Engine Stories: Midlander - Talyllyn Railway

Settle down for a tale about a little old diesel, in this episode of Engine Stories we learn all about Midlander.
Engine Stories is a series that goes over the history of our well loved and famous little engines, written and narrated by Daniel Long.
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[@TheCreativeType]

“And mid- *And Rusty* was very busy over that weekend” …Definitely.

[@BelcarrigFarm]

After this we have just Dolgoch and Sir Hayden and then Engine stories is finished

[@cedricrennard1273]

Unless they decide to do episodes on locos that aren’t on the talyllyn anymore like no.8 or the original no.5

[@sarahmartiniom]

Yeah

[@BiltonsArt]

Little shorts on some of the rolling stock would be cool if possible

[@specialfunnelstudios5523]

They could do one of the mod battery engines I would kill for that

[@cedricrennard1273]

@@specialfunnelstudios5523 the “third rail” locos😏

[@TheLocomotiveEngineer]

Narrow-gauge diesels are always so charming and unique

[@lennoxschannel7484]

Agreed. Diesels need a lot of appreciation.

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

As someone who discovered the Talyllyn long after being a fan of the railway series, Midlander's new front end always feels odd to me. I think it's mostly the differently shaped top of the radiator, that's the most recognizable part of Rusty's profile to me, so the shorter radiator with the more trapezoidal top always makes me do a double take. Still a lovely engine, though, and it's nice to know the how and why of her new look. Edir: I wonder how hard it would be to make a cover for the top of the new radiator, for use when Midlander is playing Rusty? could be interesting. It would be a fairly simple shape, basically just half a cylinder extended down with strait sides, and then a cap to allow access to the radiator filler cap, held on with strong magnets. Probably not the sort of thing the Talyllyn would bother with, but it could be interesting

[@ciarangleeson2880]

Something that I feel is worth acknowledging is that Midlander has a brother called Murray, who works on The Blenheim Riverside Railway, in New Zealand. While Midlander has a new motor built onto his old chassis, Murray has his old motor built onto a new chassis, possibly due to reguaging. So, if you were to combine Midlander’s chassis and Murray’s motor, and the cab from either one of them, you’d get the original shape of both engines.

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

Cool! I never knew about Murray. Thanks for sharing with me!@@ciarangleeson2880

[@OmniscientCameo]

I never knew there was a photo of the old No 5 with its engine removed! And frankly, I hadn't seen most of these 50s-60s pictures of Midlander either. Just wish you had commented on some of the unique ways they had tried to redirect her exhaust away from passengers in those days

[@SuperTrainStationH]

I love how without the bonnet and cab No. 5 starts looking like a random contraption on wheels.

[@Flyingdurito]

I won’t lie, hearing midlander doesn’t get used much nowadays is a little upsetting due to it being one of the older residents of the line I just hope she gets a chance to work again, after all, every engine is built for a purpose, I just hope she’ll still have hers

[@1_railfan]

A very nice video about Midlander. After seeing an air whistle mounted on the cab I was in disbelief! I had NO idea Midlander has one. And I like how you showed the original #5 before Midlander: The Lawnmower. I heard that there was a proposal to bring the lawnmower back to it's former glory.

[@BelcarrigFarm]

So glad I got to ride Midlander at the awdry extravaganza. It was really fun

[@WLLR16mm]

Ruston 200800 (ex-Dartford Tunnel) was the working locomotive unfortunately dismantled and used to graft onto Midlander's frames to create what is seen today. What happened to the unused remains of each loco after the 1979 bodge job? Preserved one would think?

[@protoharry552]

Here's an idea for a future Engine Stories video! Perhaps after you've covered all of the current fleet, we could get a sort of "Lost Engines" episode? Basically an overview of former engines that don't work on the line anymore, such as the Lawnmower and Merseysider. Just think that would make for a fun video!

[@blasterblaster1221]

I am looking forward to this, hope it mentions its predecessor the lawnmower

[@MickeyFan1909]

This was a very interesting story of Midlander! 4:43 Also, Hey there's me! :D

[@pizzaplanettruck9761]

3:26 Midlander: I need your motor, your bonnet, your cab, your fuel tank, and your radiator.

[@thatoneguy6981]

I've actually seen one of midlanders siblings at Chatham dockyard and her sibling is in her original build .

[@jackmarshallD9525]

Best loco on the railway for me. A superb machine.

[@closed4101]

Keep em up I'm excited for one on Merseysider

[@jamessmithandgarrettsmith3623]

Or Dolgoch.

[@user-cl8xh6bc9y]

What a fascinating video! Nicely put together and a lovely way to celebrate this charming little diesel, and her fictional counterpart 👏 🙂

[@cadcamcreations]

As I understand it the engine was re-gauged in the actual Quarry workshops before she left for Towyn, what a shame that the Jee's Hartshill Quarry infrastructure was never photographed.

[@bryantan863]

I hope the next engine story will be Sir Haydn or Dolgoch.

[@NZold]

enjoyable

[@lukegreen5341]

1:33 This Diesel Locomotive No. 5 Midlander A Bit Like Rusty The Diesel Engine From Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends. Thanks Mate. X

[@terencewilliammckenna6121]

Rusty: Bust my buffers! What a mess! Never mind, Peter-Sam, we’ll get you out.

[@jacobchernack1055]

Mr. Hugh must be the John Bate to Rusty's Midlander.

[@DolgochProductions]

Ah yes, Rusty's basis.

[@sarahmartiniom]

Yes

[@ExpressRhubarb]

Another fascinating look into the history of the locos we love! Didn't Midlander's purchase initially come about because the society were trying to buy a steam locomotive from the same quarry but it'd been scrapped several months before the volunteers arrived to purchase it?

[@TheMidlandTerrier]

wow! wasn't expecting to have my clips in a TR video!

[@foresta-2684]

I was hoping for sir Haydn but this will please me

[@sarahmartiniom]

L

[@danielmilov8718]

Can you do a video on dolgoch, sir Hayden or even a video on the other diesels on the railway?

[@serbianrailfanning967]

Midlander looks great to this day, I love Rustons..

[@MaybeTom941]

I wish rusty had the same rebuild as midlander Edit: i mean in the show

[@datguymiller]

"and mid--AND RUSTY!!"

[@karenfan010]

rusty: mr hugh said let’s mend the tracks so well he won’t recognized them and we did and you didn’t if you take my meaning

[@banjoshmanjo8088]

Will we get a minor video explaining the stories of Merseyseider and Bryn Eglwys?

[@harold6442]

A shame there isn’t diesel days where Midlander, Alf, Trewcynt and St Cadfan run the trains

[@USER-LlewisTLDB]

RUSTY AND DUNCAN

[@ThomasTrainzAdventures]

Rusty!

[@jongaming5637]

can we just go make to the 5th engine that looks more like rusty?

[@patrickmcavinney1526]

Anyone else playing Rusty's theme in their heads while watching this?

[@LolLol-xy4rh]

hang on a second that raises the question on where did rusty work before coming to sod or?

[@ExplosiveCookie]

The Rev Awdry says in the Island of Sodor book that Rusty was specifically built for the Skarloey, he didn't work anywhere else before Sodor.

[@LolLol-xy4rh]

@@ExplosiveCookie to be honest I find that rather disappointing really

[@ciarangleeson2880]

Actually, the book and wiki claim that Rusty was built at some point between 1936 and 1942, and arrived on Sodor in 1957.

[@ciarangleeson2880]

If I had to guess, he probably worked in a quarry, just like his brother.

[@sarahmartiniom]

Where was the original railway it was on

[@ExplosiveCookie]

As said in the video, she was originally used at Jee's Hartshill Quarry in Nuneaton.

[@basicallypercy2800]

Who Else came here because of the railway series, or tv series

[@superstepno835]

Trusty rusty coming through

[@markthecroatianguy2k11save9]

Rusty 2.0

[@Gameboy_1992]

Rusty.

[@aplane9625]

U know rusty is a dude

[@TheNamelessFoxXD]

if u take out the "mid" u get my name

[@TheSudrianTerrier653]

you got it wrong, rusty is male not female so you use he/him pronouns