Steam train rescues stranded passengers

It' refreshing to see that modern technology is not always the best way to go. Old fashioned engineering still works and works well.
Mike
 
I knew there was a use for all my steamers, especially Tornado !!!! Brought a chuckle from snowy PA
 
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Steam will never die. 844 rescued a stranded freight back in the 90's, and now Tornado has rescued commuter service.

To quote someone on another forum

"A green diesel may be more efficient, but a real locomotive breaths fire"
 
'Tornado' was also in Top Gear, Series 13 Episode 1. They set themselves a challenge to Drive, Ride, or Steam up to Edinburgh from London, in vehicles from 1949. Jeremy serves as the Fireman on Tornado, heading up the ECML, James drives the worlds fastest car, the Jaguar XK120 from 1949. And Richard rides the Vincent Black Shadow, the fastest bike from 1949. It's a very interesting edisode of Top Gear, I suggest to download it.
Thanks
Mitch
P.S Merry Christmas to all!
 
Steam train's snow rescue 'glory'

Risking copyright infringement this is a story from the BBC web site:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8428097.stm

The first part of the story and I quote:

"Passengers were rescued by a steam locomotive after modern rail services were brought to a halt by the snowy conditions in south-east England."

"Trains between Ashford and Dover were suspended on Monday when cold weather disabled the electric rail."

"Some commuters at London Victoria faced lengthy delays until Tornado - Britain's first mainline steam engine in 50 years - offered them a lift.
"

"They were taken home "in style", said the Darlington-built engine's owners."

End quote.

I've included the quote as well as the link to the story because I know that the BBC web news service is not available in all countries.

Another example of the British Railway companies shooting themselves in the foot with bad PR? :hehe: :clap:

Seasons greetings to all Trainzers

Martin
 
It's that 1 centimetre of snow which brings great tracts of the UK to a halt every year. If only I could remember how we used to manage all those years ago when people knew how to drive in snowy conditions and realised if it got to a certain point, just leave the roads to tractors.

Nowadays little Neo needs to make it to karate and Molly just must get to her ballet class. Why would police be saying necessary journeys only?

Grumpy old man that I am...
 
I saw a thing on TV a while ago where UP's 4-6-6-4 rescued a stalled passenger train. Some of the traction motors burnt out and it couldn't make the hill. The 4-6-6-4 was coming up from behind on the way back from a railfan trip and just coupled up to the rear and shoved the entire shebang over the hill with ease.

Ben
 
That sort of thing does happen occasionally. I remember an incident many years ago when British Rail had to commandeer a steam locomotive on its way to a preservation run to rescue a failed freight train.
 
Justice has been served for steam!:cool:

Steam still has so much potential. The Garratt type, for example. A huge range of modernizations could have been applied to them. Then think about Methane firing. Methane on it's own is 10 times (I think) worse that CO2, but burn it and it turns into just that, so while you're still emitting carbon dioxide, it's not as bad as letting the methane get into the atmosphere naturally, and it's being used for something useful.

How do steam engines (and all forms of motorized transport except electric vehicles [which have to get power from power stations which generally... you guessed it, burn things]) work? By burning fuel. How do we reduce the environmental effect of methane? Burn it.

2+2=4.

Chris
 
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Steam still has so much potential. The Garratt type, for example. A huge range of modernizations could have been applied to them. Then think about Methane firing. Methane on it's own is 10 times (I think) worse that CO2, but burn it and it turns into just that, so while you're still emitting carbon dioxide, it's not as bad as letting the methane get into the atmosphere naturally, and it's being used for something useful.

How do steam engines (and all forms of motorized transport except electric vehicles [which have to get power from power stations which generally... you guessed it, burn things]) work? By burning fuel. How do we reduce the environmental effect of methane? Burn it.

2+2=4.

Chris

I agree and thanks!:cool:
 
Steam still has so much potential. The Garratt type, for example. A huge range of modernizations could have been applied to them. Then think about Methane firing. Methane on it's own is 10 times (I think) worse that CO2, but burn it and it turns into just that, so while you're still emitting carbon dioxide, it's not as bad as letting the methane get into the atmosphere naturally, and it's being used for something useful.

How do steam engines (and all forms of motorized transport except electric vehicles [which have to get power from power stations which generally... you guessed it, burn things]) work? By burning fuel. How do we reduce the environmental effect of methane? Burn it.

2+2=4.

Chris

If you ask me, and anyone who has had a decent look at the situation were in, you would believe that 'Global Warming' is a complete load of bull. Burning fuel and emmitting Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere doesn't do anything to the planet. But what the problem is, is that we are running out of fuel....very bad. But Chris' mention of burning methane will, if you ask me, do the trick. And if any Australian has seen those ads on TV that say
'The main producers of CO2 emmissions are, the transport, energy, and....livestock industries. Go veg, Go green, save our planet...'
Don't be so gullable, as I said before, Global Warming is a load of bull. And, yes, you DO NOT have to eat vegetables for breakfast, enjoy you bacon & eggs!
Methane can be used as a fuel, so that, it think, along with hydrogen, is our next step.
Methane is the answer to powering trains. But I think we should go to steam for 4 reasons:
1. Steam is very reliable, and theres lots of water to use, and lots of methane, anything that would make a fire, would power a steam loco.
2. Steam locos are beautiful pieces of machinery, I would certainly like to hear the freight train, puffing through my hometown with 3 steamers as motive power, instead of the 3 diesels.
3. As far as I know, steam is faster than diesel, in most places anyway. Of course electric would beat steam, but has any DIESEL done 126mph before?
4. Like we have just seen, steam isn't affected by any weather, unlike diesel and electric who can't survive Christmas:hehe:.
Speaking of Christmas, MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Have a safe New Years too!
Thanks
Mitch
 
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