71000 Duke of Gloucester & 92214 Burrs 3/3/07

71000 "Duke of Gloucester" pounds through Burrs with the 15:40 out of Bury. The banking engine is 92214: no less than a 17 power rating between them!

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• steam
• trains
• 71000
• duke
• of
• gloucester
• 92214
• burrs
• east
• lancs
• railway

[Jonny7trainspotting]

Wow what a couple of magnificent locomotives..

[steamontheweb]

Yes, the drivers put up a good show didn't they!

Mike

[Steam1989]

The Duke makes a wonderful noise! Do you know what makes it sound different to the A4's even though it she a Klychap blast pipe?

[steamontheweb]

I haven't a clue Steam1989, although I have to confess that I prefer the sound of the A4s.

[hiyadroogs]

Yes, I agree. The exhaust is very sharply defined, though not especially loud. On the owners website, power graphs show that for short durations, the Duke, at 2800 dbhp, can exceed even the maximum power of an all out Deltic by 150 dbhp! & can sustain a rail output far exceeding that of a 47/57 for long periods. These tests were conducted before the current valve modifications. The team now believe that between 50 & 70 mph, she might even attain 3000 dbhp!

[RailMon]

I rode the footplate of the 'Duke' in 1959as an apprentice and your absolutely right the, Capprotti is highly efficient. Though, as is well known the loco was'nt well thought of steaming wise in those days. However in preservation, the shortcomings have been largely addressed and now the loco is arguably the most efficient steam loco in Britain. Personnaly I think the 'Duke' has a very muted exhaust compared to, say 'Lizzie' and exhausts can be what identifies locos.

[hiyadroogs]

The Duke is fitted with British Caprotti valve gear, which gives a very sharp blast. This is a unique valve system specific to the Duke. It operates by rotating cams which opens poppet valves (similar to an internal combustion engine) & is therefore a radical departure & a far more efficient way of admitting steam to & from the cylinders than the traditional piston valves of other express engines.

[Steam1989]

I think you're probably right there!

[AndreiTupolev]

It's probably the Caprotti valve gear, I expect.

[Steam1989]

Hello again! The valve beat of the A4s sounds a different to the duke as well i feel

[dspf85]

the a4 has three cylinders, and some but not all were fitted with a double chimney

[gaz318]

I think it depends how hard the loco is being worked, a Kylchap can sound quite when working hard.

The GWR type still blows it out the water however for noise.