|
Steam Locomotion in the
21st Century
The Recent History of
Steam Locomotive Development
|
Modern
Steam Videos
updated
15 February 2022
The following links are
to www.youtube.com, and feature videos of various
modern or modernized steam locomotives mentioned
elsewhere on this site, in operation.
Argentina
(the country AND the locomotive!)- This video
recently surfaced on youtube showing footage of the
construction of L. D. Porta's first experimental
locomotive, La
Argentina. Not only does it feature a
young, handsome Porta, but Andre Chapelon as well!
La
Argentina
South
African Railways Class 26 4-8-4 No. 3450-
Officially L. D. Porta, but far better known
as the Red Devil. This
locomotive was extensively modified by David Wardale
in the early 1980's. The locomotive still
exists, and has been operated sporadically, but
unfortunately some of the modifications have been
removed or negated by subsequent work on the engine.
No.
3450 on Freight in 1991
"Steam
Fever" Video- Showing steam in South Africa
including a 25C condenser. No. 3450 shows up
at about 3 minutes, 30 seconds in and features some
excellent high speed footage with a razor-sharp
exhaust.
Alfred
County Railway Garratt No. 155- A Former SAR NGG16
class Garratt improved by Phil Girdlestone.
Video from 1996 showing 155 and other un-modified
Garratts on the line.
Alfred County Railway Garratt
Mt.
Washington Cog Railway, New Hampshire USA- Nigel Day has worked
for several years modernizing locomotive No. 9,
affectionately called "Vickie" (short for "the
victim") but officially known as "Waumbek".
The video segment below shows the engine after the
installation of a Lempor exhaust system and improved
exhaust "plumbing". More recently the
locomotive has been converted to burn biodiesel
fuel.
No.
9 Waumbek passes at stopped train
The
Golden Eagle Luxury Train in Russia, featuring
P36.0032 which was fitted with a dual Lempor exhaust
by the late Phil Girdlestone.
P36.0032
Modern
SLM rack steam locomotives in Austria and
Switzerland-
These locomotives were built by SLM in Switzerland
in the 1990's (the steam division has since become
DLM).
Brienz
Rothorn Bahn in Switzerland
Brienz
Rothorn Bahn in Switzerland
DLM
Modernized 2-10-0 52.8055- This 2-10-0 was
modernized extensively by DLM predecessor SLM and is
now owned by DLM who operates it in excursion
service.
52 8055
excursion
52
8055 on Freight (excellent exhaust sound)
52 8055
excursion
RFIRT
in Argentina-
A narrow gauge coal-hauling railway at the southern
tip of South America. Locomotives are 2-10-2's built
by Mitsubishi in Japan. The first series of
locomotives were modernized by L. D. Porta after
delivery; the second series of locomotives were
built with these improvements and others
incorporated at the factory.
RFIRT #1
RFIRT
#2
RFIRT
#3
RFIRT
#4
RFIRT
#5
RFIRT
#6
RFIRT
#7
RFIRT
#8
Tren del Fin del
Mundo, Ushuaia, Argentina- "The Train at the End of
the World", also known as Ferrocarril Austral
Fueguino (FAF).
A tourist railway in
southern Argentina, the line features 3 modernized
steam locomotives: two 0-4-0+0-4-0 Garratts and a
2-6-2T.
FAF
#1 Short video featuring shots of all 3
steamers
FAF
#2
Long video
with lots of non-train footage, but it features some
nice shots of the "Ing. L. D. Porta", one of the
line's two Garratts.
FAF
#3 Nice
shots of 2-6-2T "Camila".
FAF
#4 Video
includes all 3 steamers and one of the line's
diesels as well.
Grand Canyon Railway,
Arizona, USA-
The two of the lines steam locomotives were
modernized with Lempor exhaust systems and improved
oil burners designed by Nigel Day. Feedwater heaters
were subsequently fitted. Unfortunately, the
railway management changed in 2008 and the steam
locomotives have been taken out of service.
GCR
#1 Video shows a double header with both
modernized steam locomotives, 2-8-0 #29 and 2-8-2
#4960.
Puffing Billy
Railway, Australia- Nigel Day designed a
Lempor exhaust system for their 2-6-2T no. 6A. The
exhaust system was since moved to no. 14A when it
was converted to oil firing by DLM. At least two
other Puffing Billy locomotives have also had
improved exhausts installed in recent years.
PBR
No. 6A with Lempor
PBR
No. 6A with Lempor
PBR No. 14A
after conversion
Duke of Gloucester, UK-
A modern 3-cylinder 4-6-2 constructed in the late
days of steam in England, equipped with Caprotti
rotary cam actuated poppet valves. In regular
service, the locomotive never lived up to its
promise and proved little, if any better than
contemporary conventional Pacifics. The
locomotive was relegated to the scrap yard after its
outside cylinders and valve gear were removed for
display in a museum. Years later, a group of
dedicated railway enthusiasts rescued the
locomotive. On top of that, they fabricated
replacements for the missing cylinders, including
the complete Caprotti valve gear system. Study
of the locomotive's design during the restoration
revealed an undersized exhaust system and errors in
the fabrication of the ash pan. The exhaust
was replaced with a new, properly sized Kylchap
system and other deficiencies in the engine's
construction were corrected. It proved a
tranformed engine in excursion service.
DOG
#1 A high speed run. The audio track
provides an interesting sample of the ultra-sharp
exhaust characteristic of a poppet valve equipped
steam locomotive.
DOG
#2 More impressive audio.
DOG
#3 Climbing a grade at speed; impressive
audio.
DOG
#4 Close up shots of engine running
tender-first; good low speed exhaust sounds.
