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The making of a Steam Locomotive an incredible 1938 short film


Guest T-Head

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I don't know how to upload a video here but this is a film you guys need to watch.

In the film you will be able to witness some extraordinary scenes showing the pouring of huge iron and steel castings.

Also featured is the art of forging alloy steel to produce the many high-strength parts needed in locomotive practice.

The photos below show a few scenes......Check it out here.

Leave a comment if you liked it as I may post more here in the future if you guys enjoyed it?

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Great footage! I liked the big guy with a mustache swinging a hammer at about 4:45 min into the footage. He really looked the part.

No doubt a British film. The one picture on the lower right is something you don't see very often on American railroads. The wheels are being fitted to a giant crankshaft/axle. You can see the throws or journals as well as their counterweights. The wheels and crank/axle are the leading drive wheels most commonly found on what we call a Pacific class of locomotive. On these engines you have outside the wheel pistons and cylinders/valve gear just like on most American engines, but unlike most American engines the engines have either one or two cylinders inside the frame. A Coronation class locomotive was so powerful that they could never get them up to full power because the fireman could not shovel coal fast enough. They are truly beautiful. In the picture you can see two nubs on either side of the front air brake hose, Those nubs contain bushings for the valve gear rods for the inside of the cylinders. You will also notice on the outside cylinders their diameter is much smaller than most American Pacific's locos. this is because they have four cylinders instead of two. The typical chug chug sound leaving the station in a American loco is multiplied by two in these engines. You should hear them at 100mph.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Duchess_of_Hamilton_-_Tivedshambo_2006-06-05.jpg/800px-Duchess_of_Hamilton_-_Tivedshambo_2006-06-05.jpg

Same type streamlined!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/6229_DUCHESS_OF_HAMILTON_National_Railway_Museum_%285%29.jpg/800px-6229_DUCHESS_OF_HAMILTON_National_Railway_Museum_%285%29.jpg

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Note the safety equipment - the only thing I saw was the bowler hat the supervisor was wearing in the cylinder pouring shot. The workers didnt have gloves or glasses. I'll bet there were a lot of injuries.

I liked the multi man counterweight they used feeding the plate into the furnace.

They ran at night with no headlight.

Don

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They must run these trains only in daylight. I don't see any headlites on any of 'em ....

They ran at night with two of these;http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hSLqmQs-BDY/TrrDn2XtJEI/AAAAAAAAAM4/L4j97v5xUTM/s320/lamp.jpg

You can see them on this engine I posted before just on top of the bumpers;

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/6229_Duchess_of_Hamilton_at_the_National_Railway_Museum.jpg/800px-6229_Duchess_of_Hamilton_at_the_National_Railway_Museum.jpg

They don't have to be big to be bright.

Edited by helfen (see edit history)
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What was the rational behind the "extra" internal cylinders other than more cubic inches of displacement? Must have been a complicated valving arrangement.................Bob

The need for speed and longer express trains. The LMS was in direct competition with the LNER for the fastest trains from London to Scotland. These passenger locos were the Grayhounds of the rail in their day.

Here is the epitome of LMS or London Midland Scotland engines.

Dressed;

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/3537/r2907daysofredgoldtrain.jpg

and undressed;

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/UT04t9Ycw7c/0.jpg

For LNER or London North Eastern Railway

You have the Famous Flying Scotsman notice the lamps on her;

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Flying_Scotsman_in_Doncaster.JPG

And the famous Mallard ( worlds record holder for level speed 125.88mph ) and every normal excursion at over 100 mph. On this engine you will see j hooks where the lights hang at night.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Number_4468_Mallard_in_York.jpg/800px-Number_4468_Mallard_in_York.jpg

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If any of you guys get a chance to go to England I suggest you stop in at the National Railway Museum in York and see these giants. Before you go see if there are any excursions with these engines. Brit rail takes them out from time to time so they get their exercise. I've seen the Duchess of Hamilton and flying Scotsman in action and are a sight and sound to behold.

Thanks T-Head for posting, you brought back great memories for me.

Edited by helfen (see edit history)
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