pault
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,497
|
Post by pault on Dec 29, 2016 23:10:08 GMT
Pete the Severn Valley is a GWR line so they were right hand drive to the end (they were unable to progress past 1927). I have to agree with Julian not a very interesting program. Would have been a bit better if they had followed the crew for the whole day rather than just a trip up The Valley.
|
|
gwr7800
Part of the e-furniture
Member of Portsmouth mes
Posts: 384
|
Post by gwr7800 on Dec 30, 2016 9:50:35 GMT
I was looking forward to the program, disappointed! Still nothing else on!! Cheers Chris
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2016 10:35:59 GMT
Well I liked it..found it very interesting and informative, i certainly learnt from it and gained some new part to research which I already have. I also learned a little more about signals such as the round pads and what the positioning of the line indicates, good info for a future planned model railway. Also seeing the waterhose in action, I wasn't aware of it's function or even that it was a hose?...Always learning something and this program increased that learning, now I wonder if I should incorporate a working hose on my model?...don't worry guys only joking...I think.... Pete
|
|
Tony K
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,573
|
Post by Tony K on Dec 30, 2016 11:46:06 GMT
I thought it was allright as far as it went. Yes, perhaps the whole day would have been better though. I think a few shots of things like the water gauge when topping up the water and after, operating the blower, showing the amount of cut-off would have made it better and given at least an idea of what was going on. It did demonstrate that carting big chunks of metal around and calling them tokens was an unnecessary nonsense though, which confirmed my thoughts.
I did a driving course on 60103 in 1992 - good to see all the bits are still there.
It was more entertaining for me than XFactor, Strictly Come Prancing etc. but then so is test card C or the other test card, cricket.
Strangely, the program did not quite hit the spot for the enthusiast, but not for the casual viewer either - who must surely have gone to sleep or switched to something else.
|
|
|
Post by Rex Hanman on Dec 30, 2016 15:48:21 GMT
I thought it was ok. It must have been nice for them to run it on a propper (GWR) railway! (Ducking quickly!) I thought the following program about the Queen Mary was far more interesting though.
|
|
|
Post by locoman on Dec 30, 2016 15:51:04 GMT
I could not agree more with jma1009's comments! Very boring. The driver obviously struggled to make a clean start, and the fireman seemed to have problems firing a wide grate. Why was a crew more familiar with a Gresley Pacific not rostered for that turn?? Quite unnecessarily repetitive shots of motion work and front end and a rather poor commentary did not help. I am not sure if it is still available but a very good DVD of Flying Scotsman's visit to Australia on a run double-headed with a Class C36 - titled the 'Night Mail' (?) is more informative and well worth watching - including the problems caused (and overcome) by the use of the local coal. All in all, last night was a complete and utter waste of time.
|
|
|
Post by simplyloco on Dec 30, 2016 16:05:42 GMT
After ten minutes I likened the programme to necrophilia: dead boring! Hi all,for those that are interested BBC 4 on Thursday 29 th December 9pm " Flying Scotsman from the footplate" don't think it's a repeat but even if it is always worth watching again!! Cheers Chris
|
|
gwr7800
Part of the e-furniture
Member of Portsmouth mes
Posts: 384
|
Post by gwr7800 on Dec 30, 2016 16:18:25 GMT
I thought it was ok. It must have been nice for them to run it on a propper (GWR) railway! (Ducking quickly!) I thought the following program about the Queen Mary was far more interesting though. Yes I agree completely on both counts! Cheers Chris
|
|
|
Post by mutley on Dec 30, 2016 21:21:18 GMT
Yep, dull as dishwater. The crew may have been nervous because of the cameras but I'm not convinced by the fireman or driver. An engine has two injectors to put the water in quicker.... nothing to do with redundancy of systems for safety then? I don't think I ever saw the fireman turn the water on to the injectors either or check the overflow and cut the water back. A good opportunity sadly missed.
|
|
jma1009
Elder Statesman
Posts: 5,901
|
Post by jma1009 on Dec 30, 2016 21:58:38 GMT
One thing that bemused me was Roger Norfolk telling the fireman to get down immediately to phone the signalman when in both cases there was a white diamond on the signal post indicating the track was track circuited. The old Rule 55 was drummed into many of us, sub clause(f) being the relevant provision in this instance.
There was also a rather peculiar reference to a standard banner repeater signal being referred to as something I had never come across before.
The fireman also used peculiar (unfamiliar to me) references to signals being 'green'. If a signal was cleared it was always 'off' or 'the board is off'. You never said it was 'green'!
I always fancied becoming a signalman in a mechanical box, but in the time I was on the railways such opportunities were few, and the shifts were very unsociable. My Great Grandfather was a signalman on the District then London Underground at Earls Court and he was designated a class 'A' signalman and on the top rate of pay due to the complexity and intensive nature of the work at Earls Court.
He lived in rented accomodation in Brixton with my Great Nan and her 3 daughters, probably not far from where Sir John Major grew up many years later.
As a bit of an aside, my Grandma spent much of the first half of the 1930s teaching in North Devon, where she eventually met my Grandpa at Porlock when he was on holiday. My Grandma travelled regularly on the Lynton and Barnstable Railway.
I always vividly remember my Grandma peering over my shoulder at a book I had got out of the library when I was about 12. It was a book on the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway. "I know where that is", said my Grandma. "And those engines were called Yeo, Taw, Exe, Lew, and Lyn". You can gather from the above I had the most amazing Grandma!
Cheers, Julian
|
|
Tony K
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,573
|
Post by Tony K on Dec 31, 2016 9:06:34 GMT
I don't think I ever saw the fireman turn the water on to the injectors either or check the overflow and cut the water back.... On some locos, turning on the injector steam also controls the water to the injector via a steam operated valve - not sure if Scotsman is like it though, but assume it is. I have seen it on models also. I did see the fireman look out at the injector at one stage. If you know the injector works properly, you do not need to look at it or trim it - it just works. I remember Julian saying he does not look because he knows his injectors work. Me too, sometimes - but due to the dexterity of others not my own. Come on folks, it wasn't THAT bad and Rex, the cheap jibe demeans your normal standard. How many of you changed channels to watch Harry Potter, Charlie Brooker or "The Adele Story" then?
|
|
oldnorton
Statesman
5" gauge LMS enthusiast
Posts: 696
|
Post by oldnorton on Dec 31, 2016 9:40:41 GMT
I enjoyed seeing it last night on catch-up. Slow and lazy TV watching the line and lineside.
Those on the footplate were on best behaviour with not a word of banter or joking! but the two stood at the back were clearly 'in charge' and ready to correct anything. The driver and fireman seemed to be local lads who were getting a lucky one-off chance on a visiting engine. I think one of the back-lads was operating the injector water because the fireman acknowledged him several times when shutting the injector steam.
|
|
|
Post by Rex Hanman on Dec 31, 2016 9:51:36 GMT
Tony, sorry you saw it as a cheap jibe, it was only meant in fun. Happy New Year!
|
|
Tony K
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,573
|
Post by Tony K on Dec 31, 2016 10:13:23 GMT
Tony, sorry you saw it as a cheap jibe, it was only meant in fun. Happy New Year! I know
|
|
|
Post by Nigel Bennett on Dec 31, 2016 10:18:45 GMT
We watched the programme together, my wife and I, and we both enjoyed it. Yes, perhaps there were things the crew did that ought to have been better, but they were relatively inexperienced - certainly as far as the A3 was concerned - and they did very little harm. It was pleasing that they got the chance to do it.
I imagine it was all filmed in one trip, and the various camera angles were necessary to add a bit of variety. Planning and preparation for filming must have been quite involved. Well done, sez me.
But the crowds of people in places! I can't really understand the OTT adulation that is heaped on Flying Scotsman. It has had an interesting career (well bits of it have) but from a personal perspective it's "just" another big steam locomotive; there are lots of other locos around that I would make more effort to go and see.
However, the programme was a welcome break to the usual tosh they put on at this time of the year.
|
|
mbrown
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,724
|
Post by mbrown on Dec 31, 2016 11:14:30 GMT
Re: signals being "off", Ryan the fireman learned his trade an the Talyllyn where signals are always "Green" (when they're not yellow or red" ) as most of them are flags... maybe early training dies hard!
He was my cleaner only a few years ago and now he's firing the Scotsman - lucky blighter. He's a red hot fireman on the narrow gauge and, by all accounts, on the big toys too.
Malcolm
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2016 13:38:20 GMT
Happy to see that it wasn't just me who got something out of this program....yes it was what they call, 'slow TV' so not really entertainment and would naturally appeal to less people, but then most of BBC4's program's can be placed in that category, all are of great interest for the chosen subject though. I haven't seen any negative comments from the heritage side and other groups on FB? I admit that I would like it no matter what as I was watching it for a different reason which had nothing to do with entertainment, as I said in the beginning, SWMBO found it boring but hey she stayed the course.....good gal.... Pete
|
|
|
Post by locoman on Dec 31, 2016 20:23:12 GMT
Just out of curiosity, how much - if anything - is left of the original Flying Scotsman which was oui-shopped from Doncaster works on 7th February 1923?? How many sets of frames, cylinders, boilers, wheel-sets, motion parts etc has 'she' had ?? Maybe even the nameplates and builder's plates are replacements?? Possibly only the works record cards are all that are left of the original??
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2016 20:40:46 GMT
Just out of curiosity, how much - if anything - is left of the original Flying Scotsman which was oui-shopped from Doncaster works on 7th February 1923?? How many sets of frames, cylinders, boilers, wheel-sets, motion parts etc has 'she' had ?? Maybe even the nameplates and builder's plates are replacements?? Possibly only the works record cards are all that are left of the original?? same goes for every steam locomotive, both today in preservation and also when still in service, they all had parts replaced due to the beasts that they are. I would expect that the builder's plates are the same but the nameplates for Flying Scotsman are most certainly not, she had new larger nameplates in 1935 and iirc these plates were sold to raise money just before Pegler went bust, or was it one of the later owners?.....I recall reading it somewhere. same goes for her current guise number 60103 which are replica's... Pete
|
|
johnthepump
Part of the e-furniture
Building 7 1/4"G Edward Thomas
Posts: 494
|
Post by johnthepump on Dec 31, 2016 22:30:06 GMT
As 60103 struggled to get away at from Bridgenorth, my mind went back to a BBC programme of a few years ago. The Golden Age of Steam Railways narrated by Jenny Agutter.
When five young men lifted the BRIDGENORTH railway station sign back onto the platform to put it up where it had once been and their endeavours along with others that went on to be the Seven Valley Railway. Not in their wildest dreams would they have thought one day Flying Scotsman would be stood at Bridgenorth platform waiting to depart.
I would like to thank the volunteers and staff of all the preserved railways for their hard work in keeping Steam alive. Happy New Year to you all. John.
|
|