Reunited

[martyn williams]

I have had an email from the owner of this great beast.I will soon be reunited with it after we saved it from the gas torch in 1974.

These twin engined V12 Maybach MD655 locos are the best sounding diesels ever.Turn up the sound.They could pull 600 tons at 95 mph no sweat.
Photo shows us in 1975, Swindon works after we had painted it.
[video]http://youtu.be/bJHdY5GBrQw[/video]

[Neversweat]

I have had an email from the owner of this great beast.I will soon be reunited with it after we saved it from the gas torch in 1974.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJHdY5GBrQw
These twin engined V12 Maybach MD655 locos are the best sounding diesels ever.Turn up the sound.They could pull 600 tons at 95 mph no sweat.
Photo shows us in 1975, Swindon works after we had painted it.

And you are in the photo

Steve

[martyn williams]

front and centre and sweet 16
Just had an email from the owner,we will be recreating this photo 36 years on
Martyn

[Neversweat]

Bet the hairstyles have changed a bit

Make sure you show us the recreated photo

Steve

[martyn williams]

Put on a few pounds to Steve
Martyn

[Jeremy Rowland]

Guess that'll be D1062 Western Courier then?

One of seven of these magnificent loco's in preservation the other's being; D1010 Western Campaigner, D1013 Western Ranger, D1015 Western Champion, D1023 Western Fusilier, D1041 Western Prince and D1048 Western Lady.
Yes the Maybach engines on these loco's sound fantastic

Jeremy

[martyn williams]

Yes Jeremy,Western Courier is the one we done.I had a cab ride from Swindon to Paddington on D1010 in 1974,it hit 100 mph pulling 11, 33 ton coaches and got in 10 miutes early.
These Maybachs engines were fitted to torpedo boats.Thay had great torque,fitted with Voith tranmission, and the locos could pull 1500 tonne stone trains and express passenger.Its sad that the were non standard and withdrawn in favour of Diesel electric traction.

[martyn williams]

I have now tracked down the instructor in that photo and had a good chat with him.I will be going up to the SVR at Kidderminster soon and hopefully have a drive of Western Courier.I have been told that there has been extensive work done on this loco.They have raised £5000 so far,the target is £90,000 to get her up to running on the mainline standards.
Martyn

[bigkit]

Did you find the instructor presenting Open University?

I went to Kidderminster Steam Railway about a year ago, absolutely fab!

Wanted to see more but kiddie pressure forced an early finish to the day. Would love to go back!

[martyn williams]

Its a great preserved railway the SVR also get a good pint of ale at Bridgenorth or Kidderminster.Had a good chat with Graham,our instructor, in that photo about old times at Swindom and the problems faced with preserving locomotives.Not many people around these days with the engineering knowhow to keep these wonderfull locos running.Those Maybachs are great engines,the best sounding diesel ever in my opinion.Even better inside the engine room,hear defenders don't work that good with those engines. They are very compact unit of 65ltr with a rating of 1300 bhp at 1500rpm.Overhead cam arrangement,the injectors/pump are a combined unit.
The MTU V12's fitted to the HST's are a derived from those MD655 engines.
Martyn
[video]http://youtu.be/kYxnF-aKSDo[/video]