Nice bit of footage of A4 testing with a lot of detail for anyone with the urge to hide a rolling road on their layout 


Locomotive Testing Station (1948)

Not sure I'd like to be standing where some of them chaps were... 

Quote from: Luke Piewalker on April 19, 2014, 07:47:25 PM
Not sure I'd like to be standing where some of them chaps were... 

You would not be allowed to these days but in the good old days when you were it would be very exhilarating to stand next to so much power.

I cannot claim to have been standing next to a steamie but I have stood next to some massive engines and it is terrifying as well as thrilling 

cheers John.

  HSA Inspectorate would have a complete mental meltdown these days! No safety cages for all those machinery moving parts.

That was filmed at the locomotive testing station at Rugby, which opened in 1948

http://www.nrm.org.uk/~/media/Files/NRM/PDF/archiveslists2012/other/Rugby%20Locomotive%20Testing%20Station%20archive%20list.pdf

Very good video, not a hard hat or yellow vest in sight amidst those spinning
wheels and flailing conrods......

All I know is if one of them belts let go, I wouldn't want to be stood next to it...

That bloke that climbs around and gets under those spinning wheels is a total crack pot with a death wish, makes me think of my Uncles friend that worked at the Austin Factory at Longbridge, he went to work after a night out and still had his tie on, the tie got caught in the lathe he was operating which dragged him into the lathe and chewed his throat out.

Excellent video.  Can you imagine the noise there must have been in that shed while the loco was doing 50 mph.

And as has been said, some of those men do seem to have a total disregard for their own lives by moving about so close to those flywheels.

What a wonderful video, pity there was no sound!

Nevertheless it was interesting to see the cranks and wheels moving rather than a fleeting glimpse as the express charges past!

I noticed not one ear plug or ear muffler was visible!

Regards, Peter.

Yep, different times, for sure. But sometimes I think of another side to such.... my recent reply to you on another post about things going astray on a layout, Peter....

The men had complete faith in the machinery and the engineering which brought it about. Sometimes we have to, otherwise humans would not have set foot on the moon.

Those men were not afraid of it, in fact they probably understood the rolling road and the loco upon it more than anyone.

Testing, testing, before letting it loose on the mainline... not unlike testing your layout before setting it in concrete with ballast and scenery, really.

However.... the lack of safety gear and regulations at that time, as evidenced by the video, is VERY UNNERVING. Lot to be said for working in 9mm!! 

George

Thanks to EP for the post!

Quote from: Bealman on April 20, 2014, 12:53:20 PM
Testing, testing, before letting it loose on the mainline... not unlike testing your layout before setting it in concrete with ballast and scenery, really.

Errrr ..... are you referring to the test in the video here ?

If so ... sorry, you're wrong.  The Rugby facility was planned by Sir Nigel back in the 30s, but didn't open until '48 - a good 11 years after that loco was built.  I believe that this footage is of the opening / first engine in the facility (note the tender - I don't believe it carried this lettering for very long).

Mike

[Edit] You'll find the Pathe footage (with sound) here : http://www.britishpathe.com/video/railways-test-speed-locos-aka-locos-go-on-test

Thanks for that, Mike. You are quite correct. Me opening mouth before putting brain into gear. 

George

No worries, George ... I didn't know of you were being generic or not ...

As an LNER / Gresley fan, this footage was familiar to me