Incredibly cool photos of trains

Incredibly cool photos of trains

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2xChevrons

3,516 posts

86 months

Friday 20th October 2023
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Yertis said:
Weren’t the ‘USA’ laid out so they could be driven from either side anyway? I may have mis-remembered that. Also some inherently dangerous design flaw to do with steam pipes, gauges or something. Ugly things anyway. Even that GWR pannier up thread is better looking.
Just delved into my books - the USAs were RHD (as was the norm for American locos).

One was trialled at Lancing carriage works to replace the Terriers as a works engine, but because the site was built on a continual left-hand curve the visibility was deemed poor (Terriers were all LHD). So two USAs were converted to LHD, which was apparently very easy because they were a standard USATC design so were built like giant Meccano sets.


Yertis

18,591 posts

272 months

Friday 20th October 2023
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Thanks 2CV – your posts alone justify the PH subscription fee thumbup

RichB

52,671 posts

290 months

Friday 20th October 2023
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Yertis said:
Thanks 2CV – your posts alone justify the PH subscription fee thumbup
yes

P5BNij

15,875 posts

112 months

Friday 20th October 2023
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I've just remembered the English Electric Type 1 / Class 20s had dual controls too, on opposite corners of the cab because of the 'long bonnet' design...

Bonnet side controls with narrow front window...



Other side with larger window...


2xChevrons

3,516 posts

86 months

Friday 20th October 2023
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P5BNij said:
I've just remembered the English Electric Type 1 / Class 20s had dual controls too, on opposite corners of the cab because of the 'long bonnet' design...

Bonnet side controls with narrow front window...



Other side with larger window...

IIRC, on a Class 20 the controls facing 'long nose-ward' are the 'real' ones (i.e the reverse is actually wired into the electrical gear, power handle is actually plumbed into the engine's hydro-pneumatic governor, the brake handle is acting directly on the brake system) while the ones at the flat end are just linked by rods to the other desk.

Which seems like an interesting remnant of the thinking in the early days of diesel traction when it was just assumed that the driver would be at the back, peering through a narrow window down the side of a long nose.

Several American railroads specced their early road switchers to run 'long hood forwards' and there was one (Norfolk & Western, I think) that continued to do right up until it was merged out of existence in the 1980s. There were others (Western Pacific was one, I'm sure) which even if the units were always operated short hood first and had the control stand set up to be driven that way, the long nose was still officially the front, so technically the unit was always being driven backwards.

RichB

52,671 posts

290 months

Friday 20th October 2023
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2xChevrons said:
<clip> an interesting remnant of the thinking in the early days of diesel traction when it was just assumed that the driver would be at the back, peering through a narrow window down the side of a long nose...
Which in itself is interesting because as early as 1906 the Metropolitan Railway commissioned their Westinghouse 'Camel Back' locomotives which gave the driver a very clear view in all directions. Then in 1921 Metropolitan Vickers built the better known Metropolitan electric locomotives that were in use up to the '60s.
My father worked for London Underground at Acton Works and as a boy I remember seeing No12 Sarah Siddons in use there as the works shunter.



Maxym

2,172 posts

242 months

Friday 20th October 2023
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2xChevrons said:
Just delved into my books - the USAs were RHD (as was the norm for American locos).

One was trialled at Lancing carriage works to replace the Terriers as a works engine, but because the site was built on a continual left-hand curve the visibility was deemed poor (Terriers were all LHD). So two USAs were converted to LHD, which was apparently very easy because they were a standard USATC design so were built like giant Meccano sets.
It would have been quicker and cheaper just to have the USAs turned to face the opposite direction.

2xChevrons

3,516 posts

86 months

Saturday 21st October 2023
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Maxym said:
It would have been quicker and cheaper just to have the USAs turned to face the opposite direction.
That was decided against because it would still leave the driver having to turn towards the back of the cab (while the controls are at the front) for the delicate coupling/uncoupling/positioning moves at the works themselves, while running bunker-first out away from the works towards the headshunts was when visibility and control was less critical.

During the trials the USAs were initially tried facing 'chimney in', then after just one shift the loco was taken away to be turned because of the visibility issue on the curve. Working 'bunker in' was better but not ideal, so before the USAs fully replaced the Terriers some were converted to LHD.

P5BNij

15,875 posts

112 months

Saturday 21st October 2023
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5043 'Earl Of Mount Edgcumbe' climbing Wilmcote Bank out of Stratford-upon-Avon...


Maxym

2,172 posts

242 months

Saturday 21st October 2023
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Don't worry, posted in jest...

Maxym

2,172 posts

242 months

Saturday 21st October 2023
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Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (once known as Victoria Terminus).

Mercdriver

2,553 posts

39 months

Saturday 21st October 2023
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Platform both sides? Is that so they can depart one side and next passengers on the other side?

Maxym

2,172 posts

242 months

Saturday 21st October 2023
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Mercdriver said:
Platform both sides? Is that so they can depart one side and next passengers on the other side?
No, just piling off and on both sides. :-)

WelshChris

1,191 posts

260 months

Tuesday 24th October 2023
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Another new one off the Boston Lodge production line - say hello to James Spooner, officially named last Friday.



Rumblestripe

3,170 posts

168 months

Tuesday 24th October 2023
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WelshChris said:
Another new one off the Boston Lodge production line - say hello to James Spooner, officially named last Friday.


What a lovely looking thing. Does it say Spames Jooner on the other side?

Maxym

2,172 posts

242 months

Tuesday 24th October 2023
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WelshChris said:
Another new one off the Boston Lodge production line - say hello to James Spooner, officially named last Friday.


Double Fairlie Speedster.

Silver Smudger

3,329 posts

173 months

Tuesday 24th October 2023
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Rumblestripe said:
WelshChris said:
Another new one off the Boston Lodge production line - say hello to James Spooner, officially named last Friday.


What a lovely looking thing. Does it say Spames Jooner on the other side?
clap

Yertis

18,591 posts

272 months

Friday 27th October 2023
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WelshChris said:
Another new one off the Boston Lodge production line - say hello to James Spooner, officially named last Friday.


Am I right to guess that we now build more steam locomotives in this backwards-evolving country than we do diesel or electric locomotives? (I include multiple-units in that)

Please tell me I'm wrong.

mcdjl

5,487 posts

201 months

Friday 27th October 2023
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Not the new one....

Maxym

2,172 posts

242 months

Saturday 28th October 2023
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No 4144 in Chinnor loop.