British Preservation

[J3a-614]

Links to a couple of stories and video links from Railway Preservation News.

The first is commentary and a video link to the test of a recently restored British 0-4-0T; looks great, although piston rod packing and perhaps cylinder cocks blow more than they should (but newly restored engines always need a little fine-tuning--much like "heavy metal" models!); couldn't help but think of Thomas and also Jonathan's HO Dockside:

http://server.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29311

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN3d8cmKO50

The second link is to commentary and video of a replica locomotive called the "Steam Elephant;" the original dates from the primeval era of locomotives (1815!), and its anatomy is likely different from anything you've ever seen, with vertical cylinders partially buried in the boiler, gear drive, and other fun details.  Looking at this vido at a mining musem is almost as fantastic as seeing dinosaurs live in a real Jurassic Park:

http://server.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29319

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q9fKOHC_ck

Enjoy!

[buzz]

Hi J3a-614
Oh forget the boring green one .
I want an elephant  no wonder they where worried about
frightening the horses at the dawn of railways.
It looks more dangerous than a Brown Bess musket the weapon of choice
the same year at the Battle of Waterloo.
That would be a model manufacturers nightmare, but it might even be popular as a model.
Oh drat !! Elephants are only found in Kent north of a line between two points 
regards John

[J3a-614]

Hello, Buzz;

Glad you liked the Steam Elephant.

Checked your profile and noted you were from the Southern Hemisphere; thought you might like to see what I borrowed my name from.  It's the last steam passenger locomotive built in the United States by a commercial builder (as opposed to a company shop)--Chesapeake & Ohio No. 614, Lima Locomotive Works (actually operating as the Lima-Hamilton Corporation at the time), 1948.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_OtJw4OPU0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rmKYGEicP4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhGoR1cpdrM&feature=fvw

I am a traditionalist; proper locomotives are painted black and burn West Virginia coal!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV8rA3UE-lc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF-6FKD0pr0&feature=related

The Lima works was also known for Shay geared logging engines; my state of West Virginia operates the Cass Scenic Railroad in Pocahontas County, it is a former logging line featuring an average climb of 1 in 20, and two stretches in excess of 1 in 10!  Even at that, the line still has two zig-zags as well!

At about 5:00 in this video sequence, the train restarts after taking water from a tank below track level (these engines have steam syphons for this sort of thing, they often had to get water from a handy stream when on temporary woods track).  The grade these engines routinely start on here is well over 1 in 12!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDJkzW7ligQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xGgnVxp9sQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUXdt3hAFus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wppnPxASeJ8&feature=related

http://www.cassrailroad.com/

http://www.msrlha.org/

This one died in 1965--but what was interesting was that it died in steam, almost 10 years after steam was gone elsewhere.

http://buffalocreekandgauley.com/

Thank you for your interest, and I hope you enjoy this look at American main line and short line steam railroading.