Blazing Saddles

glenng · February 15, 2013, 11:11:20 PM

Peak Rail http://www.peakrail.co.uk/blazingsaddles/ is doing a Blazing Saddles Gala so here is my little blazing triple header for you.

scotsoft · February 15, 2013, 11:15:31 PM

A very smart line up you have there

cheers John.

moogle · February 15, 2013, 11:36:41 PM

I agree, nice line up.

1whitemoor · February 15, 2013, 11:40:07 PM

Wow, that's quite a brave event...I'd always thought that the Hunslet Austerity was something of a turn off in preservation circles?

They're certainly the most numerous class of any steam locomotive preserved - due to the fact that during the early 70's dozens of them became available ex-NCB (which happened to coincide with a huge growth in the preservation scene)

Paul A.

EtchedPixels · February 16, 2013, 02:46:58 PM

A lot of the preservation people seem to look down on "industrials", they weren't "proper" locomotives. Same with industrial stuff in general.

Shame really as it was often the most interesting stuff !

Alan

1whitemoor · February 16, 2013, 02:52:15 PM

Quote from: EtchedPixels on February 16, 2013, 02:46:58 PM
A lot of the preservation people seem to look down on "industrials", they weren't "proper" locomotives. Same with industrial stuff in general.

Shame really as it was often the most interesting stuff !

Alan

I'd argue that those with interests in "industrials" tend to look down on them also, they are true "austerity" designs - not built to last, but to be powerful and do the job during the war years and subsequent hard times. A very different approach to such companies as Avonside, Hawthorn Leslie, Hudswell etc

Paul A.

EtchedPixels · February 16, 2013, 02:54:20 PM

They certainly didn't come out of the NCB in good nick. I'm not sure they were "not designed to last". They are like a real landrover (not the chelsea tractor crap). Bits fall off regularly but you can always replace them. That's designed to last - but in a different way.

Alan

1whitemoor · February 16, 2013, 02:57:52 PM

Quote from: EtchedPixels on February 16, 2013, 02:54:20 PM
Bits fall off regularly but you can always replace them. That's designed to last - but in a different way.

Alan

Very true, and with a 4F power rating it's not surprising there's so many preserved and operational - it's a good size for a preserved line

Paul A.

Bealman · February 16, 2013, 10:43:30 PM

Interesting discussion. I grew up in the Durham Coalfields and saw heaps of those NCB beasties around the collieries where I lived. I think EP is correct in his summation: they were made to last, but in a different sort of way.

Anyway, I have two of those early Farish models on my layout - the blue NCB one and the black BR one. I had never seen a green one until I saw these photos! Coincidentally, just this week I dragged them out of the drawer they had been residing in for 15-odd years, and the little beggars scuttled off quite nicely when I applied power - that's more than I can say for other (larger) locos of the same vintage that I own. I guess the reason for that is they have more wheels and more gears and so on to seize up, when I think about it.