If I had a nickel for every time Bulleid designed an articulated, double-ended steam engine that looked more like a diesel, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's interesting that it happened twice.
The diesel-like look of experimental steam engines is a recurring form factor. Most steam turbine locos looks diesel-ish, and there's even the twin Franco-Crosti belgian articulated mammoth that looked like a diesel.
This channel is reaching absurd levels, its getting uncomfortable on how TOT is able to keep finding information about railways during the last 230+ years
I was initally confused at seeing the "turf", as in Australia, "turf" refers to rolls of grass (natural or synthetic) that people buy to re-lawn their gardens. I was reassured when it was explained to also be called "peat", as I know the substance by that name, and was aware of Bulleid's peat-powered Irish engine, but it was nice to learn more about it.
Some railways did have significant numbers of exclusively turf/peat-burning locomotives before the 1930s, for example the royal bavarian state railways, which had a significant fleet from the mid-1800s up until the early 1900s. Examples of such locomotives include the series B VI, or the Oldenburg railways class G
A very fair summary of an ingenious idea. The problem with turf/peat is its low calorific value and high water content compared to coal, thus needing a large grate area and strong draught to give reasonable combustion. It made sense for Ireland to try it as they had little indigenous coal or spare dollars to pay for oil. The engine was more successful than the Leader and the use of a conventional firebox with water spaces rather than firebricks, and normal piston valves rather than sleeve valves, must have helped this. Perhaps a conventional rod drive rather than a chain drive would have improved things further. But as dieselisation took hold (despite major teething troubles) it is a much more efficient way of burning oil than in a steam engine. Incidentally, unrebuilt Bulleid Pacifics with chain gear and oil baths now reportedly perform well with modern seals which have overcome the oil leakage problem.
One other problem with peat is that as it dries out, the burning strands of turf can be caught in the draught and swept out of the chimney, hence the lineside fires and need for spark arresters.
Seeing how in some countries, people use dried dung to burn fuel, I can imagine that this would’ve worked if it had come to fruition in a place with little or no coal reserves. (Come to think of it, given how well it burns I bet Buffalo dung could’ve been used once or twice in the old west for American railroads.)
Peat you say? There's a little museum here in the Netherlands which is completely focused on Peat. 'Veenpark' is what it's called. And, we DO have some engines here that actually run on Peat!
@@bobolobocus333Last time I went they were still using them though it's been a while. I don't believe they have any plans of retiring them though... I think they have 2? I... honestly forgot...
Not far from there, in the peatlands of Germany, there were power stations burning peat. They may still exist, as they may, indeed in Ireland. It may have been a better idea to electify the railways using peat as the primary source.
This was certainly interesting! By the way, some claim Egyptian railways were known to burn mummies (from mass gravesites) while I've read that on one occasion, an American engineer and fireman stuck with a tender-full of badly burning slag stopped the engine, picked up a bunch of old tires, and jammed those into the firebox, where they burned beautifully, albeit leaving the grate covered in metal rods and melted rubber, which didn't go down well.
While on topic of alternate fuel sources, I do recall one that surprised me (I don't know if you're ready for this one). The benefits of this alternate source happens to be: Cheaper, efficient, safe disposal of, less environmental pollution, and is sustainable & renewable. And it was none other than...animal dry dung...yes, basically dried up poop. Can't say I know any engines that were powered by dung (I doubt that there were any), but I know a steamship that was powered by llama dung until 1914.
Do only I hear some noises/speaking in background of this clip? Something like a radio noises or some walkie talkie speaking? I'm confused o_o Just listen on a headphones
Definitely an interesting footnote oddity in the world of railroad engineering. Btw I like the video but your background music choice was distracting. It felt like it was trying to talk over what you were saying. Just thought I would mention it I don't knownid anyone else thought the same thing.
Maybe its just a me problem but the BG music was doing my head in. The low volume made it sound like muttering in the background. Other than that, great video as usual 👍
Steampower on turf wasn't a thing unheard of. I grew up near what used to be the biggest textile factory in the former Russian Empire, and it was entirely turf- powered up until at least mid XX century. There's no coal in the Central Russian Plain, but large forested bogs stretching many dozens of kilometres - so called Meschera. When the factory was still steam-powered, it had a dedicated narrow gauge railway to deliver turf from the pits some 20km away. Me and my dad once travelled the still existing trail. What were the trains of the railroad powered by - that, unfortunately, is beyond my knowledge.
You forgot a very important use of peat: Making whisky! OK, so peated whiskies are more of a Scottish thing, but some Irish whiskies do/did use peat in the distillation process. I had wrongly assumed CC1 was a complete failure like Leader, but it's interesting to know it showed some promise. Great video!
This is why I love this channel. Not just because of the streams but also that if I may have never been recommended this channel, I would have never found out about this unique railway facts!
Was this thought possible because stationary boilers were available with similar technology? Sorry to have to say this but, the background music caused some garbling with your voice. On the topic, I swear sometimes I don't believe these stories are true. I never would have thought peat could produce enough heat, nor have a small enough volume to be useful in locomotive.
I was wondering could you make a video about Steam Turbine trains because I saw a image of it and it kinda reminds of Thomas and the Jet Engine but anyways can you make a video about it that would be nice
Aye we use turf for everything tho its not used as much to keep are bogs intact so we are fasing out turf as it is a major fossil fuel here and hence is helping climate change😐
please do a video on the porters steam loco the cook mogul the Japanese class d51 nick name hero of the railways. one talking about the different types of steam funnles and there uses, the different types of cut offs/reversers/Johnson bar some are a big lever, some are a big valve wheel, and ive also seen some that are like rods, one exsample is train sim world 3 and im not sure where to find the other reverser but a video on the different models of these and different whisle models would be nice
We already knew that diesel and electric trains were 'better' in many ways in the 20s and 30s. In The Netherlands they started to replace steam locos on the busiest trainlines with diesel engines as early as 1934. Many electric trains entered service in 1936 and 1940, large diesellocos entered service in the early 50s. There was enough knowlegde to build good diesel and electrics in the early 50s so this peat engine seemed doomed from the start
This locomotive was a follow on from Bulleid's failed Leader locomotive from the 1940s. Of the three Leaders built only one was ever completed and actually ran. It not only suffered from firebox and valve failure, but was hell for the fireman who was in a small badly ventilated central compartment.
One of the three Andrew Barclay peat burning locos was bought by the Talyllyn Railway and eventually rebuilt as a coal burning 0-4-2T, now their No 7 "Tom Rolt".
i was going absolutely mad with that voice i heard in the background when i watched the video. and then it turned out to be the music. Anyways, Fascinating to learn about this experimental design. i wounder if it could get a resurgence for heritage railways for alternative coal fuel?
Interesting point, the snag being its low calorific value and high water content which requires a big firebox and different draughting. So most preserved locomotives would need a huge retrofit. That was why Bulleid's first engine No. 356 was pretty unsuccessful. One wonders if some peat briquettes mixed with coal dust and oil could be partly fired alongside coal. The other problem though is that as it dries out, the burning strands of turf can be caught in the draught and swept out of the chimney, hence the lineside fires and need for spark arresters.
@@iankemp1131 true yes. I don't expect it to catch on as a main source of fuel on locomotive, unless it was to be remade with burning turf in mind. but it could be a good fuel for warming it up at the start of the day, or maybe as something you mix with regular coal to get more out of it. Though i see the downsides and expect no-one to actually use this. But who knows
@@Odinnyb13 Yes, interesting ideas, lighting up sounds worth thinking about. I'm not sure what they use at the moment. Remembering my days with home bonfires, it you tried to burn wet plants or wood on a cool fire it tended to produce loads of smoke and not much heat, so that might be a barrier. Whereas a really hot bonfire would incinerate anything!
oliver bulleid: builds one of the most effective austerity engine Q1, then builds one of the best all round engines bullied pacifics, preoceeds to build the worst seam locomotive in britain leader, leaves BR. builds one of irelands best steam locos. dies
Steam power was never fully developed to maximise its full potential. Industries are mostly about profits. Efficiency of different designs isn't always profitable. For manufacturers to produce in large quantities. There never is any marketing strategy behind those products. Because it's out of Focus in the Future.
I'm still in the process of finishing the video. Love the information, only I would just add a foot note or two mentioning the German Railways prior to the turn of the century, had turf/peat burning locomotives.
The Soviets burned peat in some power plants, as they had huge reserves of it. How good they were, I don't know, but they were surely better than nothing
Very good idea, but too late to the game. The world was already going to diesel locomotives; the USA was firmly in the grasp of diesels by the late 1950s.
