Re: Steam speed in Australia

["Bob Merchant" <bob.merchant@bigpond.com>]

No speed details for the SOP delivery run to Sydney, but can vouch for
broken crockery in the Victorian buffet car which was on the rear of the
train.  The Victorian car was not fitted with the standard crockery
restraints fitted to the NSW cars, one of which was marshalled towards the
centre of the train.  Perhaps the Vic buffet cars did not need them when
running on the less curvaceous track in Victoria.  And this was the stored
crockery, not that in use by the eating passengers, some of whom had lunch
in their laps.

The train averaged 62 mph for the 50 miles from Table Top to The Rock, a
section which is not straight and level and includes some grades as steep as
1 in 80.

Departure from Goulburn was 28 minutes late and the 117 miles to Liverpool
took only 134 minutes including a 5 minute stop at Moss Vale. The train was
more than halfway through the level crossing just south of Campbelltown
before the gates were fully down and we certainly raised the dust through
the station! Arrival at Liverpool was 4 minutes early.

The father waiting at Central for a friend of mine on the train stated they
were announcing regular updates on the train's picking up lost time over the
station's train announcement system. Apparently it was causing quite a bit
of excitement. And the atmosphere on the train was unbelievable!!

Bob Merchant
Passenger on SOP delivery run
15 April 1962.

"Chris Downs" <cvdowns@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
__RA4.51460$3b6.210446@ozemail.com.au">news:__RA4.51460$3b6.210446@ozemail.com.au...
| It was a little before my time but the delivery run of the Spirit of
| Progress behind double headed 38s was reputedly a blinder for speed.  Much
| of the train's crockery was smashed as a result of high speed running.
|
| Does anyone have any speed info on this run?
|
| Chris
|
| Ross (Goldie) Goldspink <goldicom@powerup.com.au> wrote in message
| 38d3733e@grissom">news:38d3733e@grissom...
| > I can vouch for 80 mph (timed against the milepegs) behind a green 38
| > (number unknown) between Bethungra and Harefield on the "daylight" one
day
| > in 1963.
| >
| > Goldie
| >
| >
| > "Hennessy, Mason" <masda@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
| > z0KA4.51286$3b6.210043@ozemail.com.au">news:z0KA4.51286$3b6.210043@ozemail.com.au...
| > >
| > > hannah <hannah@pacificblue.net.au> wrote in message
| 38d2b183@nntp">news:38d2b183@nntp...
| > > > Does anyone have any reasonably accurate information on highest
speeds
| > > > (Passenger or freight) attained by steam in this country.
| > >
| > > In the published "Diary of the Bicentennial train" there is a picture
of
| > the
| > > "ticket" which S.A. police gave 3801' s crew base on radar gun
reading -
| > > from memory the figure given was 143 km/h.
| > >
| > > I was too young to be there but the first ARHS Cootamundra "speed
tour"
| > > (there and back in a day) with 3827 was reputed to have reached 89.6
| mph,
| > > supposedly  as confirmed by tape of passenger calling the 1/4 mile
| > osts  -
| > > can any of the older hands confirm this?
| > >
| > > While 90 mph may seem high for a loco with 69 inch drivers, it needs
to
| be
| > > recalled that the UK "9Fs" recorded an authentic 90mph in passenger
| > service
| > > with 60 inch drivers ... and the ratio of say 90mph to Mallard's 126
mph
| > is
| > > way under the ratio of 69 inches to 81 inches of the driving wheels
| > > concerned - that is, if Mallard had 69 inch drivers then all else
being
| > > equal (such as tracks suitable for high speeds) you would expect a
| maximum
| > > around 105 mph.
| > >
| > > Obviously high speeds for engnies with smaller wheels implies high
| > rotation
| > > speeds and consequent wear and tear - but for 3827 in late 1969 that
was
| > > sadly no longer a real issue with scrapping imminent whatever the
| > condition
| > > of the engine.
| > >
| > >
| >
| >
|
|