#old steam engine

[bigggordon]

THOMAS AND FRIENDS|what a charismatic Cuban ???

*Victor))))

[old-transport]

GWR loco No. 6902 'Butlers Hall' @ Swindon Works - May 1961 by Frederick McLean Via Flickr: An old photograph (2" x 2") of accident damaged British Railways/Great Western Railway (GWR) steam locomotive No. 6902 being scrapped in 'A' shop at the Swindon Works. The works was opened in January 1843, the last BR steam locomotive it produced was 'Evening Star' in 1960, the last steam loco to come in for repair was in 1964, the works closed in 1986 with some work continuing into 1987 after which most of the site was cleared for redevelopment. Old/new overhead maps view:- maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15.4&lat=5... The photo has no date or photographer name. No. 6902 'Butlers Hall' was a C. Collett designed 'Hall class' 4-6-0 engine, built at the Swindon Works and new to GWR in Jul 1940. In Feb 1961 the locomotive was involved in an *accident in which the driver died, this is it being scrapped at Swindon Works just a few months later in the May. The accident damage can clearly be seen in the photograph. * "In the early hours of the 11th February 1961, the ex GWR locomotive 6902 Butlers Hall was heading the 10.23 p.m. York - Swindon express when it collided with the rear portion of a divided freight train and derailed. Tragically this resulted in the death of the driver of the express, Driver A. L. L. Jones, who was trapped on his footplate." From Mike Crabtree in the 'Railway Identification Group' on Facebook:- "Swindon ‘A’ shop because of the configuration of a single overhead crane lifting the whole locomotive, Darlington North Road also lifted locos using a single crane and its most definitely not North Road. All other erecting shops used twin cranes and lifted using what was called a double lift." If there are any errors in the above description please let me know. Thanks. 📷 Any photograph I post on Flickr is an original in my possession, nothing is ever copied/downloaded from another location. 📷 -------------------------------------------------

[ponystex]

Back when I first got into stex I would lay in bed sobbing to I am the starlight. Ray shell’s performance as Rusty changed my life

[phopollo]

Throws an old lady yuri doodle at you guys

Runs

[tabooiart]

rusty over time :3c

[catenary-chad]

AC/DC is a VERY smart song, one of the reasons it’s my favorite lyrically in the show is that it’s so explicitly about electric trains and has multiple references to super interesting issues/traits with them. This doesn’t go into the broader electricity puns (which are shockingly versatile), just the ones most relevant to trains

“Feel my magnetism”

I’m still trying to figure out if this is an issue with remotely modern electric trains and motors, but I have heard a claim about a turn of the century New York Central S-motor (one of the very first mass produced electric locomotives!) basically “picking up and stealing” some tools left near the track this way and then dropping them when switched off.  Basically the whole “pulling in things with magnetism” has at least some real life precedent with trains.  

“AC/DC it’s okay by me/ I can switch and change my frequency”

This was perhaps the defining feature of the CC 40100 Electra’s helmet was based on.  Due to inconsistent electrification systems (due to early 20th century tech limits) it’s very common to have 2,3, even 4 voltage locomotives and EMUs since it’s cheaper and easier than replacing all that infrastructure.  Having both AC and DC compatibility is actually super old, the New Haven Railroad had one of the first AC-powered lines ever and the very first AC locomotives there had to be equipped for both it and the existing DC third rail in other sections.  But being able to run on multiple AC frequencies is much more recent, and the CC 40100 was an early example of it.  The Northeast Corridor in the US actually requires trains capable of running on THREE different AC voltages/frequencies, being able to “change your frequency” is an important requirement there (and in continental Europe)  

Basically, silly 70s-80s era bi allusions are just how electric trains are.  It’s so out there but so on the nose.  It’s probably the single smartest writing decision of the show because it works so well and talking train media otherwise NEVER talks about these aspects of electrification.  

“I can shock you, I can set you on fire”

The history of diesel and electric trains involves so, so much spontaneous combustion.  Exploding is almost exclusively a steam engine thing, but if they wanted to dramatically kill Electra or Greaseball or any of the Nationals, this is always an option and weirdly underused.  

“I can reach up and pluck down the lightning/watch the conductor, see the live wire”

Direct reference to overhead electrification and how pantographs are raised to make contact.   Also fun play on train conductor/electrical conductor, which is popular in trolley/train jokes.  This system is something almost exclusive to trains and part of why they are so established, efficient, widespread and convenient as electric vehicles.  They’re genuinely absurdly OP vs basically all other forms of traction since they don’t have to carry their own fuel/power supply and can have ridiculously high single-unit power since the only limit is how much capacity the power grid has (and how much can be practically used without wheelslip).  Due to their fixed paths they can run this way vs needing batteries and totally bypass the decades of density limits those had.  Even today batteries are not really practical as a main power source for anything bigger than commuter EMUs and switchers.  

(Trolleybuses are a thing and there’s been attempts at sticking pantographs on trucks… and I guess bumper cars technically count too lol) 

Shoutout to Stexico for having a very different chorus with somehow the exact same sentiment. 

“Macho/Hembra es mi conector” (Male/Female is my connector)

This is just a hilariously matter of fact statement about the electrical connections on AAR standard passenger engines and coaches, which I think Mexico uses since their rail system is so US-based but I could be wrong (privatization axed basically all their passenger services around the time Stexico came out and there’s very little even today).  The stuff about “with my switch I connect you” is also incredibly matter of fact because there’s usually a separate switch or dial to turn on head end power on locomotives.  

Electra is based on this very 70s bi stereotype/trope that lumps in the botanical definition of “bisexual” and makes characters “both male and female” in a way that’s inconsistently trans, GNC, and/or literally being 50/50 both in a way that doesn’t work that way in humans.  Velvet von Ragnar from Never Too Young to Die is almost IDENTICAL in this regard as another example.  But the hilarious thing is that it’s just… incredibly matter of fact and literal when applied to electric trains because so many of them are able to run on both AC and DC power because rail electrification is so messy and many of them are technically “both male and female” going off electrical connections.

Anyways, tangent aside

I do not know enough German to appreciate the intricacies of stuff like word choice or idioms in the translated lyrics but these ones are fun because they’re explicitly about overhead wires

“Steh unter Spannung”

I’ve seen the translation given as “I’m a live wire” but the more literal one seems to be “stand under tension/power/voltage”. “Tension” is often used in place of “voltage” especially outside of English, but there’s a fun double meaning with trains specifically. The allusion to voltage/power in overhead wire is obvious, but  literal catenary wire tension is also SO important specifically in rail electrification.  The wire has to be tight and straight enough to make proper contact with the pantograph (and getting the upwards pressure on those is also important).  Europe has mostly reasonably modern lines with adjustable weights to keep wire tension constant but the northeast US has HUGE issues with outdated systems with fixed wires that sag in the heat (then get snagged on pantographs and torn down) or snap in the cold when they shrink/expand.

“Ein Griff von mir” (A grip of mine)

“Holt den Blitz aus der Leitung,” (Takes the lightning out of the wire)

Also seems to be a direct reference to pantograph pressure/contact with overhead lines, similar to the English version of this line.  There’s a strong hand/arm association with pantographs in general due to their design, modern ones bend in arm-like ways and “touch” the wire in a very particular way.

Also this is probably just wild coincidence but “Griff” makes me laugh because Zaine Griff was the workshop Electra.  

[choc-ice-on-wheels]

DUCK IN THE CORNISH MYSTERY

[littlewebtreasures]

Trains, Steam Engines and Train Cars by Animation Factory

[elektrostantsiya]

Turbineposting again, bc they're so beautiful 😻, yet so unappericated. All imgs from Pinterest

[railwaycreature]

Another OC I've not introduced to you all yet:

Beatrice the Haunted Engine!

Beatrice (She/Her) is a Stanier 8F Class locomotive, quite a gentle, pleasant lass despite her strength, and a very diligent hard worker. She's a trans woman, and owing to her busy life she doesn't often get chances to shave, leading to her having a bit of scruffy facial hair. She's quite fond of it, though :)

You may be wondering about her title, haunted how? Well, in real life, a handful of Stanier 8Fs were involved in peculiar accidents, in which they fell off of boats and were lost at sea. Spending so long underwater, one of those 8Fs began to change... and so was born

Silt the Sea-Swallowed Engine!

They're a... strange being, to say the least. They don't have a permanent physical form, and can only hold one for a short amount of time. By default, they are ghostly and they often reside within Beatrice, resting in her consciousness and scarcely ever revealing themself. Silt haunts Beatrice and is linked to her physical form, using her as a sort of host since they can't sustain a form themselves. They can take full control of her at will, which has caused Beatrice's social life to take a nosedive because under Silt's control, she just... stares, and moves strangely, and mumbles non-words or unsettling ominous sentences

Beatrice feels very conflicted about Silt. She feels very sympathetic towards them owing to the terrible accident that caused them to gain this form, but she does really dislike being used as a puppet, and how it's affected her relationships with others

[thoughtartistry]

Train graveyard, New England. 🚂

[old-transport]

GWR/BR loco No. 4699 @ Whitland shed - West Wales Tour (787) - Jun 1959 by Frederick McLean Via Flickr: An old amateur photograph of British Rail (BR) pannier tank engine No. 4699 inside the Whitland engine/locomotive shed (closed Jan 1966) in Jun 1959. This is in an old rail enthusiast photo album, on the reverse is annotated "West Wales Tour, C. F. Walklet at Whitland Shed, 7 Jun 1959". No. 4699 was a C. Collett designed class 5700 0-6-0PT engine, built at the Swindon Works, and new to Great Western Railway (GWR) in Feb 1945. The locomotive was withdrawn from service in Jun 1964, then scrapped in the August at the BR Swindon Works. Old/new overhead maps view:- maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=17.4&lat=5... If there are any errors in the above description please let me know. Thanks. 📷 Any photograph I post on Flickr is an original in my possession, nothing is ever copied/downloaded from another location. 📷 -------------------------------------------------

[thecoffeelorian]

...is it just me, or did all of Dinah's besties just gift her with a license to go hang out with all the other locomotives, guilt free...?

🤔👀

[phopollo]

Artistic capability coming back

Doodles while I prep to try work myself back up to finish those design things, ft the req for Memphis from memory

[gordonengineswifenirmal]

He finally arrived! Bloody post sent him back once, so he took a double journey.

[eltristanexplicitcontent]

Worlds Oldest Motoring Event - Veteran Car Run 2024