Visiting midweek means there are ften several
engineering movements
Always lots to see.
Hope you enjoy these.
The blog of a retired marine engineer who is old enough to remember the steam era and the joys of holiday trips in trains hauled by steam engines. Please feel free to comment or contact me on teachertalk1234@yahoo.co.uk. The blog is updated daily so please look back or follow regularly so as not to miss information and pictures
Friday, 25 July 2014
USA S160 Heavy train awaiting the road
Ready for the return journey to Keighley via Howarth
Oakworth and Ingrow
She has the road. Superb sight and sound
N7 Tank engine of Alfred John Hill at Cheddleton
The GER Class L77, LNER Class N7, is a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotives. They were designed by Alfred John Hill of the Great Eastern Railway and introduced in 1915. The design was perpetuated by Nigel Gresley of the LNER after the 1923 grouping. 134 were built; only one of them is preserved.
Also at Cheddleton on the Churnet Valley Railway
Some were fitted with condensing apparatus for working on the Metropolitan Line and the East London Line but the condensing apparatus was removed between 1935 and 1938.
Many thanks to Wikepedia
United States Army Transportation Corps S100 Class 0-6-0T
I was tempted to take another look at the USA S100
after my visit to the Churnet Valley Railway and
there are many similarities
These Yugoslav-built examples differ in minor details,
but principally the use of plate frames instead of
bar frames, resulting in a higher boiler pitch.
Undoubtedly there are many similarities in all three
Here the Polish engine
'Badger' Kirklees Light Railway
15 inch narrow gauge.
Badger is one of the Railways hardest working engines and is popular with staff (the General Manager) and visitors alike and can be seen pulling passenger trains and on driver experience courses.
Compact but very workable footplate
Steam up and ready for the off
The Kirklees Light Railway
A few more from this lovely little railway
We could all wish to have such in our back gardens
Superb little engines and not with out power
It's about a twenty min run from Clayton West to
Shelly where the Loco can been seen tuned on the
great little turntable. There's a nice buffet there too
Superbly engineered
A treat you shouldn't miss
Go along to Clayton West and take a look, better
still have a ride
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Cheddleton Station
One of the loveliest stations I have visited
Very well kept
Lots of atmosphere
A superb buffet, very pleasant service
and prices that fit the pocket
Set in lovely countryside just south of Leek. It is
next to the Trent and Mersey canal and the Boat
Inn is a mere three min walk from the station
Next job is some original crossing gates I am told
One for the modeller I think
Beautiful in bloom. Well done Curnet Valley staff
A more detailed story can be found at
Cheddleton Station museum
Part of the station is still given over
to the museum which was the first
use of the building after the close
of the line
Dedicated to the North Staffordshire Railway
There is much to see and of course read
A lovely country station in idyllic setting
You could well imagine a hot fire burning in the grate
on a cold winters day
You won't be bored as you wait for the train
The North Staffs was an important
Railway
Well thankfully there is always leisure now
Cheddleton Station Waiting room
Lots of Posters of my favourite places
Ilfracombe where I still spend many
Happy holidays. I shall be there an a weeks time
Torquay where I spent some of the happiest
childhood holidays
And of course our own Yorkshire east coast where
we go frequently
Yes I spent fifteen years at sea.
Pity they forget our sacrifice
so quickly
We were worth it.
They are having a 1940's weekend soon
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
The Vintage Carriage Trust
It is appropriate having mentioned the VCT in my
comments on 'Bellerophon'
The Vintage Carriage Trust are based at Ingrow West
Station on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway. They
restore carriages which often run on the said railway
and many very excellent examples can be seen most
weekends behind vintage locomotives like LNWR
Coal tank of Mr Webb's design.
Linked to their workshops id an excellent museum
Not only carriages but much railway ephemera is
on display
Along with vintage locos such as 'Lord Mayor'
A lovely little engine which worked on the building
of Bradford's great reservoir chain in the upper Nidd
Valley
So yet another reason to visit Ingrow West
Polish ex pat locomotive TKh2944
Waiting the road at Cheddleton
Surprise surprise there is another one due for rebuild
when the USA S160 is completed I am told
This is TKh2871
Much to be done but you have seen the work
on 2944, so it won't be long before they have a pair
Maybe there are some Polish ex pat engineers who
would be interested in helping in the restoration I
am sure your help and interest would always be
welcomed.
Go along to the
Cheddleton is just south of Leek
Cheddleton on the Churnet Valley Railway and TKh2944
A superb job of work done by the Cheddleton Team
Following pictures Courtesy of the Churnet Valley
Before and after
The workmanship is excellent
Ready for Hydraulic testing
Again many thanks
Above I again stress the diesel was purely to provide
Air foe Braking the train.
Further information
Combined output of T1A and T2A had been just ten examples; new machine, with factory designation T3A (commonly known as ‘Ferrum 47’), went into series production in 1947 and, until 1961, 477 examples were built by Fablok. There are, in fact, some discrepancies between various sources as far as the total output is concerned; numbers from 437 to 480 are given. This total includes also later variant, known as ‘Ferrum 724’, developed in order to fulfill foreign orders. As early as in 1953, three machines were sold to Romania. In 1959 three (some sources incorrectly give four) went to Hungary, purchased for the Ózdi Kohászati Üzemek (Ózd Iron Works); one was withdrawn in 1987 and the remaining two followed in 1991. Hungarian engines were unofficially nicknamed ‘Gomulka’, after the first secretary of the Polish communist party then in office. China bought probably 82 examples between 1958 and 1960; they were designated class XK13 and some were fitted with makeshift tenders. Chinese machines had air brakes, Janney couplers and electric lightning. It should be noted that first machines for domestic use were fitted with steam brakes and kerosene lights, in order to facilitate rapid deliveries. In fact, differences between two basic variants were limited to details and all later examples, not only export ones, were also built as ‘Ferrum 724’ type. According to Duncan Cotterill’s very interesting and competent website on Chinese steam power (www.railography.co.uk/tractive-efforts), last XK13s were reported in service in 1993 and probably three examples have been preserved at various locations. Given the fact that reliable sources give 378 examples built for domestic operators, this leaves two examples; possibly they went to Northern Korea (either directly or via China), as one source reports export also to this country, but confirmation is lacking.
Main technical data
No.
|
Parameter
|
Unit
|
Value
|
1.
|
Years of manufacture
|
-
|
1947 – 1961
|
2.
|
Total built / used in
|
-
|
4772) / 378
|
3.
|
Tender class
|
-
|
-
|
4.
|
Axle arrangement
|
-
|
0-3-0
|
5.
|
Design maximum speed
|
km/h
|
40
|
6.
|
Cylinder bore
|
mm
|
2 X 460
|
7.
|
Piston stroke
|
mm
|
540
|
8.
|
Engine rating
|
kW/hp
|
294 / 400
|
9.
|
Tractive effort
|
kG
|
7 850
|
10.
|
Boiler pressure
|
MPa
|
1.33
|
11.
|
Grate dimensions
|
m X m
|
1.7 m2
|
12.
|
Firebox heating surface
|
m2
| |
13.
|
Distance between tube plates
|
mm
| |
14.
|
Number of flue tubes
|
-
| |
15.
|
Heating surface of flue tubes
|
m2
| |
16.
|
Number of smoke tubes
|
-
| |
17.
|
Heating surface of smoke tubes
|
m2
| |
18.
|
Evaporating surface, total
|
m2
|
100.0
|
19.
|
Superheater heating surface
|
m2
|
-
|
20.
|
Diameter of drivers
|
mm
|
1150
|
21.
|
Diameter of idlers front/rear
|
mm
|
-
|
22.
|
Total weight, empty
|
kg
|
34 800
|
23.
|
Total weight, working order
|
kg
|
44 400
|
24.
|
Weight on drivers, working order
|
kg
|
44 400
|
25.
|
Weight with tender, empty
|
kg
|
-
|
26.
|
Weight with tender, working order
|
kg
|
-
|
27.
|
Maximum axle load
|
T
|
14.8
|
28.
|
Axle base (with tender)
|
mm
|
3 400
|
29.
|
Overall length (with tender)
|
mm
|
9 170
|
30.
|
Brake type
|
-
|
steam / Westinghouse1)
|
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