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Vale of Rheidol
VoR
GWR1213


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VoR[19] - climbing

VoR[19] - climbing
GWR1213 was making a splendid sound climbing the gradient here.
The steepest section - at 1 in 50 - is from Aberffrwd to Devil's Bridge.
I was also impressed by the standard of the almost manicured permanent way [the track]

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 StoneRoad2013
StoneRoad2013 club
This made me think of an incident many years ago [looked it up - visit was in September 1986]
The VoR "borrowed" the Alco 'Mountaineer' and a pilot driver from the Ffestiniog Railway. I travelled behind The Alco the one day, and it sounded as if she was not really coping, then I heard the FR driver say ... "Open her up, right up ... No, like this" accompanied by a great bark of exhaust, Mountaineer then romped up the rest of the way into Devil's Bridge.
I suspect the VoR driver was used to a more gentle approach with the home engines, despite being on a section at 1 in 50. The Alco was used to 13 miles at 1 in 80, and to give her best performance she needed plenty of steam and a wide open regulator, hence the "open her up" instruction.
[e2a - The FR driver in question was the late Evan Davies, I still have great respect for his ability to get the best out of the engines he drove]
8 months ago. Edited 8 months ago.

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