If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

SVR Loco Newsy News / discussions

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by acorb, Jul 26, 2009.

  1. 1472

    1472 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2008
    Messages:
    1,898
    Likes Received:
    2,517
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I knew Jack well and was passed for both firing & driving by him. I can though point to drawhook damage and the C&W department experienced similar damage over a period of time. IIRC this was particularly evident on ex LNER coaching stock and my comments relate to GW locos.
    On BR it was rare for long 4-6-0s, 2-8-0s etc to work tender first on fairly sharply curved lines. That is not now the case on some of our heritage railways.
    Perhaps we are looking at different things here as some couplings are two separate threaded parts one LH & one RH thread. It might be the case that "two threads" on one of those couplings means two threads showing on each of the RH & LH threads.
    GW couplings are a single RH thread & 2 threads only on one of these could well be tighter.
    To answer Steve's point, even with more threads showing I am not suggesting couplings should be so slack that they could self uncouple. Buffers still need to be firmly in contact.
     
  2. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2009
    Messages:
    8,069
    Likes Received:
    5,165
    When RPSI ran their long weekend of steam around Ireland in 2008, recent regulations in the UK prohibited the coaches from carrying passengers until the process of equipping them with central locking, which was then in hand,
    had been completed. Consequently we could legally ride around the Republic in these coaches (not to mention the much older wooden-bodied ones), but not across the Border. As partial compensation we were taken to Dundalk, just before the Border, then back south to Drogheda, then back to€ Dundalk again. At Drogheda, with the train on a curve, they had a terrible struggle to compress the buffers far enough that they could start to release the coupling.

    I can post that bit of my video if anyone's interested.
     
  3. torgormaig

    torgormaig Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    4,445
    Likes Received:
    6,547
    There you have a pet hate of mine Steve. As someone who is regularly coupling and uncoupling locos I hate it when I come to a shackle that has not been unwound at least a few turns when I come to tie on. It is so much easier to unwind a coupling still attached to a draw hook than it is to unwind it when squeezed between a loco and its train (especially so if the loco is fitted with snow ploughs). I always teach to think of the next time that coupling is to be used and therefore unwind it a bit.

    Peter
     
    Johnb and Steve like this.
  4. KristianGWR

    KristianGWR Member

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2011
    Messages:
    905
    Likes Received:
    1,251
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Swindon


    A little late, but here's my offering from Monday's action. If you decide to give it a watch, I hope you enjoy it :)
     
    ragl, Kje7812, kieranhardy and 7 others like this.
  5. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    Just for the record work at Bridgnorth on Dunrobin and the IOMR boilers and frames are contract work, and AIUI at least some is/will be 'charged for' work on 813, 4150, 34027 and 82045.

    In answer to your point though, if before everything was cleared you turned up with a wad of cash and asked for some work to be done on your loco, I don't know what the response would be!
     
  6. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2014
    Messages:
    15,332
    Likes Received:
    11,667
    Occupation:
    Nosy aren’t you?
    Location:
    Nowhere
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I know what mine would be!;)
     
  7. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2006
    Messages:
    11,930
    Likes Received:
    10,088
    Occupation:
    Gentleman of leisure, nowadays
    Location:
    Near Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Thought I might get a response from you, Peter. My pet hate with coupling up is the person who fully unwinds the screw before taking it off the hook. The vast majority of our coupling up is done on the straight and, if the driver has given it a good squeeze, coupling and uncoupling is so much easier and quicker. I totally agree about those snowploughs on the diesels, which is compounded by the fact that they have continental screw couplings, which weigh far too much. They are a nightmare job to couple up.
     
  8. torgormaig

    torgormaig Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    4,445
    Likes Received:
    6,547
    Well there is another problem that the poor fireman has to contend with - drivers who squeeze up unnecessarily. It isn't a problem with freight vehicles or non gangway fitted passenger stock but the space between Mk1 stock and a loco is tight enough as it is without unwarrented buffer compression. How often does a driver insist on squeezing up before allowing you in to untie when the buffers are already in slight compression and the shackle is visibally not under tension. There is little enough room to manouver in between as it is, aggrevated by the addition of air and steam heat bags (pipes if you like) which were not there on locos pre-preservation. To be comfortable a fireman should be able to stand up between the buffers of the loco and coach and rotate his body through 180 degrees. This allows you to comfortably lift the shackle onto the draw hook under the gangway end. All to often it is a tight squeeze to stand up in between facing the gangway, let alone having enough room to turn. I may be getting on a bit, but I'm far from being the stoutest fireman there is. Ergonomically speaking coupling many preserved locos to Mk1 coaches is Swindonesque at the best of times and can be made so much worse by well intentioned drivers who think they are doing you a favour by turning what for a fireman is a squeeze into a squash when he goes in there.

    I suspect Steve that you have been a driver for far too long, or maybe its me who has been a fireman too long - probably both :(:). Better be prepaired for an MIC on this subject next time we are out together;).

    Peter
     
  9. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,105
    Likes Received:
    57,439
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    There I agree with you - coupling to vehicles with gangways (i.e. Mark 1s) is my pet peeve; I’d definitely prefer drivers not to squeeze up in that situation if they can avoid it, even if it means you have to undo the coupling shackle more turns.

    Other annoyances: locos with rigid couplings (like on a BR Standard) that swing in a single plane with the hook to hold them on behind the buffer plank. SR type with an extra link and a hook to the side are much easier to handle.

    “High to high” vac bags - ‘nuff said. High to low or low to low are OK, high to high are a pain.

    Tom
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2023
    torgormaig likes this.
  10. gwalkeriow

    gwalkeriow Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2009
    Messages:
    1,703
    Likes Received:
    1,727
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired.
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    A couples of advantages for the IOWSR are an almost total lack of gangways, the only pair are on the 4 wheel push pull set and air hoses are much easier than vacuum bags.
     
    Jamessquared likes this.
  11. Dunfanaghy Road

    Dunfanaghy Road Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2019
    Messages:
    1,252
    Likes Received:
    1,566
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Alton, Hants
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Britain's railways are guilty of many spectacular booboos, but concentrating on the vacuum break has to be up there with the worst of them.
    Pat
     
    Spinner likes this.
  12. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    They do turn work down. A slightly different circumstance but I recall a comment that the owners of 1450 wanted a quicker start to the overhaul than the SVR could offer at the time, and so it went to the Flour Mill. As the works empties I guess it will be a judgement call by the SVR what contract work they can accept (assuming at that time they both want it and can get it)
     
  13. kieranhardy

    kieranhardy Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2006
    Messages:
    1,580
    Likes Received:
    685
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Kidderminster
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Great video, can I ask how you get to the spot for Severn Lodge please? It's a great viewing point!

    Thanks,
     
  14. Kje7812

    Kje7812 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2010
    Messages:
    2,653
    Likes Received:
    1,050
    Location:
    Kidderminster/ York
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    It would appear to be from a footpath, see around the 'Quarry (dis)' label.
     

    Attached Files:

    kieranhardy likes this.
  15. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2005
    Messages:
    9,635
    Likes Received:
    8,303
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Alderan !
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I think you can access it from along the river and then footpath up . The lane to drive down to it is from memory private and some who have driven down it haven't been welcomed from recollection
     
    kieranhardy likes this.
  16. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    There's no thread for ex-GWR Collett 1400 class 0-4-2T locomotive 1450 so I've posted this here, as that was where previous posts about this loco are. The SVR doesn't list it as a 'home' loco, and I infer there's no current loco agreement for it. It is being overhauled on behalf of its owner at a third party site, to which there's no public access. A representative has posted an update on another forum:

    The photographs are courtesy of the 'Reg Dore Collection'.

    1450 Rear of Frames.jpg 1450 Chimney Cap.JPG 1450 Boiler Dismantled.jpg
     
    MattA, ghost, Bluenosejohn and 6 others like this.
  17. paullad1984

    paullad1984 Member

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2007
    Messages:
    918
    Likes Received:
    428
    One loco I've always wanted to own, cracking little machine. Nice to see her on her way back.
     
    gios likes this.
  18. gios

    gios Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2012
    Messages:
    310
    Likes Received:
    1,003
    Me too! I even spoke to the owner on the subject but her at home said NO.
     
  19. LMS2968

    LMS2968 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2006
    Messages:
    2,987
    Likes Received:
    5,084
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Lecturer retired: Archivist of Stanier Mogul Fund
    Location:
    Wigan
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    They do tend to take up a lot of space on the drive and are liable to generate adverse comments from the neighbours.
     
  20. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2014
    Messages:
    15,332
    Likes Received:
    11,667
    Occupation:
    Nosy aren’t you?
    Location:
    Nowhere
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    If you get one the neighbours tend to one up you as well.
     

Share This Page