Trainspotters. Why?

[interzen]

Accidental trainspotting, but I couldn't help but note that the HST power car I loaded my bike next to on the way back from Scotland on Sunday was confusingly named "DELTIC 50 1955-2005".  I assume that's a commemorative title.

(This one actually dispensed electrons.)

Yep - the Deltic Prototype (DP1) took to the rails in 1955, but was withdrawn in 1961. It's sister loco, DP2, was destroyed in a collision just outside Thirsk in 1967. As well as that, the Deltic locos that most people know of became Class 55 under the TOPS scheme.

Not sure of the significance of 2005, other than being 50 years since DP1 was introduced, since the Class 55s were withdrawn from mainline service in 1981.

I'll get me anorak ...

[Kim]

Not sure of the significance of 2005, other than being 50 years since DP1 was introduced, since the Class 55s were withdrawn from mainline service in 1981.

Googlepedia suggests that particular Class 43 was re-engineered in 2005, so named after the Deltic on account of it being the 50th anniversary.

This is how it starts, isn't it?

[interzen]

Not sure of the significance of 2005, other than being 50 years since DP1 was introduced, since the Class 55s were withdrawn from mainline service in 1981.

Googlepedia suggests that particular Class 43 was re-engineered in 2005, so named after the Deltic on account of it being the 50th anniversary.

This is how it starts, isn't it?

Yes.
Yes it is ...

[rower40]

Yep - the Deltic Prototype (DP1) took to the rails in 1955, but was withdrawn in 1961. It's sister loco, DP2, was destroyed in a collision just outside Thirsk in 1967.

It's all going to get heated now...
DP2 wasn't DP1's sister.  They had the same bodyshell, but DP2 was the testbed for the class 50 engine.
I first saw DP1 in the SCIENCE Museum in That London.  I've a suspicion that it's been re-homed to York.  Splendid colour scheme - pity it doesn't run any more.

[interzen]

Yep - the Deltic Prototype (DP1) took to the rails in 1955, but was withdrawn in 1961. It's sister loco, DP2, was destroyed in a collision just outside Thirsk in 1967.

It's all going to get heated now...
DP2 wasn't DP1's sister.  They had the same bodyshell, but DP2 was the testbed for the class 50 engine.
I first saw DP1 in the SCIENCE Museum in That London.  I've a suspicion that it's been re-homed to York.  Splendid colour scheme - pity it doesn't run any more.

I'm not going to argue - for one thing I lack the inclination to do so right now.
The Deltic prototype is part of the National Collection, but is (currently) housed at Shildon rather than York. May well take a look when I next go up to see the parents.

[Wombat]

Definitely at Shildon, no engine in there, but looking very fine indeed.....

When you visit, say hello to my little friend, ex Sierra Leone Hunslet no85, who is sat on a well wagon there for 5 years while we save up for a new boiler for her, so she can return to the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway.

Sad bugger that I am, I have driven that loco, done maintenance work on it, ridden behind it countless times, and have an original painting of it, and a 16mm scale live steam model of it.

Where's my anorak?

[Martin]

Accidental trainspotting, but I couldn't help but note that the HST power car I loaded my bike next to on the way back from Scotland on Sunday was confusingly named "DELTIC 50

how sick is that? given that (to quote the stickers you could buy at the time)
"HST's murdered the Deltics"

hopefully they'll scrap the ugly bastards soon and the Deltics will outlive them 

[interzen]

Sad bugger that I am, I have driven that loco, done maintenance work on it, ridden behind it countless times, and have an original painting of it, and a 16mm scale live steam model of it.

Where's my anorak?

We have a winner

[rower40]

how sick is that? given that (to quote the stickers you could buy at the time)
"HST's murdered the Deltics"

hopefully they'll scrap the ugly bastards soon and the Deltics will outlive them 

Fabulous though the Deltics were, the HSTs saved Inter-City, and, by extension, Britain's railways. That they're still carrying passengers over 30 years after their roll-out, is testament to their superb design.  Lower track-forces at 125mph than the Deltics (and other loco-hauled trains) at 100mph (so as not to antagonise the Civil Engineers), and ability to stop from higher speeds in the same distance (ditto the Signalling Engineers) meant that their delayed introduction was only due to union obstreperousness. (Opens another can of worms...)

[Jacomus]

Thought it was about time to post a workhorse EMU that I rather like.

http://www.railwayherald.org/imagelink/145498
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_319

The Class 319 dual-voltage EMU pictured at Farringdon, my 'work' station (as opposed to my 'home' station).

I like these trains primarily because they have windows that open, which makes being a passenger so much more bearable than the stuffy, smelly air 'conditioned' (I think that they really mean 'de-conditioned') that denote the Class 375s that I occasionally travel on.

I also like watching the white-blue arc every time the train raises or drops its pantograph at Farringdon (dropping it to go South, raising it to go North).

[interzen]

Now that the Scarborough Spa Express has stopped running for this year, the traffic trundling past my office window at home is the usual mix of Class 91s, HSTs, 66s and DMUs of various sorts (there are no EMUs operating out of York that I know of) - bog-standard East Coast Mainline fare, really. We've had a couple misty/foggy nights recently, though, so the 91s usually put on a good light show if there's enough moisture in the air - mucho sparking.

Recent high point, if it can be called such, was one of the PowerHaul Class 70s; no heavy haul loco should be as quiet as those things are, it's just a pity they look like they fell out of the Ugly Tree and caught every branch on the way down, after which someone gave them a good going over with the ugly stick.

Last railway pic I took was this one:


66421 in York by interzen, on Flickr

Noteworthy if only because it's quite rare to see a loco stabled in York station proper (they usually stick 'em in the yard near Holgate bridge)

[Salvatore]

The annual Autumn Steam Gala on the Severn valley Railway was a wonderful opportunity for trainspotterspotting, including many who get a great deal of pleasure playing with the lifesize trainset. It's not an event I would normally attend, but I was staying at my sister's about 50 ft from the Bridgnorth terminus, and I was awoken by 6024 being fired up and shunted, so I nipped out after breakfast to see what was going on.











And plenty of impressive bits of machinery

[Jacomus]

Nice bit of trainspotting on my trip to Leicester on Saturday.

I travelled up there in a very shiny Class 43 HST, which was definitely feeling a bit hot - the intake fans were deafening as I walked past the engine to board the train. Inside it had been refitted fairly recently - everything was nice and clean, functioning (including the loos) and not worn out. I had a fairly peaceful Standard Class journey up in a thankfully child-free carriage, I have a suspicion that the early departure meant that some of my fellow adult passengers were too hungover to listen to overly loud music.



I also had a preview of the Class 222 Bombadier built trains that I would be travelling home on.



A few pics from my arrival at Leicester







For my return journey in the evening I was on the 2145hrs from Leicester, which suffered a delay and departed at 2215. It was a Class 222 (pictured below on arrival at St. Pancras). Due to the train heaving with noisy, obnoxious drunks and noisier, more obnoxious children, I decided that a £9 upgrade to First Class would be well worth it.

I shared one of the pristine First Class carriages with a woman who, I assume, was also seeking solace from the madness of the rest of the train. Muted colours, comfy leather seats with proper headrests to hold your head should you sleep, a table, a smart little table light and blissful peace and quiet... and no ticket check. The Class 222 has an engine per-carriage, but the noise wasn't particularly intrusive.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_222
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_43_(HST)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_170

Bonus DMU - Class 170 at Leicester

[Kim]

The only thing that's bonus about the Class 170 is the smell of poo.

[rower40]

I've just seen the last remaining class 17; it was at the southern extremity of the West Somerset Rly as my Voyager hurtled through.  I've never seen it before.  Or have I got confused - is it a class 14 that they've got?

No chance of a photo.  We were out of visual range in less than the time it takes to say "What was tha..?" let alone "Where's my camera?"

[mcshroom]

They've definitely a class 14 at the West Somerset Railway, this one: -

[interzen]

The difference is the cab windows - they're a lot bigger on the Class 17, and the cab itself is quite a bit longer too. I can see how the two would be confused at a distance, though.

[rower40]

Class 14 it was. I blame the apparent shortening on relativistic effects!

[Cudzoziemiec]

There was something going on along the Avon Valley Railway today (I think that's the name, the one that runs alongside the Bristol-Bath Railway Path - or maybe I should say the Path runs alongside it). Apparently it was Black 5, which is famous for something or other. Being big and black, I suppose. It was very shiny and smoky. There were several other steam engines moving around, including a small green one with a big Polish eagle on the front of the boiler. Apparently that doesn't even belong to the Railway but was brought over by a private individual. I'd like to think of it driving across Europe to get here, but I expect it was brought over on a ship. Or a lorry.

[Arch]

Not Black Five, which implies a single loco, but A black five, a class of locos...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMS_Stanier_Class_5_4-6-0

[mcshroom]

Are we turning into train anoraks by the power of google?

[Cudzoziemiec]

Not Black Five, which implies a single loco, but A black five, a class of locos...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMS_Stanier_Class_5_4-6-0

I misheard then, or possibly I was misinformed. You display a frightening amount of train knowledge, Arch. Do you have a paunch, a thermos flask and grubby sandwich box, an untidy beard and a tendency to count things obsessively? 

[Arch]

Not Black Five, which implies a single loco, but A black five, a class of locos...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMS_Stanier_Class_5_4-6-0

I misheard then, or possibly I was misinformed. You display a frightening amount of train knowledge, Arch. Do you have a paunch, a thermos flask and grubby sandwich box, an untidy beard and a tendency to count things obsessively? 

Hmmm, four out of five ain't bad!

Nah, I know some little bits, from knowing a guy with a fairly encyclopedic knowledge. I've forgotten a fair bit.

[longers]

I meant to post this near the beginning of the thread and forgot but was involved in a sponsored train spot at school. Can't remember many details but Crewe might have been involved.

[YahudaMoon]

Damien Alban production Monkey had a very impressive Pendalino advertising the theatre production. I seen it a few year back in Manchester Piccadilly. Not sure if its still about. Shame if its gone. Probably the best looking train for artwork Ive ever seen