How do trains climb mountains? - Snowdon Mountain Railway

[@robobird3383]

According to all known laws of gravity, there is no way a steam locomotive should be able to climb a mountain. It's wheels don't create enough traction to get its heavy metal body uphill. The locomotive of course climbs mountains anyway, because locos don't care what humans think is impossible.

[@ConstantlyDamaged]

@Joshua W56 Nah. The whole "science thinks bees can't fly" fallacy is way older than the Bee Movie.

[@radzieckigraczproductions3]

69th like Also best comment I’ve seen all day

[@eldmusic]

Damnit, beat me to it

[@georgezubat7225]

@@ConstantlyDamaged He was paraphrasing the Bee Movie script.

[@the4tierbridge]

@@ConstantlyDamaged But the comment is a a quote from the Bee Movie.

[@Rumbletheimp2]

Helicopter: “the air is airing too much!” Steam Engine: *puts on it’s ass kicking boots*

[@TheKitMurkit]

Snowden...

[@NitroIndigo]

That could be a fun Thomas fanfic, Harold meeting the Culdee Fell engines.

[@SynchroScore]

Fun facts: Despite all their mountaineering prowess, the first rack railway was not built in Switzerland, but the USA. Sylvester Marsh proposed building a railway to the top of Mount Washington, New Hampshire (also known for having some of the highest winds on Earth), and when he applied for a charter to the New Hampshire legislature, they saw no harm in granting it, because there was no way he could possibly build something so insane. One legislator said that they might as well extend the chartered line to the Moon. Needless to say, the line was built and is still running today.

[@stultusmcgee9099]

I live near there, railway going to the moon is their slogan

[@ethribin4188]

"... is still running today" Only ever heard with train lines.

[@ReCrofnead]

I've been to the Cog railway before, great ride, a bit awkward on the way down, and you better bring a coat, but overall it's fun experience.

[@graniteamerican3547]

I live in New Hampshire, that mountain makes us proud. Having once held the lowest temp record not in the arctic, and fastest wind gust at the same time, it could be called the most inhospitable railroad.

[@johnathanhodskins5820]

NH resident. Ive been twice, they added some diesel electric engines a few years ago but the steam locomotives will always be iconic

[@nococoforboco5538]

Rail enthusiasts: Snowdon Railway Thomas fans: Culdee Fell Railway

[@stuartsammodels6750]

Not wrong

[@easykeysy5973]

That accurate

[@marker6814]

Tvs reboot and cgi: [REDACTED]

[@1_railfan]

Flipping dang it man.

[@marker6814]

@Joshua W56 yea but not the engines

[@icats6736]

Normal train fans: cool Thomas fans: it’s the culdee fell railway

[@ThatOneYorkshire-Yorkie]

I am a fan of both

[@pilotbug6100]

and then godred fell down

[@ThatOneYorkshire-Yorkie]

@@pilotbug6100 yes R.I.P Godred

[@ciarandaragh8676]

*I WAS WAITING FOR THIS COMMENT THANK YOU!!!*

[@ciarandaragh8676]

@@pilotbug6100 Also yes r.i.p godred

[@deadchannel8262]

Culdee is literally flipping the bird to physics

[@memeking7273]

I can see that honestly. Humans: U can't claim a mountain Culdee: *claims it out of sheer hate*

[@DTGee64]

You mean figuratively.

[@smyset1112]

And Galileo. And matel is flipping the double bird to the reverend awdry.

[@pilotbug6100]

and Godred fell down from the mountain

[@saltbombcreations8336]

@@pilotbug6100 And died

[@hoangho6781]

People : ‘ saying trains can not go up mountains ‘ Culdee : ‘and I took that personally’

[@donovanulrich348]

And everyone said the automobile was a waste and worthless A horse was a cheaper alternative Now the horse and car cost the same, but you can deny the automobile nourishment. You cant deny your horse food and water before you lose it. And they cost the same if not the horse costing more

[@1_railfan]

What's also interesting is that recently announced last year. The Snowdon Mountain railway is getting 2 new Diesel electric hybrid locomotives. So the new engines are going to be run on a battery as it goes up. And when it goes down, gravity does the work while the battery's recharging for the next trip up. I don't exactly know when the engines are going to be in full operation, but I did see a test video of one, so hopefully soon.

[@SodorTrain1225]

Poor Ralph, though.

[@godzillahomer]

Makes me wonder how the modern Culdee Fell is looking. Did they get Hunslet Diesels? Did they get railcars? Did they get some Clayton hybrid locomotives?

[@1_railfan]

@@godzillahomer Probably, but remember, the railcars were a bit faulty with the control mechanism until they were withdrawn in 2003 and eventually scrapped in 2010.

[@godzillahomer]

@@1_railfan yep and their manufacturer went out of business not too long after. If the CFR watched the SMR to see how they went, they likely skipped out on them.

[@meg3majore176]

You can say that again

[@SlaggyJoe]

"There's no friction!" Cried the people. *steam train* "Hold my beer."

[@rushilkumarsingh1908]

*Hold my hot water

[@SlaggyJoe]

@@rushilkumarsingh1908 Touche

[@jacobramsey7624]

The Mount Washington Cog Railway is the world first mountain climing railroad in the world which uses a simler rack system and they still run steam locomotives!! In New Hampshire, the same state as the aforementioned cog railway, there used to be a logging railroad that is credited with being the steepest railroad in the world to run on standerd track. The trains were powered by gear logging locomotives and the track curved alot to climb and to slow down trains on there way back with loads of loggs. It was located in the Zealand Valley in New Hampshire and was called the Zealand Valley Railroad. While the railroad is gone its rail bed is now a hikeing trail and you can definitely tell it was a logging line there even with the steep grade. Definitely worth checking out!!

[@gerrard1144]

Nice! Just looked it up, the locos are kinda funny looking especially the tenders

[@seconddaymusic8393]

Having lived in New Hampshire for 8 years, i've ridden the cog many times. Probably still the best way to climb Mount Washington.

[@the4tierbridge]

*Similar

[@the_sb_0116]

Just went to the the cog railway a month ago

[@danielknowles3051]

Rode down that line when I went for my 18th birthday, had an interest in trains ever since

[@TB76Returns]

"Steam locomotives however, do not care what science tells us"

[@ThatOneYorkshire-Yorkie]

Percy: yes

[@EddFazber]

Gordon hill

[@ThatOneYorkshire-Yorkie]

@@EddFazber mhm

[@secretslayer1234]

*Steam train running on the ocean floor*

[@donovanulrich348]

Steam trains did run under water They were called submarines And early concepts were made and used, but had limited use before Diesel and then nuclear And Nuclear is just a hyper steam engine 😂👍🏻 So they still rule the sea boss

[@terencewilliammckenna6121]

Real-life events of Awdry's Mountain Engines book: 1. Mountain engine - Moel-Siabod having a trial trip with 1 inspector and 2 coaches before the Snowdon line opened to the public. 2. Bad look-out - The opening day accident with Ladas. 3. Danger points - #6 derailing at summit. 4. Devil's-back - #6 changing names from Sir-Harmood to Pardan, and rescuing stranded climbers near Clogwyn.

[@evertdelagarza6165]

This video:talks about mountain trains Thomas fan: cant stop thinking about the culdee fall

[@evertdelagarza6165]

Yea

[@allisonkrueger8330]

Also the accident mentioned is extremely similar to Godred’s, they even have the same number

[@allisonkrueger8330]

Also fell not fall

[@gerrard1144]

In Indonesia, we have our own rack railway built by the Dutch. Its still running till this day, with 2 0-4-2RT steam engines, climbing a steep 65% grade at a slow 10km/hr. The 2 locos are both B25 classes made by the Germans in the 1900s, and they have a slow top speed of 30km/hr, and a small amount of power of 450hp. But they're steam locos, they don't care what science says. We also have F10 class 2-12-2T with 910hp and a top speed of 70km/hr with 2 preserved (they were suprisingly good at passenger services because steam locos don't care about anything) Edit: the railway is called the Rel Gerigi Ambarawa railway

[@ethribin4188]

"Its still running to this day" Only heard from trains and railways. Never from cars. Bringing railways everywhere was one of the good things europeans did. And like every teenager that wants to be differet then its parents, the usa went "no! Ill do my own thing with blackjack-cars and hookers-cars". And now it has 3-5 lane wide roads all over thats not even highways and is getting scammed by hyper-atonomous-tunbel-tesla-bus-loop-selfdrivingcars by so many different companies over and over. Bust use trains you whiners.

[@ikriestiana]

Wait I tought its notrunning despite the coal mine is now has nothing at least we still have ambarawa museum

[@gerrard1144]

@@ikriestiana it's still running. went there a year ago, it was awesome. didn't get to ride it though, and the rain flooded the whole place lmao

[@anindrapratama]

too bad the other rack raiway is mothballed

[@jenasjordan1237]

@@gerrard1144 What about the rack railway from the West Sumatra in Indonesia?, The E10 classes?

[@monarchvh8593]

*Snowden be like: Pfft screw physics*

[@felixpgames9639]

It’s a shame that he didn’t mention the engine exchange between the Snowden mountain railway and the Brienz Rothorn bahn

[@godzillahomer]

oh, care to go into detail about that?

[@felixpgames9639]

@@godzillahomer It was discovered that around 125 years ago both of the engines were built in the same factory (SLM Winterthur) at around the same time. Since they both had the same type of Cogwheel system it was decided that the Brienz Rothorn Bahn should send over an engine and a coach for operations on the Snowdon Railway. The reason why the Welsh Locomotives did not go to switzerland is because the gradient was too steep for them and the boilers did not have enough of an incline for that. Since the BRB locos boilers sat at a weird angle they could not hold as much water as usual and therefore only did short trips out from the station at the base. This event happened from September 1st to 30th of September in 2018. After that BRB engine no. 2 was sent back to switzerland along with its coach where it continues to operate tours once in a while. Hope that explains lots!

[@user-cj4fu8qq9b]

the music in this video is from mumbo mountain from banjo kazooie and in this level you learn how to climb steep hills so the song choice is actually genius

[@AWESOM3KAR]

Physics: Trains can't climb mountains Snowdon railway: Allow me to introduce myself

[@evanddboi2097]

People in 90s are very smart

[@parkerproductions4546]

"I'm never nervous [going up mountains] now. Why should I? _There's no need!_ " *~Culdee, 1964*

[@wolfmother25]

Someone has made railway history entertaining for the 21st century God bless

[@TitanicTARDIS]

Hearing that whistle near the beginning made me smile. I've heard it so often I know exactly where it comes from

[@loganreads90]

Everyone’s talking about the Thomas series; I’m talking about the fact that he used Banjo Kazooie music for the background.

[@JennyBlaze253]

I would love to go to the Snowdon railway someday. My cousin lives in Wales and last time we saw each other we promised next time I'm there the two of us would go on a railway tour, and this railway and Talyllyn are the two I DEFINITELY wanna go see most.

[@spe-notapopularytbersus1237]

Any level of ground except steep ones: minding its own business Some person with a passion: this is perfect Mountains: poor you, atleast i dont have rails in my ground- Some maniac with a wet dream: *you were saying?*

[@allisonkrueger8330]

You pfp is hilarious 😂

[@SaulsSodor]

I already heard all of this before but i still wanted to watch this because it’s awesome

[@a.r.productions]

I've been luck enough to visit this Railway, for anyone considering-GO The scenery is absolutely breathtaking :D

[@fishpop]

And this railway became the basis for the Culdee Railway in Awdry's book. Said railway and its engines being the only ones from the books to not adapted into the TV show, which is a shame.

[@axelhejnebo9142]

Alternatively, get a lot of speed before the hill and pray physics is in your side.

[@damer4life528]

Every loco: C R I K E Y, I T S A B I T S T E E P. Snowdon: Are you sure about that?

[@someonebald2022]

Railway builder: "Hold my tea, I got this!"

[@Northern1225]

I like where he said Steam locomotives don’t care what science tells them XD 0:30

[@DelRio1991]

Culdee and his bros were the sigma gigga Chads of the railway series

[@fanofhiro808]

At 4 minutes and 3 seconds, this is officially the longest video he's posted to yt. I really like the format for your videos. Short, but very factuel and a bit funny from time to time. Keep it up

[@lazy_genuisvalt1607]

Seeing this reminds me of Shay class built for climbing. It had angled pistons and has so many axles to climb as it was part of logging in West Virginia for years. And Ladas sounds like a story Wilbur used making the railway series books

[@kevinpeters6709]

I got the privilege to ride the Mt. Washington cog earlier this it was amazing

[@mikeblatzheim2797]

Might be worth doing a video on the Pilatus railway in Switzerland. Sadly, no steam locomotives there, but it's the steepest railway in the world, has a unique rack system and probably the most insane points and switches to be found.

[@millomweb]

Steepest rack railway ?

[@danielstickney2400]

@@millomweb Yep, Pilatus's gradient averages 38 degrees with a maximum gradient of 48 degrees. Pilatus is so steep the racks have to be pinched between two flanged cogwheels to keep the cars from popping off the rack. Pilatus was the second cog railway after Mt. Washington, which is the second steepest, interestingly enough.

[@millomweb]

@@danielstickney2400 So not claiming to be the steepest railway then !

[@fanofthomas96]

We're here either because we are rail enthusiasts or Culdee Fell fans.

[@Mason58654]

Or both.

[@smyset1112]

I’m a fan of Culdee.

[@terencewilliammckenna6121]

@@smyset1112 So am I

[@paytonburrows2325]

Such a beautiful line with unique locos.

[@Bluefire397]

You should definitely do a follow up video about the Gornergrat above Zermatt in Switzerland, its fully electric and runs up to about 4000m

[@ZackarySchejbalCODBO2RGM2]

Rescue helicopter: We can't reach the summit! Air's too dangerous! Steam train: Skill issue

[@Nubfist]

Congrats on 20k subs! I remember when you only had 200 subs...

[@fanofthomas96]

So.... this is the story that inspired Bad Look-Out?

[@terencewilliammckenna6121]

Yes

[@thomasshaftoe461]

My ideas of the Snowdon railway came true thank you Train of thought.

[@cmc9775]

Oh yeah , I remember rack rails from the Pikes Peak Mountain Railway

[@Project_Prescott]

The Mount Washington Cog Railway is definitely a place to visit, its the first cog line in America and climbs the 6,288 foot Mount Washington

[@Double_D__]

Hey, just wanted to drop a comment here; just discovered your channel, and I love your videos! They're super entertaining and educational. I've actually been to one of the Rack Railways in the US, on Mount Washington, and I always thought it was super cool that a railway could climb a mountain in a way that other vehicles and infrastructure can't.

[@Bluedino152]

3:21 life once again imitates art given mountain engines and the story of devil's back was written over 50 years before that accident Also I still remember going on mount Washington's cog railroad as a kid, only just recently learned I was lucky enough to be on one of the first mountain railways ever made

[@NoaZeevi]

No. It was art imitating life. The engine now named Pardan rescued several injured climbers, sometime in the ‘50s I think. That was the inspiration for the final story of Mountain Engines.

[@andrewchapman2039]

I think I want the Stephenson's Rocket mountain picture on a shirt.

[@trainlover16]

2:34 And this, my dear people, was the inspiration for the railway series story bad look out.

[@saltbombcreations8336]

People: Trains can’t climb mountains. Snowdon Mountain Railway: Observe

[@namachef]

Appreciated the Mumbo's Mountain music, brought a nice lil' smile to my face.

[@lukechristmas3951]

I'm happy that the Snowden Mountain Railway has a video on this channel. It truly is a great feat of engineering!!! And I remember turtlesandthomas adapting the asthma attack victim story for his turtles' Ertls series.

[@sirwelcome]

please don't mention turtlesandthomas

[@sirwelcome]

@Joshua W56 I’d rather not talk about it

[@limechip]

“No matter what the terrain, someone will find a way for a railway to conquer it.” Me: Space?

[@TrainFactGuy]

We can only dream...

[@Jm4steam]

The MT. Washington railway is another example of a cog system. Originally built as an experiment. Mainly diesel engines, the steam locomotive used occasionally.

[@tripplexdark7734]

Goddred the number 1. Man it's actually pretty interesting that that kind of incident happened

[@ivangenov6782]

Rocket: crikey, it's a bit steep (Looking at a mountain probably at 65 degrees) *A B I T S T E E P*

[@rottenroads1982]

The story of the #1 engine of the Snowden Mountain Railway falling down the mountain and being destroyed inspired the story of Godard, the #1 engine of the Culdee Fell Mountain Railway on the island of Sodor in the railway series.

[@grandadmiralthrawn92]

Uh, the name of the engine was Godred. I'm just gonna assume that was a typo.

[@rottenroads1982]

It was.

[@katerinakittycat3849]

The technology itself was invented by Sylvester marsh and the first railroad of its kind to be built was new Hampshire's Mount Washington Cog Railway

[@errol2605]

hey it was cool to hear the mt lyell railway mentioned (the tasmanian rack and pinion railway) would it be possible for you to make a video on it? the history's pretty interesting

[@hoangho6781]

Mountains : exists Trains : ‘It’s free real estate’

[@Trainboy452]

This keeps shows up on my recommendations. Thank you!

[@lysander.o.c.3580]

They are kind of like the trackmaster Revolution/Motorized engines. But, better lol.

[@treinenliefde]

I went on my first rack railway this summer in France. (The one up the Mont Blanc) Truly a great experience. The gears engaging at the stations, the slow climb up the mountain. All the rattling and noise

[@AnimeSunglasses]

"No matter what the terrain, SOMEONE will find a way for a railway to conquer it!" LEIJI MATSUMOTO HAS ENTERED THE CHAT

[@therealtwo2dee]

i love the Snowdon railway it was the first train i ever went on and any time i climb near snowdon i make sure to watch it go past on the tracks its super cool

[@Leonardo-cw1dd]

the way the steam trains climbs mountains reminds me of my geotracks engines the battery powered ones have the same design for climbing hills

[@evantgse]

I thought I was there only one who remembered those

[@Leonardo-cw1dd]

@@evantgse nah man i still have mine i even used them as part of a school assignment in year 2 of high school

[@evantgse]

@@Leonardo-cw1dd same

[@stampycatfan01lol]

Very interesting video! I can’t help but think I recognize the music from somewhere though....

[@appalachianrailproductions7246]

Cass Scenic railroad climbs on %12 grades on regular track with Shay locomotives

[@FlyingDuckMan360]

These mountain engines served as the inspiration for the Culdee Fell engines from the Railway Series, including Culdee himself, Godred, and Lord Harry. Their coaches served as the inspiration for Catherine.

[@terencewilliammckenna6121]

How cleverly drawn

[@TheWacoKid1963]

It's a bloody rough ride up and down that mountain

[@jameslisterthemarthplayer8322]

Fun fact, number 4 of SMR is named after the mountain the railway is on, Mount Snowdon. While number 5, Moel Siabod is named after a neighbouring mountain.

[@ejisbored7438]

Fitting that you played mumbos mountain from banjo kazooie

[@robrice7246]

3:22 - 3:40 Now why hasn't that been a Thomas story yet?

[@christophergarland7936]

There was a similar one in the original books. ‘Devil’s Back’ iirc.

[@calebc.2290]

There is a user named turtles and Thomas did it. In his turtle ertls series.

[@joshuaW5621]

This is of course the inspiration for the Culdee Fell Railway, but it’s just as fascinating in my opinion.

[@haroldwilkes6608]

If Hannibal had this railway, we'd all be riding elephants. These short point-to-point railways are fun to model. Thanks. BTW US has a few of these remaining but The Mount Washington railway, also known as The Cog, is the world's first mountain-climbing cog railway (rack-and-pinion railway). The railway is still in operation, climbing Mount Washington in New Hampshire, United States and probably our best known.

[@Sir_Rheilffordd]

In Germany the Brockenrailway climbs the top of the highest mountain in the Harzmountains of middle Germany and it does that entirely without racks. Also the oldest engines used are steam locomotives from 1933.

[@joshacollins84]

Thank you for saying "for all intents and purposes" correctly.

[@tophat8742]

Culdee had never seen such… Good video before

[@kevwebb2637]

You might like the idea of a topic about the Yosemite Railroad. While the winch system in the UK is mainly 2ft gauge . Yosemite Railroad has the same winch system on standard gauge log cars.

[@computernoise2209]

"No one has ever died on a mountain line except for one guy actively trying not to die."

[@shikishinobi]

I like that you said "Tasmania" without adding "Australia" onto it. As much as we joke Tasmania is foreign, it is a state of Australia, much like Hawaii is a state in the US. Also love your commentary. Very amusing on both approach and description.

[@millomweb]

Tasmania - sounds like a disease.

[@shikishinobi]

@@millomweb we could go back to calling it Van Diemens Land.

[@Person01234]

We have the Snaefell mountain railway which is the only system in the world that still uses the Fell incline system, though it only uses it for braking, I guess it uses regular old friction for climbing. It uses electrified "trams", I guess like railbuses technically but where does one end and the other begin.

[@ewanbuchanan9174]

No kidding I actually went up there yesterday with one of the Hunslet diesels I think it was number 11 😂

[@FSandG]

Just to add, there is a rack railway operated by steam locomotive in Austria in Saint Wolfgang as well

[@ehhok5185]

i guess we know where rev. audry found the inspiration for the culdee fell

[@voxelfusion9894]

Awesome, you wrote kilo meters per hour correctly, km/h, what a sight for sore eyes. Too many Americans insist on misunderstanding the metric system and writing kph, which makes absolutely no sense. Cheers!

[@ilikeapples1824]

Kph is correct at least in a wiki page and have you only heard kph by Americans only?

[@danidanoo9374]

Steamengines: Fck physics 😂 Could u do more of such little jokes pls. Education and a bit of fun

[@edwardtheblueengine5381]

We found the inspiration behind the Culdee fell railway and bad lookout

[@kevwebb2637]

Electric locomotives can climb as well. Japan's ED42, and EF63 on 66.7 grade at Usi pass.

[@essurio]

There is a "Cogwheel Train" in Hungary as well, but it's been electrified.

[@arthouse-of-dank]

They had balls steel when making the Snowdon mountain railway a thing

[@NoaZeevi]

How, the design of a rack rail had been proven 20 years before.

[@lunkrhino4029]

Engines that travel up slopes would have sandboxes. Sand creates a higher level of friction and would allow the engines wheels to have better grip on the rails But again most engines have sandboxes anyway in case of wet rails or oil spills

[@saltbombcreations8336]

Can you tell us the story of when Coronel Church got lost in the Amazon Rainforest?

[@lmrstudioproductions6676]

Trains have very Little Friction Because Train's Wheels made out Steels

[@dabluepittoo-aqua4213]

Mountain Railways are really breathtaking. It's quite genius how they defy physics just to get engines running up and down the steep incline. Wonder if LADAS' number was given to another engine? *Maybe one that didn't have a bad look out?* Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[@memeking7273]

Lol. But for the question about LADAS. Maybe

[@terencewilliammckenna6121]

This is 1 reason why trains need other locomotives to push from behind

[@NessWithABeard]

At first I thought I might be hearing some Skarloey Railway music in the background. That is until I recognized it as Mumbo's Mountain from Banjo Kazooie. How silly of me. Still, it fits with the subject matter.

[@scottfw7169]

Re: "01:59 sections with a smaller water tank at 02:01 the front holding water to cool the 02:03 engine when running downhill", That bit about water 'to cool the engine' has me thinking I'm missing some details on something somewhere.

[@sonicfan117dash2]

Mumbo’s Mountain from Banjo-Kazooie. Nice.

[@primrosevale1995]

Science: Engines can’t climb mountains! Sigi Strasser: Hold my beer.