BR STANDARD STEAM LOCO FOR SALE

if you have to ask, you can't afford it.... (I'd have to ask...)

 

I seem to recall reading somewhere that the 9F speed record was set between Ruddington and East Leake. Can't quite remember if it was in the 90s or just short. On passenger, of course.

 

An old story is that Cardiff Canton allocated 92220 on up The Red Dragon by mistake instead of a Brit which they had at the time. Rumour has it that 92220 achieved 90mph on the run. The WR authorities were not amused when they found out & made sure it didn't happen again.

 

New rumours to me! I don't think they align with reality. 92184 was the speed merchant and on the ECML. 90 mph on 16/8/58.

 

Shows what marvellous machines they are, built for heavy freight but able to keep Express Timings, can't see an 38XX or 8F doing that.

 

There was an article a few years ago in 'Back Track', which reported that one summer Saturday, Kings Cross (I think) witnessed no fewer than nine relief expresses departing being 9Fs hauled!

Completely off topic I know, but does show what versatile machines they were.

Cheers,

Stephen

 

Just been having a read through RCTS Standard Locomotives No 4. As Steve mentions, 92184 holds the speed record, passing Essendine at 90 mph. This is closely followed by 92164 at 86 mph on a down Master Cutler between East Leake and Ruddington on the GCR.
92220's exploits are not logged, unfortunately. Canton MPD used it on 27th June 1960 as a substitute for a failed Britannia. It worked the up Red Dragon to Paddington and the down Capitals United to Cardiff. Speeds in the eigthies were attained and good time was kept. Canton used it a few more times in July, but Headquarters at Paddington got to know and restricted 9Fs to non-express passenger working. (Spoilsports)

 

Was Canton really that bare that day ?, I know they had a liking for Brits there, but did they really have no spare Castles or Halls in the area ?.

 

Wouldnt that be asking rather a lot of a 'Hall' ?

 

Yes, but you could argue speed wise it was asking rather a lot of a 9F until they discovered they were somewhat more comfortable than envisaged.

 

Similar to what I said above although I might have a few details wrong. I knew there was some element of truth in it though.

 

During 1959 there were eight recorded departures of passenger trains leaving Paddington with a 9F as the train engine. So the use of 92220 was nothing new.

 

AIUI, the 9F high speed exploits came to a head because officialdom was on that 90 mph train hauled by 92184 and some pertinent questions were asked. Calculations established that, theoretically, the 9F's driving wheels could actually become airborne at such high rotational speeds due to the balancing. That's possibly why they became known as spaceships but I might be making that up!
I don't know about their riding at 90 mph but it is very good at somewhat lower speeds.

 

Theory and practice aren't the same.
in theory I could got to space, in practice NASA won't fly me.
i'd like to see how 5 revolving wheels could Propel themselves to defy gravity without a catapult or surface underneath and 100 tons of steaming metal ontop of them.

I could imagine them maybe jumping a set of points by being slightly off balance and causing a big accident.

 

Bring it to the P&DSR. Line can take the heaviest engines (and it was a mainline back in the day!) Very stiff climbs, trains can be 13 coaches at peak times.....

 

Maybe it's not such a looker for the tourists though... But certainly the climbs would be nice and loud each way.

 

In the Rowledge and reed book about the jubs and Black 5s it mentions some high speed plant testing and slip testing with black fives and their tendency to 'jump' their wheels with each revolution so I guess its a not unknown occurence. I wonder what the hammer blow/upwards force exerted by the loco at that speed would be?

Looking forward to seeing 92203 again at some point, it and 92212 were favourites of mine when they were both at the GCR. I have a picture of them double heading through Quorn at some point.

I know its been covered and mentioned elsewhere about the in-eligability for mainline work but what a shame! I think a 9f could do some stirling work on some challenging routes!

Chris

 

I thought they were nicknamed Spaceships on account of their size and due to the big gap between boiler and wheels?

Mind like a lot of things its difficult to know what's true, as I also read somewhere, they got called spaceships due to their very short term in service, ie gone so soon after entering service.

 

They could paint it green.............

 

Evening Star could run again............