MellishR's Recent Activity
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MellishR replied to the thread North Yorkshire Moors Railway General Discussion.
Certainly NR could impose a steam ban everywhere else but with an exception between Grosmont and Whitby if they saw fit to do so, but is there any suggestion why they might do so, or any reason to suppose that they have done so?
Jul 17, 2026 at 10:54 AM -
MellishR liked 35B's post in the thread SVR General Discussion.
That's fine, but it relies on there being something "official" to fill the void.
Jul 17, 2026 at 10:38 AM -
MellishR liked Dead Sheep's post in the thread SVR General Discussion.
In the age of social media and smartphones, communication is crucial. This strikes me as a situation where the SVR would have been better served by owning the narrative from the outset, rather than referring to a collision simply as an...
Jul 17, 2026 at 10:37 AM -
MellishR liked bluetrain's post in the thread GWR four-cylinder arrangement?.
That's a comprehensive summary of the usage of 2-cylinder compounds in England. But for the full UK picture, don't forget Bowman Malcolm's engines for the Belfast & Northern Counties. The last of the 3-ft gauge compound 2-4-2Ts was in use until...
Jul 17, 2026 at 10:34 AM -
MellishR liked Jamessquared's post in the thread GWR four-cylinder arrangement?.
On the second point, it is not quite true to say no one bothered with two cylinder compounds. T.W. Wordsell built 11 such locos for the GER (most of which came out after he left that railway) and then a relatively significant number of various...
Jul 17, 2026 at 10:15 AM -
MellishR liked 21B's post in the thread GWR four-cylinder arrangement?.
I really feel like this discussion is trying to argue black is white, but I think it summarises to this: 1. Compounding in the UK context never made any business sense at the time. 2. You could build a 2 cylinder compound engine, but it comes...
Jul 17, 2026 at 10:14 AM -
MellishR liked 21B's post in the thread GWR four-cylinder arrangement?.
The only truly superfluous thing about this thread is this thread. A two cylinder high speed steam engine would never have been permitted by the civil engineers, even assuming any mechanical department were convinced of there being advantages....
Jul 16, 2026 at 11:49 AM -
MellishR liked LMS2968's post in the thread GWR four-cylinder arrangement?.
I'd like to see the evidence! Even with balancing, which would not eliminate all the out of balance stresses anyway (you can't balance to 100% of the reciprocating masses), and which becomes ever more problematic as speed rises, you still have...
Jul 16, 2026 at 11:45 AM -
MellishR liked acorb's post in the thread Fire Risk.
What would be the cost of a structural failure of a bridge or viaduct as a result of root damage? Weight restrictions, route closure, complete replacement. God forbid if a train was crossing at the point of failure.. Trouble is the longer its...
Jul 16, 2026 at 11:41 AM -
MellishR replied to the thread Fire Risk.
The combination of rampant vegetation and loads of vulnerable lineside equipment and cables is the crucial issue. Steam locos are one cause of fires, but there are plenty of other causes. One of my journeys a few years ago on the WCML was...
Jul 15, 2026 at 2:22 PM -
MellishR liked 35B's post in the thread Fire Risk.
Very likely, as vegetation grows. I was in Gateshead recently, looking across the Tyne. On my right was the Tyne Bridge, with very clean stonework. Ahead was the ECML viaduct entering Newcastle from the north, on my left the High Level Bridge....
Jul 15, 2026 at 2:18 PM -
MellishR liked johnofwessex's post in the thread Fire Risk.
The point is that irrespective of the cause there is now a lot of hi-tech equipment and cabling hidden in the undergrowth, and given the current climate an increased likelihood that it will catch fire at times
Jul 15, 2026 at 2:17 PM -
MellishR liked Big Al's post in the thread Fire Risk.
The railway was the focus as I understand it. And no steam locomotive in sight....
Jul 15, 2026 at 2:17 PM
