The Churnet Valley Railway goes supersonic!

Last Wednesday eighteen members of Hazel Grove Rotary Group and some friends came to the Runway Visitor Park at Manchester Airport for a full technical tour of Concorde. The group was led by a friend of mine, John, who is a volunteer guard on the Churnet Valley Railway.

Concorde G-BOAC in her hangar at the Runway Visitor Park. The restaurant is on the left side of the hangar and has changed hands since this picture was taken.

All day parking is included in a tour so many came early and enjoyed a coffee and lunch in our restaurant. Their afternoon with me started at 14:00 in our 'Avro Suit' where I welcomed them with an introduction and the showing of a short video about the aeroplane. From here we went into Alpha Charlie's hangar for a first sight of the magnificent white bird. 

I introduced this impressive aeroplane to the group, and we spent about forty minutes walking around her looking at the features that make Concorde the special aeroplane that she is. Some aspects of this section of the tour, such as that fabulous wing with an enormous speed range with no high-lift devices and its vortex lift below 300 knots, and the engine air intakes with the engines always in a subsonic environment and pressure recovery in the intake supplying over 70% of the forward thrust at Mach 2 supercruise, can be challenging to explain to a lay audience. However, feedback in the pub afterwards indicates I had probably pitched it about right!

Inside the Concorde hangar

My colleague Ross joined us as we went on board the aeroplane. Our visitors settled themselves into the comfortable dark blue leather seats in the forward cabin where Ross talked about Concorde's history, time in service with British Airways and Air France, reasons for retirement to the museums, and entertained them with supersonic anecdotes.

The dark blue leather Terence Conran designed seats in Concorde's forward cabin. Concorde was a 'one class' aeroplane (Concorde class!) with 100 passenger seats in two cabins.

I settled down in the cockpit to where the visitors came forward in groups of four at a time for me to explain how the aeroplane was flown. Concorde pre-dates today's 'automatic' computer controlled airliners where the aeroplane is 'operated' by the flight crew rather than 'flown'. Concorde, with her analogue-instrumented 1970s flight deck with not a computer screen in sight, was very much 'flown' rather than 'operated'.

CVR volunteers Kevin (crossing keeper and whipper-in for the volunteer roster) and me (Consall signalman) in AC's cockpit

Nice view of the Engineer's panel as I demonstrate to a visitor how afterburner was selected 

Our tour lasted over two hours, finishing with the handing out of an individually-named 'Concorde Certificate' to each visitor. The group kindly invited me to join them afterwards at the nearby 'Romper Inn' for a meal. Over dinner, Concorde and various other conversations continued and it was obvious that everyone had thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon. As this tour had been my fifth and final one that day, a pint of 'Tatton' bitter was most welcome to 'wet the whistle' after all that talking.

It's always good to do a tour with a group of lively and interested visitors, and John's Rotary Group had certainly been that. An enjoyable end to a busy day!

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A visit to the MoSI railway

It's been a while since I went to the Museum of Science & Industry (MoSI) in Manchester to the railway where I'm volunteer footplate crew, so I decided to go today even though not rostered on the loco.

Please click on any picture for a larger image.

'Agecroft No.1' at Liverpool Road Station, MoSI, today. This locomotive spent its working life at Agecroft colliery transporting coal to the nearby power station. It arrived at MoSI several years ago as little more than scrap, and was rebuilt by MoSI volunteers to as-new condition.

This railway is under threat from Network Rail's proposed Ordsall Chord railway line, which is projected to cut across the eastern end of the MoSI site truncating the railway at the 1830 'Liverpool & Manchester Railway' original station, the oldest railway station in the world. This would reduce the length of the MoSI line to a hundred metres or so, taking only a few seconds to cover. The present 'Y' shaped railway offers passengers a round trip of around ten minutes, so one fears for the railway's survival. A dwindling number of dedicated volunteers are keeping services running for now, albeit with days when operations are cancelled due lack of staff.

Here's a video of 'Agecroft' departing Liverpool Road Station today on a public train trip. Bev driving, Mike on the shovel:

Agecroft No.1 departs Liverpool Road Station

 Our guard, Richard locks the doors of the passenger coaches before departure. Next week is half term for local schools, so a fairground has been set up in the Museum yard to attract families.

At Ordsall ground frame, fireman Mike changes the points for us to propel the train back down the 'Pineapple Line', the other arm of the 'Y' shaped layout 

Looking back from the guard's seat at the back of the train as 'Agecroft' propels it down the Pineapple Line, the futuristic Beetham Tower dominating the sky line. The centre rail is to prevent the train falling off the viaduct in the event of a derailment.

In the Power Hall, MoSI's other steam locomotive, replica 1830 Liverpool & Manchester Railway Stephenson's 'Planet' is nearing completion of its winter overhaul 

The wooden boiler cladding is being replaced as the original was rotted. Through the window of the Power Hall can be seen the Museum's Great Western Warehouse.

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Avro Heritage Museum

Please click on any picture for a larger image.

The British Aerospace site at Woodford Airfield in Cheshire closed a couple of years ago. Woodford was Avro's company airfield and the birthplace of many famous aeroplanes such as the Avro Lancaster. All the Vulcans, Nimrods, 748s, ATPs and many other types were built here; it's a historic site with a rich history.

This part of Cheshire hasn't resonated to the music of a Lancaster's Rolls Royce Merlin engines or been deafened and vibrated on a daily basis by the earth-shaking thunder of a Vulcan's four Olympus turbojets for many decades now, and the later Woodford products such as the 146, ATP, and RJX were easier on the ear.

But as the flight sheds and runways vanish under the bulldozer to eventually be replaced by yet more housing estates it's important that the heritage of this historic place is remembered. BAe are funding the creation of an aviation museum on the site. 

Artist's impression of the new Avro Heritage Museum building

The museum building makes use of the former airfield fire station, extensively renovated and modified. That work is coming to an end soon and the team can then begin to fit the building out with artifacts and storyboards ready for the museum's opening later this summer.

Adjacent to the new museum building, which is on the south side of the airfield where the flight sheds used to be, will be Avro Vulcan B2 XM603. This aeroplane has been at Woodford for many years now, and I well remember sheltering under its massive delta wing during the all too frequent rain showers at various Woodford air shows (so it was a long time ago!).

 Vulcan XM603 at a Woodford air show while a still-airworthy example of this fabulous aeroplane gives a display. Some scattered fair weather Cu clouds are evident, but no need to use that big wing as an umbrella that day.

XM603's paintwork has deteriorated since the above picture was taken many years ago, and there is corrosion present. The aircraft will be restored to static exhibition standard and located adjacent to the museum, and will retain its white 'anti-flash' cold war colour scheme the V-bombers carried when their primary role was to deliver Britain's nuclear deterrent (now the job of the Trident submarine fleet). Thankfully the cold war did not heat up, and as we know that dreadful scenario did not come about, though it came close to happening at least once. The deterrent worked. 

Inside the museum it is planned for visitors to access the cockpit of sister Vulcan B2, XM602. This is just a nose section, not a complete aircraft, so can be fitted into the museum building. 

Inside the museum's Vulcan nose section, formerly XM602. All the Vulcan's were, of course, assembled at Woodford. 

The museum web site is HERE. At present it displays the picture at the top of this post, but nearer the opening date it should be a fully populated site.

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'Duchess of Sutherland' at Crewe

"There are not enough superlatives in the English language to describe a 'Princess Coronation' locomotive in full cry. We shall never see their like again". 
[O.S. Nock, 1983]

Please click on any picture for a larger image.

To me, the majestic Stanier Coronation Pacific Locomotive is the ultimate in steam. They were deigned by Willaim Stanier, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) in the late 1930s (or more correctly, his chief draughtsman, Tommy Coleman) to haul heavy and fast express trains between London and Glasgow on the West Coast Main Line. Stanier had learned his craft at the Great Western Railway at Swindon works under G.J. Churchward and C.B. Collett before being headhunted to the LMS in 1931.

Stanier brought advanced steam locomotive design ideas with him from Swindon, such as the flat-topped Belpaire firebox and the tapered boiler. These features were among those that had made the Great Western 'Castle' and 'King' classes so successful, and his first express locomotive for the LMS, the 'Princess' class, could be considered a 'Super King'. But Stanier went on to develop the 'Princess' into the more powerful 'Princess Coronation' or 'Duchess' class, probably the finest steam locomotives ever to run in this country.

'Duchess of Sutherland' at Crewe this afternoon

Only three of these superb locomotives avoided the scrap man's torch at the end of steam on British Railways; 'Duchess of Sutherland', 'Duchess of Hamilton', and 'City of Birmingham'. Of these, only 'Sutherland' is currently in steam on the main line. 'Hamilton' has been re-streamlined (some of the class originally carried streamlined casing) and is cosmetically restored at the National Railway Museum in York. These two locomotives only survive because Billy Butlin bought them from BR to be installed as playground objects at two of his holiday camps. 'City of Birmingham' has been incarcerated in a museum in the city of its name since it retired from BR. It is to be hoped that one day she will escape and be restored to working condition.

Another view of 46233 at Crewe today

After the second world war two more of these superb locomotives were built by Stanier's successor, H.A. Ivatt. They were improved with the fitting of roller axle bearings and a separate pony truck at the rear, and they were named 'City of Salford' and 'Sir William A Stanier, FRS'. If ever there was a candidate preservation it had to be the latter; one of the last of the class, improved, and carrying that famous name. But it wasn't to be. That locomotive was cut up at Cashmore's yard in Birmingham in 1964. £2,500 would have saved it (about £40,000 in today's money) but the heritage railway movement was only just getting started in 1964 so 'Sir William' was lost. It's especially tragic when one considers how many Gresley pacifics escaped the torch, and so few Stanier pacifics.

So 'Duchess of Sutherland' is the only locomotive of the class in working order, and is much in demand to haul charter trains on the main line. One such event is the 'Cumbrian Mountain Express' which will be steam hauled tomorrow from Carnforth to Carlisle (having been electric hauled from Euston), then south over the scenic Settle & Carlisle line to Hellifield, thence via Clitheroe and Blackburn to re-join the West Coast Main Line for an electric-hauled return to Euston.

 'Sutherland' today positioned from her base at the Midland Railway Centre at Butterley in Derbyshire to Carnforth ready for tomorrow's trip. On the way she stopped in Crewe station to take water, and a friend and I went down there to see her.

46233 takes water from a platform hydrant at Crewe station today

The Duchess's footplate. Firehole doors open to draw in cold air. Despite this, and the fireman using the injector to top up the boiler water level to the maximum, she did blow off violently and quite deafeningly. When that happens, about ten gallons of water a minute goes out through the safety valves as steam; probably more water than was going into the tender tank from the hydrant! 

Not part of Stanier's original design; in-cab electronics required to enable locomotives to work on today's railway 

The Duchess was hauling only her support coach today, to house the technicians and equipment required to keep the locomotive in top form while away from her home shed. Something else fitted since the loco's BR days is air braking to enable it to work modern stock. Here the two pipes of the air brake system can be seen between the loco's tender and the support coach, together with a rather leaky steam heat pipe. The vacuum brake pipe remains unused.  

A last look at this fabulous steam locomotive before we caught a train home

Here she is with support coach passing Rugely Trent Valley on her way to Crewe
(by Steve Kesterton)

And here's what it's all about. A Princess Coronation in full cry! Fabulous!

(Pictured on Saturday by Ian Pilkington)

Leaving Hellifield a week later, 7th February. Picture by Geoffrey Griffiths. I'm amazed how Hornby Dublo so accurately captured the character of a Duchess in die-cast metal way back in the 50s. That could be my Hornby 3-rail 'Duchess of Montrose' !

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An 'ultimate Cub' joins the fleet

Dealer's photo of the Honda Innova 125i that would soon be joining my fleet

I love my little Honda C90 and it has taken me on many fantastic trips on 'Little Bike' outings. However, with only 7bhp and three gears it sometimes struggles to keep up with Malc and Ivan on steep hills. Things I like about the C90 are its lightness, small size, nippyness, and character so any more powerful alternative would need to retain those characteristics. There's really only one bike that does that while offering a bit more power and 4 gears - the Honda Innova 125i.

My Honda Innova 125i near home this morning

These little Hondas - from the Honda 50 through to the Innova 125i are known as 'Cubs', and more than 60,000,000 of them have been made; probably the 'most produced' machine of any type anywhere. The 125i is the ultimate development of the Cub; basically the same as a C90 but with a steel tube frame instead of tube and pressed steel, the same engine but with more capacity and electronic fuel injection, and the same mechanical gearbox and semi-automatic clutch but with 4 gears instead of 3, hydraulic disc front brake instead of mechanical drum, and more sophisticated suspension. It's also about the same size and weight as a C90. The Innova is no longer available in UK and has been replaced by the SH 125 with a completely new design of engine with continuously-variable belt drive in place of the Cub's gearbox. So for some time I have been on the lookout for a nice example of this 'ultimate Cub'.

My Honda C90

A couple of weeks ago I found one advertised that was from the last year of manufacture (2012), one previous owner, and being sold by the dealer who originally supplied it and has serviced it from new, and it was less than half the price of a new SH 125. It was in Indian Queens, Cornwall, (what a great name!) so too far to go and see so I took a chance and bought it unseen. It arrived in the large van of a specialist bike moving company last week, looking every bit as good in the flesh as it had in the pictures on the dealer's website. All it lacked was a top-box but that was soon rectified after I sourced one on the web and fitted it to the bike's rear rack.

The Innova, complete with top-box 

The Innova and the C90 on a sunny winter morning

I've ridden the bike a few miles now and can confirm it is just like a C90 except with more power, better brakes and handling, and that very useful extra gear. But unlike the C90 it will probably never be a 'classic' bike. So the question is, whither the C90? Should I keep it or sell it? My head says I should sell it as the Innova will do all that the C90 can do and more, and four bikes (Moto Guzzi Griso, Freewind, Innova, C90) makes the garage a bit crowded. But my heart says keep it, as it's an appreciating classic better than money in the bank and being in excellent condition it's a nice thing to own. But bikes don't like being neglected; they need to be used, and would the C90 see enough use now the Innova is on the fleet?

Watch this space!

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Farewell Bob Symes

Robert Alexander Baron Schutzmann von Schutzmansdorff, inventor and television presenter, died on 19th January at age 90. He didn't fit in with the modern meja's dumbed-down short-attention-span ways, so is probably only known to the older generation. He was of the old school - knowledgeable, professional, courteous, literate. It's sad he has gone, though 90 isn't a bad innings. Here's an example of Bob's presentation style.

Click here to see Bob's presentation style.

For decades Tomorrow's World had some excellent presenters, Bob Symes, William Woollard, Raymond Baxter, James Burke and Judith Haan are the ones I remember. Intelligent people who had a real background in science, engineering, technology, and the ability to communicate clearly and well. 

Then BBC ditched these presenters and started employing celebrities, children's show presenters and even well-known sporting people to present the show, hoping to make it more appealing. However, they lost their core audience with the banal and inept presentation, and never did attract a new generation, which anyway was hell-bent on becoming bean counters, managers or celebrities.

Bye bye old chap! 

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Nimrod knowledge transfer

Nimrod XV231 at Manchester yesterday, my car next to it

It was April 2010 when RAF Nimrod submarine hunter XV231 touched down at Manchester after its last flight. Shortly afterwards it was decommissioned and moved to the Runway Visitor Park, and we commenced giving tours on it to the public. All the Nimrod MR2s were withdrawn from service that month, though the Nimrod R1s (electronic intelligence gatherers) lasted a short while longer but soon they too were grounded.

We gleaned quite a lot of information about Nimrod operations from the RAF at the aeroplane's erstwhile base, Kinloss in Scotland, and read everything published about it (books by Bill Gunson and Tony Blackman - a Nimrod test pilot - and some magazine articles). The tours last 45 minutes and are very well received.

We recruited some additional Concorde guides last summer, and one of them knows an ex-Nimrod captain (Bill) who was willing to come to the Viewing Park and give us the benefit of his years of experience on the aeroplane.

Obviously we already had considerable Nimrod knowledge; the history, the operations it was used for and how it carried those out. Bill was able to add a great deal of information about how the crew worked as a team, sonar buoy specifics, types characteristics and tactics of Russian submarines, air-to-air refueling details, air / sea rescue methods, Nimrod as a fighter in the Falklands War (fitted with Sidewinder air-to-air missiles), various 'war stories' and anecdotes, and much more.

It was a fascinating morning (actually, so fascinating it went on into the afternoon!) and very informative. We won't have time on our 45 minute tour to cram any more information in than we already do, but perhaps it's time to consider a longer, more detailed, Nimrod tour at Manchester. Watch this space!

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