STEAM LOCOMOTIVE GETS STUCK ON HEMERDON INCLINE - 6233 DUCHESS OF SUTHERLAND 

Looked like a very skilled piece of driving just teasing her over the summit with minimal slippage. No doubt a nerve-wracking moment!

If I was there I’d be like ‘ come on everyone get behind and push’ lol 😂

This is an illustration of why the GWR stuck to 4-6-0 power. We had some Princess Coronation class locos on the line in the early 50s when the Kings had front bogie issues and they suffered with weight transfer to the trailing truck then. When Laira got Britannias allocated they very quickly did a swap with Canton for Castles. Pacifics are not good on steep gradients where the larger boiler doesn't help.

All credit to the driver and his fireman, kept the train moving and minimised excessive slip, sander working. Perhaps a 47 tied on the rear would have been more helpful!!

At least she made it without a diesel stuck on the back !

And this is the reason why bankers exist

Everyone forgets that when you sand the rails u’ve gotta drag the train over it afterwards & it’s not that simples!

Gordon: First time? 😼

Great work, Classic Traction! Can I use a portion of your video on my channel? I'll mention your name and link to your video in the description!

Great

Aerodynamically compromised due to 'Neds' Window Hanging!

Some really skilful driving. Amazed that there was no diesel on the back to assist

Magic

Looks like the duchess is struggling to get grip mate

She made it in the end; I don't call that being stuck.

NEARLY gets stuck...

They always overload these trips ,they need bankers for gradients like this and even with a diesel on the end,steam always sound better when the engine is doing it more comfortably

So she zipps up with 8 cars, almost stalls with 10. I'd say 9 cars is her limit for this trip

WEIGHT TRANSFER ON LOCOS WITH TRAILING PONIES OR RADIAL TRUCKS !!! The problem of weight transfer on locos with a rear trailing pony or radial truck, can be a slight problem when starting, exacerbating wheel slip. The idea that locos with trailing ponies/ radial trucks (such as Pacifics or 2-6-2's) becomes an issue on hills is pure ignorant train spotter nonsense. As this does not occur when trains are already moving at speed. Or Collett wouldn't have modified a batch of 2-6-2 Prairie tanks for use as "bankers" up steep grades !!! The loan of LMR Pacifics to cover the temporary issue with the Kings, was a short term event. The problem therefore of giving LMR Pacifics to GWR men, was purely one of total unfamiliarity with these radically different locos, with their wide fireboxes, & left hand drive. GWR locos had (narrow) Belpaire fireboxes, & were right hand drive to aid sighting of the many right hand side lower quadrant signals on ex GWR routes. The mechanical issues with Pacific's on the ex GWR routes was their longer frames, which as had been discovered in the 1925 loco exchanges (Castles vs LNER A1's) resulted in high flange wear of Pacifics leading drivers due to the numerous sharper bends on the "Plymouth road", when compared to either the GNR/NER mainline or the LMS route to Scotland. The Brits appearing at Laira, was shortlived for the same reason the SR's 3 Brits also didn't stay long. It started as a BRB public relations exercise in 1951. i.e Show the public BR's first passenger express design by spreading them thinly here, there, & nearly everywhere. But whatever classes you allocate to Depots you also have to provide these Depots with all the necessary spare parts. So spares for GWR types were distributed from Swindon Works to the GWR Depots. Whilst spares for BR types had to come from the relevant BR production plant for that type & still get to GWR depots. This made the logistics more complex, more expensive & less efficient. Further the Brits with their longer chassis were quickly found to be less suited to the problematic curvature of the ex GWR line beyond Taunton (as per LNER A1's & LMS Pacific types). So all the WR Brit's were concentrated on the Paddington - Cardiff route. Once the Cardiff & Old Oak men got used to these new Pacifics they settled in to do a lot of very good fast work & would certainly give any Castle or even a King a "run for its money" on their premier train of the day "The Red Dragon" !!! A 4-6-0 can therefore be more reliable in starting, than a Pacific, but there any advantage really ends. The whole reason of building expensive multi-cylinder express passenger type Pacific's, was to provide more power, more efficiently than the maximum possible in the limited size of a 4-6-0 !!! Don't forget the GWR under Hawksworth were planning a 4-cylinder Pacific but Nationalisation in 1948 put an end to that plan.

This is why the GW didn't like Pacifics!

Can someone explain the constant blowing off? Can't it be prevented?

I've always felt these large wheeled locomotives were not designed for routes with severe gradients.

hi . should have kept grandma Big Bertha !

How did it manage to run a service in the days of steam if the curve is so bad

Still love steam engines after a lifetime of riding and watching as a boy but a diesel would eat that incline. Sad but true. Anyone know what is the most severe incline on a main line in UK?

He neds a banker

I think maybe 'back in the day' they didn't need traction control because they would just make sure they carried enough momentum into the incline.

how did drivers manage in the "golden age"?

no one wants to washer the tender

Hy

Why did,mt it have a class 47 at the back ?

安全弁が吹きっぱなしで空転ばかりする。給気率を上げたらどうなんだろうか？

some muppet pouring oil on the tracks?

Would have been fine if it wasn't overloaded. Sadly these railtours are always packed and they always try to add one too many coaches...

Just silly to overload the engine. Is this how they used to run the railways in the days of steam?

There was never problem like this with regular drivers of old British railways you can read it in books but I have to know your engine inside and out I’ve heard slot of engines of late just haven’t got pressures right and it looks so unprofessional

Top quality coal would help a lot.

Get a diesel on it!

Bahamas made it better than that!!