The Newest Steam Loco In The World!
There is something of a craze (a VERY expensive craze!) for building brand new steam locos, examples of "iconic" classes of the past built new - from scratch. The most recent potential candidate is is Prince of Wales ...
LNER Class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales is a 2-8-2 "Mikado" steam locomotive being built at Darlington Locomotive Works, England, and managed by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. It will be the seventh member of its class and the only P2 in existence; the original six were built between 1934 and 1936 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) to a design by Nigel Gresley, and employed to haul heavy passenger trains on the Edinburgh to Aberdeen line. The P2s were declared Britain's most powerful express passenger engines, although none were preserved.
Sadly, not this one as it is not quite ready yet. But you can buy a Hornby model!
If you are rich enough.
Then there is one of these ...
... a brand new LNWR 4-4-0. But it is, similarly, not quite finished.
So does that leave Tornado?
LNER Peppercorn Class A1 No. 60163 Tornado is a 4-6-2 steam locomotive completed in 2008 to an original design by Arthur Peppercorn. It is the first new build British mainline steam locomotive since 1960, and the only Peppercorn Class A1 in existence after the original batch were scrapped. In 2017, Tornado became the first steam locomotive to officially reach 100 mph (160 km/h) on British tracks in over 50 years.
Thus beauty is currently undergoing a major overhaul, virtually a rebuild, but will return when the work is complete.
But the Uk - nay, even the world - has a brand new steam locomotive that is much more recent than these AND has already been in operation hauling passenger trains. It is called "Falcon".
Good guess - but fbb said steam loco!
And here it is with the rest of the fleet ...
... And in a similar juxtaposition as photographed in 1948!
This splendid "copy" is working on the Corris Railway which once ran from Machynlleth (of yesterday's new bridge fame) up the valley, through Corris to Aberllefenni.
It had a passenger service but it's main business was in carrying stone from numerous quarries en route.
In your dreams, fat bloke!
The new loco will, however, be the mainstay of summer weekend operations in 2024 while the other little loco is away for its heavy overhaul.
Falcon looks great!
Wise Wight Words
Courtesy of Northampton Alan, who visited fbb's old haunts for a recent running day with the Island's bus museum.
Alan writes:-
It should come as no surprise that there were bins of the Winter Southern Vectis timetable at Portsmouth Harbour station, the central Library in Newport and my Hotel. 
The timetable is little changed from Summer with a few reductions here and there. But it does contain the usual Christmas Day service.
Boxing Day has a full Sunday service.
Alan also posed a teaser for fbb. Which of these three buses seen ioperating on the running day ...
... was on a scheduled bus service, not just an enthusiasts' run-around?
Answer tomorrow.
The World's Smallest Train?
Sam Turner (of Sam's Trains video notoriety) has recently become very enthusiastic about his 3D printer and decided to make some wagons. He then moved on to making a 3D model of a theoretical very small two compartment coach.
The coach body looked OK ...
... and took a little under 90 minutes to print. Sam did not reveal how long it took him to design it on CAD software! He included a full interior, even adding luggage racks. Then the roof; designed ...
... built and fitted; another slow 3D print.
The chassis was the same as for his freight wagons, but it would have also taken some time to print.
fbb thinks later 3D printers are much faster (Sam's got a swisher one now). They would need to be for fbb - who won't be buying one!
But where might you find a candidate for the world's smallest standard gauge train?
There it is at Smallbrook Junction! Of course it is the refurbished Drewry diesel (petrol?) railcar that used to run up and down Ryde Pier.
On the pier it had its own bit of track with the other "tram" on the parallel but physically separate rails.
But on the Steam Railway it has to be treated like a train, properly signalled and operating on the single track sections under full regulations.
So it is a proper train!
But small!
And The Helsinki Extra As Promised?
Such was he Helsinki Transport web site all day yesterday. Isn't technology wonderful?
fbb will have another go today.
Next Helsinki blog (Maybe?) : Monday 23rd October
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