They still use steam girfriends place Bulawayo , cementside is about 2 mile away . We went station Bulawayo however and its was completely empty , apparently theres a train twice a week to Harare

 

Are you with the D.P.S?

 

No, I'm Zontar

 

Blimey !!! There are a few spotters on here ! Lol ! I'll let you lot know when it arrives here at work . Ha

Maz

 

No you aren't, I've met Zontar and he's from Lancs.

 

Is that time portal still active round the back of Donny works

 

Superb.Once we were clever engineers making quality things.Yet so many years ago.

What happened!

 

We were, yes, but a) most of the diesel engines used on BR traction were from abroad, (Sulzer, Maybach, MAN), and b) we made some AWFUL locomotives too, truly awful.

Plus, being nationalised, BR obliviously ordered hundreds of locos for work that had already gone, leading to their early demise...but hey, only public money.......

 

Stop moaning.

 

Get stuffed.

 

 

Hey Choccy long time no see

 

Ah good day kind Sir

 

 

lol

 

On board with the Flying Scotsman

Watch the top left video - Return of the Flying Scotsman.

That is one of the best bits of videography I have ever seen. Whoever filmed that and edited it needs an award!

 

Holy smoke ! G'day mate

 

Was speaking to one half of a couple who both used to work at the Doncaster Works yesterday - back in the steam days she said they had 8 engineers a night working on each steam train to ensure it was fit for purpose the following morning and if the driver wasn't happy when he rocked up, he went home. Driver was god.

Not sure what the engines are, but when some of those EWS beasties open up going through Donny, you can sense the power; well I can anyway.

 

Anyone see the BBC4 doco last night?

Emotive stuff. Emotive locomotive lol

 

That would have been the engine shed, or running shed, as it was known.

The engineers would have been fitters etc working under a running foreman. Skilled men with years of experience.

When a loco went onto the works, it did so dead: out of steam, tender as empty as they could arrange, no water, and towed onto the works by a smaller engine, along with several others at the same time. We called that "the shed stream".

It would remain on the works for anything from 48 hours for a minor adjustment, to 8 weeks for a heavy general overhaul.

It was then towed back to the running shed, again in the company of a smaller loco, but again, dead.
we called that the "plant stream", (Doncaster works was known locally as "The Plant"). Everyone wanted to see a plant stream as it often contained ex-works locos...those having had a repaint, and in pristine condition.

The locos which came back to the running shed would be steamed the same day and run in, or allowed out the day after.

Pedant hat on: Flying Scotsman is a loco, or locomotive, not a train. When it's attached to coaches or wagons, then it's a train.

 

Slight addition to your pedantry there Alcazar;

Flying Scotsman is a locomotive

The Flying Scotsman was (still is?) a non-stop Edinburgh to London train, ironically hardly ever hauled by Flying Scotsman the locomotive

The flying Scotsman was also the nickname of Graeme Obree, a track cyclist of the same era as Chris Boardman, who twice held the world one hour record, before the UCI banned his home built bike

 

Agreed. But I get fed up of the presenters who should know better referring to it as a train and calling it, "The Flying Scotsman".