be needed for a given number of passengers. Other adjustments would be needed - but if Broad Gauge had developed from the beginning, these factors would have been sorted out - built in from the start. Certainly, the locomotives of today - or should I say - up to the sixties - but not forgetting Tornado and other projects, could have, as has been pointed out by commentators before, dwarfed the machines of other countries with all that extra space for boiler, firebox with auto-stoking, cylinders and valve motion etc etc. Even America with it`s huge Mallets and Russia wouldn`t have had a look in! Dream on Bev! But, if I could be transported back - it would be nice to spend a little while on the Broad Gauge just to see the difference experienced between the two.
@@mattsmocs3281 I take your point, but, when you get to those sort of dimensions, the odd foot becomes a lesser proportion by that time. The Germans a proposal for something like 15 feet with a coach interior like a large ballroom with a chandelier hanging above. Now that DOES seem rather extreme -- although - if you replaced the chandelier with something rigid ................................!!
@@matteomarmiroli1713 It was a brand new locomotive with a brand new boiler just a few years before; the amount of work needed to overhaul it should be relatively minor, but it hasn’t done. I don’t think the steam railmotor has been returned to service either, and that also has a new boiler.
![Chino Pacas - Modo Capone (with Drake & JOP) [Video Visualizador Oficial]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zoc75M8Swhc/mqdefault.jpg)
Imagine being on the footplate of this beast doing the top speed of 70mph. In 1840 that would’ve been mind blowing!
What a lovely thought, GK! Dear old Isambard certainly did not want to be seen doing things by halves! In a book passed on to me by my late father, it states that when the review was being held regarding the future gauge stipulation, the superiority of the "Broad Gauge" was, obvious. The board could not properly explain the preference for the 4F 8 1/2 gauge on those terms, and actually congratulated Brunel on the success and safety of the gauge - except that so much of the narrow gauge had been built already. Like so many things over the years, the final result is nearly always a compromise. Thanks for helping me take a trip at 70mph behind the "Iron Duke" or similar! Bev.
Id have been shitting myself with the track quality back then eh!
and very very windy!!!!!
@@BigBlueMan118Isambard made sure he can make a perfect circle and drink tea without issues that is why he made this wide gauge
This engines a remake not original
I helped lay this broad gauge err 30 something years ago! Good to see it being used! Brunels masterpiece , grossly underestimated by the world!
Wrong move by the UK to stick with standard gauge, dear old Brunel got the last laugh.
It's a shame that this is the only safe haven place for working broad gauge locomotives, if it still existed in to the 21st century we may even have broad gauge diesel and electric locomotives - this was one of brunels best engineering feet and he will always be remembered r.i.p Isambard kingdom Brunel 😥
Respect to the broad gauge. Well done Didcot.
An astonishing accomplishment to recreate a working broad gauge locomotive and carriages. Also incredible to think of what was to follow on from this comparatively humble beginning
ive seen other videos of broad gauge track and had no idea of scale . i now have something to compare with fire fly. i hope her restoration went well and is back in service .
A beautiful loco she is.
Awesome Railfan Video, thanks for sharing 👍👍👍👍👍🚂
A wonderfully philanthropic billionaire needs to fund the building of a broad gauge heritage railway. Maybe in Devon or Cornwall, or nearer to London, somewhere where magnificent beasts like this can roam in the wild one again instead of living in cages.
Agreed, is long overdue, even a 5 mile length of track would surfice quite nicely, located in true fashion in the west country, real GWR territory!
Heritage railways weren't made by billionaires, but by people who wanted it and did it.
Broad Gauge was technically better dan the narrow gauge which we now know as "normal". Brunel favoured his broad gauge en Stephenson his narrow gauge. In the end the Stephenson gauge won the battle of the gauges purely because they could lay more tracks than broad gauge. So in 1892 the last broad gauge kilometers were converted to Stephenson gauge.
I wish broad gauge caught on instead of standard, imagine how massive trains would be on broad gauge? Imagine a scaled up Big Boy meant for broad gauge.
Have a Google for Breitspurbahn
@@clangerbasher that's big
@@thomashambly3718 Yes. (I think China will perhaps realise they should have built their high speed lines to a broad gauge.)
You may notice that Brunel gage trains were only slightly wider than the tracks. Stephenson ("standard") gage trains are up to ten feet wide, over twice the track gage (1435 mm/56.5") or the wheel track (about 1500 mm/59").
@@clangerbasher bruh
You Will Be Remembered, Old Steam Locomotive. I Promise, Because We'll Celebrate the Memorial Anniversary of You, Our Beloved Steam Locomotive. (Sigh).
a broad but beautiful train indeed...
A question: What looks like the reversing lever seems to be in neutral position, yet the exhaust sounds like it is in full forward ? (see 1:05)
I tried to look up if the replica has the original gab valve gear or the later Gooch gear, but couldn't find it.
We could get those two broad gauge saddle tanks from Portugal.
You mean at Ponta Delgada in the Azores?
One of them was built in Loughbrough by Falcon. I think that Brush Electrical Machines occupy their old Works.
Yes! The two old saddle tank engines would fit on the 7ft gauge track, tho they have seen better days. They're in terrible shape and falling appart.
In Australia, Broad Gauge is 5ft 3in instead of 7ft.
Same in Ireland.
When will Fire Fly be restored?
You Will Be Missed, Fire Fly Steam Train. We'll See You In The Great Train Station in the Sky, Old Friend. Goodbye. :'-(
It hasn't been scrapped, it's moved to static display.
+Poisson Volant, Yes, You're Right.
Thank You For Telling Me.
@@Poisson4147 I thought she was getting overhauled
Me Too, +Shane Walters. Me Too.
my Dad took a photo of me standing on her footplate during a visit a few years back possibly while everyone was having lunch. would have loved to have had a ride behind her. got a mug with a picture of fire fly on it
Where to find drawings or blueprints for the rolling stock?
The gauge of track is not such an important factor these days, rather it’s the loading gauge that’s the issue.
The gauge of the track is no longer important. We lost that opportunity years ago.
This video shows us what could have been.
Big Boi that is!
Clearly, we need to reintroduce broad gauge and extend it to Penzance. How much easier and sooner it would have been to achieve 300+ mph trains, if, by 1929, every line in GB was 7’0”1/4 (84.25”). They were huge! The Victorian artists don’t quite get it right with standard gauge scenes.
I get really tired of misleading titles that make is sound like a locomotive is retired permanently when they are just going in for routine service, STOP DOING THAT.
Re. comments about broad gauge engines and coaches not using the gauge to it`s possible extent. This is certainly true, although it has to be said that they were certainly wider than the other gauge stock at the time. It depends which way you look at it, surely. With the standard of track laying at the time, the ride would have been better and speeds achieved higher. Looking at a modern scenario, think how large the locomotives could have been if built to the same scale as, say, a King class, or a Princess Coronation - let alone some of the large goods engines we have had. Coaches could easily become double deck types - crumbs we had those anyway under Bulleid and America certainly has them still on 4` 8,1/2. With the 7`gauge, these would be really spacious - and less trains would be needed for a given number of passengers. Other adjustments would be needed - but if Broad Gauge had developed from the beginning, these factors would have been sorted out - built in from the start. Certainly, the locomotives of today - or should I say - up to the sixties - but not forgetting Tornado and other projects, could have, as has been pointed out by commentators before, dwarfed the machines of other countries with all that extra space for boiler, firebox with auto-stoking, cylinders and valve motion etc etc. Even America with it`s huge Mallets and Russia wouldn`t have had a look in! Dream on Bev! But, if I could be transported back - it would be nice to spend a little while on the Broad Gauge just to see the difference experienced between the two.
I feel 7 foot is a little too wide. Personally i chose Erie, DL&W, and O&M 6’ gauge. It combines the best of both worlds.
@@mattsmocs3281 I take your point, but, when you get to those sort of dimensions, the odd foot becomes a lesser proportion by that time. The Germans a proposal for something like 15 feet with a coach interior like a large ballroom with a chandelier hanging above. Now that DOES seem rather extreme -- although - if you replaced the chandelier with something rigid ................................!!
what if we build a broad gauge high speed rail?
We did.
The politicians decided against it.
Interesting.
Why was it taken out of service ?
Boiler ticket expired
@@matteomarmiroli1713
It was a brand new locomotive with a brand new boiler just a few years before; the amount of work needed to overhaul it should be relatively minor, but it hasn’t done. I don’t think the steam railmotor has been returned to service either, and that also has a new boiler.
Those loco pilots standing for long will be tired.
someone play song for denise over this
Broad gauge broad gauge broad gauge
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