Having only caught the very tail end of BR steam workings in the
sixties, I was wondering how long it used to take to raise steam from
cold on a main line steam loco? Also, was it any quicker to raise steam
on something like a panier tank?

Nowadays, with preserved steam, they seem to raise steam a day or two
in advance, but I believe (not sure) that a very slow process is
followed with preserved locos to reduce the stress and strain involved.

So, is the preservation approach typical of the approach that was taken
in BR days or could steam be raised much more quickly, if necessary?

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 20:19:18 +0100, Henry Law
 wrote:


>Steam can be raised quickly using an external shunt and electric or gas
>heating - see electric pre-heating device on following page.


I read somewhere that at Blaenavon shed, when desparate, they would
light the fire, fill firebox with coal and push the engine off fown
the 1 in 40 incline.  It would be blowing off when it reached the
bottom (2 miles??).  

-- 
Peter Lawrence

"Peter Lawrence"  wrote:


>On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 20:19:18 +0100, Henry Law
> wrote:
>
>>Steam can be raised quickly using an external shunt and electric or gas
>>heating - see electric pre-heating device on following page.
>
>I read somewhere that at Blaenavon shed, when desparate, they would
>light the fire, fill firebox with coal and push the engine off fown
>the 1 in 40 incline.  It would be blowing off when it reached the
>bottom (2 miles??).  



As if.