Imaginary Locomotives

[DenysW]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

not only the photographer's bias but also that of the picture editor, if looking at a book

Agreed. Ian Sixsmith wants to illustrate the variety of modifications to the bunkers for the LMS Garratts, which varied much more than the front water tanks. His photos of working Garratts (i.e. with wagons behind them) are evenly divided between bunker-first and chimney-first.

[Ohmisterporter]

12 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Is there actually the facility for turning garratts at Caernarfon?

 

Caernarfon station has a simple layout with one platform. When a train arrives the loco is at the North end. It detaches and runs around to the South end where it will re-couple ready to depart. Garratts are usually run with the chimney facing South. There are no actual turning facilities so when the Kalahari NG15 2-8-2 starts running it will be going tender first in one direction.

[AlfaZagato]

In re cylinder orientation on the Garratts; not only did keeping the cylinders inbound under a cab make said cab unbearable, but IIRC ashes more readily caused issues when you mounted cylinders just behind the ashpan.   I know that was an additional issue with the Pennsy's one Duplex that had reversed drive on the second set of drivers.   I think the Triplexes also suffered from more service on the rear drivers.

[webbcompound]

On 07/10/2024 at 11:04, Compound2632 said:

 

Principally the high cost of feed due to the Corn Laws? I would be surprised if the military requirement for horses made a very great inroad into the population. Even in the Great War, with the appalling equine mortality on the Western Front, Midland Railway data doesn't show a very great decline in the number of company horses until after the Great War. But that's another example of a technology shift, with petrol motor vehicles becoming widely available.

Although lots of horses were used in WW1 I doubt it was as many as in the Napoleonic wars. Far more cavalry in use then, plus ALL the transport was horse drawn, in the war and at home. By WW1 most supplies were transported by railway (v the ROD) and motor lorry. My grandfather was a driver in the RGA with the BEF from the start (we have a photo of him on his favourite horse), but he was made redundant during the war when the 60pdrs converted froim horse to steam traction. So it wouldn't surprise me, though I have never seen data, if there was a temporary dearth of horses after 1815.

 

Edited 21 hours ago by webbcompound

[Compound2632]

21 minutes ago, webbcompound said:

Although lots of horses were used in WW1 I doubt it was as many as in the Napoleonic wars. Far more cavalry in use then, plus ALL the transport was horse drawn, in the war and at home. By WW1 most supplies were transported by railway (v the ROD) and motor lorry. My grandfather was a driver in the RGA with the BEF from the start (we have a photo of him on his favourite horse), but he was made redundant during the war when the 60pdrs converted froim horse to steam traction.

 

The Great War was on a vastly larger scale than the Napoleonic Wars. I don't have figures for a single date but a quick web search shows totals of 5.4 million British and 2.1 million United States troops deployed on the Western Front during the course of the war, along with nearly 468,000 horses. Napoleon's army on the eve of the invasion of Russia in 1812 is given as 600,000 men and 150,000 horses. 

[Welchester]

11 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

Napoleon's army on the eve of the invasion of Russia in 1812 is given as 600,000 men and 150,000 horses. 

 

It was much smaller afterwards.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

On 06/10/2024 at 19:50, rockershovel said:

I've seen accounts of the very large Beyer Garratts built for East and South Africa running with two, or even three firemen. 

Saw this when I footplated one of the Zimbabwean Railway's 4-6-4+4-6-4 ascending the Vic falls escarpment, (think, like the Lickey, but longer) and it was fired continuously by two firemen, both very carefully pausing with each charge to ensure placement for full coverage of the grate.

 

It may have been their 'cool season' but it was hot in that cab, and the thought of the 'alternative cylinder arrangement' radiating heat adjacent underneath the footplating... As it was the riding was smooth and assured, (making due allowance for the reciprocating drive inherent to conventional steam locos) even with some occasional slipping of the front engine; (quickly brought under control) due I think to the large mass of the loco and the bogie water tank that was the first vehicle of the heavy train.

[Ohmisterporter]

What Napoleon and Hitler had in common; they forgot rule 1 of warfare in Europe. Don't invade Russia.

[The Johnster]

Certainly don't invade Russia in the spring.  They know exactly how to deal with this; fall back, destroy crops and anything else you might use, so that when winter hits your supply and communication lines are stretched and flanking movements can easily isolate large parts of your forces.