Thundering up Rattery
Seemingly freshly minted Hoover, 50008 'Thunderer', lives up to its name as she makes a spirited start from Totnes station up the infamous Rattery Bank - one of the three significant inclines on the route between Exeter and Plymouth collectively known as the South Devon Banks.
While it's not particularly visible in this view Rattery Bank starts almost at the end of the platform and lasts for just over 4 miles varying between 1 in 45 and 1 in 80, before easing to 1 in 90 and then increasing to 1 in 65.
The route was such a challenge in steam days that an extra loco was required for the heavy expresses, and later even the diesels wouldn't treat this route lightly with any weakness potentially a source of delay, or worse, an embarrassing failure. It wouldn't be the first time I've ridden up where, even under clear signals, the train was barely doing 10 mph over the top.
Given the apparently relaxed ambience of the driver looking out of the side window, I'm presuming on this occasion 50008 was as good 'under the bonnet' as she looked externally. Or maybe he was just waiting for the right-hand curve a few hundred yards up the track to look back and check he still had eleven on!
Despite being withdrawn from BR service in 1992, 50008 has lived on under private ownership and has even hauled a few freight trains around the network over the last 12 months.
I'm guessing I took this from Malt Hill over-bridge before the A381 'Western Bypass' was built impeding the view looking the other way.
Agfa CT18
31st July 1979
Thundering up Rattery
Seemingly freshly minted Hoover, 50008 'Thunderer', lives up to its name as she makes a spirited start from Totnes station up the infamous Rattery Bank - one of the three significant inclines on the route between Exeter and Plymouth collectively known as the South Devon Banks.
While it's not particularly visible in this view Rattery Bank starts almost at the end of the platform and lasts for just over 4 miles varying between 1 in 45 and 1 in 80, before easing to 1 in 90 and then increasing to 1 in 65.
The route was such a challenge in steam days that an extra loco was required for the heavy expresses, and later even the diesels wouldn't treat this route lightly with any weakness potentially a source of delay, or worse, an embarrassing failure. It wouldn't be the first time I've ridden up where, even under clear signals, the train was barely doing 10 mph over the top.
Given the apparently relaxed ambience of the driver looking out of the side window, I'm presuming on this occasion 50008 was as good 'under the bonnet' as she looked externally. Or maybe he was just waiting for the right-hand curve a few hundred yards up the track to look back and check he still had eleven on!
Despite being withdrawn from BR service in 1992, 50008 has lived on under private ownership and has even hauled a few freight trains around the network over the last 12 months.
I'm guessing I took this from Malt Hill over-bridge before the A381 'Western Bypass' was built impeding the view looking the other way.
Agfa CT18
31st July 1979