"Four Trains at York" From Four Different Generations

"Four Trains at York" Flying Scotsman, 125, 225, and Azuma 800, 23/4/ 17

Happened this morning, April 23, 2017 in Yorkshire England.

Another view.

 Four Trains Four Generations

H/T To Donna

Tehachapi SP Coal Train With 13 Locomotives

Southern Pacific coal train stopped at Marcel after a meet. Thirteen locomotives (three up front, six mid-train, and four near the rear), work to get this heavy train moving from a dead stop. The engines struggle a bit at first, accelerating with no movement, but once they get the train moving, its MOVING. Check out the last set of helpers as they are sanding approaching my camera position. Smoke, exhaust, dust and roar of V16 and V20 prime-movers ----- Railroading at its finest, doesn't get any better than this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Tehachapi Loop is a 0.73-mile (1.17 km) long spiral, or helix, on the Union Pacific Railroad Mojave Subdivision through Tehachapi Pass, of the Tehachapi Mountains in Kern County, south-central California. The line connects Bakersfield and the San Joaquin Valley to Mojave in the Mojave Desert. The line, which sees an average of almost 40 trains each day, is one of the busiest single-track mainlines in the world.


H/T to Donna

Tornado Seam Locomotive Hits 100 MPH

For the first time in half a century, a steam train has hit 100mph on one of Britain’s main rail lines.
That’s pretty cool.
During testing last night, Tornado, Britain’s newest steam train, reached the speed on the East Coast Main Line (ECML), which runs between London and Edinburgh, the BBC reported.

 More info here.

Perhaps the most interesting thing is from this website:

In 1990 a group of people came together to share an extraordinary ambition – to construct a brand new Peppercorn A1 Pacific.  They formed The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust and after nineteen years of incredible effort that locomotive, No. 60163 Tornado, moved under its own power for the first time in 2008.

This website tells the story of Tornado’s construction, an amazing tale of cooperation, skill and sheer hard graft which defied the critics who said it could never be done.  The A1 Trust has over 2500 regular supporters (covenantors) who have all played some part, small or large, in guaranteeing that we have steam on the main line in the 21st Century.