The Often Forgotten Tale of the Peaks 

Thank you so much for sharing. 🖖

Would you remember John woolley?.

@@stephenmiddleton2340 Yes

Certainly a peak moment

Back in early 60’s I certainly remembered them as ‘Peaks , wasn’t aware of class 45’s and so forth , I was in short trousers then . I do remember standing the end of platform 9 at Bristol Temple Meads seeing the Peaks .

Why not write an article on your time with the Peaks for Traction magazine? The 45's were my favourite class - I used to 'bunk' round Cricklewood and saw most of the class, as well as the hydraulic transmission DMU's. Good old days!

Worked on the Southern from 1973. I can recall a dead peak in the Down Sidings at Farningham Rd. failed on one of the aforementioned Southfleet turns. Also caught sight of them when the cane past the D M O at Beckenham.

Hi Ray. Could you expand on the driving technique used when hauling the loose coupled. I find that stuff interesting. Regards, Mike in Australia.

Hi Ray. Could you expand on the driving technique used when hauling the loose coupled. I find that stuff interesting. Regards, Mike in Australia.

@@oooo1950Joooo Hi Mike, When I started work at Cricklewood on the footplate in 1971 there were still loose coupled trains operating over the MML and hauled by class 45's. It wasn't unusual for a train of 60 or more 16t mineral wagons to be used (max speed 45mph) and loaded with coal and a brake van. Southfleet Power Station on the SR was also still receiving coal in 16 wagons trains to and from Toton. Over the rollercoaster gradients of the SR this required exceptional driving technique. The secret with loose coupled trains, some of which had a 'fitted head' ie wagons with a vacuum brake fitted was to let the train and gravity do most of the work. The wagons were mainly filled with three link 'instanter' couplings which meant the train was either 'stretched out' or 'buffered up. Working out of Brent Empty Wagon Sidings to Wellingborough with a train of empties the idea was to use the brakes only three times unless signals meant otherwise and the gradients and locomotive power to do the rest of the work. I typical journey would go something like this. The train would be pulled towards the sidings outlet signal very slowly. The yard was on a slight gradient and, if the signal wasn't cleared the train's own weight would be used to control stopping it at the signal, the couplings would therefore be stretched out. Once cleared the train would be hauled under power out of the sidings and away to the North. Keeping power on, up hill kept the train stretched out but the speed had to be regulated so that, when the gradient changed to down hill power could be shut off to allow the wagons to buffer up onto the engine by gravity and speed increased.. When the gradient changed to level, or more usually up hill again, power would be gentle applied to stretch the couplings/train out again. However, the speed had to be controlled so as not to go above line speed. A typical example would be to 'haul' the train under power up hill and stay at 30mph in the knowledge that when rising in gradient power would be added that not only stretched the train out but increased the speed. Hence the train was seldom running for long periods at its maximum speed. If the train buffered up to quickly the impact would cascade down the train and give the guard in the rear a nasty jolt - they didn't like this; a very sudden and powerful application or the breaks could cause the train to concertina and derail. If power was added to quickly or hard then the train was likely to 'snatch' and this to would shake the guard up. I was taught by very experienced driver's how to master this and the greatest compliment always came from the guard who had not been able to tell my driving from a more experienced driver. Stopping to required great attention to gradients and speed. Stopping at signals required the train to be buffered up. This meant using the engine brake only at first. By applying a short amount of low braking (but smooth) at first, and then releasing the brakes, allowed for the wagons behind to progressively buffer up. More and longer applications of the brake, and heaver too, ensure the buffering up was done smoothly. Once it was 'felt' that this had been achieved any 'fitted head' wagons would then be braked using the train vacuum brake. Of course, if you were stopping up hill it would not be possible to do this all by gravity alone and the same technique would apply. Once stopped the guard would be expected to apply his brake van hand brake to stop the train rolling back on the now buffered up wagons suddenly. If done this would 'snatch' the wagons back on the engine or other couplings and could, if excessive' cause one to brake and hence a run way or to derail. The guard would be expected to release his brake in short measure so that all the stopped wagons slowly stretched out again. This would allow the train to pull away from being stopped with the couplings already stretched out. The driving of loose coupled trains meant not only have 'road knowledge' about signal locations etc, but also very much about gradients. The gradients provided a very important action/reaction into the handling of the train by the driver. Add to this fog, rain and other non-ideal weather conditions and this truly became an art. Unlike passenger train or fully fitted freight trains there required a special technique to handling loose couples freight trains and team work with the guard who had a serious role to play, especially where, on some changing gradients you required the guard to assist in keeping the train stretched out through the application of his own brake at the rear. Perhaps the best explanation I can give you is this; On the goods lines from Bedford to Wellingborough the line progressively rose to Wymondly Tunnel. The tunnel itself was built across the peak of the gradient. You would haul the train up to 45mph and hold it at this speed with power on. Some 5 miles or so from the tunnel entrance you would reduce power and allow the weight of the trains, the gradient and gravity to reduce the speed to 30mph. Because you were still going up hill the reduced locomotives power and gradient kept the wagons stretched out. The aim was to enter the south end of the tunnel at 30mph under minimal power. The tunnel would be in total darkness until about halfway through when, because of the change in gradient approaching, you would start to see daylight at the end of the tunnel. At this point power was shut off and as each wagon passed over the peak in the gradient it would start to buffer up to the next one and the engine. Once out of the tunnel the train would be running fully buffered up and still at 30mph but with speed increasing. All done by technique and gravity. Further on the gradient levelled and power could then be gently applied approaching this levelling so as all the train could once again be stretched out and with speed approaching 45 mph. I hope this helps.

I was a guard at Derby 'back in the day'. Only ever met one driver who didn't rate the 45's as "The best loco I've ever driven"....

Oh!

BR cancelled the building of 20 Class 46 Peaks and instead got Brush to build the first 20 Class 47s. All set out in the book Class 47 50 Years of Locomotive History.

I used to work at Leeds Holbeck shed where we had a large number of class 45s.I used to love working them on the Leeds to London or West country trains. They were always known as Cromptons by footplatemen and the 46s as Sulzers.

@@xxxxxxxxxxhardy 44's known as Peaks, 45's known as Cromptons, 46's known as Brush 4's, 47's known as 4 1/2's here on the Midland.

@@simonlilley Indeed, benearth the skin a 47 was essentially a Class 46 Peak, with the same Brush electrical equipment and an uprated version of the 16 cylinder Sulzer engine.

@@norbitonflyer5625 I think you will find the 47s had a 12 cyl Sulzer engine.

Yes certainly great days but on all of these films about the railways I don't see the very large amounts of passengers that now require use of the railways. The railways are operating at very high capacity these days and that is the issue that our modern day railway engineers should be looking at. Plus don't spend £100million on hs2. Please sort out our railway system first otherwise hs2 just wont be effective. Anyway a person can get from Manchester to London in just over 2 hours. Some like the time to relax, some like the time to work. What more do people need?

@Jon Aschenbrenner D199 was a Peak, but D261 and 40125 were class 40s

@Jon Aschenbrenner On a technical basis they are even less like peaks, as there is not one single component that is the same between them.

@Jon Aschenbrenner no they didn't. Not all of the wheels were driven and the 47s 50s, Westerns and Deltics were all more powerful

So why were these heavy locos when working freight, frequently seen propelling a brake tender ??? Locomotives were limited to 60mph when running light because they had a problem to stop themselves !!! On unfitted freight trains the speed was 30mph, again because a locomotive of any type has a seriously limited brake force !!! This means "Heavy locomotive with insufficient wheels on which to brake, simply does not want to stop"

@@JamesSmith-mv9fp they still had rather more brake force than a 25 or 31, and they had better adhesion than a 47,

ah the days when you ride in the guards compartment and chat to the gaurd... things were more civilised back then

I remember these as the early Peaks were the first main line diesels seen by me at Watford Jct.

Go away American trains

@@prime6134 Right, so Americans are not allowed to enjoy this content. Got it.

@@blackbirdgaming8147 really commenting on a 8 month comment of mine

@@blackbirdgaming8147 I was joking but to see that you got offended maybe I should make it out

@@blackbirdgaming8147 You are most welcome friend.

The reason why electrification is so poor in the UK is because of the very restrictive loading gauge. Modifying low bridges and tunnels to give clearance for the wires is very expensive.

In recent years it's become clear what a valuable asset was lost to scrap values forever.

I'm one of the few of my generation who experienced the last of the old coaching stock, having travelled in the slamdoor third rail electrics on the branchlines of the south shortly before they were all withdrawn. The corridor coaches were extremely comfortable, and offered wonderfully quiet and private cabins. Should one wish, a person could buy an entire cabin to themselves, and enjoy their plush seats in solitary contemplation of the passing countryside. By contrast, the hard plastic seats of voyager units made rail travel an absolute chore and I've really never understood the logic behind this downgrade.

@@bulletz9280 I think the reason for the decline in passenger comfort and space can be summed up in the phrase "rate of return on capital".

@@cefnonn wh-

@@theextremeanimator4721 That is cryptic, or just incomplete. Are you a Peak fan?

@@cefnonn What is rate of return on capital?