C17 Runs After Overhaul

[westfalen]

This Saturday C17 No.974 ran from Ipswich to Grandchester and back with a charter for the Ipswich Workshops Rail Museum, her first revenue run after a lengthy overhaul.

 

[miyakoji]

Is it water for the loco in that tank car?

[Nick_Burman]

Sounds good...for a loco of that type and size she sure runs like a bat out of hell!

 

Cheers NB

[westfalen]

The tank car is for water, there is a water tank at Grandchester but taking the tank car, called a 'water gin' in this part of the world, allowed a quick turn around without having to take water.

 

She has a bad knock in the motion, always has and they can't seem to get rid of it but it sounded a bit worse this time, she may need to go back into the shops for some fine tuning. You can hear it more in the second scene on the return trip.

 

The C17's did have a good turn of speed, in their day they were used on passenger trains on some of QR's lightly laid main lines. My brother was also out chasing the train and he says they were pacing her along a road beside the track at the 80kph speed limit and were only just keeping up.

Edited May 19, 2013 by westfalen

[Ochanomizu]

Hello Mr Westfalen,

 

Can you please provide a link to information and technical details about this loco?

[miyakoji]

Ochanomizu, Westfalen probably has more information, but here's the Wikipedia page about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensland_C17_class_locomotive

[westfalen]

The Wikipedia article plus this one linked from there, http://www.qrig.org/motive-power/locomotives/steam/c17-class pretty much says all I would be able to tell you. As both say there were many donated for preservation in parks that have been restored to working order although the Zig Zag Railway and the Mary Valley operations are presently not running No.971 of the South Downs Steam Railway is a regular performer on the QR mainlines out of Warwick.

[marknewton]

I've fired No.934 at ZZR a couple of times over the years - it's a lovely engine to work on. But I had no idea C17s were capable of this sort of speed. They're really starching along in this video!  :)

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.