The steam engine built to do nothing but push - Big "Emma" Bertha

In this video, we take a look at the Midland Railway's answer to the problem of a big hill; a big engine!
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This video falls under the fair use act of 1976 This video is available to use under the appropriate Creative Commons Licence.
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[@TrainFactGuy]

"We must push little kart. PUSH!" - Heavy weapons guy, 2007

[@JustTomYTreckless]

Can you talk about the gwr crane tank i want to know about that engine

[@ianjackson4721]

WHO STOPPED PUSHING THE CART?! I WANT NAMES - Medic from the same game, I don’t know when.

[@JustTomYTreckless]

@@ianjackson4721 you mean tf2?

[@ianjackson4721]

@@JustTomYTreckless yes, but I don’t specifically know what year that voice-line is from

[@sandvicheatfresh]

TF2 reference for the win

[@sonicscott9119]

It’s such a shame she wasn’t preserved. She would’ve stood out big time among the preservation movement, be it in a museum or running on a heritage line.

[@eliotreader8220]

apparently a few footplate crews at the time didn't like BR wanting to scrap the engine as they thought she should have been saved for the nation

[@ConstantlyDamaged]

Ugh. Every time I hear "taken to the yard and scrapped" it breaks my heart. For such a unique engine, though, twice as much.

[@zacm.2342]

She'd probably be stuck in the NRM due to her design, but still would've been lovely to have her still about even if she'd basically never move under her own steam again - only engine I'd be alright with that happening to, tbh.

[@quigpig455]

@@ConstantlyDamaged pfffft you really think people care about steam engines nope, they only care about the relevant ones, like flying Scotsman or mallard, you think they'd cared about the lbscr e2 tank engine, or a lner class x2, nope, they only cared about mallard but not empire of india

[@ConstantlyDamaged]

@@quigpig455 I mean, some people did and some still do, but that's not at all what I said. Reread the words I wrote and not your inference of them.

[@mayoroicjre]

I've always admired the strength that Big Bertha had during her time. The fact that she went up and down Lickey over 2000 times just proves that she will always hold the title of the only engine to not be tricked by the Lickey Incline's trick.

[@drewzero1]

If I heard correctly, it was more like 200,000 times! That's about 15 times a day over 37 years (does that seem right?)

[@arturochambers27]

She was the most powerful locomotive and the power class was greater than a BR 9f engine. And adding that it took a 9f and a pannier or 4 panniers to take her place which shows how powerful she was.

[@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

I suppose a model should probably have two sets of traction tires to give an appropriate reactive effort.

[@SportyMabamba]

@@drewzero1 sounds about right, plenty of freight and coal went over the Lickey.

[@GpunktHartman]

I'am not clear about what "Big Bertha" means in Great Britain in that Time, i also not know anything about the Song. But what i know is that one of the biggest german Canon whas built by KRUPP and Nicknamed after Bertha Krupp ... and after the War several hughe Things ore Tools, a.s. 10kg Sledgehammers in a Forge also know as "Dicke Bertha" to make clear, now it will be noisy on the Anvil.

[@kyletrummel7074]

"We should take Bikini Bottom, and PUSH it somewhere else!"

[@mattevans4377]

I'm surprised no one has tried to build a replica. It would fit perfectly into the National Railway Museum as a piece of history.

[@johndunkle740]

Scrapping it was horrible! You work hard all your life and then they destroy you. No respect! Should have been in a museum.

[@jamesharding3459]

@barnabyjoy A replica doesn’t necessarily have to be functional, and only some hardcore train autists would notice if it wasn’t perfect. A few thousand pounds worth of sheet metal and a few months of work by volunteers could probably produce a creditable mock-up as a museum piece.

[@jamesharding3459]

@barnabyjoy Museums build mock-ups all the time, why knock that one thing specifically? Not everything needs to, or should be, be perfectly efficient or the most optimized option.

[@Colt45hatchback]

@@jamesharding3459 im not sure. Ive no interest in going to see a replica anything, unless its 100% accurate to the original and functional. Its like aircraft museums which have mock ups of fighter planes... They look like a 12 year old built them, they dont work, they cant be fixed up to fly again, its just junk taking up space. Id rather see a broken real one than a shitty fake. Example, there is a loosly gathered collection of nakajima ki43 parts in the australian war memorial. Thats interesting, you can see how its constructed, the individual components, the layout, the method of construction etc. If it were a complete plane replica it would look like the plane on the outside, but its just wood and tin with some paint, no different to looking at a model. Nothing to see. Just the shape

[@jamesharding3459]

@barnabyjoy I never said it was a good idea, merely not a patently absurd one.

[@Mason58654]

I like the tender cab it had. Surprising not too many locomotives had that.

[@eageraurora879]

You think it'd be very useful if not convienent

[@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

@@eageraurora879 for a locomotive that spends half the time running tender first, it’s a good investment. In Germany, a fairly significant number of steam locomotives for branch-line service had them, due to the expensive of putting in a wye or turntable being a bit much for lightly-used lines.

[@raymondleggs5508]

Here int he US we call the cab a Doghouse.

[@AmbroseB1900]

The Somerset & Dorset Fowler 7Fs had a similar cab and were originally built with tender cabs like Big Bertha but the crews found that the rear cab made it difficult to use the longer firebox tools such as the pricker and so the tender cabs were removed. As they did spend some time going backwards across the Mendips in bad weather, the tender cab would have seemed a good idea!

[@Saxtoo]

And the 4F's did too. Homework lad, homework!

[@yeoldeseawitch]

*Ten big wheels do roll her along* *Just a working girl on the Lickey* *Bertha's the name, in the hall of fame* *she was the only one of her kind* *the first and last on her line* -big bertha, Dave Goulder

[@roadwolf2]

She was Fowlers dream And was first in steam as 1920 dawned And she served her time on the 2 mile line Till the diesel age was born.

[@melodoubt]

@@roadwolf2 If a train should fail on the rising rail They'd summon Berthas power Then she'd ease them up to the Blackwell top In a quarter of an hour

[@roadwolf2]

@@melodoubt ten big wheels roll her along Just a working girl on the lickey Berthas her name in the hall of fame She was the only one of her kind The first and last of her line

[@Lucat_Here]

Well, Bertha was always lovely machine, either locomotive or machine.

[@flamedude_1111]

Agreed.

[@lizzard3699]

35 seconds into the video and cqme to comment on that 😂 glad someone else heard it too 👍

[@thedrifterman5653]

Yesssss

[@qaisismail2662]

I'm sad that big Bertha wasn't preserved until today But I get it,it was used as a banker and a banker only, she has a place in our hearts

[@EvilStevilTheKenevilPEN15]

A machine was designed to do exactly one thing, and it did that one thing well. That actually describes quite a lot of modern machinery.

[@BHuang92]

The steam equivalent of a powerlifter.

[@sebforce1165]

_I hear that background music, I bet you weren't expecting someone who'd WATCHED THE SHOW AS A CHILD, DID YA?_ That was a really pleasant surprise for a very nice video, perfect for my train of thought to catch on!

[@KPen3750]

Bertha was loved by everyone. People would come from all over the world just to see her

[@gsvproductions8171]

What impeccable timing, I was just listening to Dave Goulder's song "Big Bertha" about the same engine last night!

[@memyself1566]

Fascinating! I have visited the Lickey Hills on a number of occasions - but never been near the railway line. This is a piece of historic interest for anybody with a love of trains!

[@davidantoniocamposbarros7528]

Good thing her doctor didnt forbid her from pushing

[@qaisismail2662]

Good one

[@BelcarrigFarm]

But her doctor forbid her to pull

[@davidantoniocamposbarros7528]

@@BelcarrigFarm pushing 🅿 has a cost of not pulling 🅿. It's a sad reality 😔

[@danbalsom8733]

Loving the theme use of the often forgotten children's classic "Bertha"

[@primrosevale1995]

"Bertha, lovely Bertha. You are a lovely machine. And anyone who works with you will know just what I mean.."

[@trainlover16]

Again, unbelievably fitting use of music! The Bertha theme song REALLY suits her.

[@class28studios78]

Bertha is one of my favorite steam locomotive for this exact reason

[@AnthonyFurnival]

It’s a real shame that this one of a kind loco was scrapped! A very interesting video - thank you 🙂

[@danthebluetank6636]

The fact that you added the “Bertha” song is just great

[@brianfoster7794]

I have good memories of Bertha, watching her at Blackwell station with school mate’s, the driver always tooted to us on the way up and back down, was a sad day when she stopped working, she was a huge locomotive and one of a kind. A pity she wasn’t saved for preservation, probably because she wasn’t the prettiest of locomotives also she retired a lot earlier than other preserved locos, but still a shame.

[@Thomas__Blue]

Bertha was a cool engine, always would love to see a model of her... Love the Bertha theme in the background as well.

[@polbecca]

There is a model of Big Bertha, in the warehouse of the National Railway Museum in York. The model is nearly three feet long and is fully functional, and took its creator 15 years to build.

[@alexhando8541]

Good video as always, but just one point I want to make- The town of Derby, where the major railway works is, is pronounced "Darby"

[@tomlee9534]

Such an easy thing to have got right.

[@indiekiddrugpatrol3117]

@@tomlee9534 exactly, I've never heard an Englishman mispronounce Derby before

[@chelsie9834]

forgive me if i'm wrong, but that is a seriously impressive working life. i did a quick calculation, according to wikipedia, the lickey incline, where big bertha worked, was 3.2 kilometres long, meaning, at the very most, she went up and down that incline over her working life some 421,877 times. she worked roughly 13,514 days (37 years). if thats the case, and mind you i know this is too many, but still. she went up and down that incline about 32 times per day

[@Simon-Davis]

The incline itself is 2 miles long (3.2km) but the crossovers to travel back down and then at the bottom to get to the rear of the next train up were some distance away top and bottom. A typical trip was closer to 4 miles each way, or 8 miles round trip for each climb; plus the run to Bromsgrove shed for water/coaling a few times a day.

[@chelsie9834]

@@Simon-Davis oh yeah, 100%. it was only a quick and *very* rough estimate. i might sit down one day and try and calculate it properly. but yeah thanks for the insight!

[@ThePsiclone]

@@chelsie9834 if you do, include the total altitude gain too

[@martincraw7698]

That would be neat if Big Bertha was preserved in a museum.

[@Arkay315]

Man I wish bertha could have been preserved. She would look amazing in a museum display

[@Satters]

Please type carefully, it is "could have", or "could've" if you you must, but not "could of"

[@roberthuron9160]

As an aside,Big Emma,was actually based off the Italian Railways,Plancher Compounds,and they did fairly well,on home grounds too! And since Italy is loaded with some fairly heavy gradients,they were rather common! Of course the Midland had much experience with Compounds,as there main passenger engine,was the 4-4-0,900 series Compound,plus the protype,number 1000,and it's successors! Anyway,thank you for the forum!! Thank you 😊!

[@ThomasAndRandomRobloxGames]

you know, something i find amazing about the stories told on this channel, is that they often have *morals*

[@mlp-hot-rod5824]

I'd just noticed that you put Mainland's 'Bertha' theme in the background! A very nice touch, good sir!

[@1_railfan]

Somehow, I knew you'd do a video with Bertha. But still, quite an impressive mileage for her. Traveling up and down the Lickey incline presumably 209,000 times!

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Whilst Lickey Bank is steep it was never the steepest adhesion worked incline in regular use. That honour was shared by the Ballochney Incline and the Causeway End Incline, both of which were 1 in 23 compared to the Lickey's 1 in 37. Both of these Scottish inclines lost their passenger services in 1st May 1930.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@Ralph Freeman yes, that's steep but I was only considering lines that had passenger services on a regular basis.

[@garryferrington811]

If you guys keep going you're going to get into cog and cable railways.

[@cr10001]

@Ralph Freeman For what it's worth, the Bernina line in Switzerland is also 1 in 14 continuous all the way from Poschiavo up to the Lago Bianco at the head of the pass. That's almost 4000 feet (vertical) of climb, with 2--chain radius curves. All adhesion worked. If you stand on the platform at Poschiavo you can see it start up the slope at what looks like an impossible gradient. I agree it's amazing.

[@Satters]

Mersey Tunnel GB has a section of 1 in 23 still in passenger service

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@Satters I thought in was 1 in 27.

[@muhammadizzdanish8113]

Just like Edward and Bertha,they very good in back engine

[@stratos2]

curious video, cool engine. Have you considered covering the uintah narrow gauge railway? Just saying, 7% inclines and 60° curves, with articulated steam engines on narrow gauge.

[@scottraymond4582]

They should consider all the narrow gauge railway in Utah

[@Eddiee757]

Definitely a different concept, but interesting none the less

[@catapultking8861]

Yeah, Big Bertha could break records with its torque, but the 9F’s could do the work in a similar manner AND could pull passenger trains up to 90mph consistently.

[@professorjamesmoriarty5191]

@@ronal8824 common practice until BR put a stop to it.

[@Brianrockrailfan]

so sad this loco was not saved hope fully same one builds a new one great video 🚂👍

[@nathanchan4653]

Bertha, lovely Bertha. You are a lovely machine….

[@shanewalters2565]

Talk about a tale, bummer that she didn't get preserved, but at least she isn't forgotten

[@peterheath9002]

I was lucky enough to have a cab ride up and down the bank in 1956 (just in time!) I was only 11 years old! magnificent experience.Alton Towers, eat your heart out

[@ListerDavid]

Bertha, lovely Bertha. Good choice of background music.

[@d0nnyr0n]

Nice background music. Glad to see that somebody else remembers that brilliant TV Show.

[@lbscthomas440]

The Bertha theme at the end was just too perfect

[@8213_productions]

she would of been given the power classification of 9f if she ever did get one

[@Satters]

"would have" or "would've" not "would of"

[@8213_productions]

@@Satters your the only one getting bothered of how some people type?

[@brenlc1412]

Bertha. What a lovely machine.

[@patrickshaw8595]

The older I get, the more I see of people - the more I love good dogs and old machinery.

[@themightyhood-4117]

Oh bertha. What a lovely machine.

[@LMS5935]

That back ground music 🎶 so good.

[@Mrs.Doubtfire007]

The proverbial “Brick House” by the Commodores equivalent of train engines. Ironically, the standardized X-X-X wheel configuration naming convention is compatible with the Bust x Waist x Hips measurement referenced in the song. 🤔😜

[@JulianTrainKidProductions]

“Bertha lovely Bertha, you are a lovely machine...”

[@awesomecronk7183]

I love just listening to your voice...

[@cadetkohr5508]

If you can only do one thing, then make sure no one can do it better.

[@moriohbro6060]

love this engine, very unique

[@straswa]

Thank you Bertha/Emma for all your hard work! Thanks for bringing this loco to light.

[@isaacborthwick3903]

Steepest section of main line track, the Cromford and High Peak Railway had a 1 in 14 gradient regularly worked by steam locomotives, even if with only 3 wagons in tow

[@elliottsaucedo442]

Lol, I’m glad you used what you did for the background music.🎵

[@kokuma_200]

having the theme for the bertha show really suited the video

[@WardyLion]

The Big Bertha theme was a nice touch!

[@garrymartin6474]

Interesting loco and history, however Derby is pronounced Darby

[@LegendaryCollektor]

I love how tiny and cute UK steam engines are am an American who lives near a lot of historic Pennsy stuff.

[@roberthuron9160]

Extra,the steepest grade in the US,was Saluda,on the Southern Railway[US],and the also had 10 coupled engines running up and down it! However,the engines were 2-10-0's and 2-10-2's,both originally developed by the AT&SF,in the modern era! Anyway,this is a historical note! Thank you!

[@ReubenAshwell]

If only this engine had been preserved.

[@Im_here170]

Big Bertha pushing 🅿️

[@TenShine1productions]

Love the Bertha theme in the background!!

[@lukegauci1159]

BR: ‘This is a one of a kind steam engine that has captured the hearts and minds of enthusiasts for nearly 35 years! Its rather special.’ Also BR: ‘Fuck she’s expensive…… off to the scrapyard with you then! Good days work on British Railways I say!’

[@roshasensi2220]

this is basically the heavy from tf2 but in train form. Epik B)

[@ptcru1s3r]

Very interesting and love that you used the theme tune from “Bertha”

[@RobSchofield]

Another excellent one! Great stuff.

[@cakeskin3333]

Nice showing Papyrus in the beginning. IIRC Still holds the record for fastest non-streamlined loco

[@SpiderVA3113]

Thanks to this tough gal, I was able to think of a name for my alpha goodra in arceus, here's to you big Bertha! Your legacy lives on!

[@HSMiyamoto]

Northern Pacific bought two 2-10-0 locos in 1886 for use on switchbacks ("Zig-Zags" in Australia) up and over Stampede Pass in Washington state. The statistics are remarkable: boiler pressure of only 150 psi, 46 inch diameter drivers, and yet 34,800 lbs of tractive effort and 133,000 lbs on the drivers, which was amazing performance when 2-8-0 was pulling most freight and even some passenger trains in the USA. NP would put both on one train, which indicates the steepness of gradients on the switchbacks that preceded Stampede Tunnel. Apparently they exceeded the expectations that the NP had for them, because they survived long after Stampede Tunnel was completed om 1888 -- they were kept working into the early 1930s as heavy yard switchers; most likely they were declared surplus when business dropped during the Great Depression. The NP Decapods are similar in a lot of ways to the one-off Midland 0-10-0.

[@paulcunnane357]

We all wish she was preserved

[@jeicerocks]

the Bertha theme song in the background made me laugh

[@TankEngine97]

When we work out what you have to do, you can always get the trains up, always get the trains up, we can depend upon you.

[@blinkyenjoyer]

Love the use of the Bertha theme, very creative. (also because I like the song lol)

[@setyourhandlex]

A surprisingly pretty locomotive

[@onetrackmind3558]

I wish we had Big Birtha still alive, would be awesome to see it actually pull trucks and coaches and go top speed.

[@eruptdave]

Fascinating video harvey :)

[@NitroIndigo]

Bertha, lovely Bertha...

[@bobingabout]

Love your choice of music.

[@samuelhuber3765]

im especially fond of the pusher engines built. amongst the most beautiful are the mallet tank locomotives built by the gotthardbahn type scb ed 2x3/3 in my opinion. another special one is the DB BR96. due to them all be one trick ponys with issues they all got withrawn even in the mountainous alps. hovever they all set records in tractive effort managing incline and steep turns while being massive and sporting huge torque. really like your video.

[@alantunbridge8919]

I saw this loco. once in the late 1950’s during a Derby Works visit, sadly after withdrawal.

[@1258-Eckhart]

England's only honest banker.

[@JPofCT]

It's a shame we never had a chance to preserve Bertha, but I do wonder what ever happened to that headlight. It likely lasted into an era where its history was appreciated, but I haven't even heard of when that 9F was withdrawn.

[@MalWave]

And now that theme song's stuck in my head

[@trainlover16]

Absolute unit.

[@NathanielPiscian]

Love the outro theme👌

[@Ryder-a-Blaze]

Mixed traffic engines exist even though all engines (except for ones without couplings) can pull both passengers and freight meaning that every engine is mixed traffic.

[@tjmfarming9584]

In an alternate universe, I could see Bertha being saved from scrapping last-minute by a business man who wished to place her in a museum… Oh well, at least we’ve got her memory, photos and the odd video, along with the now rather out-dated Trainz model

[@user-mp2el7ln1n]

Nice berthra refrience at the end

[@toainsully]

I can imagine a Thomas and Friends character with this basis named "Big Bertha"

[@ZstackZip]

Damn, now I want a model of Big Bertha

[@sonicfan117dash2]

0:18 I’ve heard of trains pulled by steam locomotives sometimes needing double heading, sometimes even triple heading, but I have NEVER heard about quadruple heading!

[@daic7274]

Reminds me of the later diesel electric shunters found working mines.

[@RossParker1877]

Niche but very much appreciated end music!

[@matthewpowell2429]

a tragedy that Bertha was scrapped. The British Steam Societies should consider building a replica of her. (Cosmetically at least)

[@lukeclay4286]

My grandad was a signalmen and he got to ride on Bertha a couple of times. He said she was an absolute fucking beast.

[@templar_1138]

The guns on that girl! Seriously, the four cylinders and the ten drive wheels make it readily apparent that she was built for power. She's a brick... house...

[@stephenhunter70]

The upper two "cylinders" are actually "piston Valves"!

[@templar_1138]

@@stephenhunter70 In any event, she's mighty mighty.

[@boutellejb]

I see the two outboard cylinders; were the other two between the frame rails?