Great Western Railway thread

[RED-DOG]

Doesn't Pete Waterman own a private line for old steam trains?   I am sure I watched  a TV show profiling him once

Yes, Apparently he once bought the Flying Scotsman, but he got so many complaints and death threats when he changed the colour, that he sold it again.

[RED-DOG]

I watched a show on the discovery channel last night  (well 4am this morning) it was called 'Trains' with Pete Waterman.

Wow!!!! I learned some cool stuff.

An express locomotive used 12000 gallons of water while travelling from London to Glasgow. That means they have to refill 6 times en route. They managed to do this without stopping by lowering a scoop into a long water trough that sat between the lines. If they didn't get the scoop out quickly enough, it was torn off when it hit the end of the trough. Wow!!

Express train drivers were apparently the equivalent of todays commercial jet pilots and commanded as much respect. Wow!!!

During its record breaking run, the Mallard had reached the incredible speed of 124mph when the driver recieved a warning that the bearings were overheating, this warning came from a device desiged to emit a strong SMELL when the temperature got too high. He smelled the warning!!! Although he knew his engine would be destroyed within 12 seconds, he pushed on and set a top speed record of 125mph, the record stands to this day. Wow!!!!

The Cornish Riviera Express, built over 100 years ago, is still in use today. Wow!!!

Luxury trains had restaurants, cinemas, beds, even barbers shops. Wow!!!

GWR used so much coal, they mined their own. Wow!!!

What a great programme, I'ts on again next week to tell us all about the role the railways played during the war.

"During the war........"  I can't wait!

Did you take notes during the show or do you just remember all these facts from one viewing at 4:00 AM?

I remembered them, and a load more, it was interesting.

I went to the shop for a loaf of bread yesterday, and I came back without it.

[Sark79]

Doesn't Pete Waterman own a private line for old steam trains?   I am sure I watched  a TV show profiling him once

Yes, Apparently he once bought the Flying Scotsman, but he got so many complaints and death threats when he changed the colour, that he sold it again.

The Fat Controller was going to do the same thing to Thomas once.  He didn't in the end thankfully.  It is abit extreme sending death threats to someone for changing the colour of a train.

[ifm]

Was Tikay interviewed by the police?

[tikay]

Very old thread - Bumped by popular demand.

[Geo the Sarge]

The most difficult engineering problem that Isambard Brunel had to solve when building the London to Bristol line was the Box Tunnel. Positioned between Bath and Swindon, Box Hill consists mainly of limestone.

Two miles long, on a descending gradient of 1 in 100, one MP warned that the slope was so great that if the brakes failed, a train would leave the tunnel at 120 mph (193 kph). Another MP argued during a debate in the House of Commons on the subject, that if the tunnel was built, no one would be brave enough to enter it. The tunnel was so straight that it was argued that on some days the "sun actually shines through the complete length of the tunnel".

[Colchester Kev]

Very old thread - Bumped by popular demand.

GET A JOB !!!

[Acidmouse]

Went to York railway museam again last week, man this place is awsome