The Rail Enthusiast thread

[Mad Doug Biker]

Also, the Diesel Gala at Bo'ness once had a Hymek no less as a guest loco. '76 I think it was.

A Hymek in Scotland, who'd have thought?!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I was about to ask if anyone on here is a 20s fan. They're a little odd to say the least. I've only seen a few, and always in sidings, never moving anywhere. Have I missed out?

They make a great Whistling noise.

They were the first of the 1955 Modernisation Plan loco types to appear, and clearly were of a design ethos similar to the steam locos they would be replacing, i.e. only one cab at the end of the loco. They often ran in pairs, 'nose to nose' as a result.
The class 17 'Claytons' were meant to be a replacement/upgrade for them, but they had such an awful performance that they had to start building more class 20s in the '60s instead.... whilst the class 17s were all withdrawn by 1971!

Along with the class 08/'09s, the '31s and the '37s (1959) they are the great survivors from the 1950s, and look to have a very real future on the network still!
A fitter at Bo'ness explained to me once why they have survived as long as they have. They are devastating simple, I mean, everything is all accessible in that 'nose'..... you just have to open one of the side doors and vela, you are there! (a bit like the later class 58s).

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_20

I am not a fan of them, although I never disliked them, but as the years have passed, I do now find them quite endearing locos really, so much more so than, say, the class 31s.

The class 20s were probably most well known for working coal trains in pairs by the way.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

google front page today

 

[ianrauk]

Anyone seen Google's front page today?

 

[I like Skol]

I was about to ask if anyone on here is a 20s fan. They're a little odd to say the least. I've only seen a few, and always in sidings, never moving anywhere. Have I missed out?

I was about to say I remember them being very whistley. My Saturday trips out often involved a trek up to Buxton as there was often a few pairs of 20's resting from stone train duties for the weekend. Sometimes a pair would come through Stalybridge station when I was there during my lunch hour from the nearby secondary school. When running down the hill to the station you could hear the whiste of them idling at the signals before you saw them.

They make a great Whistling noise.

A fitter at Bo'ness explained to me once why they have survived as long as they have. They are devastating simple, I mean, everything is all accessible in that 'nose'..... you just have to open one of the side doors and vela, you are there! (a bit like the later class 58s).

I had a look at the class 58 wikipedia page and was shocked to see they only had a 20 year service span, not like the 20's. I remember a couple of unofficial trips to 'The Works' and managed to see one of the new 58's stood out in the open prior to being delivered. It must have been one of the mid 30's, 034 sounds about right. Me and my mates used to sneak around the back of the works and scramble around/under the fence where it ended by the river...... Good times!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I had a look at the class 58 wikipedia page and was shocked to see they only had a 20 year service span, not like the 20's. I remember a couple of unofficial trips to 'The Works' and managed to see one of the new 58's stood out in the open prior to being delivered. It must have been one of the mid 30's, 034 sounds about right. Me and my mates used to sneak around the back of the works and scramble around/under the fence where it ended by the river...... Good times!

The class 58s were partly meant to be the class 20 replacement with the class 60s finishing the job off, but, the '58s fell victim, along with the class 56s to the unrelenting march of the class 66s 20 years later.

First the class 17s, then the '58s, the class 20s seem to be almost indestructible..... and they almost saw off the class 60s too*, FFS!


* - DB seem to have had a change of mind and are refurbishing and reinstating quite a few of them, including my favourite, 60100!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I was about to say I remember them being very whistley. My Saturday trips out often involved a trek up to Buxton as there was often a few pairs of 20's resting from stone train duties for the weekend. Sometimes a pair would come through Stalybridge station when I was there during my lunch hour from the nearby secondary school. When running down the hill to the station you could hear the whiste of them idling at the signals before you saw them.



I had a look at the class 58 wikipedia page and was shocked to see they only had a 20 year service span, not like the 20's. I remember a couple of unofficial trips to 'The Works' and managed to see one of the new 58's stood out in the open prior to being delivered. It must have been one of the mid 30's, 034 sounds about right. Me and my mates used to sneak around the back of the works and scramble around/under the fence where it ended by the river...... Good times!

Oh no oh no on no!! I have just noticed you doing something I hate! Misplaced apostrophes!! For example

'The new 58's stood out in the open'.

The new 58's what? It is a possessive is it not?

If it is any consolation, I am probably somehow wrong somewhere too

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Yes, you've just posted Who's steam facts on the Post A Lie thread.....surely it should have been whose.....?

That was a lie though!!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Good point.....OK, here's a number

50025

Invincible

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

More, MORE!!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

50061

..... Bloody good point, seeing as there were only 50 of them!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Between 800 and 870 I'll know some though...

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Yes, you've just posted Who's steam facts on the Post A Lie thread.....surely it should have been whose.....?

That was a lie though, a LIE I say!!