Eighty Years Of Diesels

 And Electrics!

As a comely little chap, fbb's memory of steam locos at Northampton Castle station (taken there by a doting maiden aunt!) was that they were black, very mucky and prone to make scary noises unpredictably! In his early trainspotting teens he recognised that big passenger engines were usually green ...

... but very occasionally red.

He never saw an A4 in blue.

Preservationists and modellers would have you believe that the Western Region painted everything green ...

... and it is true that more classes of passenger locos were green than in any other region; but not the humble Pannier.

Then along came diesels and for the "modernisation" era they were all green!

It very soon became a very dull oil-stained green. Then we had yellow ends ...

... which adorned everything!

Thus everything with an engine in it was green; until the electrification out of Euston when blue appeared ...

... soon gaining yellow ends as well!

Then along came blue, blue, blue and grey and bigger yellow ends. 

There were example thereof at "The Greatest Gathering".

But a person unfamiliar with the recent history of the so-called "commercial" railways of Britain, who happened across the farrago at Derby, might be forgiven for thinking every diesel and electric loco on the network was obliged by law to have a different livery.

There was even a diesel in all over battleship grey!

Maybe it was undercoat!

Freightliner had an electric celebrating 60 years of lining freight ...

... and, in a completely different livery, a diesel doing just the same.

The company and its business is very different from its revolutionary origins.

The original concept was a feature of the infamous Beeching Report!

One loco sported a livery developed, presumably, for a character from Game of Thrones.

We all remember Prince Drax of the Power Generators; sadly the Drax business is about as environmentally UNfriendly as any maker of the electric could be! But it is a craze to praise (like Kermit the Frog) the joys of being green!

It is hard, whether you were there or not, to grasp the extent and variety of what filled Alstom's tracks over the Bank Holiday weekend. Part of a Eurostar train showed its face ...

... and there were multiple unit trains outside ...

... and in.

It was good to see "InterCity" livery represented ...

... although the less than successful unique loco of class 89 was, perhaps, not the best advert for the era!

The ugliest locomotive ever designed as there ...

... as was the similarly gruesome class 99.

This is a freight diesel loco that can also be an electric loco which, we are told, will be the environmental answer to a green maiden's prayer. 

Wasn't Stadler a character from "The Muppets"?

It was good to see versions of the almost everlasting diesel shunter still around.

Two of the smallest rail vehicles ...

... (which also run on the road!) were on show. 

But the good news for everyone, in amongst the massive technology of today's rail industry, you could still enjoy an ice cream van and a bouncy castle.

So, after a thrilling weekend, you would say goodbye to Sweet Caroline ...

... goodbye to the flocks, herds, assemblages of the big stuff ...

... and goodbye to him ...

.. or her from Norton Canes!

Which all leaves us with one final question.

If this was "The Greatest Gathering", what happens for the 250th, or even for the 300th anniversary? You cannot have anything greater than greatest! Without cryogenics, fbb will not be available for either.

Maybe there won't be any railways in year 2225?

Maybe there won't be any humans in year 2225?

Maybe there won't be any universe in 2225?

Soon after the troubles of those days, the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky; and all the peoples of earth will weep as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The great trumpet will sound, and he will send out his angels to the four corners of the earth, and they will gather his chosen people from one end of the world to the other.

The Bible Book of Revelation has some scary predictions on that matter!

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Coming soon to a blog near you ...

The Silly Season - Cement Stupidity

The Silly Season - Internet Idiocy

The Silly Season - Pickering Pottiness

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 Next Collecting blog : Mon 1 September 

200 Years But Controversially

 200 Years From When?

"Rail" ways for goods date back to at least the 17th century when wooden wagons ...

... were pushed by hand along wooden tracks, later lines of flat stones. Lines using iron rail then followed with carts pulled by horses. Steam would allow heavier loads to be hauled and would lead on to railways as we know them.

The first passenger carrying railway in the UK ran from Swansea to Oystermouth and opened in 1807, but horse drawn.

By a quirk of fate, the first steam-hauled passengers were carried on the Stockton and Darlington Railway on 27th September 1825.

However, after the opening day jollifications, passenger trains, what few there were, reverted to using real live horse power.

Some would argue, therefore, that the first real steam hauled passenger service, with stations and tickets, was the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830.

fbb reckons we should have a proper 200th celebration in five years time!

He did not go to "The Greatest Gathering" at Derby because his days of traipsing round uneven rail yards drooling over huge locomotives have probably come to an end. After all, your9 blogger has been alive for 40% of the lifetime of the passenger carrying locomotive hauled railway.

Which is a bit scary!

But plenty did go!

It is astounding, to fbb at least, how many folk of all ages are still captivated by steam cans on wheels, called, lightheartedly, "kettles" by some present day transport writers.

There were many "kettles" at Derby but it would have been good to see a few more examples from the earlier decades of the steam era. Where, for example, was Rocket and the repro Locomotion from Beamish? There wasn't even a humble GWR pannier tank.

STOP PRESS

Ian (of Ian Visits blog fame), was there - and snapped Locomotion hidden away in one of the sheds!

Sir Nigel was there resplendent in blue ...

... as was Tornado in green.

Tornado did not exist in the glory days of steam but is a recent new-build beginning its main line service in 2009!

The glories of named trains were represented by the "Golden Arrow" headboard ...

... with more LNER nostalgia in the hands of the ever popular "Flying Scotsman".

It must have been quite scary for the little kiddies to stand next to such an iconic beast even if they had little real idea of its significance.

It was good to see an example of the BR "standard" classes there ...

... and to reflect on how short-lived these "modernised" steam machines were, very soon eclipsed by the all conquering diesel.

Also present was Bahamas ...

... an LMS Jubilee and representative of the mainstay of fbb's short-lived trainspotting career spent at Northampton Castle station and Courteenhall cutting on the lines out of Euston. Ah ... happy memories!

Also representing steam was a selection of model railways ...

... plus an example of our narrow gauge heritage ...

Here was an engine from the huge private collection at Statfold ...

... Trankil No 4 ...

... which was joined by Prince from the Festiniog Railway ...

... to chuff top and tail on short rides. Joyous!

After the bank holiday weekend many enthusiasts found their way to Derby station to watch the exhibits depart. 

It wasn't quite as spectacular as those who witnessed some arrivals out in the countryside ...

... as most platform-based spotters had to content themselves with slow stook movements.

As at the gathering itself, more modern diesel and electric locos dominated the "off home" displays ...

fbb will be back at the Alstom depot for tomorrow's blog; looking at the huge (and it really was huuuuge!) variety of  more modern diesel and electric traction on display.

Hmmmm?

 Next Variety blog : Sunday 31 Aug