From the National Railway Museum, York

[OlDoinyo]

The National Railway Museum is noted for a fine collection of vintage rolling stock including several historic steam locomotives. The main display shed has somewhat subdued light, and the overhead skylight clearly attenuates shorter wavelengths of UV; the glass curtain wall on the west end of the building is slightly better and small amounts of UV emanate from some of the interior lighting, but the overall effect is of a somewhat tinted gloom. This is probably good for conservation and preservation purposes, but it means that long exposures (on the order of 30 seconds) are the order of the day and even some of these end up underexposed. The images here were taken with the Sony A900 at ISO 400; the Asahi 35mm lens was fitted with the Baader U2 filter and set to f/16; exposure was 30 seconds. Display intent is BGR. Under the circumstances white balance became a bit imprecise, as the difference between images shows.

 

The Mallard is probably the most famous locomotive in the collection. Designed by Nigel Gresley, it is a streamlined 4-6-2 of the A4 class. Eighty years ago this month, it was sent on a test run pulling a dynamometer car (just behind the tender, but not clearly visible in the photo) and recorded a speed of 126 mph (202.7 km/h,) which is considered the world record for steam propulsion to this day. (The Pennsylvania Railroad's monster 6100 was almost certainly quite a bit faster, but no dynamometer runs with it were ever performed, so its records must forever be regarded as unofficial.)

 

 

The locomotive's LNER livery features a blue paint which shows brownish in this view. The overhead pedestrian bridge and roof girders provide framing. This locomotive is still railworthy and has appeared under steam at special events.

 

The Duchess of Hamilton is another streamlined 4-6-2 in the collection, one which appeared on display at the New York World's Fair in 1939 prior to re-entering service back in Britain (the 6100 also was on display at the same fair.) It pulled elite passenger expresses such as the Coronation Scot.

 

 

The maroon paint of the locomotive shows virtually black in UV. The gold stripes are faintly visible. The locomotive is not currently railworthy but plans to make it so have been bruited.

[Andy Perrin]

Neato! You do love trains, don't you? :-)

[Andrea B.]

Trains are just the best. Ever fascinating. I got to ride trains a bit as a kid going to visit grandparents or aunts. And those big ole train stations were so cavernous and fine! So much of that is now gone in the US.

 

Several places in the US you can still see long complex freight trains. Bjørn Birna & I photographed incredibly long trains at the Kelso station, in the Mohave Preserve and some other place I forget now. No UV though. Seems like those trains went by for a long time. Had to be over a mile long, I'll bet.

[Alaun]

These big steam engines are fascinating technological heritage.