"Flying Scotsman from the Footplate"

[Flying Phil]

This was on BBC 4 a couple of days ago and I found it well worth watching. No gimmicks, it just showed FS running along the Severn Valley Railway and the crew explained what and why they did what they did.

[truck71]

Agreed, really enjoyed it. No bks approach was refreshing.

[forsure]

Yes, very good. It did exactly what the title said; you felt as if you were on the footplate with them.

[marksx]

Just watched this, enjoyed a lot, learnt a bit, my kind of telly.

[WelshChris]

Apparently the Severn Valley had problems finding a crew who wouldn't eff and blind the whole way through

[droopsnoot]

I quite enjoyed that, too. There was another version shown on a different day which was just the soundtrack with no commentary, but I didn't watch that.

[Vocal Minority]

I thought it was excellent

[Ayahuasca]

Having previously watched James May's toy version, it was good to see the real thing. I wish they had shown the tunnel through the tender though.

At the beginning, when it wouldn't move, where was the power going? Were the pistons just not moving and the steam pressure building up behind them?

Also, is there a clutch?

[Yertis]

Ayahuasca said:

Also, is there a clutch?

Yes – it was hidden under the steering wheel.


Sorry. I hate sarky gits too.

No, closest a locomotive has to gears is the valve-gear and reverser, which alters the valve travel. A locomotive can be in 'mid-gear' which is sort of like neutral. Basically I think the driver was inexperienced but steam locomotives can get into a position where the pistons are 'in the wrong place to take steam' for want of a better expression. I really ought to learn how to drive a locomotive, it looks ace.

[Vocal Minority]

You can get sort of red letter day style experiences - Tysley Heritage centre or whatever they call it in Birmingham used to. My father drove a Castle Class (5080 Defiant) and Flying Scotsman there (up and down a siding, obviously!)