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FR & WHR & WHHR News

Discussion in 'Narrow Gauge Railways' started by AndrewT, Jul 17, 2012.

  1. meeee

    meeee Member

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    Whistles are usually worse on the footplate. They tend to shower you with hot water and be really loud. Safety valves blow the steam up over your head.

    Tim
     
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  2. Paulthehitch

    Paulthehitch Well-Known Member

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    The most evil whistles are the sirens favoured for showman's road locos. They hurt if you are aboard when sounded.
     
  3. goldfish

    goldfish Nat Pres stalwart

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    That would be a shame as they look so great together double-headed…

    Simon
     
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  4. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    Yes, I can imagine it has been very tough for them, and of course we don't know what next spring will look like either. I am glad Paul is well and still involved. I tend to read Inside Motion, and when I occasionally see a copy of the magazine, somewhat wearily as there normally seems to be an obituary for someone that I worked with. I was sad to read about Ged Parks passing. He was quite a character.
     
  5. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    I wonder whether the folks at the 1863 Mountaineer project might someday consider giving their steed a 'falsie', to represent that intermediate condition?

    It also features in a published history of the Groudle Glen Railway, though I can't easily access it to establish original credit. So far as Polar Bear's (fortunately short lived) "fairground" look is concerned, ten out of ten for imagination, but minus several million for overall effect. It was truly vile !!
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2020
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  6. MuzTrem

    MuzTrem Member

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    On the contrary - I (genuinely!) think that it was charming and characterful, and I would love to see it again. Apparently Amberley have sworn never to paint the original Polar Bear into that livery again, but perhaps the team at Groudle could be persauded with Brown Bear...!

    Re. Blanche - much as I love her in her present green livery, I see no reason why she couldn't carry some different liveries at some point. There's no need to worry about historical accuracy, since the loco in its present form is a post-preservation creation anyway. She is quite a modern-looking engine, though, so perhaps not one of the more elaborate Victorian schemes. BR maroon, maybe? It would be a good match for the red-and-cream coaches. Or maybe recreate Linda's midnight blue from the 1990s...
     
  7. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Well, @MuzTrem if livery preferences aren't subjective, nothing is. At least Polar Bear was spared one of those stupid so##ing faces! Got to say, I really do like Brown Bear's colours.

    Perhaps perversely, I've occasionally imagined a 'grouping liveried' double fairlie. How does plain black, LMS on the left tank and a five digit running number on the right grab you? Of course, the only likely reason a passenger service, or more probably anything at all east of GyP might've survived under LMS auspices would've been to rub the GW's nose in it, though I do reckon the bowsiders would've looked better in red than chocolate & cream.

    Wot? C'mon ..... we've all seen CR No.4 in faux GW garb, haven't we?
     
  8. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    Would you like the Alco restored to this condition?

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  9. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    If you mean serviceable ...... that's an unqualified yes!
     
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  10. MuzTrem

    MuzTrem Member

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    Well, at least that's one thing we can agree on! :D

    It would certainly be interesting, and it could probably be done Fairlie easily (groan!) next time one of the double engines is overhauled...since the FfR usually turns out engines in plain balck for running in, all you'd need to do is remove the nameplates put some stick-on numbers on the side. Providing matching coaching stock would be trickier, but it would look fine with a rake of slate wagons. Why not put it to one of the photo-charter organisers? :p
     
  11. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    I was thinking about the noise when a loco blows off. It's painfully loud for someone standing nearby, but surely worse for someone on the footplate with nothing between them and the valves.
     
  12. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    TBH, it's been one of those persistent mental images which, since it first germinated, won't damn well go, although I'd not seriously thought of owt beyond a photoshop job, which is way beyond my own paltry abilities, or larger than a 16mm/ft scale, which isn't, but would cause excessive ructions on the domestic front!

    And @Monkey Magic, in these days, courtesy of t'interweb, we're all a lot more familiar with locos surviving elsewhere, but to those of 'a certain age', Mountaineer isn't merely some random Alco, but an established Ffesterbahn stalwart. For my part, I'm sanguine about the cab .... and the livery. Whilst the Fairlie style cab it last saw service wearing does soften it's appearance, to my mind, the sloped sided construction it wore, back when I knew the line, somehow quite suited it's decidedly utilitarian outline. In any case, I'm pretty sure Garnedd Tunnel wouldn't be too kind to the large variant shown in your photos! :D
     
  13. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    I am wondering if a scaled-down version of the shed cab it had (that itself was an addition to its WW1 appearance).

    It has run in WD colours so why not PTP colours? (Additionally all crew must wear berets, smoke Gauloises).

    I guess Mountaineer rebuild will be wanting its nameplates back as well.
     
  14. meeee

    meeee Member

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    Depends on the type of valve and the boiler pressure. The Ross Pop valves on Blanche of deafening. The Ramsbottom and Salter types on Linda or Lilla a usually just do varying degrees of fizzing. They only really get loud if you keep trying to push the pressure up. Like on a boiler test for example.

    Tim
     
  15. meeee

    meeee Member

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    You would probably end up with a lack of headroom. The cab would have to be very low or curve down at the corners like Lyd. I'm not sure why you want to lumber it with a garden shed on the back, especially when it is a smart machine as it is.

    You can go and see both PTP and WD versions in France. In fact they only live about an hour away from each other. Do we really need a pastiche of one in the UK?

    Tim
     
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2020
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  16. marshall5

    marshall5 Well-Known Member

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    FWIW The TPT acquired 3-23 in Oct 1935 and increased the cab height by 20cm at the same time as the cab back was enclosed.
    Ray.
     
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  17. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    Well it ran in a pastiche WD livery in the past on the FR. And you did mention putting Tal in GNR Green, and we've had Lyd in BR black...

    It is a fine loco. In the context of different liveries/schemes that could be applied - why not TPT style? If you get Tal in GNR Green why not Alco in TPT guise?
    Allez français!
     
  18. andrewshimmin

    andrewshimmin Well-Known Member

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    Mountaineer is much handsomer with the latest style of cab than that TPT classmate.
    Obviously the next few years need to concentrate on survival and recovery, but there's a big groundswell of support for the Alco, so I hope and imagine it will be front of the queue relatively soon.

    Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
     
  19. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    The TPT loco in the top two photos is Mountaineer! (The bottom one isn't).

    I seem to recall though that there were some complaints about the current cab (I can't remember what).
     
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  20. meeee

    meeee Member

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    Paint jobs are one thing. They are easily changed and relatively harmless. It's the more structural changes that I take exception too. Especially if they turn a useful loco into a useless one.

    The slopey cab caused problems because there was no room to lean out without banging your head. The cab is relatively cosy but that is partly because the boiler is too long. It's very spacious compared to a double engine. I found it quite comfortable especially in the worst Wales has to throw at you. The best thing was you could reach everything from the seat if you wanted.

    If you want to see Mountaineer running then money talks. The FR society has a fund set up even if it is not actively fundraising for it. So if you make a donation and specify it is for the ALCo it will go there. The reason the likes of Tal and Lyd go straight into overhauls is because there is money in the pot. Without that it can be difficult to show there is support beyond angry comments on Facebook.

    Tim
     
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