Trainspotters. Why?

[cycleman]

I suffered a trainspotting type between Hereford and Craven Arms. He had bought a week network pass and was going on about how cheaply he was travelling and all the trains he had been on  . From Craven Arms to Llanwrtyd station I travelled in railcar. I did not know that there were any still running 

[mattc]

I quite enjoyed that, silly and interesting at the same time, in only the way that the BBC can be. Dick Strawbridge doing enthusiasm, Hannah Fry with maths and Jon Snow as anchorman. Tim Dunn somewhere in Scotland with a steam train. I might have to watch the next two episodes, must be my age...

I didn't watch, but I passed the museum around that time, and they were playing tunes on the whistles that I hadn't heard before; clearly showing off for the cameras (& Ms Fry?).

[trekker12]

I've watched both episodes and really quite enjoyed them. I'm not a train spotter in that I don't stand on platforms collecting numbers but have enough vague interest to know the difference between a Class 43 and a class 66 and have always had a geeky fascination with anything with an engine. It made entertaining watching.

Well done BBC, keep making interesting programs.

[pcolbeck]

Apparently there are people who tick of track as well as trains according to a mate of mine who is restoring his own ex BR shunter. They have maps of all the track and and will go on a trip to Scunthorpe or the like when there is track maintenance on just because the train will go over to bit of the track normally only used for slow freight or something.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I think they're called trackbashers.

12 pages in and I don't think we've yet had an explanation of the allure of noting down train serial numbers, as opposed to admiring trains for engineering, aesthetic or nostalgic reasons, or simply as a mode of transport. My best guess is it must be similar to the impulse which drives some audaxers to collect as many badges, medals and awards as possible, as distinct to riding a bike for a bike ride's sake. 

[trekker12]

Having watched the program there is definite excitement to be had in seeing something unusual and unique. In order to know it's unusual and you haven't seen it before you need to write down everything you have seen.

That's the best I can come up with.

[rogerzilla]

It's a completist thing, which is a mutation of the hunter-gatherer instinct.  You won't understand unless you're a completist,

[Andrij]

Is there anything more British on the telly at the moment?  Or ever?

Made it through the first episode; Dr Fry helped.

[Riggers]

I viewed a few minutes of it, only to reinforce the prejudice I hold, that they must be bonkers. Harmless perhaps, but bonkers nonetheless. Fact.

I'm sure I heard Peter Snow announce, in his inimitable delivery "Don't go away … because, at the end of the programme …" And, admittedly, I did go away, without finding out what it was that was being tantalisingly dangled in front of the viewer. Perhaps it was a list of train numbers hitherto unreleased? Who knows?

[mattc]

It's a completist thing, which is a mutation of the hunter-gatherer instinct.  You won't understand unless you're a completist,

... which probably includes the Pokémon!Go! players.

(cant believe IE autocorrect put that accent in there for me)

[trekker12]

I viewed a few minutes of it, only to reinforce the prejudice I hold, that they must be bonkers. Harmless perhaps, but bonkers nonetheless. Fact.

I'm sure I heard Peter Snow announce, in his inimitable delivery "Don't go away … because, at the end of the programme …" And, admittedly, I did go away, without finding out what it was that was being tantalisingly dangled in front of the viewer. Perhaps it was a list of train numbers hitherto unreleased? Who knows?

I believe (if it was episode one) you were going to get exclusive video footage of the Flying Banana!

[Andrij]

The Rail Zeppelin (aka The Flying Hamburger).

[Wombat]

The flying Hamburger was no relation at all, not a prop driven thing, but a fairly conventional (albeit clever and fast) railcar design that was practical, and worked.  It was that, that the LNER hierarchy had in its sights when Sir Nigel Gresley decided that the answer was a more conventional, albeit somewhat "tuned up" steam locomotive and a short train was the answer (and the A4 class loco was born).  And from that, Mallard's 126-ish mph speed record was born (even if it did throw itself to pieces in the effort...)  The German loco which achieved a fraction of a mile per hour less, didn't disintegrate, but carried on.

[rogerzilla]

Despite Mallard's rather ignominious end to the record atttempt, the A4 class were extremely good designs and went on to the end of steam (until the Deltics were built, diesels couldn't match them for performance).  And they are an icon of 1930s design.

Their Achilles heel was the centre big end bearing, which either melted or developed so much slop at high speed that the piston knocked the end out of the centre cylinder.  The root cause was that the centre cylinder's tortuous steam circuit, and whip in the derived valve linkage, meant it was doing far more than its fair share of the work as the speed increased.  Kenneth Cook, an ex-GWR man at British Railways, solved the problem in the end by redesigning the big end and machining it much more accurately, and the A4s never really gave any trouble after that.

The advantage of three cylinders is that you can space the power strokes more evenly and get more useful starting effort without slippage.  It's like a V12 petrol engine (six power strokes per revolution) compared to a V8 (only four power strokes per revolution).  Even four cylinder engines are nearly always configured so you still only get four power strokes per revolution.  The only exception I can think of is the Southern Railway "Lord Nelson", which gives eight power strokes per revolution so it sounds twice as fast.

Now, where's my anorak and thermos flask?

[Jurek]

Despite Mallard's rather ignominious end to the record atttempt, the A4 class were extremely good designs and went on to the end of steam (until the Deltics were built, diesels couldn't match them for performance).  And they are an icon of 1930s design.

Their Achilles heel was the centre big end bearing, which either melted or developed so much slop at high speed that the piston knocked the end out of the centre cylinder.  The root cause was that the centre cylinder's tortuous steam circuit, and whip in the derived valve linkage, meant it was doing far more than its fair share of the work as the speed increased.  Kenneth Cook, an ex-GWR man at British Railways, solved the problem in the end by redesigning the big end and machining it much more accurately, and the A4s never really gave any trouble after that.

The advantage of three cylinders is that you can space the power strokes more evenly and get more useful starting effort without slippage.  It's like a V12 petrol engine (six power strokes per revolution) compared to a V8 (only four power strokes per revolution).  Even four cylinder engines are nearly always configured so you still only get four power strokes per revolution.  The only exception I can think of is the Southern Railway "Lord Nelson", which gives eight power strokes per revolution so it sounds twice as fast.

Now, where's my anorak and thermos flask?

This post disturbs.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Most four cylinder steam engines were set up the way they were (pistons opposed) to reduce hammerblow to the track at speed. That arrangement allowed a greater axleload without track damage.

[Torslanda]

This whole thread disturbs . . .

[Andrij]

The Rail Zeppelin (aka The Flying Hamburger).

The Soviet Union upped the ante

[Wombat]

Despite Mallard's rather ignominious end to the record atttempt, the A4 class were extremely good designs and went on to the end of steam (until the Deltics were built, diesels couldn't match them for performance).  And they are an icon of 1930s design.

Their Achilles heel was the centre big end bearing, which either melted or developed so much slop at high speed that the piston knocked the end out of the centre cylinder.  The root cause was that the centre cylinder's tortuous steam circuit, and whip in the derived valve linkage, meant it was doing far more than its fair share of the work as the speed increased.  Kenneth Cook, an ex-GWR man at British Railways, solved the problem in the end by redesigning the big end and machining it much more accurately, and the A4s never really gave any trouble after that.

The advantage of three cylinders is that you can space the power strokes more evenly and get more useful starting effort without slippage.  It's like a V12 petrol engine (six power strokes per revolution) compared to a V8 (only four power strokes per revolution).  Even four cylinder engines are nearly always configured so you still only get four power strokes per revolution.  The only exception I can think of is the Southern Railway "Lord Nelson", which gives eight power strokes per revolution so it sounds twice as fast.

Now, where's my anorak and thermos flask?

This post disturbs.

Nope, I'm fine with it, because its almost exactly what I would have said, word for word!

[Basil]

Steam at Mordor Central yesterday.

https://t.co/vI35HTGXmh

[TheLurker]

Despite Mallard's rather ignominious end to the record atttempt, the A4 class were extremely good designs and went on to the end of steam (until the Deltics were built, diesels couldn't match them for performance).  And they are an icon of 1930s design.

Now, where's my anorak and thermos flask?

If you can find them there's an *excellent* series of books, Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., published by The Railway Correspondence & Travel Society in the 196os and 1970s.   I managed to get 4 of the volumes (from Noakes on Leith walk IIRC) when I was a PSO and I've been cursing the fact I couldn't afford the rest of them ever since.  All sorts of interesting (yes, well I know, but this , now,  is  a train-spotting thread) info., design history, major and minor changes through class life, teething troubles, fuel economy, comparisons to other companies' locomotives... oooh _lots_ of fun stuff.

If you're interested . . .

Vol 1  - Preliminary Survey
Vol 2A - Tender Engines - Classes A1 to A10
Vol 2B - Tender Engines - Classes B1 to B19
Vol 3 - Tender Engines - Classes C1 to D24
Vol 4 - Tender Engines - Classes D25 to E7
Vol 5   - Tender Engines - Classes J1 to J37
Vol 6   - Tender Engines - Classes J38 to Y10
Vol 7   - Tank Engines - Classes A5 to H2
Vol 8A - Tank Engines - Classes J40 to J70
Vol 8B - Tank Engines - Classes J71 to J94
Vol 9A - Tank Engines - Classes L1 to N19
Vol 9B - Tank Engines - Classes Q1 to Z5
Vol 10 - Miscellaneous Engines, Railcars and Statistics.

[Guy]

I'll leave this here...

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/transport/tornado-pictures-and-aerial-video-after-50-years-a-triumphant-return-to-steam-1-8388345

[trekker12]

That's just cool. I always miss this stuff.

[Jaded]

It is doing some trips this year. You need to dig a bit to find the timings. It's coming near us 

[Tim Hall]

It is doing some trips this year. You need to dig a bit to find the timings. It's coming near us 

Work today took me to Filton Bank, Brizzle, which is in the process of being made into four track (again).  Some time in the day, we were interrupted by Tornado (with a St David plate on the front) coming past.  It seems it was going from Paddington to Cardiff.