An excellent adaptation of steam technology, Ulrich. My local transit authority should immediately convert to steam operation on all of their bus routes. I must fire off a letter to them immediately with the good news.
John
I just found out, that this bus started its life as a Sentinel DG6 steam lorry, (err, sorry, truck) and was converted into a bus in 2002, requiring a change in the British Road Traffic Act to be able to carry passengers. Such a change would be unthinkable in my country.
Ulrich,
I hope you don’t believe the word “lorry” is unthinkable here in the US of A. Or are you just pulling our leg?
John
No, it’s in Britain, so it’s officially a ‘lorry’. We can always discuss it in principle as being a truck, but it did not ‘start its life’ in Britain as one. So semantically, no.
I tried establishing the same sort of convention for “Baltic” vs. “Hudson” (the former having two pin-guided trucks) and for the controversy between ‘truck’ and ‘bogie’. As it turns out, however, the latter is more complicated than it looks. One of the great scholarly articles from Britain at its height in the late 1890s defines ‘bogie’ as ‘a truck that is arranged to pivot’ (or something like that; I can check the direct reference if required) – so the British know perfectly well that multiaxle frames that support something relatively long and tubular are trucks just as equally under a railroad car as under a gun…
RME
John - just a little bit [(-D]
iI thiink that that Welsh-South African - Baldwin is the nicest looking 2-footer I have ever seen. And it sounds great also! It is a good lookling and sounding Pcific of any size. Beautiful countryside too, but that is typical of lots of the British tourist lllnes, especially the Welsh narrow guage liines. Thanks.
Dave - couldn´t agree more! Both the Ffestiniog Railway and the Welsh Highland Railway are my personal favorites. The Ffestiniog Railway is famous for its Double-Fairlie locos, twin-boilered “contraptions” servicing the line since 1869, and its quarry engine rebuilts “Linda” and Blanche" who have a distinct “British” look to them (i.e. so ugly that they are now beautiful). The Welsh Highland Railway is a fascinosum of its own, being built along a line closed down in the 1930´s. The Beyer-Garratts operating this line are an unusual sight in northern Europe.
Here is a video with some spectacular footage of both lines:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=FuMysCToIyM
Gee, I had hoped to spend my retirement somewhere along this line …
When I visited and rode the Ffestiniog in 1962, only one of the double-end Fairlies had been restored, and we rode behind it. The line was about half its length and we gave a hand to the track gang. We thought the Welsh Highland grade was to be another Ffestiniog extension and not a separate railroad. I am assuming they do connect.
I saw Beyer Garrets from Rhodesia at Capitol Park, Praetoria, S… A., and that was my only contact with BG’s. About 1982, before the new government. Got to run a 4-8-0. But could not ride the trolleybuses, reserved for blacks.
and I must congratulate you on the marvelous video you have privileged us to view. magnificent.
Hi. Lovely shots. I was amazed to see myself on screen (fireman & switchman on “Peter Pan” - not too taxing with about 1 square foot of grate). “Chaloner” was built (1877), with cab. Until recently, the oldest known surviving photo of it was taken around 1927 but a De Winton works photo turned up a year or so ago, showing the newly built locomotive, complete with cab, & owner David Fisher fitted a replica last year. The original cab was believed removed around 1888, when the original quarry that the loco was bult for closed & the engine sold.
Incidentally, we have a Baldwin at Leighton Buzzard, a 4-6-0T, built in 1917, one of 500 built for the British War Department, for service in France in World War I. It will be operating over Easter.