Isambard Kingdom Brunel

[Kestrel]

He mightn't have been good at Latin but he excelled in other fields.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... rthed.html

[Italianfan88]

He surely excelled in making his lungs happy, I'd say...

[Mickey]

I'm glad his broad guage never took off the locos would have looked terrible plus old Isa was to GWR for my liking.

[Kestrel]

I'm glad his broad guage never took off the locos would have looked terrible plus old Isa was to GWR for my liking.

Do you mean something like this? A broad gauge A4.

[Mickey]

I'm glad his broad guage never took off the locos would have looked terrible plus old Isa was to GWR for my liking.

Do you mean something like this? A broad gauge A4.

Yeah horrible ain't she.

Mickey

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

Probably just as well he never designed a successful loco and that the Broad Gauge was kept south of Wolverhampton!

However, look at the ships and bridges the guy designed and that is where his genius shines. Too Green, Wet and Rusty for me but I always admire quality engineering when I see it!

[1H was 2E]

Both the man and the actor are pictured smoking a cigar. Wouldn't get that in the Guardian...

[Kestrel]

Both the man and the actor are pictured smoking a cigar. Wouldn't get that in the Guardian...

No, it would be a Woodbine.

[Italianfan88]

Ay up!

Probably just as well he never designed a successful loco and that the Broad Gauge was kept south of Wolverhampton!

However, look at the ships and bridges the guy designed and that is where his genius shines. Too Green, Wet and Rusty for me but I always admire quality engineering when I see it!

I had the impression that Brunel didn't concern himself that much over the locomotives, and let Daniel Gooch have his way in that field.

Besides, I also read that Brunel (together with his father Marc) invested much time and money in trying to develop alternatives to steam, among which the "atmospheric railway" (whose theory, from what I gather, was sound, but the materials available then made it unsuccessful as an economical alternative to steam-hauled trains).

[richard]

IKB tried to design steam locomotives but they were disaster to put it mildly. The GWR was saved when they hired the Stephenson-trained Gooch.

I can't remember the full history of the atmospheric railway concept, but one in Ireland pre-dated the more famous South Devon Railway.

[Italianfan88]

Yes, I recall that the first locomotives bought by the GWR were appalling, and it was Gooch that put things on track again.

I didn't mean that Brunel invented the "atmospheric railway" concept; he saw it and was an enthusiastic proponent of it. However, I think that his attempt on the South Devon Railway was the most notable attempt to make it work.

[brsince78]

I'm glad his broad guage never took off the locos would have looked terrible plus old Isa was to GWR for my liking.

But..... would the loading gauge been larger all around. If so just think what Gresley would have done with that!!

[Mickey]

I'm glad his broad guage never took off the locos would have looked terrible plus old Isa was to GWR for my liking.

But..... would the loading gauge been larger all around. If so just think what Gresley would have done with that!!

Funny enough i remember a railway bloke telling me nearly 40 years ago that 'they' i presume parliment made a mistake in adopting the 4ft-8 half inch 'standard guage' and that the 7ft broad guage would have been a much better guage to have adopted to run trains at higher speeds on!!. I don't know if thats true or not??.

Personally i think the 'standard guage' is alright in Ireland even there 5ft-3in guage makes there trains look slightly odd looking i think?.


Mickey

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

It is true that the 7 foot gauge made for a more stable vehicle and the larger boilers that could be accommodated made for more powerful locomotives.

It does make me wonder what would have happened had George Stephenson been born in North Wales. Would the 2 foot gauge have been adopted as standard?

126mph on 2 foot gauge does not bear thinking about!

[Mickey]

It is true that the 7 foot gauge made for a more stable vehicle and the larger boilers that could be accommodated made for more powerful locomotives.

But the locos & trains BB would look ugly (i reckon) anyway the old 'standard guage' has done us alright over the last 190 years.

The 3ft narrow guage is about acceptable but the 2ft guage is a bit to narrow fo my liking.

I guess it must have been a bit of a nightmare working trains over a mixed guage i.e. the standard guage in with the 7ft broad guage although the GWR done it for quite a while until the 1890s.


Mickey