A day in the cab with Blanche on the Ffestiniog Railway 

This is also an oil-fired locomotive. It's impossible to keep the cab of a coal-fired locomotive quite this spotless.

Perhaps you might best have more small engine experience in the states.

Having lived a year since my original comment which was likely written in a bout of insomnia, I'm thinking maybe U.S. locomotives don't seem as clean because their cabs are typically painted black in most cases. Sure, it doesn't show dirt, but it also doesn't really do any justice to efforts to keep the cab clean. In hindsight, the locomotives I know and love don't really have dirty cabs anyway... However, polished brass will always look good!

Engineers fix the things that steering wheel attendants wreck

The Ff&WHR use Norwegian Chopper couplings on all passenger stock.

That's pretty cool! :)

I dont think so mate. Seen as line speed is 20mph.

@@NathanielKempson I dont think they were going line speed …

There’s likely a compromise between the effectiveness of such a device with the cost and complication it brings to install and maintain, particularly as the boiler and the tubes get smaller. The tubes will normally get cleaned out as part of a boiler washout

The driver goes to main valve and then quickly shuts the regulator to make sure both regulator valves - pilot and main - seat properly

+Khadijah Brown Correct. British practice is driver on the left, just like their automobiles. Blanche has since been converted back to coal firing, which is more authentic to that line. The 'stack' you refer to is actually the steam turret coming out of the boiler where all the auxiliary steam appliances get their steam. He is opening the valve to apply steam to the water injector to put water in the boiler. The fireman's most important duty is to maintain water level in the boiler, and then proper fire. The fireman can also act as brakeman when switching, as seen towards the beginning of the video, at which point the engineer takes on the duties of two temporarily.

+CaptainHarlock999 Excellent video. Drivers here are not exclusively on the left though. With the diverse numbers of railway companies and locomotive builders created differences within the same company sometimes. The original locomotives of the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway have an odd setup with driver on the right, but the steam chest cut off (reverser) is on the left with the fireman.

In one video, I saw that the length of the stroke of the reversing valve was being regulated according to speed and load. It seemed that on starting out, it was at full stroke and as speed increased the stroke was lessened. It seems as if this would take a "feel" for its use.

yes a full forward/reverse would be applied when starting out. it was demonstrated to me on the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway (15" gauge) that a locomotive can actually be driven on the reverser. By increasing the ratio (opening fully) delays the eccentric movement restricting the locomotive's speed, and visa versa. One driver told me on one Driver experience course, the elderly customer taking part fell asleep in the cab. The instructor, just took control by adjusting the stroke as the reverser was on his side of the cab.

Khadijah Brown and ou

The lever in the middle is indeed the throttle, which opens and shuts the steam going into the cylinders which is what makes the locomotive move. The lever on the far left is the Reverser which makes the locomotive go in forward and reverse. The reverser is also used to control the amount of steam going into the cylinders (called cutoff). Imagine it as like the gears on a car, as you gain speed you notch the reverser back so only some steam is going into the cylinders and as you do you open the throttle more, which makes the locomotive go faster. The turn lever on the top right is the handbrake for the engine. When the driver said "Go with the tender" he was talking about the water supply. This engine has two water supplies- one in the saddle tank on top of the boiler and another in the tender. There was no more water left in the saddle tank as the fireman was turning the valves to operate the injector which is used to put water into the boiler, so he switched to the auxiliary supply in the tender. The valve that you see being used the most is the injector. This locomotive was at the time of the video oil fired, but I believe it has since been converted to coal.

***** Ah, I see! Thank you for the info. Definately makes allot of sense in the balance of all these opperations.

Usually if it hasn’t been done it’s because it wouldn’t work well. 2ft narrow gauge was developed for the smaller quarry lines as it’s at the size of being super powerful but still small enough to be somewhat portable and helps wind round tight corners. Whistle is blown as a warning, at whistle signs, crossing, leaving stations the station leaving signal is for the guard to know the locomotive has understood instructions. The man in the right is I believe controlling the water valve, I believe that valve controls steam to the injector which adds water. The valve he is controlling in the floor is the water valve. On the FR it is impossible to operate a service single manned due to the speed restrictions, boiler needs, speed of the locomotive, safety. In the case of the locomotives the sand is doing well with cleaning as it blasts the oil off the tube plates to prevent corrosion. All in all a very well thought out railway

Your opinion is wrong.

When they connected an extra coach, in reality they actually connected two extra coaches at different times. One was recorded from the outside, the other recorded from inside the cab and the two were cut together to appear as one. Inbetween those two movements the cap went away.

Get in touch with the Ffestiniog Railway about volunteering. Their website is the best place to look www.festrail.co.uk

Oliver Kirkby none of the ladies would take 10, no chance. I've done a turn with 8 on linda and that was at her max

At the time of this video the engine was oil fired. I believe Ffestiniog has now converted all their engines back to coal. This is now a good document on what it was like during the oil firing era.

@@MasseeMedia coal ! Wales has lots of it

He was putting a couple of cups of sand on the fire.

An Oil Burner requires sanding regularly; oily soot accumulates on all the heating surfaces; the sand literally blasts those surfaces clean for better heat conduction.