Steam or Diesel?

[rorz101uk]

lads, just be glad that someone have save these locomatives either steam or diesels, i like both but i have been brought up being a steam man! The reason that 4141 made so made fires is because the fireman opened the fornt dampers, i didn't open it today and only made one fire, that i know off!

 

[AlexS]

Tell the git from me that he can carry a firebeater in his cab and jump off the next time he does that then!

 

[rorz101uk]

there is no need for that comment, i have done what chaz or yourself as done at a younger age.

 

[AlexS]

If it was as you say something to do with a fireman doing something that isn't normally done and didn't need to be done, then it was the wrong day to be doing it. Neeearly missed the train home from Loughborough with the second one we went to! Was a good day though (although one of the bands tuning was a little suspect!)

 

[rorz101uk]

not everyone knows that you should keep the fornt dampers close all day! also the driver should n't really go into 2nd value! but get back to the subject!

 

[AlexS]

Quite! Excellent point!

Diesel still wins.

 

[rorz101uk]

that isn't the attitude, there are good pionts and bad point of each other, just agree that people have save these loco's for the next generation can see these machines at work

 

[sootyxfd]

only one exception to your rule rory

78019 both about an inch

 

[AlexS]

Well, it is the attitude - they are something to be seen alright, every so often, but I personally wouldn't spend a devalued 1920's German Pfennig on them - steam engines just don't interest me in the slightest, and so I put my money into diesel preservation - which to my mind at least, I hasten to add, not everyones! - is a more worthy output for my limited funds!

 

[Guinness]

Forcing me into a network rail hi vis great coat in the summer doesn't make me think any more fondly of them!

I did offer you a swap!

 

[AlexS]

You know as well as I do that I'd have had to do all the work then - you wouldn't have been able to see your hands or feet!

 

[Demps]

ha, well its part of the experience, steam =mucky old smelly stuf, deisel= a powerful smell of industy etc.

 

[Guinness]

You know as well as I do that I'd have had to do all the work then - you wouldn't have been able to see your hands or feet!

Was that for me?

I recall me having to speak to Loughborough Box 3 times, having to climb up the embankment onto a bridge to talk to the Fire Brigade and wasting half of pint of orange juice on a fire!

And you broke the Fire Beater!

 

[AlexS]

Blahdy blahdy blahdy blah. Who ended up getting grabbed for every single whim of the catering dept eh though!

 

[HR2]

Blahdy blahdy blahdy blah. Who ended up getting grabbed for every single whim of the catering dept eh though!

Oh I DO so love a catfight.

 

[AlexS]

So do I, obviously! :P

 

[Donny Dave]

Diesel for me, although I don't mind the odd kettle to get a couple of photos though.

 

[Techniquest]

if you like diesels then why the hell do you like clag?

Why do diesel fans like clag? Interesting question, and not one that I can answer fully right now. The sight, the sound, the smell...Watching (and filming of course!) 43141 starting up at Cardiff Central, the clag that resulted, the sound, the sight of it...Much in the same way 43135 on the 1530 SWA - PAD the other day revived my love of the HST once again (being on just buses and DMUs managed to blank my memory of the HSTs for a bit!) with the sound as it left and the clag...I recall going 'I'm back baby, yeah!' as a result.

I did a steam loco yesterday though, in that I did the Brecon Mountain Railway. Rip-off too, at £8.50 for <5 miles right round. I had no real enjoyment out of the steam, I kept thinking 'What's enjoyable about this?' and 'Why are there steam bashers at all?', as well as 'This is boring'.

No, for me, nothing will beat a diesel on full bore, or at all! I'd have been a tiny bit more happy paying that money for a diesel bash, but I didn't think it would be more than £5!

 

[taw valley]

right if you like diesels thats fine with me no small print at all

just i really dont understand diesels bashers / fans as they like seeing thick black clag witch correct me if im wrong but dont that mean the diesels on its last legs?

 

[AlexS]

Actually - clag is a product in part of things being broken or worn inside.

 

[Demps]

Clag is not a product of things beingbroken down, its is a waste product that originates from the combustion of (commonly) diesel.

The waste products include: Carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, unburned Hydrocarbon, Nitrogen monoxide.

However the actaul clag is Particles of Carbon (including carbon monoxide to a extent), it is produced by TOO LITTLE AIR and TOO MUCH DIESEL. So you are right in a sense that clag is produced from older WORN OUT ENGINES, however you will always see some particle matter because it is impossible for a chemcial process to be 100% perfect.

I just thought i would post it because you dont realy see much science on rail forums hehe.Whenever i see a class 50 they never seem to let out some clag, so do they ever clag ????, or is it just the excelent engine.

 

[AlexS]

Class 50s are far from excellent - since they left the London Midland they had a reputation reliability wise for being 'le poo'!

 

[Techniquest]

D444 was perfoming MARVELLOUSLY on Saturday! Pity it only came into platform 2 and back into the TMD though! The clag that came out as it returned to the TMD...MY LORDZ!

On a similar topic, D1013 broke down with something on the return to Kidderminster on Saturday too, being hauled by the almighty A4 also known as 60009 'Union of South Africa'. Fair play that makes some noise! One of the only decent locos to come out of the North East!

On the subject of steam locos, 6024 'King Edward I' looked absolutely amazing in its new paint job too. Pity it wasn't hauling GWR stock, but hey. 6024 and 60009 made a right royal impression on me! 67013 and 67018 on the Pullman, however, did not. That was an interesting sight though, mainline EWS locos in service running (albeit ECS) onto the SVR off the mainline! I hope the SVR charged them a good high amount for servicing that train, although I daresay it didn't even match the fare of one seat on that train...

 

[bunnahabhain]

For me, it has to be both, if I've got a nice Diesel up front (20/25/33/37/45/47) then I am more than happy, but if I've got a nice locomotive up front (Std2/4/7/9, Black 5, 8 Freight, O4, Large Prairie) then I am equally has happy, though I'd prefer the locomotives not to be pulling a hefty 25/26 inches of mercury and rather the standard 20/21 inches.

I dont mind what I have up front as long as I get a ride.

I do like a nice Diesel Railcar though.

 

[Techniquest]

Fair enough re: the diesel railcar. Not familiar with them myself (unless you mean first-gen DMUs), but the GWR diesel railcars look lush.

When you mention the mercury thing, I assume you mean the thing about the GWR locos pulling more mercury than the rest of them in relation to the brakes? Must be a pain in the neck if you've brought something in with 7802 and are taking it out with 08789! (numbers used as examples from the SVR).

Speaking of which, I finally saw 7802 again since October 2004 on the SVR yesterday. Looked mighty fine! Disliking the BR 'lion' logo on the tender, but hey.

 

[Nick]

DMMUs are alright, don't do much for me though.
WSXchap: You started at the SVR then as a volunteer? If so what as?

 

[Techniquest]

WSXchap, LOL!

As I later put in my signature, I'm a trainee shunter currently, hoping to work onto being a guard eventually, then onto the mainline one day!

 

[AlexS]

Tough weeeerk? You wanna try doing a summer turn as a porter

 

[Techniquest]

It's tough when you've not done it before! Now I have I know exactly how heavy the end shields are, how heavy and awkward the couplers are...And how much jargon there is in semaphore signalling! Never would have thought ground frame levers were so tough to pull back too! If you ever see the one by the Carriage and Wagon yard (that's the bit by the mainline near the station, by the bit which branches off from the mainline onto SVR metals), this is one mighty tough lever to pull! So tough it was we had to have two people pulling it at the same time to make it go! Then there's the vacuum pipes and steam pipes, My Lordz they are irritating to put together!

Can't wait until my next chance to do my training stuff though, it's great fun!

 

[AlexS]

Apparently the old Leicester North ground frame was stiff to the point of the whole bodyweight being needed to shift the thing! Guess that's what happens when the mechanism is exposed to the elements 24/7!