Class 55 "Deltic" windows fitted to narrowboats

[Timleech]

I think its because it was always used and designed as a passenger loco? Dont quote me. I think it was some enthusiasts who were pulling their faces

 

Not the first time a preserved Deltic has been hired out for freight use, though

 

Tim

[mykaskin]

I think its because it was always used and designed as a passenger loco? Dont quote me. I think it was some enthusiasts who were pulling their faces

 

Didn't they go on freight work after passenger service use though?

 

Mike

[kbarber]

Didn't they go on freight work after passenger service use though?

 

Mike

Don't think so. The prototype was tested on freight though, somewhere "oop north" (I think the S&C), the LMR not having the gumption to see that they'd got a racehorse on their hands (not that I'm biased of course...) Gerry Fiennes records doing his calculations for vitesse commerciale at about that time, concluding that "we needed at least 3000hp under the bonnet" and, following the psalmist's advice, lifted up his eyes unto the hills. He wanted 35 Deltics, the bean counters gave him 22 and he set about laying the foundations for what became known as Inter City, with sustained 100mph running and door-to-door averages for typical passenger journeys in the region of 70mph.

 

Theres a couple of nuts and a rubber ball which compresses in the back of them, you just fiddle with the setting till its sounds like a "strangled cat" (Finsbury Park terminology) then adjust the air pressure to suit - if it right YOU WILL BE PROBABLY DEAF.

Thanks Laurence... not sure I'd have wanted to do anything irreversible. Now all I need is to find a suitable set - and the £££ to afford them!

 

I always wanted to get a boat fitted with them on the Regents above Gas Works tunnel and sound them to see what reaction you got from the spotters on the Cross!!!

Now that's ROTTEN!!!

[RLWP]

<snip>

 

 

Thanks Laurence... not sure I'd have wanted to do anything irreversible. Now all I need is to find a suitable set - and the £££ to afford them!

 

<snip>

 

I'm trying to remember how much the last set I saw went for. It was either £350 or £650 several years ago

 

Richard

[Laurence Hogg]

Didn't they go on freight work after passenger service use though?

 

Mike

No, rarely ever did freight. I remember the lineside telegraph buzzing up in the late 70's when one worked a train to Washwood Heath and we all swarmed over there because it was so rare, Remember these 22 locos replaced over double the number of A4 pacifics (Streaks) on the ECML.

[Laurence Hogg]

I'm trying to remember how much the last set I saw went for. It was either £350 or £650 several years ago

 

Richard

 

That may well have been mine, I had the horns, the drivers control lever and the air tanks and was very happy with the sale

[sociable_hermit]

Do any of the Deltic bashers on here know my friend Martin Clark of Doncaster, then?

 

Not the same Martin Clark who posts on here, as far as I'm aware.

[FadeToScarlet]

Having served my apprenticeship with English Electric (I started, as an office boy, at the Diesel Engine Division's HQ at Brownsover Hall) I was fond of the Deltics but you youngsters just don't know what you missed - in my days of loco-spotting at Grantham Station, the sound that caused a real stir was the chime of an approaching 'Streak' - or a Gresley A4 'Pacific' to give them their more formal description.

 

When seen, approaching, from a distance, you always heard the chime a short time before seeing the 'fan' of steam that created it - then it would thunder through - so fast that ascertaining the engine's identity provided a serious challenge for the awe-struck observers. Even today, the sound of a chime whistle still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck . . .

 

Emily Anne has one from an A4.......

[sociable_hermit]

If I were you I'd edit that out before some crank nicks it.

 

One of the sad things about such items is that the prices tend to get forced through the roof by people who just want to polish the damn things, until it becomes too risky to use them properly.

[Laurence Hogg]

If I were you I'd edit that out before some crank nicks it.

 

One of the sad things about such items is that the prices tend to get forced through the roof by people who just want to polish the damn things, until it becomes too risky to use them properly.

 

Where was the horn on a A4?? surely a whistle?? Deltic horns are Chromed brass with Aluminium diaphraghm housings/mountings so no brasso needed!

 

Anyway more than one boat must have had those windows as we sold around 30 odd. So out there is maybe some old wreck worth umpance thats got a fortune in class 55 collectables on board!

Edited June 8, 2011 by Laurence Hogg

[sociable_hermit]

Where was the horn on a A4?? surely a whistle?? Deltic horns are Chromed brass with Aluminium diaphraghm housings/mountings so no brasso needed!

They were chime whistles mounted just in front of the chimney, IIRC.

 

Ironically they must have been almost impossible to polish whilst in situ.

 

The point I was trying to make is that collectors have pushed the prices up to the extent that leaving nameplates, numberplates, whistles and other easily knocked-off bits lying around is risky. Certainly on my main railway the engines carry replicas and the originals are locked away. Sad but true.

 

We've even had the mechanisms from the original station clocks stolen. They stayed in place their whole lives and now some selfish wanker has decided he wants exclusive rights to them, so they're gone, never to return. Completely useless on the open market, can't be displayed anywhere, so they were stolen to order.

[Mick and Maggie]

I thought the bilge had filled up with water. Then I realised it was all the railway buff drool.

 

I did a bit on the footplate, mainly Black 5',s I don't ever remember any "enthusiasts" wanting to come up and spell me on the fire. On my last day, working for BR, I remember seeing about 30 steam loco's stood in Woodhouse Mill sidings. On their way to be scrapped.

[DHutch]

I want deltic windows in my boat....

 

Damit, i want a deltic loco for my boat! Horns would be cool, but i'll have to make do with our replica A4 loco whistle.

 

 

Daniel

[OldGoat]

I was researching (Lord knows why) the Deltic engine a while ago, and was horrified to find that only about 18 of the units were made. I rapidly discovered that the locos I fondly assumed were all Deltics were in fact several other classes as well, all with a similar style of bodywork.

 

The Deltic engine seemed a natural to me; a lorra power in a small package whose development costs had been paid for by the Gov't.

 

Soo, why weren't more made - after all if the RN had used them, surely they must be reliable???

 

A senior retired RN engineering officer of my acquaintance said that they had some issues with serious vibration at a certain engine speed.

 

Any comments anyone??

[Tim]

Was there not something like 22 Deltics? And if I recall correctly they all had 2 engines? I was an apprentice with British Rail (74 - 78), I still have a handbook with a pictorial breakdown of the engine and an explanation of how it works.

[Timleech]

Was there not something like 22 Deltics? And if I recall correctly they all had 2 engines? I was an apprentice with British Rail (74 - 78), I still have a handbook with a pictorial breakdown of the engine and an explanation of how it works.

 

It would have had to be 21 with two engines, if the answer is 42.

 

 

Tim

[Laurence Hogg]

Was there not something like 22 Deltics? And if I recall correctly they all had 2 engines? I was an apprentice with British Rail (74 - 78), I still have a handbook with a pictorial breakdown of the engine and an explanation of how it works.

There were 22 production deltics. 1 prototype and one body which was used for DP2 the class50 forerunner which had a different engine.

The Royal Navy had loads of Deltic engines, also some were in private boats. One deltic powered boat ran from St Peter port in Guernsey, I dragged the ex wife onto it for a trip just wanted to hear the engines, didnt care where it was going!! think it went to Sark. Paxmans had lots of spare engines in the 1990;s.

Edited June 9, 2011 by Laurence Hogg

[sociable_hermit]

I think they were quite 'highly strung', even though the BR engines were quite significantly downrated from the marine equivalents. Having said that, the RN had the manpower to keep their engine rooms spotless - the railway locos had a grimier existence and also suffered (as all rail diesels do) from continual changes in engine revs, when diesels really like to stay at a constant rpm.

 

Because there were only 22 production locos their availability needed to be high. For this reason engine swaps were the norm, rather than attempting to fix too much in situ. There was a very entertaining article many years ago describing one week at Finsbury Park trying to keep them all running - it was quite hair raising how fine they were cutting things. Especially as by all accounts there were only really 21 locos - one was a Friday afternoon product and never would stay fit for service. Sadly I can't remember which one, though others may be able to hazard a guess.

 

Sorry I forgot to add my original reason for saying all that. There were LOTS of spare BR engines, so not just 22x2 power plants as the Ian Allan books might lead you to believe.

[OldGoat]

It's quite amazing wht you can find hacking around different forums.

Quite often the irrelevant (to the forum that is) info: is ithe most interesting.

 

Have a look here for a more detailed discussion on RN's use of these beasts http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217694&highlight=deltic

[Laurence Hogg]

I think they were quite 'highly strung', even though the BR engines were quite significantly downrated from the marine equivalents. Having said that, the RN had the manpower to keep their engine rooms spotless - the railway locos had a grimier existence and also suffered (as all rail diesels do) from continual changes in engine revs, when diesels really like to stay at a constant rpm.

 

Because there were only 22 production locos their availability needed to be high. For this reason engine swaps were the norm, rather than attempting to fix too much in situ. There was a very entertaining article many years ago describing one week at Finsbury Park trying to keep them all running - it was quite hair raising how fine they were cutting things. Especially as by all accounts there were only really 21 locos - one was a Friday afternoon product and never would stay fit for service. Sadly I can't remember which one, though others may be able to hazard a guess.

 

Sorry I forgot to add my original reason for saying all that. There were LOTS of spare BR engines, so not just 22x2 power plants as the Ian Allan books might lead you to believe.

 

First one to go was "StPaddy" 55001 in Jan 1980, second was "Meld" 55003 later that year.

The mileage these machines covered is unbeleivable in 1966 when the English Electric contract to service the 22 expired accumulated mileage was 16.5 million miles!! Being introduced in 1959 - 62, by 1976 the total was 54 million miles with some locos clocking up in excess of 2 million miles per month, one can only guess at the final mileages in 1981.

Edited June 11, 2011 by Laurence Hogg

[Hairy-Neil]

First one to go was "StPaddy" 55001 in Jan 1980, second was "Meld" 55003 later that year.

The mileage these machines covered is unbeleivable in 1966 when the English Electric contract to service the 22 expired accumulated mileage was 16.5 million miles!! Being introduced in 1959 - 62, by 1976 the total was 54 million miles with some locos clocking up in excess of 2 million miles per month, one can only guess at the final mileages in 1981.

 

I'm sure I can't be reading that right.....

[alan_fincher]

..............with some locos clocking up in excess of 2 million miles per month.................

 

 

I'm sure I can't be reading that right.....

 

 

I think that computes that the loco involved would need to have a line where it could run non stop at an average speed of approaching 2,800 mph.

 

.... Or even faster, unless you could arrange "in flight refuelling!.....

 

Impressive machines - surprised they have yet to replace with anything this quick!

[Laurence Hogg]

You'r right it should be 200,000. Total fleet mileage in 1980 was 64,800000 miles - impressive or what!