Engine sounds

[Foxwall]

Originally Posted by springs branch mickey

I liked the whistler. The peak was another engine I liked the sound of. They just weren't the sound you were hoping for in the sixties, when you knew they were the death knell of steam! Funny though, we got to like diesels, and bemoaned their passing. i used to go and see the last few 40's at springs branch.

Totally appreciate the sentiments. It was a similar situation for diesel enthusiasts in the late 70's. HST's were replacing loco hauled trains and the early 80's saw the recession with a severe contraction of freight carried by the railways. The miners strike didn't help, then royal mail went over to lorries.

HST's looked and sounded great but they introduced the concept of fixed train units for expresses and nationwide standardisation (not forgetting that dmu's had led the way) which greatly reduced the pleasure for the enthusiast.

Diesels had an extra dimension to steam (a variety of sounds) and carried on where steam left off. But the character of the railways today has all but vanished.

40's had everything,rugged looks and amazing sound. so i can understand how steam fans found consilation in diesel loco's.

[60159]

As teenagers in the 60's witnessing diesels displacing steam we all hated diesels, however sound played a major part in a grudging acceptance of some locos. In Scotland we couldn't get excited about Birmingham/Sulzer type 2's nor indeed the dreadful NB type 2's but the 40's had an intriguing "business-like" sound and of course the Deltics in sound and sensation were magical. As I've mentioned in an earlier post, the sound of a Deltic entering Edinburgh Waverley station, even light engine, penetrated your whole body, made the ground and station shake and gave you a huge sense of excitement and anticipation - almost, but not quite, as good as an A4, A3, A2 or A1 on the same Anglo Scottish services. I rarely experienced Hoovers in those years but later was most intrigued by their unique sound. I appreciated the performance of the electrics in the late 70's and 80's but on arriving at Euston and walking past the loco, it was completely dead apart from the characteristic "ticking" - what was that, by the way?

Mike

[Foxwall]

Electrics are impressive at high speed with the sparking on the wires but otherwise they are boring. Always exceptions though the 76's on the woodhead route had a following.

I don't know what the ticking is and does anyone know why 85's made a roaring sound ?

[Foxwall]

Originally Posted by 60159

As teenagers in the 60's witnessing diesels displacing steam we all hated diesels, however sound played a major part in a grudging acceptance of some locos. In Scotland we couldn't get excited about Birmingham/Sulzer type 2's nor indeed the dreadful NB type 2's but the 40's had an intriguing "business-like" sound and of course the Deltics in sound and sensation were magical. As I've mentioned in an earlier post, the sound of a Deltic entering Edinburgh Waverley station, even light engine, penetrated your whole body, made the ground and station shake and gave you a huge sense of excitement and anticipation - almost, but not quite, as good as an A4, A3, A2 or A1 on the same Anglo Scottish services. I rarely experienced Hoovers in those years but later was most intrigued by their unique sound. I appreciated the performance of the electrics in the late 70's and 80's but on arriving at Euston and walking past the loco, it was completely dead apart from the characteristic "ticking" - what was that, by the way?


Mike

Type 2 sulzers are great you are always guaranteed a good thrash !

NB type 2's tell me more, were they knicknamed "sadeyes", what sound did they make ?

[60159]

The NB type 2's may well have been nicknamed "Sadeyes" - not one I know but seems appropriate. My old ian Allan ABC reveals underlinings under nearly every one from D6100 to D6157 and I applied little red dots to those which had pulled a train on which I'd been on. (10 little red dots!) They became class 29's but I can't really recall in words how they sounded other than describing it as "uninteresting"!

[Foxwall]

Originally Posted by 60159

The NB type 2's may well have been nicknamed "Sadeyes" - not one I know but seems appropriate. My old ian Allan ABC reveals underlinings under nearly every one from D6100 to D6157 and I applied little red dots to those which had pulled a train on which I'd been on. (10 little red dots!) They became class 29's but I can't really recall in words how they sounded other than describing it as "uninteresting"!

Shame you didn't have your tape recorder. A little research shows that the original 21's had Man engines these proved unreliable and were re engined with Paxman Ventura V12's and renumbered 29's. There were 20 built, all sadly scrapped.

There was a similar looking deisel hydraulic on the western region known as class 22's they had Man engines and proved more reliable. Again all were scrapped, although one was to be preserved but Swindon Works cut it up by mistake !

They looked like quirky little engines, i wonder if anyone recorded them in action, sight and sound.