Re: Ingliston Bank landmark distances please!

[Graham Fry <fryg@sydpcug.org.au>]

David Bromage wrote:
> 
> Roderick Smith wrote:
> > AFAIK Bill Abbott has published Rs achieving 1900 hp (even 2000 once?).
> > 1500 kW is close enough to 2000 kW.
> 
> When R707 worked a regular Albury pass some years ago, I calculated 1900hp
> up Heathcote Bank (on the up working). But the crew really mortgaged the
> boiler to do it. It's lucky it was all down hill to Broadmeadows or they
> might have been in trouble.
> 
> Cheers
> David
But that is where a good steam loco and top driver/fireman could get
exceptional performance out of steam loco. They would build up for a
high power efforts up banks by having the boiler very full and at full
boiler pressure at the bottom of the bank. Once into the bank turn off
one injector and let her rip. If you were skilled enough the boiler
would have a enough stored energy to get you over the bank at high speed
. Once over the top the boiler can then recover. 
To see a highly skilled crew work was nothing sort of brilliant. Boiler
pressure just below rated pressure but rarely if at all blowing off.
Mind you this can only work on relatively short banks eg. 3-4 kms. On
long banks as we frequently get in Australia it eventually comes down to
a long slog. 
I recall the story from the engineer who accompanied the Flying Scotsman
who on his first run on the main south out of Sydney asked the driver at
Tahmoor, are we nearly at the top of the grade? to which the driver
replied "Oh no, we have only got another 30 miles of 1:75 to go", the
engineer then responded with an "oh sh**". 
At the end of his stay in Australia he said his respect for Australian
steam engines had gone up immensely when he appreciated the hard roads
they had to operate on compared to England. 

Graham Fry