Recent content by Sulzer:1999

Saturday 22nd June saw the return to service of The Carmyllie Pilot Locomotive Company's Ivatt 2MT No 46464. The loco was launched back into traffic at The Strathspey Railway’s Boat of Garten Station, following a 24 year restoration undertaken at both Bridge of Dun & Aviemore . Carmyllie Pilot...

Peak Rail 2-HAP now sold & stored at a private secure site at Inverurie with D9500. 1714948059 Not the sole BR/NBL shunter, D2774 in working order at Strathspey Railway since 2001, formerly at the East Lancs Railway.

https://flickr.com/photos/126029278@N04/53178716357/in/dateposted- public These are not the Class 33’s you are looking for….

There was some questionable antics involving a hand-held petrol container & a naked flame when trying to deal with frozen points at Goathland on a recent YT video.

That’s good to hear. My pal who also worked on other railways couldn’t believe how there was no interference from busy bodies or other chinless wonders at the railway where I work occasionally at now. The department head lets me get on with the job and politely shows their appreciation. For...

Believe you me, I have pondered many times over the years why do I bother? But at the end of the day, I’m too much of a hands on railway enthusiast, I need my fix now & again. Like all here who work on a heritage line, for better or worse, we have our passion & enthusiasm for our own particular...

After nearly 40 years of working at various heritage railways, I’ve had my fill of the ‘Obnoxious types’ & the lack of courtesy. In fact I would say that the more you sometimes do (first there in the mornings, last to lock up), familiarity breeds contempt. One thing I learned quickly as a 15...

Former driver Harry Friend used to write many entertaining articles about his BR driving experiences in earl issues of ‘Traction’ magazine about 30 years ago. I was delighted to hear that he’s still around and was being honoured in this way, nice!

I was the membership secretary of one of the Scottish preserved railways from 1990-2000. I inherited a monthly renewal system from the previous secretary which worked fine for me, a big splurge at one time of the year would have been too much to handle, even if we only had around 150 yearly...

I believe the radiator & engine compartment grills on these locos were the same design used just below cant rail level on American GM ‘E & F’ series diesel electrics, purely experimental.

Yes, I remember that now. But there was also plans to run ‘The Flying Scotsman’ there. I seem to recall when asked by one of the railway magazines about how the loco would deal with a structure built to LT loading gauge, the spokesperson stated that they would fit a hinge to the loco’s funnel &...

Whilst I can see the attraction of acquiring reasonably complete locomotives as opposed to some wrecks from Woodham’s in Barry, the Finnish gauge would always be a problem. Apart from track, need to obtain suitable coaches, etc. I’m sure that there would have been plenty of decent standard gauge...

Thanks, that makes sense. What never made sense was importing these locos here in the first place.

Not sure, but there was no doubt that the gentleman had been a successful businessman.

One of these imported Finnish locos was returned to working order & is run on a short section of Finnish gauge track in the owner’s big garden. I believe this is near London somewhere & the owner is involved in some other railway projects. There was an article about this in one of the comics a...