appropriate posting. at some time in the future, the real magic of ai may be used to enhance and improve the image quality of old films. my dad was a fireman then driver in the 40's. he said all locos, even within a class, had a unique personality. they also had days when they wanted a sickie and would perform badly. so i can relate to gerald's story about a2 884. dad also stated that, if he was blindfolded, and it was possible to be on the footplate without touching anything, or having to climb up into them, because doing those things would give away the identity, he could positively identify not just the class of loco but also its number.
I think that all locomotives in a class are different, while this was true for steam locomotives it is also true for the diesel electric locomotives also. I remember a photo that appeared in Norm De Pomeroy's book published by the union (I think) where there was a photo of a fireman standing on the tender of an X class taking water at Wallan. From the photo you can see he is very fit, shoveling coal into steam locomotives would have kept them fit. There are many stories of fireman going sick when being rostered onto X classes but probably as your dad stated for many other reasons also.
@@colmornane5684 ,my dad never mentioned the x class about hard work but referred to the s' s as "bloody hard work". he also said the hardest he ever worked was when the mechanical stoker broke down on harry. i think it must have happened to him more than once. he was full of admiration for harry and the s's. ive got his retirement present. a copper etching of an a2 class. he thought it was a class that deserved to be on his retirement plaque. and as for the diesels having an individual personality, i'd agree. i sense that my cars have their own individual personality
I'm a Queenland Driver Steam qualified and I'm intrigued by the term first valve. Can someone give me an explanation as to the operation of the A2 class and it's valve gear? We had both Stephenson and Walsharts on our engines here. No three cylindered engines.
Our steam locomotives in Victoria operated a balanced regulator there were two openings in the internal steam pipe. The driver opening the regulator would be in the first barrel, (Or as Gerald described it, the first valve) the driver can manipulate the regulator (I don't know exactly how it is done) to access the second barrel or the second valve. This puts the regulator slide valve in the wide open position admitting full steam pressure without throttling to the superheater header and subsequently the piston valves of the left and right engine.
@@colmornane5684 Thank you for the explanation. We have dome mounted mushroom type regulator valves, which have a pilot or balance valve which opens first. If this is what the Driver means, I now get what he was trying to achieve. Although I would have thought that he would've been able to liven the fire more, by having the regulator open fully to start and then with his reverser notched up reduce the amount of steam and water being used. Sounds like either the coal wasn't real good or the engine's boiler needed attention. most likely poor drafting from blocked tubes. I notice he never mentioned anything about shaking the fire or using the pricker. Interesting to hear how others deal with similar issues. We're blessed in the modern era with very good coal and locomotives that are ususally better maintained. Thanks again.
@@adriannettlefold9084 Our R Classes are like that and have a rachet arrangement on the regulator handle to allow the driver to set the opening of the throttle.
Drivers that drive steam locomotives today do not know how to drive them hence why they are constantly late at running heritage rail tours. The knowledge gained driving back during the steam era has been lost.
Fantastic footage of the VRs best locos
Nice little find mate 👍 Thank you for sharing.
Love it Col. A nice film.
appropriate posting. at some time in the future, the real magic of ai may be used to enhance and improve the image quality of old films. my dad was a fireman then driver in the 40's. he said all locos, even within a class, had a unique personality. they also had days when they wanted a sickie and would perform badly. so i can relate to gerald's story about a2 884. dad also stated that, if he was blindfolded, and it was possible to be on the footplate without touching anything, or having to climb up into them, because doing those things would give away the identity, he could positively identify not just the class of loco but also its number.
I think that all locomotives in a class are different, while this was true for steam locomotives it is also true for the diesel electric locomotives also. I remember a photo that appeared in Norm De Pomeroy's book published by the union (I think) where there was a photo of a fireman standing on the tender of an X class taking water at Wallan. From the photo you can see he is very fit, shoveling coal into steam locomotives would have kept them fit. There are many stories of fireman going sick when being rostered onto X classes but probably as your dad stated for many other reasons also.
@@colmornane5684 ,my dad never mentioned the x class about hard work but referred to the s' s as "bloody hard work". he also said the hardest he ever worked was when the mechanical stoker broke down on harry. i think it must have happened to him more than once. he was full of admiration for harry and the s's. ive got his retirement present. a copper etching of an a2 class. he thought it was a class that deserved to be on his retirement plaque. and as for the diesels having an individual personality, i'd agree. i sense that my cars have their own individual personality
I'm a Queenland Driver Steam qualified and I'm intrigued by the term first valve. Can someone give me an explanation as to the operation of the A2 class and it's valve gear? We had both Stephenson and Walsharts on our engines here. No three cylindered engines.
Our steam locomotives in Victoria operated a balanced regulator there were two openings in the internal steam pipe. The driver opening the regulator would be in the first barrel, (Or as Gerald described it, the first valve) the driver can manipulate the regulator (I don't know exactly how it is done) to access the second barrel or the second valve. This puts the regulator slide valve in the wide open position admitting full steam pressure without throttling to the superheater header and subsequently the piston valves of the left and right engine.
@@colmornane5684 Thank you for the explanation. We have dome mounted mushroom type regulator valves, which have a pilot or balance valve which opens first. If this is what the Driver means, I now get what he was trying to achieve. Although I would have thought that he would've been able to liven the fire more, by having the regulator open fully to start and then with his reverser notched up reduce the amount of steam and water being used. Sounds like either the coal wasn't real good or the engine's boiler needed attention. most likely poor drafting from blocked tubes. I notice he never mentioned anything about shaking the fire or using the pricker. Interesting to hear how others deal with similar issues. We're blessed in the modern era with very good coal and locomotives that are ususally better maintained. Thanks again.
@@adriannettlefold9084 Our R Classes are like that and have a rachet arrangement on the regulator handle to allow the driver to set the opening of the throttle.
Drivers that drive steam locomotives today do not know how to drive them hence why they are constantly late at running heritage rail tours. The knowledge gained driving back during the steam era has been lost.