Great Western Railway Episode 1

If you like steam. you'll like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SysR-glqYPA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I used to arrive at Paddington in the 1950s and found the smoke rather unpleasant. It improved when diesel replaced the steam.

It will improve still more when most trains are electric.

I have a question about the 3-digit headcodes used by the Great Western: was there a specific pattern, as with the later BR 4-character headcodes, or were they more or less arbitrary and the people involved in operations just had to know them? For one thing, were odd and even numbers related to up vs. down?

Episode 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giYAha2eBYY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wiki on British head codes: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_reporting_number" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RailUK Forums: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=11993" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From WarwickshireRailways.com: http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/misc/headcodes.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From akamai.steamstatic.co, run a virtual GWR; it emits no smoke unless your computer catches on fire. It gives tips on the proper running of steamers, for example here is part of the information on blowers: "This is to be applied in a number of conditions, the most important of which is when you go through a tunnel. Failure to do so will result in a condition called 'Blowback', which in some circumstances has been fatal. This is due to pressure building up in the chimney of the locomotive, and blowing hot gas through the firebox into the crew compartment. This is BAD!"
And cylinder cocks: "Never NEVER move away from more than a short standing start without ensuring that these are open. When a locomotive sits static for any amount of time, water condensation builds up in the cylinders. Thus when the piston is in motion, and because water does not compress, there is a loud bang and your cylinder goes flying out through the front of the locomotive. Not only does this make you look bad (and unemployed) but it results in unnecessary damage to the machine."
And finally on braking "The board do not favour overshooting platforms and sidings. In short: do not brake late and hard. Brake early and wisely." NJ Transit did that nine days ago, putting a passenger train in the Hoboken Terminal waiting room. We have a new rule now, the conductor must be with the engineer coming into Hoboken and Atlantic City, (stub end terminals.)
1936 head code classes start on page 24: http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam ... 1462549394" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Years ago New York City subway and el trains had colored markers to identify their route and destination, see photo below. The PATH still does. I suppose that this was common the world over.
North American trains carried white flags or lights to identify them as extras; and green flags and lights to indicate that additional sections of a scheduled train were following. In the photo of the Western Pacific loco below the light above the number board is for this purpose, or to show a red indicating the end of the train. I couldn't find a photo oof a loco with flag brackets on it.

Thanks--just what I was looking for. That Warwickshirerailways.com in particular is a treasure.

ExCon90 wrote:That Warwickshirerailways.com in particular is a treasure.

When I looked at that article the thought that came to mind is that the internet is magnificent.

It looks like a good place to go for a pictorial history of British railways, http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scottish head codes from Scot-rail.co.uk:
http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/page/Headcodes+Explained" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

More lists of GWR headcodes and bell codes. http://www.uksteam.info/gwr/hcodes.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And four character reporting numbers. This is all new to this American. http://www.2d53.co.uk/Headcode/headcodeA.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.2d53.co.uk/Headcode/headcode.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For information http://trains.im/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Four headcode lamps on the UK royal train.

I suppose you are aware that the photo of the streamlined train is most unlikely to be of a train on the former Great Western, The only company that used such streamlined steam locos was the LNER.

george matthews wrote:I suppose you are aware that the photo of the streamlined train is most unlikely to be of a train on the former Great Western, The only company that used such streamlined steam locos was the LNER.

I didn't know that, George, but suspected that it might not be a GWR engine. I simply included it as another example of the royal train headcode.

philipmartin wrote:Four headcode lamps on the UK royal train.

george matthews wrote:I suppose you are aware that the photo of the streamlined train is most unlikely to be of a train on the former Great Western, The only company that used such streamlined steam locos was the LNER.

The British transport film "Elizabethan Express" gives you a very good look, inside and out, of a sister locomotive, 60017 Silver Fox. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghkqGfUy4xs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

philipmartin wrote:

philipmartin wrote:Four headcode lamps on the UK royal train.

george matthews wrote:I suppose you are aware that the photo of the streamlined train is most unlikely to be of a train on the former Great Western, The only company that used such streamlined steam locos was the LNER.

The British transport film "Elizabethan Express" gives you a very good look, inside and out, of a sister locomotive, 60017 Silver Fox. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghkqGfUy4xs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have very little interest in steam locomotives, beyond being glad they no longer run.

philipmartin wrote:

george matthews wrote:I suppose you are aware that the photo of the streamlined train is most unlikely to be of a train on the former Great Western, The only company that used such streamlined steam locos was the LNER.

I didn't know that, George, but suspected that it might not be a GWR engine. I simply included it as another example of the royal train headcode.

The other one is a Southern loco!

talltim wrote:

philipmartin wrote:

george matthews wrote:I suppose you are aware that the photo of the streamlined train is most unlikely to be of a train on the former Great Western, The only company that used such streamlined steam locos was the LNER.

I didn't know that, George, but suspected that it might not be a GWR engine. I simply included it as another example of the royal train headcode.

The other one is a Southern loco!

The passenger cars to the left look Southern. I presume it's a Royal Train somewhere on the Southern system. But without date it is impossible to say more.

The carriages behind the steam engine look very odd - almost foreign. The picture may well be pre-1939.

The LNER engine seems to have a British Rail badge on the tender. Which would date the picture as post-1948.