Train Spotters, what are they spotting for?

[StripeyNick]

Simpo Two said:

What do they do when they've spotted every train? Has it been done? Do they shout 'Bingo' and win a gold-plated model train?

Start all over again!

It's quite a difficult thing to achieve actually as locos and stock regularly gets renumbered (such as after an overhaul). It's technically still the same train but the number is different so you have to spot it again. It got very frustrating when I used to get near to completing a class only for them all to be renumbered causing me to have to start again. Grrr.

[Flintstone]

Same could be said of aircraft spotters (or hedge chimps as I prefer to call them )

Mind you, they do post some nice photos on the internet.

[RichB]

StripeyNick said:

Simpo Two said:

What do they do when they've spotted every train? Has it been done? Do they shout 'Bingo' and win a gold-plated model train?

Start all over again!

It's quite a difficult thing to achieve actually as locos and stock regularly gets renumbered (such as after an overhaul). It's technically still the same train but the number is different so you have to spot it again. It got very frustrating when I used to get near to completing a class only for them all to be renumbered causing me to have to start again. Grrr.

I believe I managed to 'cop' all the Western Class diesels and I may have copped all the Warships too.

[clarksonisawilly]

Ah I see now (sorry, thick) so you tick off each unit as you see it?

I can see that being both massively frustrating and rewarding at the same time!

Can you do swapsies?

[Somewhatfoolish]

Would it be cheating just to hang around outside the depo for a day? Surely the easiest way to get every unit?

[RichB]

Somewhatfoolish said:

Would it be cheating just to hang around outside the depo for a day? Surely the easiest way to get every unit?

Of course not, Nine Elms, Old Oak Common, Stratford, Willsden all good places to go for a day with some sandwiches

[Yertis]

RichB said:

StripeyNick said:

Simpo Two said:

What do they do when they've spotted every train? Has it been done? Do they shout 'Bingo' and win a gold-plated model train?

Start all over again!

It's quite a difficult thing to achieve actually as locos and stock regularly gets renumbered (such as after an overhaul). It's technically still the same train but the number is different so you have to spot it again. It got very frustrating when I used to get near to completing a class only for them all to be renumbered causing me to have to start again. Grrr.

I believe I managed to 'cop' all the Western Class diesels and I may have copped all the Warships too.

Since we moved to quite near a main line I've seen interesting classes of engine I never ever thought I'd see when I was kid. Stanier 8P, Bulleids, Castles, Kings, Standard Class 8, Peppercorn A2, Western Whichever and so on. And now there's a regular Class 47 working as well which is nice in a nostalgic way.

[RichB]

Which line are you close to Yertis?

[Yertis]

RichB said:

Which line are you close to Yertis?

Bristol to Exeter. This Sunday I think we've got Duke of Gloucester.

[RichB]

Yertis said:

RichB said:

Which line are you close to Yertis?

Bristol to Exeter. This Sunday I think we've got Duke of Gloucester.

Ah ha down the line from me then I am by the Great Western close to Brunel's arches over the Thames at Maidenhead. p.s. Have you discoveed this site? It's pretty accurate (and doesn't mention Duke of Glocester this weekend)... http://www.uksteam.info/tours/index.htm

[Yertis]

RichB said:

Yertis said:

RichB said:

Which line are you close to Yertis?

Bristol to Exeter. This Sunday I think we've got Duke of Gloucester.

Ah ha down the line from me then I am by the Great Western close to Brunel's arches over the Thames at Maidenhead. p.s. Have you discoveed this site? It's pretty accurate (and doesn't mention Duke of Glocester this weekend)... http://www.uksteam.info/tours/index.htm

I schedule my dog walks around that website .

Sunday the 8th, down at the bottom, 71000/6024

(So we might get a Castle or whatever 6024 is instead)

(I see 6024 is a King. I'm not a big fan of GWR stuff to be honest, for which reason my Vicar criticises my taste in locomotives as being "too macho".)

[RichB]

Not a fan of the GWR! How can you not admire that beauty? The King class, the most powerful steam locos on British railways yet so fine in comparison to the efforts of other companies

[Pigeon]

RichB said:

The King class, the most powerful steam locos on British railways

Phwoar...

[Yertis]

My spies tell me "The Duke" is at Barton Hill depot.

It's an ugly thing in truth and it sounds like a Class 47, but still rather magnificent.

[RichB]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Unlucky, no fiddling, I'm basing it on tractive effort (TE) that well known measure of power used by railway companies in the steam era. The GWR King with a TE of 40,300 was the most powerful locomotive built at the time and more powerful the later LMS Duchess class with only 40,000 - Admittedly the odd-ball LMS Garretts had a TE of 45,620 (Google's a wonderful thing) - so I'll let you off, but don't come waving Duchesses & A4s at me, the Kings out performed them all

[Yertis]

The King runs through here at about 70 (though unofficially its faster) and I'll admit it makes quite an impressive sight and sound.

[RichB]

What the LNER P1? You having a laugh?

OK so so far you've hit on two of the most obscure British locos ever, the Garretts and the Licky Banker. Nothing else though, none of your Gresleys and Stanier express engines. Admittedly they looked flash in all their streamlined casings and fancy silver and gold striped colour schemes but that was all fluff & nonsense to satisfy the marketing people. None of that was required with GWR locomotives, like a top F1 car, pure engineering excellence is what made them fast.

[Yertis]

Is the P1 that Gresley freight thing that got scrapped? [goes off to Google]

[RichB]

I don't need to open a link to see that stupid half hearted effort by Swindon to put a rounded nose on a King. Agreed, as you say totally rubbish, that's why it didn't last long. Quickly taken off and the engine restored to it's majestic former self with no adverse effect on performance

Anyway, so as you're prepared to leave out the Garretts and Big Bertha and by your own admission the 9Fs were not as powerful have you got any other curve balls to throw because so far I haven't see anything to disuade me that that the Kings are not the most powerful

p.s. However... what you have done is make me look up stuff I only have distant memories of from my books as kid - yes I grew up in West Ealing near the GWR main line out of Paddington, so stuff like the Torbay Express and Cornish Riviera Express were just about getting up to speed as they thundered through.

p.p.s. VAG?

[RichB]

But I've never had a Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda - and my grandad (and dad) worked for London Underground where I get my railway interest from.

p.s. Ever heard of Sarah Siddons? I've ridden in the cab of that - pretty scary too, sparks flying everywhere from all the relays and switchgear!

p.p.s. OK just Googled it - you got lucky with the P2 class - as you say big lumps weren't they! I remember seeing a model of "Cock o' The North" in streamlined casing and being impressed.

Edited by RichB on Thursday 5th August 12:03