The Big Four at 100: GWR

[@NGaugeUSA]

I'm an American with an N gauge GWR era 3 layout. I have watched this video dozens of times. This is by far the most comprehensive GWR documentary I've been able to find. It's been a huge help in giving me context and inspiration. Thank you for uploading it. 🙏

[@IgnoredAdviceProductions]

Where do you get your trains? I've been desperate to get some british N scale but its so difficult to come by

[@FeatherWings78]

Now this is educational tv

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

There should have been more about steam loco scrapping. How to cut up steam locos etc with footage of the destruction.

[@fredlindner1986]

F

[@HannoRetief]

Fantastically detailed video, thanks for putting this together and well done!

[@stevengorick187]

Thank you

[@MinimumGauge]

Well worth a subscription, can't wait for the rest of the series!

[@dominicmiles4050]

A very well written series. I can't wait for your videos covering the other railways. I live in East Devon and my village was served by the southern railway on what is now the avocet line that ran originally between Exmouth to Sidmouth Junction via Budleigh Salterton, Tipton St John, and Ottery St Mary. I'd love to see what you cover on the southerns "withered arm" as they called it.

[@robertgillham6535]

This is amazing! Such wonderful information and gorgeous film

[@misstrever1952]

...this era of amalgamating the big four is great for the railway modeller, it means you can get away with some beautiful LMS Stanier coaches being pulled by a beautiful GW Castle class loco. Top show! 👌

[@stevengorick187]

thank you

[@NeilM01989]

Great video Steven, Barmouth is my favourite seaside town, my family always takes me for the holidays in the past when i was a toddler. The Severn Valley Railway is also my favourite heritage railway, went there with my family also when i was a toddler. It's also more or less my local one. I live in Codsall, Staffordshire, that's 15 miles from Bridgnorth.

[@Shelfandtabletoplayouts00gauge]

Lovely sequence 👍

[@BlueMK2]

Very well made, the writing is concise which is complimented by your crisp narration. Sometimes I find legacy long form media on railways to feel rather tired and jaded, I think you've really excelled at overhauling the history for newer generations such as myself, looking forward to your next video.

[@stevengorick187]

Thank you

[@mattsimonds7153]

Great Video!

[@stevengorick187]

Thanks!

[@illinoiscentralmodeler]

Fantastic video!

[@stevengorick187]

thank you

[@joshuaW5621]

Happy anniversary to the Big Four.

[@railwaymechanicalengineer4587]

CHURCHWARDS REVOLUTION IN LOCOMOTIVE DESIGN. C.J. Churchward, did a lot more than incorporate certain U.S & European ideas. He revolutionised the whole method of building locomotives, with his "Standardisation" of construction methods, and made the biggest leap forward in Steam locomotive design since "Rocket" (of 1830). Indeed Churchward's revolutionary advances took around 20 years before ANY other railway company Chief Mechanical Engineer realised exactly what Churchward had done. And in spite of Churchward giving a lecture to members of the Society of Locomotive Engineers, before World War 1 on his technical advances. The first to realise, what Churchward had done, was of course the SECR (South Eastern & Chatham Railway) under Maunsell. When in 1917 they introduced the "N" Class 2-6-0. Which incorporated Long lap, long travel valve gear, a taper boiler and reverse taper Belpaire firebox, and a number of other small Churchward advances. The only real change was to use outside Walschaerts valve gear, instead of GWR inside Stephenson link gear. But this was of course due to the fact Maunsell had grabbed, H. Holcraft from Swindon. Holcraft of course brought all the Churchward technical advances with him to Ashford !!!! Churchward's plan for what would be needed by the GWR AFTER he retired, was for Collett a Godsend. As Collett was a workshop man, NOT a designer. So Collett's Castle class was literally, just a tweak in cylinder size, an 18inch extension to the frames, and a new cab design of the 4 cylinder Star Class. Indeed the only totally new design credited to Collett was the 56xx 0-6-2T for South Wales, and he managed to screw that up initially, by failing to support the inside valve gear properly. So when the first 56xx was tested outside the works, it moved only a few feet before horrible grinding & screeching noises were heard from inside the frames, and shuddered to a halt. (Reference K.J.Cook CME & C Gibson's books on Swindon steam). What Collett can be seriously credited with, was the introduction of German Zeiss Optical equipment, which accounted for a revolution in precision manufacture and reconditioning of parts. Indeed as a result the GWR was scrapping worn out parts, at the tolerances to which other companies were constructing too !!! Further C.J.Cook CME at Swindon 1949-51, and then at Doncaster until the end of steam on the Eastern & NE Regions, took the Zeiss optical equipment with him to Doncaster and finally cured the "Achilles" heel of Gresley's 3 cylinder designs including the A1/A3 & A4 Classes. Cook, redesigned the centre cylinder "big end" and applied Swindon methods of lubrication as used on GWR 4 Cylinder types. Which cured the horrible problems of those LNER designers notoriously problems of the centre cylinder running hot. An affliction that even resulted in Mallard's World record breaking speed run, being terminated at Peterborough with a destroyed centre cylinder !!!! Happy Mechanical Engineering. From an ex BR Engineer.

[@lenholloway4390]

its just a never ending string of numbers.....

[@DanielsModels]

What a great video!

[@stevengorick187]

Thank you!

[@tobys_transport_videos]

Well done Sir! You have condensed most of the GWR locomotive history into 47 minutes! I look forward very much to Part 2, featuring the Southern Railway. You may also wish to start working on (if you haven't already) a video for March this year talking about 60 years since the Beeching Axe destroyed half of British Railways!

[@stevengorick187]

Beeching will be covered in BR at 75 planned for May

[@tobys_transport_videos]

Thanks, I look forward to it. 🙂

[@ElzevereBlock]

Great footage and a Harry Enfield type commentary to go with it.

[@MarshallRedmon01]

There's two ways of doing things, the wrong way or the Great Western way

[@JohnWayne-n3i]

This is a fantastic and comprehensive overview of the Great Western Railway's history and impact. The detailed examination of Collett and Hawksworth's designs, as well as the evolution of diesel railcars, offers valuable insights. It's also great to see the focus on South Wales and the preservation efforts that keep this heritage alive. Excellent work, Steven! If you're interested in learning more about the history of British railways, be sure to check out the playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLbkIohgbg3ZNXQ2yFZ92zn-sXxO350Aa2

[@rossitterforbes3201]

I’m terribly sorry, but if you did mention the 47xx “Night Owls”, regarded as “Churchward’s final masterpiece” I missed it. However it is fantastic layout of description and portrayal of information

[@daystatesniper01]

superb

[@stevengorick187]

thank you

[@toyotaprius79]

The political decision to not nationalise the railways in 1921 is an underrated topic.

[@MrPingu70EGCC]

Is Ian Allen copyright on this brilliant video supposed to be Ian Allan please as in publications

[@tominnis8353]

All gone!

[@Elvinley]

Excellent video with lots of information. Was there any mention of the Gwili or did I miss it?

[@stevengorick187]

no mention of the Gwili as I have n o footage of it

[@John2E0GTU]

Should it be Ian Allan?

[@aurandon]

Why didn’t GWR adopt 4-6-2 to keep axle loading down?

[@stevengorick187]

well they did try a pacific with The Great Bear but is proved to be even more restricted than the later Kings. Hawksworth also had plans for one but it never happened.

[@robw7676]

The adhesive weight (weight on the 3 driven axles) of the Kings is almost identical to the LMS Coronation class at ~22.5 tons per axle. The Kings are fabulous, but they cannot match the Coronations for raw power at the rails despite matching them on paper. It's the advantage of grate and firebox design the extra axle permits that gives the big Staniers the advantage - they steam better when worked really long and hard if fired properly.

[@wakefieldtrainlad340]

I have a question. How do you get away with using photos and videos? Do you have to ask or do you just say it isn’t yours? I really want to know as I have a video planned of Flying Scotsman and other engines turning 100 this year

[@stevengorick187]

Just claim it's not mine hence why each shot has a credit with publisher on the bottom left

[@wakefieldtrainlad340]

@@stevengorick187 very helpful. Thank you so much

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

@@wakefieldtrainlad340 Does anyone have any videos of scrap cutting of steam locos? Schnitt das dampfloks mit acetylen-brenners!

[@DouglasSpeed-r8o]

Putting on your apron

[@daveday5507]

Amazing how poor most of this is.

[@stevengorick187]

which bits

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

​@@stevengorick187 Not much about steam loco scrapping. Cashmores Newport and the South Wales scrapyards etc.

[@daveday5507]

@@stevengorick187 Most of it.

[@stevengorick187]

@@daveday5507 well you can't please everyone

[@stevengorick187]

@@PreservationEnthusiast not necessarily scrapping the end will be cover in BR at 75