The Jacobite 2009 This video was taken while I was support crewing Black 5 45231 sherwood forrester in 2009. The Driver was Paul Cane and the fireman was Frank Santrian and filmed by Magan MacNeill.
I never knew they' built railways in Middle Earth ! What a beautiful place. I'd never heard of Beasdale before but it's made a whopping great impression now !
Smashing video. the Beasdale Bank is the ultimate test for any loco. When I was on the Jacobite last year we had 45407 and the noise going uphill after Loch nan Uamh viaduct was incredible.
Now I see why my Dad had hands like Shovels and a bent back .Shrewsbury to Paddington, Newton Abbot,,, he would shift some coal there and back next day. Fair play to you Dad 💞
this is the best footplate video i’ve seen, it really captures the feel of working on a loco, i know that joy of climbing a grade with good fire and water all too well. your Beasedale bank might be a challenge but it’ll never beat Fielder bank where i come from :) almost 4 miles of 1:30 climbing on 2ft 6.
1in 30 ? You have to be kidding. Here in New Zealand, they had the Rimutaka Incline at 1 in 15 to deal with, sharp curves and was a 3-mile-long (4.8 km), 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge railway line on an average grade of 1-in-15. A nightmare to coal & steam. However there were usually several Fell loco's spread throughout all trains, but that also meant that the drivers had to ALWAYS be vigilant and keep their loco's pulling at the same pressure, as if one loco was allowed to dawdle (run easy) it put too much strain on the other loco's as well as on couplings. It as superseded when the "Incline" was closed on 29 October 1955, being replaced on 3 November of that year by the 8,798m (5 mile 821 yard) Rimutaka Tunnel and associated deviation. These Fell loco's also ran on three rails, the center rail being a "raised center rail" system, using bull head rail lying horizontally on it's supports, to allow the Fell loco's inside wheel sets (horizontally fitted) to be pressure gripped against both sides of the bullhead rail, giving excellent grip and uphill pulling power. I wasn't around up there at the time (being 12 when the incline closed) but the newspapers of the day were full of "exciting news" about how th new tunnel was going to "improve" the train trips (especially for passenger trains) through to the Waiarapa. p.s: The Rimutaka Incline, between Summit and Cross Creek, was the steepest railway line in New Zealand, dropping 265 m in less than 5 km (average gradient 1 in 15). Thus your "Fielder Bank must have been a LAZY "walk in the park" - compared to what New Zealand steam loco crews had to deal with, driving (and keeping synchronized) upwards of FOUR fell loco's on any upward pull. The Guards Vans were also equipped with the Fell center rail system, for applying brakes as normal braking was useless as normally braked wheels slid along the steep incline, thus special "horizontal gripping wheels were employed in the vans to apply brakes on horizontal pairs of wheels, to avoid slippage. Also of note: Passenger trains used an extra Fell loco (making FIVE loco's in total) and FOUR brake vans, whereas the goods trains only used the original FOUR loco's and THREE brake vans (goods trains being not considered as important to "shift" cargo, than human cargo was. re: The special Fell engines had two pairs of horizontal driving wheels set under the boiler for extra grip when climbing. The wheels were held by compression springs against a raised centre rail. Descending trains used special brake vans with brake blocks bearing on the centre rail. Using four locomotives spaced along the train and three brake vans, goods trains of up to 264 tonnes climbed the Incline. Five engines and four brake vans, with a crew of 15, were required to haul passenger trains of 264 tonnes up the Incline. This section was unique in the world for 72 years (1883-1955). It was the most successful and longest serving of only three "Fell" operated railways in the world, built to work based on John Barraclough Fell's 1863 patent that pre-dated rack railways as used on later-built mountain railways overseas. There being TWO other lines in New Zealand also using the Fell system.
Interesting! I have never heard of the bull rail system. I come from west coast logging country. The steepest I have heard of is Fraily Mt., 30% worked strictly by adhesion. Big pile of wrecked log cars at the bottom.
What a great sequence. It's a reminded that the West Highland line is not only very scenic but also has tough gradients, a real test for a steam engine. Now I want to go back and ride on the Jacobite! We don't notice it with modern dmus. I believe Beasdale bank is 1 in 48. Two other experiences of tough "against the collar" work that I recall; going up the Snowdon Mountain Railway with steam, you really hear the engine working! And a first-generation "power twin" dmu slogging up the bank out of Bradford Interchange, 1 in 50 off a standing start; again modern dmus manage far more easily.
Pleased to have stumbled across this one. I met Pual Kane on the West Highland Autumn Charters, a really nice guy and a great sense of humour. A master of the job and very much missed.
This was a wondeful surprise (popped up beside some "pop" songs that I was listening to;) I was absolutely amazed when I saw "Who's afraid of the Beasdale Bank?" IBrilliant that the Crew sings that at the end! I've had a footplate ride over the West Highland Extension, but with a Class 27; it was given a bit of encouragement as it approached this climb!
It is! One of the best days I’ve had on the footplate firing a steam locomotives. Sadly as of this year both the Two older gentlemen have since passed away so this is now a bit historically!
Ah, the Beasdale Bank. I remember it well. It was there that a SRPS excursion came to grief while I was on it. The excursion was diesel-hauled to FTW then steam forwards to Mallaig. Somehow the firing crew got it wrong and the train failed on the Bank. They backed the train up for some miles and had another charge, but failed again. The decision was taken to split the train, take the forward portion to Arisaig, go back and bring the remainder there. In the meantime, the diesel which had hauled us to FTW was called for and took us back home. So we never actually got to Mallaig. I still have photographs of the occasion with Black 5 44871 simmering gently in the Down platform at Arisaig. Needless to say, it was a very, very late return to my home station - which was not the train's final destination. Alas, the photographs are not dated, so I can only work out that it was in the late 1980s or early 1990s.
Superb video, great shots from the footplate, and with the driver cracking the whip urging the loco on, well done, thanks for sharing, it's a like from me, cheers...Bill
Superb 💖 video 📸 it is really a full time excercise to run this steam 🚂🚂 beauty ❤️💜💕 for which the driver and the fire 🔥 Man deserves a great 😃👍❤️💜💕🥰💕 salute
Apparently the Class 5 was Stanier's favourite of all his designs. It could go anywhere and do anything required of it. It was a development of the GWR 49 class - the Halls and they were of similar capacity but maybe not quite as powerful
@@andrewwilliams2353 Black Fives are a lot easier for shed staff. To my eye they also look better than Halls but that’s ‘all in the eye of the beholder’
@@LuckyTrucker1 You are right of course, but with outside gear, two water gauges, cab doors and I think rocking grates. Did Halls have rocking grates? Ie Black Fives we’re easier to prepare and dispose. TE was about the same. I think Halls had Stephenson’s Valve Gear while Black Fives were mostly Walshaert’s with a few Caprotti and one Stephenson’s. I’d put it this way: given a choice would a pragmatic shed master prefer a dozen Halls or a dozen Black Fives?
A fantastic cacophony of noise, with some expert hands at the reigns. Sorely missed no doubt. I couldn't quite make out the last line of the ditty though!
I'm not to sure to be very honest, it was a very long time ago. But it was sang every time with this particular crew. Sadly both Driver and Fireman (singing) are no longer with us! RIP Frank & Paul.
Magnificent machines, with clean burn & gas scrubbers Steam should return to Britain , billions of tons of wealth , but Anti Maggie. I live in the small village of Gaianes in Spain not 200m from where the British built narrow gauge line ran .My late dad told me that during his spare time ( Merchant Navy Mc Andrew line ) he used to travel from Gandia Harbour to Alcoy home of weaving , the ships imported coal & spare parts ,exporting olive oil fresh long keeping oranges & tin ingots .I love steam power & saw Britania hauling carriages from Clacton to Liverpool St Station. I have on my mantle piece a bit of history, the original brass "Gents " mains powered waiting room clock from the 50 s taken by my stepfather while decorating the waiting room while a larger clock ,easier to see was installed. Many countries Inc China use the method described above , just thing Britain would evade the need to rely on electricity or diesel powered locos. Near me in Alcoy there's a narrow gauge line , efficient diesel powered railcars that was threatened with closure , now get this an example of a socialist E.U country .A season ticket € 20 , & for the rest of the year all free, going to the once capital of Spain , Jativa, from which you can pick up a RENFE electric train to Valencia. Now linking Alicante to Murcia on the H.S.T .40 mins €18 , students & pensioners at a reduced rate .I moved here 21 years ago , got divorced & my ex sold our house in Javea & I bought this Casita in Gaianes. Life for my company MariCarmen is great cheap & healthy. Noticed in the Daily Mail that we can get here that the average elec bill , semi detached 3 bed is rising to above £2,600 per year , as a low ( 3kw max) consumption user that's my bill, unless price goes up for approx 8 years . Water though hard is very cheap.The last bill that I pay in cash for ( six months water max 100 cu m ) plus my house rates € 242 .
i never saw any foot plate driver or fireman behave like that. The driver leaving his controls is akin to taking your hands off the steering wheel of a car whilst rummaging behind the back seat. All these extra people on the fotplate. What's that about?
