Why was it nicknamed 'Hippopotamus'? Exploring Stephenson's long boiler loco | Curator with a Camera 

1275s livery is a favourite of mine, and a far cry from the unlined black she wore from ~1917 until withdrawral in 1925. The reverser arrangement is definitely worthy of note, technically it's both lever AND screw reverse, turning the screw essentially moves the notch that the lever is sitting in, allowing for precise on-the-move setting of the cutoff, but the lever can be moved on its own to enable a quick reversal during shunting. Quite a few NER locos were so fitted, including many of the Class O (LNER G5) 0-4-4T's.

1275 has been moved around a lot since this video came out. It’s been moved from the spot depicted in the video, to being covered in tarp with it’s funnel in the north shed, to being relocated next to the L&YR Class 5 at the opposite side of the turntable. It’s quite a nice little loco and it would definitely be worth keeping.

I love these Curator with a Camera uploads...🇬🇧 🚂

This loco used to operate on the Whitby & Pickering Railway (now the NYMR) when it was in service. Amazing that the paint job has lasted so well since 1925. Still shiny, and not faded or pealing!

Regarding the "wood effect" on the walls of the cab: this, in combination with the polished copper and brass of the various elements, gives a somewhat cosy atmosphere and suggests to me that the designers took into account the aesthetics of crew's working environment. Full marks for that!

In our Newcastle Museum, Australia we have an engine built in 1870 and was used carting coal to the docks for a 100 years.

We need a deep dive on the class 20

That's a beutiful workhorse of a locomotive.

Speaking of/highlighting the "scumbling". I've seen that being applied to a Thompson TK carriage [1623] based on the NYMR. What's more it's quite an art to watch, as you start off with a light colour and gradually darken it down until yo get the shade you're after.....

The reverser is similar to those on the RHDR that is to say you could do fine adjustment with the hand wheel and quick reversing by disengaging the the screw and working the lever. Quite important on a goods engine. I noticed the water valves for the injectors but did not see the steam valves. Perhaps it just had pumps.

Thank you very much for talking about the NER 1275 from 1874. The Museum does a great job in preserving the knowledge of this technology. I would like a similar review of the NER Tennant 1463 which was built 10 years later. It too had the integrally cast valve chest under the cylinders. I have a live steam model of this engine.

The Barnard Castle to Tebay and Penrith line over Stainmore was part of the Stockton & Darlington before becoming part of the NER.

Quite noticeable on the backhead is that the water gauges have been moved

Yes, I did enjoy that, fascinating! Interesting to see an artifact actually in its original livery! Useful modelling info!

When I first heard that number it sounded familiar. Eventually I realized that this steam locomotive has almost the same number as Gettysburg railroad 1278. For those who don’t know I’ll give a very abridged version. Basically 1278 was a steam locomotive that exploded as late as the 90’s. There are tons of videos about it on RU-vid.

Several people have commented on the injectors, or pumps, or lack thereof. I notice that there are 3 clack valves on the boiler. Did it have a combination of feed pump and injectors?

I have been to the York railway museum several times over the years , it’s great ...on a side note my uncle was one of few employees who was licensed to drive a steam engine ( for moving them )

Why assume that oiling was done while moving? The wear on the iron plates would be the same whether moving or not.

Amazing is always, is there any possibility that we can get a video of the stirling single?

I love these videos so much! Its one of my favourite series along with the Tank Chats by the Bovington tank museum! Keep them comin! (Im aussie so i cant go to these museums irl so i love these videos)

They really didn't give a toss about the crew then. Imagine having to stoop to floor level to shovel coal! Crippling. 😮

Great video and a wonderful old engine

Some of the old Belgium steam locomotives in the museum in train world have a very similar reverser ( mostly on the passenger locomotives) but they definitely don't have such a unique screw!

That really bizarre that they didnt really think of crew comforts until much later on. This happened not just of steam engines, another example that springs to mind are ww1 era destroyers. Alot of them had completely exposed bridges. No sheiding from the elements. Sounds like a very unplesant time to be working these kind of engines.

Is there any chance the photo used at 0:36 is from the Victorian Railways (VR) in Australia. Three wagon types in the photo look near identical to standard VR wagon types that I have never seen on any other railways, 1. The wagon with vertical cage like bars and a peaked roof looks like an early VR L class double deck sheep wagon. 2. The side louvered Vans with a peaked roof look like early VR U Louvre vans. 3. Some of the open wagons look to be the same proportions and design of the VR I wagon. VR being an early adopter of the widespread use of all steel open wagons whereas the UK railways and especially the NER built quite different wooden designs for coal transport for a much longer period. 4. The cattle wagon while not as distinctively VR looks similar to early VR M class cattle wagons. A search for Victorian Railways L wagon , for example, should show the similarities I am talking about. One VR wagon type that does look like an early GNR or NER design is the VR Z class brake guards van so there could be a transfer of some other VR designs from the UK that I am less aware of. The building also look to be wooden weatherboard types with a front sloping verandah. These look to be more Australian economy designs than anything I have seen in photographs of UK railways. Maybe the photo got classified under Victorian Railways era photgraphs rather than the location and railway name. These often turn up noticed by me having the VR as my home railway of special interest to me. Any NER experts with thoughts on this out there?

Oiling the loco while it's on the move. Sounds like something out of a silent film.

See people, even the curators call the ornate embellishments in the livery twirly bits! I'm not stupid!

Oiling Stephenson's gear from the running board WHILE the loco is IN MOTION?? No thanks!! That's a terrifying prospect! So glad to hear those noises in the background. Glad to hear work is progressing with your renovations. Wishing you the best from the states! Maybe one day I'll be able to travel abroad and see your wonderful collection!

Not related to this video but has the railway museum considered getting a class 313. There an important part of history

I notice there's no vacuum brake pipe. What sort of braking arrangement did this loco have?

Very interesting, indeed! How were those sanders operated...? There doesn't seem to be a lever for it in the cab...

Am I right in thinking that there isn't a brake other than the handbrake? Was that a common setup on locos in the 19th century?

The driving wheels look oddly spaced and a very unusual buffer beam.

Is it just me, or do marker lights on steam locos always make them look like they have eyes?

One article by Cyril J. Freezer notes a particular company (Furness, perhaps?) that tried to put big American cabs on their engines to shelter their crew, and the crew hated them. He couldn't understand why anyone would rather be working out in the open in the snow and rain and wind. By the 1930s, many North American engines had all-weather cabs that were completely enclosed. Not even an LNER A4 Gresley Pacific had an enclosed cab; I can't imagine anyone volunteering to work an engine at speeds of 100 MPH under those conditions. It might have been necessary due to the lack of oil-firing and mechanical stokers on British engines.

The Queen said the " Hippo train can not swim under Water, and steam always rises to the top ", I asked if waddle is spelled with a o as wOddle and prayed for peach cobbler and world peace ☀️#Disney 1964? #Princewilliam

When you said she “waddled”, I immediate thought of Duck (from Thomas the Tank Engine) a she is green, I wonder if Wilbert Awdry used her as the basis for the character.

No injectors?