As you know I attended Railfest 2012, my main intent to go there was to have a look in the cabs of 41001 and 43159, the former being the remaining prototype HST power car and the latter being one of the production models, the one that set the world speed record for diesel traction and has held it ever since.
The two HSTs were only the tip of the iceberg, as parked right next to the prototype HST was A1 60163 Tornado, a steam engine that is just a marvel of engineering, and today I got to go on the footplate of this and several other steam locomotives, these included A4 4498 "Sir Nigel Gresley" (named after it's designer, carrying number 60007), LMS Coronation Class 6229 Duchess of Hamilton, LMS Princess Royal Class 620l Princess Elizabeth, named after the then 7 year old Princess who went on to become Queen Elizabeth II, and LMS Jubilee Class 5596 Bahamas.
Diesel traction, aside from the HSTs included Virgin Trains Super Voyager 221144, of which only the driving cars remain, as spares due to the use of the non-driving coaches in other sets, the cab was a modern, electronic affair, rather than the usual power handle and brake handle arrangement, there was also Virgin Trains Thunderbird 57308 "Tin-Tin", this is a rebuilt Class 47, rebuilt by Brush Traction from 47846, and equipped with Dellner couplers to allow them to tow stricken Voyagers and Pendolinos, and finally for the diesels there was British Rail Class 55 Deltic 55002, with very little done to it's cab in the way of modern enhancements.
The only electric traction with cab access at the National Railway Museum was Class 395 (I didn't get the number for this one), which was hauled to Railfest as it had not been certified for running on the East Coast Main Line, it was also possible to look inside the passenger compartment of the driving car with cab access.
Other notable vehicles present were A3 4472 The Flying Scotsman, the first time I had seen the engine intact for a very long time, last seeing it at the National Railway Museum a few years ago in a state of complete disassembly, A4 4468 Mallard was also here, with footplate access but I had done this once before a few years ago and had looked on the footplate of 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley anyway. I also took a short trip in a standard class corridor carriage on a train working with two locomotives, 37119 (carrying it's original number of D6700), on the outbound, and GWR 3700 Class 3744 City of Truro on the return, and in British Rail days the penalty for pulling the alarm handle (or in this case a chain) improperly was £50, but that has probably gone up with inflation.
Another interesting machine that was at Railfest was a rail welding machine of American origin that Network Rail had purchased for almost £1,000,000 a piece, this machine is equipped with both road and rail wheels so can be driven onto the tracks at a crossing, and switch to it's rail wheels, then head to the track that needs replacing, the track is then removed and a new track put in it's place, with this welding machine then clamping over the join and welding the two pieces together, thus speeding up the time it takes for rails to be replaced, Network Rail demonstrated this machine to an audience. Other Network Rail vehicles at Railfest included the Network Rail MPV with a leaf buster attachment, and a snow blowing machine.
I include some pictures of Railfest 2012
Beginning with the HSTs naturally, then others to follow
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| 41001 cab door |
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| 41001 radiator grille and guard van door, to rear is the Mark 3 coach, see below |
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| 43159, with drawgear cover opened |
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| 43159's number, side window, and cab door |
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| 43159 radiator grille, and guard van door |
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| Info on 43159 |
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| Info on 41001 |
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| Mark 3 coach E12002, in original livery |
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| E12002 along it's length |
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| Info on E12002 using it's modern number 42353, this is a standard class coach |
Now the other vehicles, beginning with Tornado
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| Tornado's name plates |
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| Tornado |
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| This lever drops the ash out onto the track |
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| Tornado's number, partly obscured by the steps up to the footplate |
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| Tornado's cab side windows, number (again partly obscured by the steps, and plate saying that this great steam locomotive was built in Darlington |
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| The two Driving cars of Virgin Trains Super Voyager 221144 |
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| Cab door of 221144 |
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| DRS Class 20 20312 |
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| GB Railfreight Class 66 66736 |
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| More of 66736 |
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| Cab of Network Rail MPV with leafbuster, see below |
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| Another Network Rail vehicle |
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| Network Rail Snowblower |
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| Network Rail MPV's leaf buster attachment, no more trains being late because of leaves on the line? perhaps not :P |
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| More leafbusting goodness |
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| The Network Rail MPV and the front of Class 92, operated by GB Railfreight |
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| Information on 20312 |
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| More 20312 |
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| Class 56 56312 cab door this one was a mobile ad for Ralfest 2012 |
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| Direct Rail Services Class 57 57309 |
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| The Ralfest 56 |
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| More Railfest 56 |
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| Virgin Trains Thunderbird 57308 "Tin-Tin" |
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| 57308's Nameplate |
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| 57308, you may notice the 221, this vehicle had in fact hauled 221144 |
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| Info on Class 395, see below for picture |
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| Up close and personal, the Dellner coupler fitted to 221144 |
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| Information on 57308 and it's latest "mission" |
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| Class 395 front end |
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| A closer view of Class 395 |
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| More 395 |
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| Duchess of Hamilton with streamlining |
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| 395 is a long way from home here |
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| The couplers on a 395, they appear to also be Dellner couplers |
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| More of the Duchess |
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| LMS coach |
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| Named after Princess Elizabeth, who we all know better as Queen Elizabeth II, it was part of the jubilee |
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| ScotRail Class 380, the Desiro for Scotland |
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| More Class 380 |
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| 6201, the number carried by Princess Elizabeth |
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| The proof of Mallard's record breaking run lies with this |
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| Class 55 55002 and the rear of the dynamometer car |
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| Class 380 info |
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| More Dynamometer car |
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| The Dynamometer Car's info board |
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| The Flying Scotsman |
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| 55002, known as the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry |
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| Info on 55002 |
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| 4468 Mallard, the fastest steam locomotive of them all |
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| Information on the Flying Scotsman |
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| Flashbutt welder, Network Rail's latest way to fix the rails |
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| Flashbutt Welder information |
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| More Flashbutt Welder, the guy in the yellow vest is from the company in the US that makes it |
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| 5596 Bahamas |
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| Information on 5596 Bahamas |
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A mix of old and new
Railfest continues until the 10th June, if you've not got there, hurry and don't miss out
The experience is well worth it
Happy Journeys on the railways for many years to come
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