The LNER Encyclopedia

I was a fireman at Kings Cross and worked on prototype Deltic very often. Of course I was only secondman, in those days quite often Deltic was unavailable so it was back to steam and work.
Here's a photo of me and Art my driver at Kings Cross waiting for the off for Doncaster.
Cheers Alan

locojoe,

It's great to have you aboard the LNER forums.

The "burning" question on my lips is, (I have to ask this one as only someone with your experience can possibly answer) of all the steam traction you drove out of Kings Cross, which was your favourite class of loco to fire and why?

I always thought the Deltics were a bit special with their powerful engines, I rode once on the train "The Hadrian Flier" in 1967 behind 4472 to Newcastle, where the Deltic picked us up. We headed out to Carlisle and the Deltic was put through her paces trying to make up the hour that 4472 lost on its way north.

Everyone on that train was treated to the fastest ever time on the Settle Carlisle line, the train was flung round all the corners and those in the last coach had trouble keeping their feet if they tried to stand - a great day.

We arrived at KX three minutes early if memory serves me correctly.

John B

(Trainee fireman, Glenbrook Vintage Railway New Zealand)
http://www.railfan.org.nz/

Hi John B
It's nice to hear from someone who likes both steam and diesel. Yes Deltics were powerful and never lost much time. As a young man in the late 1950s/early1960s diesels were a bit of a novelty for me and they made a nice change from firing steam, but looking back about 50 years to me steam was best.
The express engines at Topshed were A1s, A 2/3s, A3, A4 and of course V2s worked expresses also. The A3s were my favorite followed by V2s and A4s nobody liked the Thompson A2/3s they were not good riders. I liked A3 for their looks I always thought locos looked better without streamlining. There was not much to chose from A3 & A4 they were both fast and economical on coal, A1s were good engines but were heavier on coal.

When working expresses from Kings Cross it was just like leaving from some other London stations uphill. After we were coupled to our train and waiting for right away the engine had to be kept quiet no blowing off, but on starting off the loco would have to be worked very hard most of the way to Potters Bar. What we did was before starting off was build a big fire at the back of the firebox nothing at the front. On leaving
before we got to gasworks tunnel the fire had to be spread all over the firebox,then I would close the firehole door flap.By the time we were through Copenhagen tunnel the fire would be very hot and steam pressure nearly at maximum.This was where the real work started. I would make sure we had a good fire all over the box and then start filling the back corners.I found most of our engines responded well to this type of firing.
Alan

Hi John or anybody else, I've just started a new group it's a yahoo group and at the moment I've only got 2 members feel free to have a look or join if you want to
Cheers Alan.
[url]http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/gr ... hrailways/[/url]

Thanks Alan,

I'll drop in and have a look at your new group.

I have found some information on the web on "The Railtour files" about "The Hadrian Flyer" which ran on 17th June 1967, it may interest you, the Deltic was "The Prince of Wales Own Regiment of Yorkshire" D9005.

"Nige Paine comments: It is reported that the train (Hadrian Flyer)covered the 87 miles from Carlisle to Skipton in 72 minutes 47 seconds. Apparently it attained 91 mph at Settle and arrived at Skipton eight minutes early. It is recorded as one of the fastest ever recorded runs over the S&C line and must have been thrilling to experience." (I can vouch for that JB)

"This appears to have been one of two charters organised by Railway Magazine on this day - the other using 4472 from Newcastle to Leeds then D9004 to Kings Cross."

I am really glad you said you prefered the A3, I always thought the A3 was better looking than the A4, not that I dislike the A4 of course, just more of a personal thing, I agree totally with you about streamlining.

I think the A3 is a more elegant and understated design, they looked powerful, businesslike, and well proportioned and without any of that clutter found so often on "foreign" engines. To my mind they were the epitomy of classy English design at it's best.

I have a photo of Lord Faringdon and 4472 at KX, the photos were sold to me by a KX fireman or driver in 1967, he was quite a talented photographer, would you know who he was?

Did you ever fire on a pre 1958 A3 without a Kylchap blastpipe and double chimney, I wondered if you ever noticed any major change in firing rate/performance between the earlier and later configurations?

Cheers

Welcome to the forums Alan! We'll find your accounts fascinating - most of us are just enthusiasts or modellers! Me? I was born after BR withdrew their last steam engines.


Richard

Thanks for the welcome Richard, I enjoy talking about my time as a fireman the trouble is I'm getting a bit forgetful . All I remember is bits and pieces after 50 years, but the happiest days of my working live was spent on the footplate. Most of my drivers were men of little education but were a fine breed of men. One of my drivers was killed by overhead wires at Hertford East, his name was Chris Chapman he was a young driver at Enfield. I also fired to his father on occasion in the number 3 link at Topshed.
Cheers Alan,[/img]

Bachmann are brining out the Prototype Deltic Shortly, exclusive to the NRM, so I shall be buying a couple to stick on Ebay!
In December are the 500 Commemorative sets for £140+£5 P+P
In January are 2500 standard ones at £90+£5 P+P

It's quite remarkable, that the original Drawings don't Exist, so a Scanner had to be taken up to Shildon, and put on a Gantry, so they could scan the entire length of the Loco.

It is hoped to be the first in a range of well known engines from the National Collection.

Only from the NRM Shop!

Got the Bachmann Collectors Mag today, and it's in, only thing is, I emailed them Sunday to reserve 2, and had to give them a ring today to pay, and I have to have them sent about a mile?
and they will go on a trip further than my house to get here?

Anyhow, the Commemorative sets are all sold out!

I don't mean to be picky, but why is this thread in "LNER Locomotives"?

Coz that's where the post started!

And there's some woolliness in the definitions. Deltics aren't LNER but they primarily ran on the ECML. So it could be argued that they're as valid here as the Stirling Singles.

We also seem to get quite a bit of "cross-talk" between the locomotive and modelling forums.

Richard

the post was about the prototype deltic, as is the model, so I carried it on