A4 @ 90mph

[Bryan]

Just found this clip of Bittern on test doing 90mph at Taplow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me1OfEEKk3I

[Bryan]

A second clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycJkfaHAhEQ

[60800]

You can definitely see why there is the normal limit of 75mph!

[Tom F]

You can definitely see why there is the normal limit of 75mph!

On the contrary, I would say it shows exactly what all of us have missed being born in the last 40 years. Seeing her at that speed looks so right!
Thanks for sharing.

[60800]

It definitely looks right, but the amount of extra maintenance it would require to keep an A4 running like that....

[Tom F]

It definitely looks right, but the amount of extra maintenance it would require to keep an A4 running like that....

I'm not so sure. I was always told it was down to Network Rails concerns at these 'older' locos running at such speed. I'm no engineer, although I did a year working at the moors, but as these are the speeds they ran in daily service, I don't see it being such a strain on maintenance as long as they are well maintained. For example 60027 'Merlin' did the Elizabethan on consecutive days in the Summer season of 1959 for around a month, and must have been hitting 90mph several times on trips. It would certainly help with running on the ECML and timings, but on the other hand with poor coal we are hearing about is it logistical?

Heck I'll just enjoy it. Looking forward to the Great Gathering.

[CVR1865]

Really good shots and great to see an A4 at real pace and with all her skirts on. A joy to behold no doubt.

[StevieG]

On the contrary, I would say it shows exactly what all of us have missed being born in the last 40 years. Seeing her at that speed looks so right!
Thanks for sharing.

I would have to agree with that (except that I don't qualify for the 'born in the last 40 years bit' ) : Stunning!

...and also....

.... " I was always told it was down to Network Rails concerns at these 'older' locos running at such speed. I'm no engineer, although I did a year working at the moors, but as these are the speeds they ran in daily service, I don't see it being such a strain on maintenance as long as they are well maintained. For example 60027 'Merlin' did the Elizabethan on consecutive days in the Summer season of 1959 for around a month, and must have been hitting 90mph several times on trips. It would certainly help with running on the ECML and timings, but on the other hand with poor coal we are hearing about is it logistical? .... "

I'd venture that Network Rail may well be concerned at that, but not from a basis of thorough knowledge of any particular loco's condition : More likely to be that, although hopefully being aware of speed running being what such machines were designed for, and their achievements in that respect, that they are now fifty+ years older than those times, and whatever their mechanical condition, they (NR) probably perceive a higher risk of breakdown, with those possibly resulting severe delay figures to the normal timetable's services in mind.

" .... Heck I'll just enjoy it. Looking forward to the Great Gathering."

....Me too.

[60800]

You never know, these runs could edge towards Network Rail allowing higher speeds as the norm

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Wonderful to see an A4 belting through a station again, takes me back to being a kid again, and watching them thunder through Wood Green, Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

manna

[Andy W]

I was speaking to someone (very GW) at work today who got up very early to be on that trial trip (and wishes he could commute to Padd like that every day) and he tells me there is now a thought that they will have to put two fireman on it when it hauls passengers at 90.

He did venture to suggest that this is because in steam days the age of the firemen "were in their early 20's and now they are older". Granted they can be much older now than they were but I shot him a disapproving look and said "Jack Luty was about 33 when he fired Silver Link in 1935 and that was on a single chimney A4 too!"

Looking at this weeks footage makes you really think how fit those guys had to be to do that job, day in day out.

[Solario]

I'll add my appreciation of seeing an A4 doing what it was designed to do - it looks totally competent.

Speaking to friends, it has been suggested that on such test runs the speed is taken 10% above the planned top speed. Does anyone know if this was the case on these tests?

I'll leave it to your imaginations to consider what may have happened.

[Bryan]

Discussions elsewhere about timing via the film clips put the speed range between 87 - 90.

[StevieG]

I case of interest, I've had some info. for this Didcot-Southall run, including the section in which Taplow is located, copied to me from the network's official train recording system :

Pass Location......... Time .. (on Time/Early/Late) .. Miles (rounded) from previous location

Reading ................ 0545 ...... 2'E ....................... - -
Twyford ................ 0549 ....... T ........................ 5
Maidenhead ........... 0554 ...... 1'E ........................ 7
.. (Taplow)
Slough .................. 0558 ...... 3'E ....................... 6
Airport Junction* ..... 0608 ....... T ........................ 7

( * - between West Drayton and Hayes & Harlington.)

Though certainly not very accurate for speed calculation, the Maidenhead - Slough stretch seems to bear out the target speed.

[strang steel]

It is excellent to see an A4 going at that speed again. Takes me back to Barkston in the early 60s.

However, on the highest camera zoom, one can see just how uneven the track is. I had no idea that our standards were so poor. Imagine the Germans seeing mainline track like that - their pw department would probably die of shame.