Some very classy videography there in what must have been quite challenging conditions. No. 7 performed magnificently and just seemed to ignore the storm. Many thanks for posting.
is this your best one yet? This one has something about it that I can't express in words. I'm on my days off work and I've had such a feast; first, AlexTrainspotters latest clip from King's Cross (all modern, I know, but I like all sorts of trains); then LamboJon's clip of this train, plus some others (mix of steam and diesel) and then this magnificent performance! Worthy of evening dress! Should be shown in the Royal Albert Hall!!! :-DD
Fantastic video as always, been using your video archive as reference recently as we are currently on holiday in Goodrington! Had planned to film the departure on Saturday from Kingswear but thought the wind would be too strong so decided in the end on Greenway and Torre and just about got away with it. Ashley
😲 You are sure made of tough stuff Alan. Stair rods sideways to capture anything worth posting is testament to yours skills & determination. I can just imagine the wind coming up the Dart from the open sea to you, SNG did well with twelve up & sounded 'effortless' maybe that was due to your 'kit' or wind factor .. 😅 Thanks as always for sharing, atvb t .. 👍
Hi Terry, it was a fine balance between gagging the wind to hear the loco or featuring the wind to highlight the conditions. I use two mics, one is a heavily gagged shotgun and the other not so much gagging and wide angle. The problem is electronic as both apply limits to volume, so when there are really high gusts or steam from clearing cylinders, the volume is limited and the drama to some extent is moderated. Thanks as always for you kind, interesting and welcome feedback. Best regards, Alan
Alan you're doing yourself down here on this one, I couldn't see the join, if it hadn't been for the noise of the of the mast stays rattling I wouldn't have known you were being blown into next week!! She looks superb in her "BR Experimental Blue" - a touch of Mr Stewart - She wears it well🥱 Excellent everything on this one, loving the head on start, just a pity you can't zoom in the sound as well😂😂😂❤❤👍👍👍
Hi Bob, yes, wind gagging and electronic volume limiting can sometimes work against you when you are trying to feature windy or noisy conditions. I totally agree that B.R. blue is very fitting and I think that the gloss shows better than the original L.N.E.R. blue as worn by Bittern a few years back. Always great to hear your feedback especially after watching on the "big screen", I hope it is 4K? Best wishes, Alan
As someone who used to work for Westinghouse Brakes (Mallards record was our high speed brake test) and a GWR man, these engines just look magical. Even though the front end was a copy of a Bugatti radiator it reminds me of the old Jaguar cars saying that they look like there going fast when stood still
Hello Vernon and thank you for your interesting and valued comments. I was almost a fellow employee back in the 70's! packed and ready to go to W.B&S. Chippenham when I was offered a professional engineering career locally at the last minute. Kind regards, Alan
Many thanks for your kind and very much appreciated feedback. I agree with you, she certainly sounds like the valve movements need re-setting. Best regards, Alan
Wonderful clips Alan on your doorstep as well! Love some of your locations especially dep Kinswear. Not tried that angle before! Might copy that sometime. How on earth did you get to Paignton in front of the train? Have also filmed from the private field some years ago. Videoed the other Blue Engine 6023 there! Best Wishes, Geraint
Hi Geraint, lovely to hear from you. Thank you so much for such kind comments. I am lucky to have a powerful motorcycle which I use to get to certain locations that are difficult to get at and park by car. My bike is parked out of the wind behind the building on the left, so just a short walk over the foot crossing, I can then pass any traffic build up on the road and park off road right next to the station in Paignton! Your first sentence could not be more apt for the opening shot!! Best wishes, Alan
Proper job, Alan, thankyou. For a novice like me, what does clearing the cylinders do? Pity they have all they vurrin red and yellow coaches, tho. I still watch your video of Bittern from 2012, and thought this would be similar episode of slipping (BTW - clickbait as the title was, it was instrumental in me following you). What's the white along the rails at Paignton at 9:37? It strikes me as lube for what look to be rather sharp turn-outs. Do the Brit rlwys have what we call 'oilers' here - dispensers beside the rails that'll spread oil on the wheels to reduce friction on those tighter curves? I wonder how much it costs to charter a train. Do you recall back in the early 70s, coal merchants RNW ('Renwicks') chartered a train for a day-trip to London? 10/-, IIRC - and 600 people went. One more thing - I was 'unfaithful' to you for a few minutes when I watched the video by 'Bovine'... boy, am I ever glad for your microphone gags. Their video had to be muted. And, whatever camera was used, the colours were washed out, like pastel. On the plus side, they showed a lot of the switching activity in Dartmouth. Sorry for the lapse!!
Hi Peter, always great to get your feedback and questions. When the loco is standing for any length of time, steam condenses in the cylinders and water builds up. Each cylinder has two drain cocks at the bottom and at opposite ends and when they are opened, full boiler pressure ejects the water with corresponding deafening noise!. As water is incompressible, failure to do this could result in serious damage to cylinders and connecting rods. The white along the rails on points is frost protection and prevents freezing, although why it is needed in Torbay, I'll never know! We have flange greasers at regular intervals on the main line which can cause serious slippage to steamers on climbs if their position is not known to the crew! I don't comment on other videos as a rule but suffice to say that I learned to underexpose (where you can correct during the edit) rather than overexpose (which you cannot correct) many years ago! Best regards, Alan
Hi and thank you for your valued and interesting feedback. I think that a spell in the shed to sort out the valve movements is well overdue! Best regards, Alan
The things we have to go through to get what we want. Alan Steamclips is obviously made of sterner stuff. However, one lineside shot very nearly resulted in a fate worse than death. Alan was standing on the station footbridge at Dawlish, with a 70mph gust of wind threatening to pull him and his camera and tripod over the edge. Backwards, that is. "No you don't!" growled the young man through gritted teeth. "I'm not letting you get the better of me!" The wind got stronger and up to 80mph, not good at all. Alan and camera plus tripod were buffeted over the edge! The poor fellow managed to cling on to the frame work, but couldn't save his camera and tripod. Not that it really mattered. Alan was more concerned about his own safety. "Help!" he yelled, eyes wide with fright. "Help me!" A GWR steam engine approached cautiously. "Alan!" shouted the steamy's Driver. "Don't move! We'll help you!" Clun Castle rolled under the bridge at a slow speed. Part of the front Chocolate & Cream carriage was put into position. The door opened slowly, as Alan lost his grip altogether. "AAH!" he screamed. "Gotcha!" A determined pair of strong hands caught hold of him, and pulled him inside the carriage. He stayed still as a statue. The door was slammed shut. Alan recovered while another young man cuddled him lovingly. Can you guess who had cleverly saved his life? Yes, Sam's Trains. Alan was very grateful, yet there was something on his mind. What about the next victim? Will they be as lucky as he was? Let's hope the answer's yes.
@@Steamclips I'll leave that to you. I wrote the story to take my mind off my hospital appointment early tomorrow morning. I have AF, which is causing my heart to beat too quickly. Please don't be alarmed, I'm not seriously ill. I just didn't want to worry you.
Hi Robin. Always worth reading my descriptions before asking a question. As you will see: Storm Antoni is the first of the named storms for this season. Best regards, Alan
