Deltic 55009 'Alycidon' Mainline Loaded Test Run 29th March 2023

Deltic 55009 Leaving Carnforth in fine style on its loaded test run this morning.
5z55 Carnforth Steamtown - Carlisle

[@GaryNumeroUno]

Looks like they forgot a few piston rings! Definitely not Euro 5. I "cabbed" this loco at York in 1979. Great, patient elderly driver put up with my daft questions and look of awe around the cab before seeing me off the loco again. Now I am the 62 year old elderly chap! Time marches on. The loco is still a sight to behold. Lovely. Thanks for posting. Regards from Oz.

[@robertp.wainman4094]

Great comment!

[@JordanClass37Fan]

👍

[@Fvck_Y0u_Sad1Q_K]

Still one of the greatest most insane pair of engines ever made.

[@warwicktregurtha4198]

Not insane - impressive.

[@bentullett6068]

Someone recently developed a small petrol (or could be run on hydrogen) four stroke engine using similar technology but updated. For its size it was pretty powerful and made a great noise.

[@markmyword295]

Nice seeing what the deltic does best. Net zero lunatics would spit out there grass tea watching this.

[@andressanchez4517]

Nettle tea with a dash of WD40 🥱☺️😁🏳️‍🌈

[@davidholmes2283]

My father was part of the team at Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows that built the first production models of this. I went on to serve my apprenticeship at the Vulcan years later.

[@jimbilton1956]

That must have been so interesting. What was the place like? I've never seen any photos. Such a shame that - like much of British manufacturing - it is all gone.

[@kobuserasmus2934]

Magnificent sound !

[@JacobsTrainVideos]

Excellent video!! What a stonking cloud of exhaut coming out the top of her!

[@drummerboy1390]

Shouldn’t be that Smokey. Deltics were high maintenance back in the day, to the extent that engineers from the manufacturers were needed to fix some faults the depot engineers couldn’t get their heads around. It’s impossible to imagine they’re getting proper engine maintenance today as there will be nobody around who knows the ins and outs of these complex engines. I was a passed fireman at Haymarket MPD in the seventies/eighties when the Deltics were in service on the ‘Holy Ghost’ ie the East Coast to Newcastle. The roar as you opened it up at Waverley station was unforgettable. The station would be filled with fumes throttling up after idling, but the smoke would disappear once on the move. There’s a lot of love for the Deltics today, but if truth be told, we were glad to see the back of them. Everything’s better looking back, including Deltics.

[@spentacle]

A P/Way man from Haymarket told me they were restricted to half throttle until Musselburgh because of the complaints about ruined washing from the housewives.Never mind what it was like working in Haymarket tunnel after one went through.

[@drummerboy1390]

Yeah, that’s pretty much right, but trains leaving any city never get much speed up because the suburbs are pretty congested with local traffic. Back then once you cleared Prestonpans you could let rip until Berwick. Even if you weren’t stopping at Berwick, there was a speed limit on the bridge, then it was pretty much flat out all the way to Newcastle. That’s as far as Haymarket drivers went. The 125 HST’s that replaced the Deltics were much more civilised. They were cleaner and quieter and got up to speed much quicker. It’s easy for people nowadays to romanticise those old locos, but they didn’t have to work them. Same with steam. When I stared steam was gone, but the majority of drivers and firemen were still around. There were a few old timers who missed steam engines, but the vast majority were glad to see the back of them.

[@markbeale7390]

INverted pistons would fill up with piston cooling oil at low revs+ get into combustion space.

[@nickedwards2904]

@@drummerboy1390 of course its about nostalgia and like u said very few knew too much but they liked them better but thats fair enough . I dont think many people think the Deltic was better than a HST but i know what i would rather see !! The normal people who use railways just want comfort and ok pricing, neither of which u get in the modern day

[@SMX815]

The engines is poetry in motion & you can recognise this a mile away!

[@ChrisBrown-Bolton-gt1qg]

In my experience usually only after a major re-fit when bluish smoke was common. It reduces over the first few hours in service.

[@stephencope7178]

I would hope so, or I'd be putting a claim in for exacerbation of my COPD and asthma!! 🤔

[@rearspeaker6364]

@@stephencope7178 that's network rail's mosquito control program at work!!

[@markbeale7390]

​@@rearspeaker6364use citronella fuel oil.

[@robertwiles344]

I used to see the Deltics hammering through Oakleigh Park in the early 80s. They used to smoke a bit as the drivers throttled up after emerging from the tunnel between New Southgate and Oakleigh Park when they were on full chat. The sound was stunning - I'd trade the smoke for the noise in a hearbeat....

[@llwyde1104]

Ditto 1960s up the line a bit...

[@danielbarton9291]

A mixed bag of comments, I love deltics and heritage diesels but I do think these levels of smoke will rub some folks up the wrong way one day. She cleans up a lot by the time she is at the top of the hill. Hard to imagine that this is the way it was on many trains and in stations not that long ago, that's why it's important to keep these running so the next gen get a taster of what things were like and why we do things the way we do them now jnstead of being told what to do and not questioning why. Our cities are now much cleaner and diesels have never burnt cleaner but still they crack down on Joe average, I say go deltic go! In emissions terms, a bit of visible smoke, same amount of CO2 and a lovely soundtrack, wanna save CO2, switch off the 47!! Can't wait to see her in the wild this year. Excellent video and thanks for posting, love the comments.

[@AndreiTupolev]

Yes, and that's exactly why they should do it. Stick two fingers up to the fundamentalist nutcases

[@voidjavelin23]

well this deltic got a whole fresh new piston

[@ChilternTransportProductions]

I think you mean 57 lol

[@dannycarter1966]

Both engines on song. Good footage.

[@allan5919]

A great sight seeing the Deltic accelerate. Superb video.

[@steamingaroundbritain]

Makes a steam loco look carbon neutral lol

[@rearspeaker6364]

But, not as bad a russia diesel 2te10m!!the smoke is so bad, whole towns have disappeared!!

[@pcorf]

Now that is diesel traction at it's finest!. The two engines smokin' it out big time.

[@Tony-tu5hh]

Brilliant JB, glad you made it on time. Quality !!

[@Guard_Amos]

Marvellous. Sounded awesome at Oxenholme. Heard at least 5 minutes before being seen

[@geordieceltic2]

That sound is priceless. Great video.

[@JordanClass37Fan]

Cheers

[@johnson_street_IEMD]

Great Deltic action there 👏 👍 👌

[@NELincsTrainspotting]

Lovely catch and epic thrash

[@StreakyP]

Well that's not going to be popular in London's ulez zone is it! 😂

[@royfearn4345]

Who cares? C'mon, feel the noise!

[@nickhale2900]

🤔mmn, London that's the place with the City Airport in it with no regulation on emissions.

[@markcf83]

Highly doubt the expansion will happen.

[@bencarter2334]

​​@@nickhale2900 😂😂😂😂. That's brilliant.

[@rsambrook]

Just have to pay the £15

[@stephenpowell5912]

Great footage ❤

[@phil3740]

Hopefully be running with the aircons for the benefit of the passengers health, but what a great sight and sound to behold.

[@topautos]

Great catch ! 👍

[@runways_railways]

Very nice! I am also a Class 37 fan

[@12crepello]

Great shot and good to see here back on the mainline. Hope fully RSG or maybe Tulyar will soon join her. Just to correct and inform some of the comments here a Deltic exhaust is unique. When setting off the Deltic engines can expel two large plumes of exhaust. The two-stroke engine design carries over a quantity of oil into the exhaust collector drum. This gets hot, leading to a pale blue exhaust trail in many cases. After standing idling for some time, a Deltic can produce a cloud of smoke that many steam locomotives would find hard to match. Notwithstanding an engine that is running efficiently will soon lose this trait and the exhaust will clear. Perhaps finding out more information at the DPS website may help folks understand these locos better before commenting? Thanks.

[@RedArrow73]

Had the diesels been worked on recently?

[@drummerboy1390]

RSG was one of our Haymarket locomotives.

[@wishicouldsing129]

Blower pressure is used in any 2 cycle engine to keep the oil forced out of the blower boxes. Idling drops blower pressure and the rings on the pistons slobber oil into the the intake ports. This fills the blower box with oil, which usually has a drain on it. When throttled up, the blower pressure comes up, and the oil in the blower box is blown into the combustion chamber and burned. The engine will smoke until the built up oil is burned off. I've watch hundreds of videos on the deltics, and this one engine smokes horribly. I'm under the impression it's worn or has a broken set of rings on one of the pistons.

[@jonathanbeale3978]

I am going on a Deltic hauled tour in late May. It is subject this engine getting it’s mainline certification

[@Assimilator1]

@@wishicouldsing129 Makes sense to me, it does seem like a lot of smoke, even for a Deltic! ;)

[@milehighclassics]

GRETTA thumberg express

[@johngibson4641]

Wowzers , is all the smoke a result of cylinder glazing from idling for a long length of time. Cheers from John in Australia

[@ColinH1973]

Everyone loves a Deltic.

[@jabberwockytdi8901]

That's a lot of smoke even for a Deltic...

[@TheFrogfather1]

Yeah I was thinking that too.

[@MrScottdjb89]

Great video 👍

[@RYNT1157]

Been a long time since I saw one of them in action , plenty of clag. Great Video.👍

[@JordanClass37Fan]

Cheers 👍

[@barriejowett2412]

Very nice indeed 👍👍👍👍👍

[@chrisbarnes2823]

I think the DPF fell off 🤪, great video, thanks.

[@SimonTog]

Very nice done video, thumbs up :)

[@chrisandjaneonnarrowboatpo3917]

Brilliant. What power 👍👍

[@michellebell5092]

Fabulous. #class55fan 👍

[@TrainsBigandSmallUK]

Clagtastic!

[@paullacey2999]

Awesome.👏👏👏

[@Rebekkah_Watson]

Very Smokey. Secretly wants to be a steam loco lol 😂

[@Finsami71]

Rock on!

[@Aureljosh]

Nice

[@JulianSaunders]

Smokin'!

[@peskybee22]

Hopefully it'll haul mk1's for the railtour in May but I think it's booked for the blue/grey MK2 set

[@Leah_Garnett]

Where is the railtour?

[@kristinajendesen7111]

Can you imagine driving those after steam ended. Must have been so welcome for the drivers and the firemen who became a 'Second man' siting opposite. A lot of our drivers at Bournemouth on BR had compensation for hearing loss driving 47s and 33s. I imagine it would have been much worse on these beasts.

[@ImanRailfans-th4ef]

nicee🎉🎉🎉👍🤝💪🚂🚂🚂

[@AdieAdie17]

That'll get the greenies going 😂

[@metalman4141]

I love the Deltas

[@richardhooper7297]

Don't think that will pass any emissions tests!!!

[@Northstander]

Agreed...can remember seeing Deltics tearing up the ECML as a kid, can't remember ever seeing one that claggy!

[@MrKips1]

Worn out.

[@andyn6266]

@@Northstander I can remember seeing them at Bawtry and can’t remember them ever being smokey.

[@Andy-kf4rd]

Better not let Greta see this.who cares anyway listen to it

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

@@Andy-kf4rd Greta has decreed that polluting technology must be recycled and replaced with greener alternatives. This means some so-called heritage diesels will be torched.

[@ChangesOneTim]

A beautiful noise! The railway's traction decarbonisation strategy is going well then....🤣

[@rearspeaker6364]

it's the Euro6 Regen strategy at work!!

[@ChangesOneTim]

@@rearspeaker6364 🤣. "Fred! You put the AdBlue in the diesel tank, you berk"!

[@johannessilver8653]

Why it is smoking more than steam locos ? Oil out directly?

[@peterthornton2396]

Would love to catch a deltic out in the wild 👍🏻

[@joshwestwood3727]

Deltics are not a pokemon. It's a locomotive. There is no such thing as a real pokemon. It's a game.

[@ConfusedOxygen]

@@joshwestwood3727 what in the hell are you talking about. He means seeing one, not catching one like a pokemomc

[@Nate0493]

Lovely twin Napier sound

[@danspotter8618]

@Class 37 Fan brilliant Video 😊 new Subscriber here

[@JordanClass37Fan]

Cheers ‘👍

[@danspotter8618]

@@JordanClass37Fan your welcome

[@rhino1969]

As much as i love the Diesels.....This shows why they're gone....If my lorry pumped that amount of shite out, I wouldn't get 30 miles before I was stopped. That said......oh I love the clag!!!

[@davidellis279]

Totally agree with your comments about that smoke,Road hauliers wouldn’t get away with it and neither should this engine,it’s not an impossible task to do.

[@dancedecker]

​@@davidellis279Normally, i would agree, but if you note, as it says in.the title, its a 'test' run after an engine rebuild. They do that for the first few miles after such a thing and then considerably settle down. Also, please don't neccasarily confuse seeing such smoke with the actual dangerous particulants. A seemingly 'clean' engine, can have FAR more dangerous emissions than this baby had. Also, tyre and brake dust are FAR more dangerous to health than anything she's pushing out, both types of which, only the lorry contributes to. Does it look good smoking like that? No, of course not, but things arent always as they seem.

[@davidellis279]

@@dancedecker Can I take it by your comments you are some sort of expert on these engines,I haven’t personally worked on these big multi cylinder two stroke engines but have spent a lifetime repairing and reconditioning a lot of other Diesel engines that never smoked as bad as that one,it’s usually down to faulty injectors or timing,oil smoke shouldn’t be a problem in a newly reconditioned engine unless something has gone amiss on assembly like piston rings being broken,blue smoke usually indicates unburnt fuel or oil smoke,this can usually be detected by the smell of the smoke,oil smoke is distinctly different from unburnt fuel as any diesel engineer would tell you,you can’t mistake one for the other,black smoke is usually attributed to over fuelling or turbo problems or even blocked air filters but you’ll know all this if your informed as you make out you are and just for good measure HGV trucks buses and cars no longer use asbestos for brake and clutch linings,it’s been banned for years so no dangerous pollution there.

[@dancedecker]

@@davidellis279 No. Not an expert in any way. Simply going off what an engineer that worked on these actual.locos once told me as to why it was smoking so much. That's all. If he's wrong, fair enough, but a comment in the thread from someone from the DPS said very similar, so I can only go off their experience. Regarding the tyre and brake particulants, I fully understand that asbestos was outlawed many years ago. This has NOTHING at all to do with asbestos and more to do with microscopic particulants that eminate from the natural wear and tear from rubber tyres running on the road and brake dust when brakes are applied. Irrespective of the absence of asbestos, this has more recently, been found to be.a significant factor in the argument for trams being returned into service and against buses, even electric buses, as compared to the diesel emissions, the tyre and brake particulants are SIGNIFICANTLY more prevalent and more harmful than any diesel emissions.

[@ricjuk]

What's the clag coming from the lower tank area of the loco?

[@CMD_Line]

I don’t have any experience on these but the Class 37 has drain plugs inside for two reasons, one any water that has entered the engine area can escape and two any oil and stuff like that so it doesn’t all sit at the base of the engine. It’s possible, oil has got warm and is burning off. You can get drips down the side of engines after any work or excess. So it could be this but is a total guess.

[@MrMush78]

Im not a Train "spotter" so know very little my Question is Is it normal for a Deltic to be that smokey ??

[@Nate0493]

It’s perfectly normal, you’ll also see oil all down the sides when they’ve been under load

[@kengrubb3339]

It's a two stroke diesel so it will smoke a bit.

[@norbertnedsworth7172]

Cough cough hack. Beautiful! Had the second engine (RH) recently been started? That would explain the glorious cloud of clag

[@steveturner609]

Look at the smoke and crap pouring out from that Deltic!!!

[@theweekthatis]

The smoke isn't as bad as it looks, the Deltic engine is of course, two stroke.

[@Soupdragon1964]

I wonder how long it'll be before the eco-loons start targeting steam and diesel engines?

[@kgc20goober]

Chew chew I want to identify as a steam train lol

[@Gordon669]

That driver should get an emissions claim in.🙂. Kidding Great vid

[@yorkie6641]

Pure flag fest. Beautiful 🤩

[@brentleajunction]

Has west coast railway bought one or just helping out??

[@JordanClass37Fan]

No the loco was just here for a couple of days testing

[@brentleajunction]

@@JordanClass37Fan I see thanks for the information I thought they had bought one

[@limyrob1383]

Well that explains the heavy fuel consumption!

[@JDT-19933]

more smoke than a steam loco

[@J.Harry.T]

Did they always smoke like that?

[@voidjavelin23]

Its pretty much normal

[@stevemumbling7720]

That must be the smokiest loco I've ever seen. Is it supposed to be like that? I can imagine a lot of net carbon zero people jumping up and down over this one...

[@wishusknight3009]

its the result of a fresh rebuild. it subsides with a bit of time

[@markbeale7390]

​@@wishusknight3009New piston rings will do that.

[@ronaldweir712]

Any chance of it going between london and Edinburgh again

[@tattoo1084]

Top work. Plenty clag coming out of that.👍

[@alistairwhite2906]

That's not clag, that's just it burning oil..... Piston rings are shot.

[@benzinapaul7416]

@@alistairwhite2906 it's a 2 stroke, the oil is a lubricant so builds up at idle, the exhaust would have cleared after a few miles after this was shot not far from when it set off no doubt after sat idling for a while

[@tattoo1084]

​@@benzinapaul7416 Thanks for that.

[@john-pu5uy]

thought it was a steam engine for amin there

[@Ruggedrails]

More smoke than a steam engine LOL!!

[@thegardensentinel]

Belching thrag and clash!

[@roderickcozens5371]

Engine is knackered. Thought it was a steam engine

[@benzinapaul7416]

Some numpty comments here from people who don't know how 2 strokes work

[@PlattLaneEnd]

Indeed. I once got pulled over by the Police on my RD350LC because he said it was burning oil. I failed to convince him that it was by design....

[@tiggy2756]

@@PlattLaneEnd Its 2 stroke Diesel they are not designed to burn lubricating oil like your RD350 engine , the lubricating oil is separate same as a 4 stroke . Your RD350 uses crankcase pressure for cylinder scavenging 2 stroke diesel needs supercharger (blower) for cylinder scavenging (nice bike the LC wish I had one now )

[@markherzog9484]

Driver! Push the choke in………

[@turkeytrac1]

Being Canadian I'm more use to seeing black from EMD, Alco, and GE diesels. Why is this loco pushing out white exhaust?

[@Ynot..]

I think it's because they are 2 stroke Napier engines...

[@turkeytrac1]

@@Ynot.. until the early 90s, EMD/GMD used two stroke diesels as well.

[@deeperry8341]

Looks like it's burning oil with that amount of blue smoke

[@TheRip72]

It is. It has 2 stroke engines, which have lubricant mixed with fuel. Reading through other comments, Deltics are particularly smoky until they have been run in for a few hours.

[@ScottieD53]

With plenty of new build steam loco’s on the go wouldn’t it be nice to build a new Deltic or get the prototype Deltic running again………

[@bentullett6068]

The small deltic is being reconstructed as a new build. The originals all got scrapped so a group of enthusiasts are making a new one so people can experience one in the flesh.

[@paulclark9873]

Seems to be burning too much Lube oil,should be running much cleaner at high power levels.

[@voidjavelin23]

well the girl got a fresh new cylinders

[@gckrul9927]

Smoke is power 😂

[@DJM1990]

Phwoar

[@robertmilne4304]

What's wrong with a bit of smoke to complement sheer brute power? 1950's engineers had their heads screwed on correctly when they designed the formidable Deltic.

[@stevewalsh1987]

The Lung Cancer Express

[@markcf83]

The old girl smoking quite magnificently......

[@angelastanmore3363]

That clag is caused by oil

[@Dreamweaver787]

Stunning catch sir👍my god can you imagine what the climate change goons will think with all that lovely clagg pumping out.😀

[@JordanClass37Fan]

Haha cheers

[@chriswalford4161]

Not only climate change, but lung-damaging P.M. 2.5s - and 5s and 10s too, by the look of it.

[@dannymurphy1779]

It's kind of sad to see such a great engine smoking like that. Saw lots of Deltics in the early 1980's and they never smoked. Doesn't seem right it was on a public line in that condition.

[@norbertnedsworth7172]

With respect Danny they certainly did, even when Doncaster's finest maintained them.! Maybe not when at speed but def for the first few miles. Leaving Hull Paragon on one engine, it was a magnificent sight (and smell) when the second was started just past Botanic Gardens. Thunberg would've topped herself!

[@alangordon3283]

Clag storm

[@andrewcampuzano6728]

If that was a car it would fail it’s MOT

[@fatlad5090]

old girl burning a lot of access fuel.

[@steveluckhurst2350]

Easy to understand why they were withdrawn! Filthy things. Sounding good though.

[@TheRip72]

They were displaced by HSTs which were highly successful.

[@steveluckhurst2350]

@@TheRip72 No shit sherlock!

[@breeze1472]

Bet the environmentalists will be having a moan re pollution 😂

[@voidjavelin23]

They be shaking theyre boots right now mate!

[@chriswalford4161]

Cough cough

[@chriswalford4161]

All the same, it’s still a wonderful Deltic, and I think about those pistons thrown towards each other with awe.

[@SuperBarnaby12]

The engineers trying to maintain this engine need to go back to training college.Disgusting pollution. Give up guys.

[@markarnold8160]

Greta Thunberg is cursing!

[@mrgrumpy771]

poor engine combustions - something not yet right

[@michaelmather1941]

Two stroke engines. The lubricating oil is in the fuel.

[@seisix6]

​@@michaelmather1941 they run on diesel fuel...there is no two stroke oil in the fuel. The nature of the design is that oil gets by the rings at idling speeds and collects in the exhaust system. These engines are designed to be run fast under load when the oil consumption is curbed and they run cleaner. The big problem with all old diesels is that they don't get enough hard work on the limited heritage lines they're mostly used on.

[@michaelmather1941]

@seisix6 A Deltic engine is a two stroke and, therefore, doesn't have a sump containing oil to get past the rings. As I said, the lubricating oil is in the diesel fuel and is burnt with it. Diesel fuel alone wouldn't lubricate the engine.

[@christatton7414]

@@michaelmather1941 Your're confusing petrol 2 strokes with diesel 2 strokes. You are correct that a petrol 2 stroke has no oil sump and the fuel carries the lubricating oil. A diesel 2 stroke still has a convetional oil sump as per a 4 stroke, the lubricating oil doesn't mix with the fuel.

[@seisix6]

@@michaelmather1941 deltics are dry sumped...oil is seperate and is dispersed around the engine via the oil pump like a normal 4 stroke. A scavenge pump is used to pump the oil back to the tank. There is no lubricant in the fuel.

[@paulnash7630]

Wow nice but more pollution than a steam loco, eco zealots won't be happy, still never mind.

[@therealdeal6846]

Loving the smoke screen take that net zero!!!!!...such a beautiful machine!!...any one catch the name of this baby???..I have only one wish if I die transport me back to the 70s and 80s!!!

[@mickfromleitrim]

Deltic type 5 55009 'Alycidon' Fairly regular appearance on UK's preserved/heritage routes. She runs very clean (for a 2 stroke) when warmed up, just an fyi