Yesterday I visited the Didcot Railway Centre for the first time in
really quite a few years; probably at least thirty. Lots of images
follow: cc-by-sa on
everything.
Even while waiting to get in (Gift Aid forms take a while to
complete, and having a second person there would have helped avoid
holding up the queue) it was clear that Things Were Going On.
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One of the two locomotives in steam, 3650, an 0-6-0 pannier tank
shunter. (More information on all of these is at the
Didcot locomotive listing.)
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Surviving pipe from Brunel's atmospheric propulsion system, used on
the South Devon Railway before it was abandoned (for costing twice as
much to run as a steam engine, largely one suspects because of leakage
through the leather hinges). Interestingly, the pipe was evacuated
ahead of the train, rather than pressurised behind it.
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Multi-gauge points on the dual-tracked broad-gauge section.
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Iron Duke, 1985 replica broad-gauge engine.
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Fire Fly, 2006 replica broad-gauge engine. (Noting lack of protection
for the driver.)
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Prototype gas turbine locomotive from Switzerland, used on the GWR in
the 1950s.
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Class 8 diesel shunter. I've always had a soft spot for these; they do
one thing, and do it well.
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Into the engine shed.
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An unusual design at least to me, a 2-8-0 long-distance heavy freight
hauler, number 3822.
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6998 Burton Agnes Hall, a Modified Hall class. (This is one I remember
being in steam during my visits in the 1970s and 1980s; she's now in
the queue for overhaul.)
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Details of the 2-6-2 tank engine 5572, used in branch line service.
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5051 Earl Bathurst (built as Drysllwyn Castle). (Pendennis Castle,
another engine I remember, has since been to Australia and back, and
is now under restoration.)
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Saddle tank 0-4-0 Bonnie Prince Charlie.
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"No. 5", a remarkably crude-looking engine, built in 1857 for Capt.
William Peel, owner of the Sandy and Potton Railway.
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King Edward II, in an odd blue livery (experimental BR scheme from the
early 1950s). I'm curious about that orange box in the tender, though;
obviously it's not original equipment, but what's it for? (The text
reads "Arrowvale Electronics", "Driver Interface Unit" and "OTMR
Status", which I suppose might be On-Train Monitoring Recorder; all
trains running on UK track are required to have one, and I believe
main-line running is planned for this engine.)
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Hinderton Hall, this one the original Hall design.
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A tank engine for suburban services. (One thing this visit made very
clear to me was the degree of specialisation in engine designs, which
suggests to my current thinking a marginal technology with little
spare capacity.)
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1338, 0-4-0 saddle tank using Kitson-Hawthorn valve gear used on the
Cardiff Railway.
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On board what I think was probably 7808 Cookham Manor
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Another 2-6-2 tank, 6106.
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Travelling Post Office trackside equipment, a key element of any
classic model railway even if it didn't always work very well.
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