Recent content by 84A

Take it from one who handled class 8's on a daily basis "No more dirty Hands" would have been the most appropriate naming of the last one if ever they had progressed from 71000...........ex fireman...........

Lost for words with the design teams! I wonder if its possible to weld on a cab from a Western ?:roll:

Correct it would and did have the effect you mention with a very low cut off, it was common practice to wind her up to around 45% to draw the fire if she was not steaming too well, once nice and bright (the fire) reduce the cut off. I have fired this "Old Girl" on numerous occasions on the main...

Caprotti B.R Standard 71000 could be driven with as little as 3% cut off at full speed with the regulator in the "roof" (which is the correct method for this loco) and she would still accelerate such was it so economical with steam. Did this make it easy to fire...........from my B.R firing days...

Cylinder Drain Cocks, always faced forward on BR loco's, however in the USA they faced outwards! Used for clearing water/condensation in the cylinders on steam loco's. Water in a cyclinder as you will be aware will not compress and hence bent con rods or blown out cylinder casing ends can result...

Before all your time no doubt as I am an oldie, I was a trainee traction apprentice based at Laira, I was driving by the end of the first week under tuition even before classroom tuition learning etc. No substitute for on hand experience and taught by professionals, loved those...

I had the opportunity to look at everything stored at Toton a couple of years ago, one or two have put a "Leg out of Bed" pics to confirm this. If you have the will and the money to throw at them you can turn them out ex works of course. I know from my time on the railways, they were a good...