Sean Emmett
Member
- Joined
- 9 Mar 2015
- Messages
- 498
Flaman recorders were fitted to the Gresley A4s.
I have been timing trains for nearly 40 years and have recorded a few notable overspeeds, 117 mph (100 limit) with a class 442 at Shawford and 111 mph (95 loco limit) with a class 47 down Madeley bank spring readily to mind. A 4VEP at 80 mph through Twickenham (60 limit) was lively, in the course of recording an even time run between Ascot and Richmond. As for mainline steam...
Much rarer now, but in the early days of the IETs some drivers had difficulty in reining them in, especially when going over summits. A trip over Wrangaton (between Totnes and Plymouth) reached 68 after clearing the summit around the regulation 60, before a stiff brake application to get speed below 60. A couple of others with IETs were 108 vice 100 between Taunton and Bridgwater (twice, accelerated to 108, braked to 100 then slowly accelerated to 108 again), and 78 vice 70 between Ledbury and Hereford.
I use a Garmin GPS 78csx (about 10 years old) for spot speeds, and take passing times from the infrastructure (stations, bridges, crossings) and enter them into a spreadsheet to check average speeds. The GPS unit also records a track log for later analysis, which can be processed to remove obvious spikes e.g. entering and leaving tunnels, etc. Before that i used the mileposts, with all the problems of their visibility and accuracy.
Amusingly, GWR issued a cab ride video during the first lockdown, which appeared to show 131 mph on the descent to Little Somerford.
Unless a train had found its balancing speed on a gradient, I quote speeds to the nearest whole mph, tending to round down rather than up, as I don't think I can claim greater accuracy than that.
Sean
I have been timing trains for nearly 40 years and have recorded a few notable overspeeds, 117 mph (100 limit) with a class 442 at Shawford and 111 mph (95 loco limit) with a class 47 down Madeley bank spring readily to mind. A 4VEP at 80 mph through Twickenham (60 limit) was lively, in the course of recording an even time run between Ascot and Richmond. As for mainline steam...
Much rarer now, but in the early days of the IETs some drivers had difficulty in reining them in, especially when going over summits. A trip over Wrangaton (between Totnes and Plymouth) reached 68 after clearing the summit around the regulation 60, before a stiff brake application to get speed below 60. A couple of others with IETs were 108 vice 100 between Taunton and Bridgwater (twice, accelerated to 108, braked to 100 then slowly accelerated to 108 again), and 78 vice 70 between Ledbury and Hereford.
I use a Garmin GPS 78csx (about 10 years old) for spot speeds, and take passing times from the infrastructure (stations, bridges, crossings) and enter them into a spreadsheet to check average speeds. The GPS unit also records a track log for later analysis, which can be processed to remove obvious spikes e.g. entering and leaving tunnels, etc. Before that i used the mileposts, with all the problems of their visibility and accuracy.
Amusingly, GWR issued a cab ride video during the first lockdown, which appeared to show 131 mph on the descent to Little Somerford.
Unless a train had found its balancing speed on a gradient, I quote speeds to the nearest whole mph, tending to round down rather than up, as I don't think I can claim greater accuracy than that.
Sean