Transportation Nightmare Of 100 Tone 15F Steam Train Across Two Continents | Huge Moves | Spark

This week on Huge Moves S3 - Britain’s leading heavy haulier Andrew Goodman embarks on an epic one hundred day journey on the road, rail and ocean to move a vintage 15F steam locomotive 7,000 miles from Bloemfontein in South Africa back to Glasgow, Scotland where it was originally built sixty years ago.
Super-size missions, risky routes, and the biggest cargo on the planet-imagine hauling a submarine over dry land, transporting a fleet of mega-yachts across the Atlantic, or relocating 20 ancient Egyptian temples...and now meet the heavy haulers who tackle incredible odds to get the job done.
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[@raymondleggs5508]

When I first saw the word "Dismantle" I was thinking RIP steam locomotive!

[@policepatrol3230]

Same

[@Benjamoen123XD]

same

[@torquetrain8963]

Thank God it wasn't scrapped. Steam locomotives should never have stopped being built.

[@844SteamFan]

When I saw the preview for the video, I saw sparks, and a crane holding some metal, I think it is justified in thinking that.

[@e-mananimates2274]

I hesitated to watch the video as a result of the word "dismantle" in the title.

[@rztrzt]

If the brake vacuum lines failed then the brakes would be applied fully, that's the inherent design of automatic vacuum brakes.

[@FerroequinologistofColorado]

Exactly

[@rileyhogan8248]

Plus, if they were worried about the lines leaking, why didn't they put it on the back and have the brake lines stop at the last car?

[@dundonrl]

Same thing with Air Brakes, the air keeps the brakes from activating. When you loose it, then the brakes apply. (look up Westinghouse Air Brakes)

[@g.r.4853]

But how would you create panic in the viewer if you said "the vacuum lines have to be checked because if they failed these antique engine would uh em well stop"?

[@brucetheloon]

@@rileyhogan8248 I think that was so they could have braking on both sides for uphill and downhill. If all the braking was in the front, there is a chance that the non-braking locomotive would push hard on the rest of the train from behind and derail it. They do the same on those long coal trains when crossing a hill pass, engines on the rear providing both a push up the hill, then holding the train back as it crests and descends the other side of the hill.

[@kompst_tu]

I personally think engines like these are beautiful and they should be protected and preserved, even if it takes new laws to be passed in order to do so.

[@yasha1928]

A year later but... I went to see my dad in Wilkes-Barre, PA and I randomly drove to Scranton, PA in which resides Steamtown National Historic Site! A huge museum dedicated to steam engine locomotives. I was there for well over 3 hours just walking around, spoke to some fantastic people, and saw many machines.

[@togowack]

The Freemasons destroy them because they were built by the giants (Old World) the sooner people wake up to the world we inherited the sooner the damage can be stopped. The stuff is better than anything we could make.

[@GWRStudioss]

@@yasha1928 steam town is pretty bad though they dont take care of most of their loocs and let them rust away

[@Amigafur]

@@GWRStudioss you do realize they just restored UP4012 right? Most expensive restoration they could've possibly done.

[@bill_]

​@@GWRStudioss atleast they are still there for other groups to restore instead of being sent to the scrap heap.

[@iteerrex8166]

They even got the "Glasgow philharmonic" to score a piece of music for the move. Very cool!

[@johnnyb_right1629]

"South-Africa's bumpy roads".... understatement of the year so far!

[@Spacekriek]

Yep, the doing of the incompetent, corrupt ANC regime.

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

oh well i expect my a*s will be incredibly sore if i ever get to the sandstone estates railway east of bloemfontein

[@OwenIsDaBoss]

Holy moly I've been looking for this for years. I remember watching this when it was first aired

[@brianwhiting5658]

Owen if you remember when you first watched it a bit is missing . using a axe head to raise a wheel . i have been looking to buy the video . i even phoned glasgow museum if they was selling the dvd . i understand the dvd is available in new zealand .

[@OwenIsDaBoss]

@@brianwhiting5658 damn I remember that. Then had to use wooden chocks or something similar to bang it into place. Curious how that's missing. I also remember something to do with the engine on the final road stretch, they had to modify the trucks carrying them to lower it

[@australianphotographer234]

First watched it when I was 7, I will be 18 in 5 weeks, I still love this episode

[@model_building_fan7708]

Me to my dad downloaded it for me back in the day

[@andreiolanescu4682]

Me too I saw it on TV when I was younger and that music was in my head for years. Now I remember where it came from!

[@TheBigMclargehuge]

cool fuckin story

[@RehabProjectSRCB]

So you should be 18 in days, congrats.

[@JakeSmith_Zyferus]

30 minutes into it and the big thing that keeps rolling thru my mind, is: "This is an absolute testament to poor planning." 90% of these problems SHOULD have been arranged and solved weeks if not months in advance of this move. All in all, however, I am happy to see a concerted effort to preserve this beautiful piece of history.

[@bill3641]

Drama baby, Drama .

[@regal105]

When foamers get enough money to buy a locomotive

[@jeanpauljh]

Even 10 minutes into the show it's obvious that their "planning" was far too last-minute.

[@tilethio]

I had once get the chance of visiting Bloemfontein and spend 3 nights there. What a calm, classy and inspiring town it is! The residents are very nice and cooperative as compared to many towns and cities in ZA. I even ended up making a very good friend who is an inventor of various agricultural tools and solutions for small scale farmers just outside this town. This film brings back old memories.

[@godfreyberry1599]

Absolute respect for all who had the vision for this sublime operation and saw it through. Hoping this grand lady will be brought back into working condition.

[@jamesgroccia644]

I've been looking for this video for years 22:15 No regard to race here. Just people waving to a train and its crew waving back. This is the beauty of steam trains. No matter where you go in the world, people always stop to gaze at the iron horse trotting by on its metal road.

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

i love South African Steam SA railways purchased some of the biggest narrow gauge steam engines ever (south africa has a wide load gauge that allows big locos on narrow rails)

[@Viper-CT]

What a lovely film! i love it when trains in other countries originally built in England, come back home for their final years in preservation or on display! Just lovely to see old metal in other places than the scrap yard!

[@togowack]

might have been originally built in the land of England but not by men but giants, this stuff is thousands of years old, prove me wrong, they stage photos and re write history over and over.

[@andriesduplessis2981]

Well worth watching Pieter Steenkamp the driver mentioned and seen in the video had sadly passed away 06 October 2018

[@neilexploreology]

R.I.S (Rest In Steam)

[@Cool123nt]

So many problems that came across but they still found a way to fix them and get the locomotive back home, true hero’s.

[@sebaustin3987]

The producers have gone out of their way to make everything seem risky and dramatic, each hiccup or setback is a "disaster" apparently. very interesting nonetheless

[@philipwheeler8173]

I agree. This type of programme is great if your 10 years old?

[@LostieTrekieTechie]

You would really enjoy the "Mitchell and Web gift shop sketch"

[@sebaustin3987]

@@LostieTrekieTechie seen it many times!

[@slabriprock5329]

@@LostieTrekieTechie THAT'S NUMBERWANG!!

[@slabriprock5329]

That's how you cram a 15 minute story into 50.

[@gregwochlik9233]

Saw this episode on DIscovery back in South Africa. Good to see it online again. Nice to recognise the African bush again. Well, that area does get freezing cold in the winter. That was a really back-water track which they used. Great episode!

[@thegreypenguin5097]

yeah but then they suddenly ended up on an electric mainline for a good portion of their journey...

[@gandalf87264]

You can always count on Spoornet/Transnet. They will make a plan the South African way. Watching videos like this make me proud to be South African :)

[@Larry__Lobster]

G E K O L O N I S E E R D

[@zahkam7322]

hahaha True! If things don't go as planned , or there are issues in anything , we will always find a way to make a plan lol , its funny but it gets things done .

[@gandalf87264]

@@zahkam7322 Alas, things have changed since I posted that comment several years ago. Right now, half our rail infrastructure has been tipped out and most likely sold for scrap. Half of all our infrastructure has been ripped out. I drove past Cleveland station the other day and I was shocked to see the state it was in. The cables were gone. The roof of the station was gone. The windows were gone. The station is nothing but a shell of what it used to be. I wouldn't be surprised if the toilets were ripped out too. I am very upset having seen what our country was 30 years ago and the horrible state that it is in today. We went from a proud first world country 30 years ago to a third world mess today. I can not express my disgust enough at what is going on in my dear beloved country.

[@zahkam7322]

@@gandalf87264 Cant agree with you more , its such a sad sad state of affairs , the infrastructure of the country is being destroyed and picked apart piece by piece at such an alarming rate .

[@nikkiiv9259]

Can we appreciate that they wrote a song with full orchestra and Choir

[@Mnrr6131]

Saved from the torches of the breakers yard

[@chelseajones2082]

Nope they suck

[@Mnrr6131]

@@chelseajones2082 that’s not true. If you can’t appreciate music about trains than get the fuck out of the comment section

[@Mnrr6131]

@@chelseajones2082 no wonder you have no subs

[@luismartell2651]

Yeah Chelsea and I could care less about subs lol it’s about the train and heavy machinery

[@Trainfan1055Janathan]

"If you tried to jump-start it with a car, it'd fry." I've seen people jump-start a school bus with a van.

[@markdee3506]

Car is 12 volts. Truck is 24 volts.

[@XxSSSimOOOnxX]

@@markdee3506 I've jumped a 24v truck with a 12v car before. The batteries are always seperated in to 2 12v batteries, so you can charge one first, and then jump the truck by connecting to the other one

[@Xavier_Ns]

Probably not a Diesel engine

[@coniow]

+Trainfan: The best I came across was the RAC called to jump start a Naval Reserve FRIGATE :-). The on board batteries were dead so they could not crank the auxiliary diesel generator that provides power to the rest of the ship's systems. They did it too!

[@Mr.thomastheE2]

@The Norm Show y

[@legenddawson3518]

Thanks for the tutorial. Now I can finally take my locomotive apart by myself.

[@cactuscat3101]

Had a good laugh watching this as a Saffa resident in the UK for 25 years. I seriously miss shaking my head at almost anything that needed to be achieved. Though anyone else notice the inconsistencies surrounding the timing of getting the train to the ship.

[@gert-janverwindt6793]

I love how you guys have transported the locomotive nicely done

[@BeamBinge]

the fact that they were able to jack that locomotive up with a simple automotive jack is just amazing to me.

[@steamfandan9682]

A locomotive that size but have seen a car jack used to jack an industrial Saddle engine

[@Human90959]

I love this episode from when I first saw it on TV years ago!

[@venusalien5153]

That's insane to think this episode aired in later Feb 2010. I never even seen this until now(2021).

[@lovropirkl2672]

The south african class 15F was actually refurbished and put back into service a couple of years ago, but yeah I don't understand how did nobody know about this moving before either.

[@jackgerberuae]

@@lovropirkl2672 this specific loco running again?

[@lovropirkl2672]

@@jackgerberuae as far as I know it is restored. Search it up on Google!

[@jackgerberuae]

@@lovropirkl2672 stupid reply. If you don’t know, just say so and confirm that you were speculating. To tell me to google your statement is daft

[@lovropirkl2672]

@@jackgerberuae yeah I know that was stupid.

[@averagegamer5200]

imagine if you were just driving on the road and all of a sudden you see an 100 ton steam loco on a trailer pass you

[@thegreypenguin5097]

lmao "pass u" more like u pass it!

[@shizustacean]

Im more amazed by how much would this cost Renting this and that like its a normal day in the logistic department "Oh we just hired a huge floating crane" "How do we unload the loco off the trailer? Oh that, we just bought the trailer"

[@SuperAWaC]

the cost to get it from germany to glasgow was probably more than it was to get it from south africa to germany

[@3xfaster]

Wow, that was a lot of grease pumped in to that loco, probably as much as it’s first year on the line in such a small span of track! I thought the song was just a small bit but it’s entire journey? What a way to chronicle that loco’s life and return home to its birthplace!

[@Mnrr6131]

That’s what happens. Even on UP 844(which has never been retired even since 1941) still needs a lot of oil and tools.

[@easydoz1]

I've never seen sticks of hard grease. Weird stuff...

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

@@Mnrr6131 funny enough the FEF-3 class and 15F class look similar and have similar wheel arrangments

[@FerroequinologistofColorado]

I’ve been looking for this video for YEARS! Thank you so much for uploading it!

[@P0nyB3h0ldr]

The Garret they passed as they left the yard: 😐

[@felixfelix9062]

OOF

[@CycolacFan]

Love to know what the original estimate was and what the cost eventually was.

[@aashaytambi3268]

A few thousand minimum.

[@CycolacFan]

@@aashaytambi3268 I’d think the crane hire alone easily cost that.

[@cookiekwan431]

@@CycolacFan Crane hire alone at least $50,000 for that time period. I would believe total cost to ship would be close to one million.

[@harrymu148]

@@cookiekwan431 I'd bet a couple million or at least a million and a half.

[@MIDNITE69]

Easily a few trillion

[@brysongrondin611]

These guys beat all odds... including Murphy's Law. Incredible stuff.

[@TRtraybloxeey]

Thanks for this tutorial! I need to use this every day!

[@siyamhlongo7424]

This is the train from bloemfontein... Loving the song

[@Adam-Gates-Mudlark]

Absolutely AMAZING!!!!

[@thetoontrain6073]

i love this channel since there are so many consiquences but they pull through no matter what!

[@Graham_lee]

That Andrew is mint would love to work on a project with him, lucky people to have those amazing experiences and celebrate the past doing so. Enjoyed this very much thank you for making this lush video

[@steamfandan9682]

He has being featured in a separate episode when moving 2 engines from Northern USA & Canada destination National Railway museum Yorks Shildon site

[@steamfandan9682]

Seen at least 2 other moves where Andrew Goodman was tasked to move locos to the uk

[@sunrisespartan1765]

glad to see it going home

[@Z-e-r-0]

lol 11 years ago

[@grahamforbes5200]

Fantastic home journey! I love the backing choir vocals!! Give me more!!!!!!

[@metal_wheels]

This... Is beautiful.... A beautiful ending to a grand locomotive's live.

[@ask4george1]

That was fun to watch to watch.

[@sydneymartin6941]

Thank you guys This will go down as the greatest escape in the history of mankind Keep that loco safe

[@VijayKumar-ks4tk]

WHAT A WONDERFUL EPISODE. VERY EMOTIONAL MOVEMENT. THANK YOU TO ALL TEAM MEMBERS.

[@affanowais5338]

44:02 ahahahha can't stop laughing on what just the narrator said . "looj control" :D by the way I love it , watched it whole with that much attention , wish I was there to experience all of this massive steel and iron beauty with irony

[@SparkDocs]

Thanks for watching Affan, glad you enjoyed the doc!

[@Mnrr6131]

They don’t want to looge control **looges control**

[@cocw_thomas8077]

I saw this eposide on my local TV station when i was a kid. wanted to find it back so badly over the years because we have translated it into another language. I'm so happy after rewatching it. I plan to visit it when there is a chance for me to visit the UK.

[@treylyde999]

Great graphics. Love it

[@leroyholm9075]

These guys are bloody heroes. We are at the heart in Great Britain of what will become the home of heritage raiways. So good to see these country's railways are so stupid as to not see the potential. Grab them all while we can!

[@marvwatkins7029]

I am glad that the 2 Brits have a big budget to allow for so many contingencies.

[@davidlawand2805]

ah yes, the good ol' Big Bigger Biggest animation love it

[@mr.classic3146]

This is absolutely fascinating to see, a mission to bring a engine home. Similar to the Flying Scotsman, but this is more intense.

[@PeterWTaylor]

Amazing presentation with great animations and songs. What could go wrong.

[@NormanSilv]

We rode SA Rail from Cape Hope to Praetoria. One thrill was we rode behind a Class 25 Condenser. Great ride! Great scenery! Rail personnel were top quality and very helpful.

[@cieludbjrg4706]

Moving it by rail: They found a way… Any train driver uses the train to brake for the engine, to save on the brake blocks of the engine… But surprised Spoornet still uses vaccum brakes!

[@matsv201]

They converted from steam quite recently, also this documentary is 15 year old

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

@@matsv201 thats why i confused spoornet doesn't exist anymore and transnet might also be dead

[@matsv201]

@@IndustrialParrot2816 make sense

[@steamfandan9682]

Heritage stock in British still use Vacuum brakes

[@rtheytwins]

Oh thank god this video is on youtube. i had one lying around and had no idea how to dismantle it

[@YAMAHA_FAN.]

I saw this episode when i was in teen age damn miss good old days 😢 Lovely time fly like blink

[@marvwatkins7029]

Writing a ditty and hiring singers and musicians just for this episode must've cost a few.

[@yuukinakamura1074]

Back to retirement house xD btw what a nice song for a train.

[@BillCarrIpswich]

The Empire of Dust sequel we didn't know we needed.

[@OfficialDivisionRILEYDRIPYT]

For the people who wants To Hear the songs in repeat here: 17:49 23:43 24:13 39:00 45:27

[@freddiegeyser6534]

Amazing !!

[@AbdulRazak-lc1if]

Awesome,, really impressed with this excellent team work n efforts 😊 salutes 👍

[@pirateprincess5271]

South Africa has become lets say "way more interesting" dock cranes regularly drop things and many roads are now impassable due to pot holes. The rail network is now mostly not operational as during lockdown infrastucture such as any steel and electric cables was stolen, stripped and sold as scrap.

[@timothysmith8300]

More of these steam locos should be preserved by law ģet rid of electrics by law make it law NOW THAT STEAM AND ONLY STEAM RUNS THE RAIL WAYS OF THE UK AND SOUTH AFRICA NOW NOT LATER GET DEISELS OUT EXCEPT SHUNTERS AND MEDIUM DEISELS MAKE IT LAW NOW.

[@marvwatkins7029]

So many challenging adventures!

[@johnhagan7742]

Unbelievable! I can't believe that engine was moved back to Scotland by road, rail, and sea! That's a long trip for a 60 year old steam locomotive!

[@johnnycee5179]

I highly commend everyone involved in this engines move, real professionals.

[@thomaswykes3647]

I would have thought that they would have removed the connecting rods to save he pistons and bearings

[@marvwatkins7029]

Hey lads! We forget to bring the tender! Better go back!

[@Tailss1]

Allot of faffing about getting this done, but all is well that ends well. Brilliant. Hopefully this loco gets restored at some point?

[@historicclone1236]

Fantastic video, thank you for saving the steam train from our country!😜

[@njjeff201]

Murphy’s Law... Anything that can go wrong WILL go wrong

[@henryostman5740]

at the worst possible time.

[@BPJJohn]

@@henryostman5740 no that's sods law.

[@bpj1805]

@@BPJJohn Not Finagle's law?

[@BPJJohn]

@@bpj1805 sods law also includes murphy's and finagles law together you have to look up the definition up in Wikipedia

[@Mnrr6131]

There is Murphy’s law in every aspect of moving a steam engine anywhere whether it’s under steam or not

[@barryphillips7327]

This program was on many many years ago i have it before at least once!

[@Jimyjames73]

Very good - glad it was done 🙂🚂🚂🚂

[@nutstr20]

I am Railfan from Thailand and I amazing this ❤️

[@mikaelabowen5781]

EPIC!!!!!

[@dinsdalepiranah1189]

Drama, more drama and melodrama, a graphic artists dream. I'm amazed it moved more than a couple of feet with disaster looming at at every second.

[@braxtonmathews6434]

We got a few here in NZ. Garrets and a few of the same type as the one on the vid

[@lexpee]

Fantastic documentary. I have really enjoyed it. Fantastic camera crew, There is even composed a song. There is really has be paid attention to this documentary. I like it. Lex A.Dam .NL

[@patrickcannell2258]

Local Speed cop certainly put a "spoke in the wheel!"

[@frankE91210]

amazing

[@justincramb7796]

I grew up with that exact train, but I’m glad it’s back in a safe place where it originated from. Didn’t even know it had left South Africa

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

there are like 6 still in south africa EDIT make that 20 there are tons of 15Fs more then any single class in the US its rare for more then 1 or 2 members of a single class to be preserved

[@matthewhahn1132]

This is very my favourite episode

[@luisangeldrosnegron3445]

Great 👍 documentary!

[@dicksonmaina1498]

I love the background music, where can I get it

[@Stickmen603]

45:39 imagine your driving in the road and see THIS

[@mechanicaldesignbrain]

I missed this sound in Big bigger biggest

[@doubledeckerbus-foundation]

Nice transport !!

[@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory]

21:50 "too far away from the nearest town" *is in a town*

[@thejdmguru621]

We have many Steam conservatories here, in my area alone, we have three steam engines under restoration at the moment. A Class 19D, a Class 24 and a Class 6

[@Davidl91]

1:01 its a locomotive, not a train 😄 it's only a train when its pulling stock 😃

[@davidpowell5854]

He speaking fact

[@Rusty_Nickle]

I always wondered the use of those big plates on the front of tho boiler

[@bluefoxy6478]

31:15 "bolting it onto its weak frames may cause irreparable damage" procedes to attach hooks to smoke deflectors and hand rails in animation.

[@stevelomas4119]

Wanker comment.

[@catthecommentbothunter6890]

Garratt locomotive in Africa that wonderful

[@robindow5742]

i hav ea photo taken years ago at Summerlee heritage museum of this engine before it was move to its permanent home at the riverside museum i Glasgow great video

[@virenramchandani6113]

This would have not been the same without the classy music 😀😀 Watching this documentary after a decade

[@siphotheguy1870]

Bwa ha ha! Who's idea was it to have a choir do the soundtrack? Cheesey AF!

[@thegreypenguin5097]

RIGHT!? who wrote all those lyrics? When it first started I was like, ok maybe this is some folk song, but this is oddly specific... I heard "of to Scotland again" and I was like THEY DID NOT JUST CONTRACT HOGWARTS CHOIR to sing about this!?

[@hiddenhistoryny129]

@@thegreypenguin5097 yes... yes the did... I also was right where you were LOL

[@CloudHindlen]

Wow. That was pretty cool. Good job mover's. Lol

[@stanb1455]

Keeping steam alive!

[@stevenhowe6677]

I spotted an A21c once you know? Yesssssss Hmmmmmm, I was just about to take a bite of ones sandwich, mummy makes them special you know and I saw the A21c fly past and I even heard it go Chooooo Chooooooo, it was a moment I will never forget, yessssssss.

[@badreality2]

At least they are trying to save it, instead of trying to scrap it.

[@joeanderson444]

I'm glad everything worked out, but it's a classic example of the world being so busy with whatever has to get done many things that were discussed in advance were forgotten, and the unforeseen obstacles proved to be too much to get anything done on time!