Steam Heat

[RichmondCommu]

G'day,

Just curious to know where and when the last steam heat trains on the network ran. I'm guessing the Scottish Highlands but any help with this would be very much appreciated.

Not only that but how were the boilers topped up with water? Obviously up until 1968 water cranes / troughs would have sufficed but I'm interested to know what happened after steam finished.

Many thanks,

Richmond Commuter.

 

[bronzeonion]

Wasnt it 1986?

 

[RichmondCommu]

Wasnt it 1986?

Sounds about right. Do you know where the last trains ran? I'm guessing that they were in the hands of class 27's?

 

[Jeremy B]

Thinking back to my many overnight journeys in old Mk1 compartment stock I have to say there was something warm, cosy & inviting about steam heat that seems to be missing in todays air condintioned travel........rose tinted glasses perhaps

 

[Mugby]

I remember a guard once bemoaning the loss of steam heated stock on the Harwich to Manchester train.

He told me that when the loco was detatched at Manchester, steam heat would stay in the pipes until return departure time, with ETH stock, the heat had gone a few minutes after the loco was taken off.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Thinking back to my many overnight journeys in old Mk1 compartment stock I have to say there was something warm, cosy & inviting about steam heat that seems to be missing in todays air condintioned travel........rose tinted glasses perhaps

No, I would agree with you regarding steam heat (I'm 46). I’m not so sure about the safety features of mk1 stock but that's irrelevant here.

 

[ainsworth74]

Do you know where the last trains ran? I'm guessing that they were in the hands of class 27's?

I thought it was 37s on the Far North Line until Sprinterisation of those services in the mid/late 80s.

 

[RichmondCommu]

I thought it was 37s on the Far North Line until Sprinterisation of those services in the mid/late 80s.

Hmmm that's true and they were all ETH if I remember correctly. So, my original question still stands

 

[455driver]

It was steam heat 26s then steam heat 37s then ETS 37s.

 

[87015]

It was a duff on a Scottish footex in 1987 IIRC.

Steam heat for service trains still just about hanging on in Europe for this winter just gone although dwindling down to very little.

 

[theblackwatch]

It was a duff on a Scottish footex in 1987 IIRC.

I think you're right there - I'm pretty sure the subject of the actual last train was discussed in depth on wnxx a few years ago and that was the conclusion.

 

[Hairy Bear]

G'day,

Not only that but how were the boilers topped up with water? Obviously up until 1968 water cranes / troughs would have sufficed but I'm interested to know what happened after steam finished.

.

The were filled on depot then topped up at the end of station platforms by ground mounted pipes. Some still exist at Leicester and Sheffield , long since seized up.
I personally did a 45 and 47 in the dying days on 1M10 Sheffield to St.Pancras in 1985/86 I think.

 

[jamieP]

Steam heat trains never really left the railway and still run to this day.