What is the most interesting piece of Railway memorabilia over 2 tonnes?

Question

What is the most interesting piece of Railway memorabilia over 2 tonnes?

Answer 1

a really heavy anorak..

Answer 2

The Forth Rail Bridge, it's a beautiful piece of engineering.

Answer 3

A Big Boy

Answer 4

A railway signalbox.

Answer 5

How about a steam railway engine.

Answer 6

for me,it would have to be a steam or diesel loco.

Answer 7

Interesting?................... now that IS difficult

Answer 8

How about a Station thats been converted to a house?

Answer 9

Not the usual answer...

How about "the runaway railway turntable"?

Engine spun by wind on turntable: Hawes Junction, now Garsdale, on the Settle and Carlisle line of the Midland Railway. Incident report dated December 21st 1900, from the Settle Inspector Mr Silcock:  "As the Pilot Engine No 1310 was turning on the Turntable this morning the wind being so Strong the engine got beyond Control. The following are the Names of the men who was called out by Signalman Sutton 5.30 am till 6.30 am" (JG from Paul Kampen, Editor, Friends of the Settle and Carlisle Line.) Apparently sandbags were used to stop the turntable spinning. As a result of this incident it was stockaded with a wall of sleepers, as happened to at least one other turntable on the Highland Railway:

This turntable now turns locomotives at the Keighly and Worth Valley Railway

Reputed to have spun at over 20mph according to some sources!

Answer 10

Pete Waterman (the old X-Factor judge) Has a few of his own trains, Even the first tilting train!

Answer 11

I own a loco which weighs 108tonnes, which I think is pretty interesting

Answer 12

a train

Answer 13

A locomotive... or perhaps owning a disused railway station on an abandoned line as your home?

Answer 14

John Armitt's (ex-Network Rail Chief Exec.) wallet.

Answer 15

A diner car with observation deck submerged in a pond and the only access is through an underground passageway (also known as a tunnel).

The bubble of the observation deck is just above the waterline, so the interior receives natural sunlight.

Answer 16

Over 2 tonnes it has to be a locomotive, item of rolling stock, crane or other piece of heavy equipment.

I don't know what exactly you'd class as interesting but there are plenty of contenders.

How about:

1st railway Travelling Post Office (c.1839),

Mallard (fastest steam locomotive ever, 1938)

National Railway Museum, York

1st electric locomotive on London Underground, 1890

Puffing Billy locomotive, 1813

Stephenson's Rocket (replica, c. 1920)

1st steam locomotive, Trevithick, (replica, original built1804)

Science Museum, London

Oldest steam locomotives in working order (c.1865)

Ffestiniog Railway, Wales

Britain's only rack railway

Snowdon Mountain Railway, Wales

...and many more. Why not try the Guinness Book of Rail Facts and Feats?

Answer 17

my ex wife oh sorry you said railway not fat cow do apologise ;-)

Answer 18

I think that BC Electric Railway #1207 is one of the most interesting pieces of railway memorabilia in existance.  Built in 1905 by the railway's shop in New Westminster BC, the "Steveston" as she was then called ran right 'till the end of service in 1958 and was one of the last four cars to carry passengers on the BC Electric system.  Fortunately the 1207 was rescued and restored, returning to service in 1997 on the Downtown Historic Railway which operates on summer weekends along the south shore of False Creek in Vancouver BC.  #1207 shares a carbarn with BC Electric  #1231, built by St. Louis Car Co. in 1912.  Car 1231 operated flawlessly during its career, and was also one of the last four cars in operation.

Both cars handle nicely, but while I enjoy the feel of the brakes on 1231, I like the driving 1207--there's something about the way a 35 ton wooden vehicle rides....the throb of the compressor pump, the whine of the traction motors, the hiss of the trolley wheel on the overhead wire. and the oohs and ahhs of passengers as I push the controller past notch 7......mmmm--smell those toasty resistors!

Answer 19

A train?