- Joined
- Sep 27, 2002
- Messages
- 3,411
Years ago I saw a TV series on Trains narrated by the late, lamented DJ John Peel. I did save it on video but that is long gone now 
One episode was entitled "Late Freight" and included a song by the folk singer and ex-fireman Dave Goulder, which I liked so much I recently searched for it on youtube.
The song is called "Eight Freight Blues", referring to the "class 8" 2-8-0 locomotives which were the mainstay of goods operations in the dying days of steam. Their numbers normally begain with an eight and they were known as "Black Eights" because of their unrelieved black paintwork.
"We are running late in a sorry state, on eighty-two fifteen,
She's overdue for boiler work and I can't get her to steam"
You need to fast forward to 5.15 to get straight to Dave Goulder's song.
[youtube]zbU50kIikhA[/youtube]
N.U.R. = National Union of Railwaymen, A.S.L.E.F. = Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen.
Another common engine in the last days of steam was the Stanier "Black 5" - a plain black, mixed traffic 4-6-0 loco more often seen hauling a rake of coal wagons than a passenger train but nevertheless capable of a fair turn of speed.
Years ago I went on a steam special excursion to the Christmas Fair in Lincoln, a very enjoyable day out. The departure for our 3 hour return journey was delayed by about an hour and twenty minutes but the journey back, through a white, frosty December night, will be one I will always remember. A full moon illuminated the fat white exhaust streaming seemingly inches above the carriage roofs as the Black 5 dashed onwards through the white countryside, it's cab aglow with orange fire. I was startled to discover when we pulled into the station that we had made up the 80 minutes and arrived precisely on time! A veritable "Hound of Steel"
[youtube]b3SEmoF9LfI[/youtube]
Requiem for Steam - Dave's lyrics here are a little over-pessimistic as the (Flying) Scotsman has made many more runs and "cold as the stone" Mallard has steamed again.
[youtube]tpV2xGtkIOI[/youtube]
The Lickey Bank, or Lickey Incline, is a steep 2 mile stretch of line on the South-West approach to Birmingham. Although a modern IC125 high speed train, with 4,500 diesel horsepower at it's disposal, can climb the bank scarcely losing speed whilst the passengers experience a sensation like going up in a lift, It was a different story in steam days. Driver and fireman had to judge the approach very carefully and heavy trains had to be pushed up from behind by an engine called a "banker". For 40 years the service was provided by a unique 0-10-0 locomotive affectionately known as "Big Bertha".
[youtube]u7c2X3x7aoI[/youtube]
Just for context, a modern recreation on the Lickey Bank, the banking engines are 0-6-0 pannier tank locos, which replaced Big Bertha when she was scrapped.
[youtube]B8BdERIpIzg&feature=endscreen[/youtube]
Feel free to add your own songs and investigate Dave Goulder, quite a character it seems.
One episode was entitled "Late Freight" and included a song by the folk singer and ex-fireman Dave Goulder, which I liked so much I recently searched for it on youtube.
The song is called "Eight Freight Blues", referring to the "class 8" 2-8-0 locomotives which were the mainstay of goods operations in the dying days of steam. Their numbers normally begain with an eight and they were known as "Black Eights" because of their unrelieved black paintwork.
"We are running late in a sorry state, on eighty-two fifteen,
She's overdue for boiler work and I can't get her to steam"
You need to fast forward to 5.15 to get straight to Dave Goulder's song.
[youtube]zbU50kIikhA[/youtube]
N.U.R. = National Union of Railwaymen, A.S.L.E.F. = Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen.
Another common engine in the last days of steam was the Stanier "Black 5" - a plain black, mixed traffic 4-6-0 loco more often seen hauling a rake of coal wagons than a passenger train but nevertheless capable of a fair turn of speed.
Years ago I went on a steam special excursion to the Christmas Fair in Lincoln, a very enjoyable day out. The departure for our 3 hour return journey was delayed by about an hour and twenty minutes but the journey back, through a white, frosty December night, will be one I will always remember. A full moon illuminated the fat white exhaust streaming seemingly inches above the carriage roofs as the Black 5 dashed onwards through the white countryside, it's cab aglow with orange fire. I was startled to discover when we pulled into the station that we had made up the 80 minutes and arrived precisely on time! A veritable "Hound of Steel"
[youtube]b3SEmoF9LfI[/youtube]
Requiem for Steam - Dave's lyrics here are a little over-pessimistic as the (Flying) Scotsman has made many more runs and "cold as the stone" Mallard has steamed again.
[youtube]tpV2xGtkIOI[/youtube]
The Lickey Bank, or Lickey Incline, is a steep 2 mile stretch of line on the South-West approach to Birmingham. Although a modern IC125 high speed train, with 4,500 diesel horsepower at it's disposal, can climb the bank scarcely losing speed whilst the passengers experience a sensation like going up in a lift, It was a different story in steam days. Driver and fireman had to judge the approach very carefully and heavy trains had to be pushed up from behind by an engine called a "banker". For 40 years the service was provided by a unique 0-10-0 locomotive affectionately known as "Big Bertha".
[youtube]u7c2X3x7aoI[/youtube]
Just for context, a modern recreation on the Lickey Bank, the banking engines are 0-6-0 pannier tank locos, which replaced Big Bertha when she was scrapped.
[youtube]B8BdERIpIzg&feature=endscreen[/youtube]
Feel free to add your own songs and investigate Dave Goulder, quite a character it seems.
