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"Forth/Fife Circle Steam Specials" (etc)

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  1. kaputnik
    Moderator

    We were going to watch the morning arrival from the front room, but mis-timed a trip to the back of the house only to get back and see the rake of coaches and steam emanating over the rooftops, but no view of Tornado herself.

    We were better prepared for the 3PM return and went down to the Meadowbank velodrome access road at the cairn for St. Margaret's Well and got a great view as Tornado cruised in a rather leisurely manner into town
    60163 Tornado at St. Margaret's by andy a, on Flickr

    60163 Tornado at St. Margaret's by andy a, on Flickr

    Posted 8 years ago #
  2. chdot
    Admin

  3. chdot
    Admin

    "spotting chdot en route"

    Don't think so.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  4. steveo
    Member

    Seen the smoke and steam along the Broomhouse path but we were too slow to see it.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  5. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Don't think so.

    I do. Hope View, just before you go underneath the FRB if heading away from North Queensferry.

    Managed to see Tornado at Niddrie West Jn just by the Asda, but got rather wet! Then tea, then to Waverley to see Sir Nigel Gresley, which arrived about three minutes early which meant I was at the end of the wrong platform to get a good view of it emerging from the Calton tunnel. Lots of people taking photographs on platform 20, though! WCRC 47760 hauled the empty coaching stock + SNG out at about 21.30.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

    "I do. Hope View, just before you go underneath the FRB if heading away from North Queensferry."

    OK - just didn't seem to coincide with timing for return trip - but train was early!

    Posted 8 years ago #
  7. Its_Me_Knees
    Member

    This explains the gathering of photographers on the Forth road bridge as I headed southbound on the return leg of this morning's spin out to central Fife. A veritable ostentation* of telephotos on display...

    *I know this collective noun is normally applied to peacocks, but somehow it works equally well here.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  8. chdot
    Admin

    Leaving Waverley after second circle

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    Posted 8 years ago #
  9. cb
    Member

    I also spotted chdot, crossing Maxwell St and missing Tornado's departure by less than a minute.

    I returned to the Morningside footbridge with family for the 17:30, which we stood and waited for in pretty torrential rain (fortunately with umbrella).

    Posted 8 years ago #
  10. gembo
    Member

    Maybe CHDot has been taking advantage of the Edinburgh polis box festival this weekend to be in two places at once?

    The woman running the juniper green apple shack was dressed as an apple yesterday

    Posted 8 years ago #
  11. Is it back / away today? If the wind is in the right direction we can hear the trains on the track at Craigentinny (usually blow the horn at that point since there are workers all about) and this morning heard a very distinctive steam-esque whistle.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  12. fimm
    Member

    There was a photo on Facebook taken by someone who'd got himself all set up and positioned for a photo of Tornado coming off the Bridge - only for a freight train to go the other way at the wrong moment! It is still a nice photo, just not quite what the photographer intended...

    Posted 8 years ago #
  13. neddie
    Member

    edd1e_h family was on the Morningside footbridge for the 17-30 pass. Badly prepared for the torrential rain in only t-shirts, we cowered under a waterproof (?!) picnic blanket & a child's umbrella.

    Made the whole affair more dramatic/cosy though. Must've seen cb, but was not aware of fellow CCEers.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  14. chdot
    Admin

  15. neddie
    Member

    I was wondering what, if anything, they do to mitigate the effects of the sooty smoke when Tornado and the likes stop at Waverley?

    I'm sure they don't want their nice new glass roof all sooted up from the inside...

    Posted 8 years ago #
  16. gembo
    Member

    saw big blue steam train coming into waverley station this morning [council worker looks out window in morning shocker - we don't ususally do that as we are looking for something to do in the afternoon - before anyone says this :-)]

    Steam was white - pulling long pullman carriages, seemed to be diesel on back or maybe just guards van?

    Posted 8 years ago #
  17. Arellcat
    Moderator

    It should be WCRC Class 47 no.47760 on the back, gembo. As back-up motive power and occasional dynamic braking, though SNG had a full rake of coaches behind it and no doubt plenty of braking available.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  18. cb
    Member

    @edd1e_h ah, yes we saw you alright. In fact I spotted your festival of cycling t-shirt. Your arms must have been tired holding that picnic blanket aloft!

    We (three of us) were under the blue and white golf brolly. Also foolishly standing directly above the track, but it all adds to the experience. Two year old seemed unfazed by the face-full of steam and smoke.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  19. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Steam was white

    Sorry to be pedantic but it's the condensing water vapour that's white ;)

    I was wondering what, if anything, they do to mitigate the effects of the sooty smoke when Tornado and the likes stop at Waverley?

    Apparently good-quality Welsh steam coal shouldn't produce too much soot. That's the sort of thing you want to burn in your steam engine to keep it performing well. As an aside, getting access to reliable supplies of good quality steam coal is an issue for heritage railways as the UK coal industry continues to contract.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  20. chdot
    Admin

    "As an aside, getting access to reliable supplies of good quality steam coal is an issue for heritage railways as the UK coal industry continues to contract."

    Maybe it's time for a new mine - alongside a new sandstone quarry...

    "

    Welsh Dry Steam is a naturally occurring semi-smokeless fuel - much softer than anthracite, but more clean-burning than house coal.

    Usually used to 'raise steam' in railway engines, traction engines and steam-powered boats - also available for domestic use and offered in three sizes - Cobble / Large Nuts / Small Nuts under the trade name of 'Gloda' - produced at the Ffos-y-Fran colliery in South Wales.

    Best suited for closed appliances and Rayburn-type cookers, not AGA cookers.

    "

    http://www.coalmerchantsfederation.co.uk/products/welsh-dry-steam

    Posted 8 years ago #
  21. Min
    Member

    Is it back / away today? If the wind is in the right direction we can hear the trains on the track at Craigentinny (usually blow the horn at that point since there are workers all about) and this morning heard a very distinctive steam-esque whistle.

    The Sir Nigel Gresley most likely. We joined the scrum at Waverley to see it.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  22. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    I think steam trains were/are not allowed to pass through stations at full chat so that probably prevents a lot of mess. The one that was responsible for Celia Johnston's gritty eye was specially chartered and was run like that for the rule of cool.

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    Posted 8 years ago #
  23. chdot
    Admin

    "

    SRPS Railtours (@srpsrailtours)
    06/09/2015 10:24
    Look out for our #ForthCircle steam special today. Passes N Queensferry @ 1023/1500, D'line Town @ 1128/1608, Stirling 1248-1330/1751-1815

    "

    Posted 8 years ago #
  24. richardlmpearson
    Member

    I saw this yesterday. I was under the rail bridge (ish) on the kayak at the time.

    Bad timing with sun position, but you can just make it out.

    http://s50.photobucket.com/user/Richard_Pearson/media/ema_footer1_zps2e33353a.jpg.html

    Posted 8 years ago #
  25. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Closing Date for Online Petition:

    13 October 2015 Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to release funding for and establish passenger rail platforms at: Crossford; Cairneyhill; Torryburn; Valleyfield; Culross and Kincardine; thereby linking Stirling to the Fife Circle.

    http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/ForthCircleRailLine

    "

    Posted 8 years ago #
  26. chdot
    Admin

  27. acsimpson
    Member

    Looks like someone was filming the recent steam specials:

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    LAmedia to be precise.

    http://tinyurl.com/ofgfs9e

    Posted 8 years ago #
  28. Snowy
    Member

    An interesting article in the IET about the P2 project
    http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2015/11/steam-locomotive.cfm

    Posted 8 years ago #
  29. chdot
    Admin

  30. Tulyar
    Member

    I plan to go to this on Thursday http://nearyou.imeche.org/near-you/UK/Scottish-Region/event-detail?id=10767 and I suspect that others on this forum may also attend.

    I shared a flat in Bradford with Dave Elliott in the mid 1970's when he (and I) were engineers with British Rail, and he worked for a while as depot manager at Corkerhill (with some fine tales of the old and filthy diesel days). We also built theatres in obscure buildings around Edinburgh for the Festival Fringe - in the days when the entire fringe programme was a folded down A2 sheet, and the late night social scene (Fringe Club) contained entirely in the Thistle Hotel on the Royal Mile....

    Generally an entertaining evening, especially with the many problem solving challenges of the project.

    Posted 8 years ago #

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