Fun videos and useful links
Watch some interesting and entertaining videos featuring trains, railways, and visit the useful links below! You can also watch some great Peter's Railways videos and view our colourful gallery from the books of Peter on his adventures.
A wonderful old bit of film with the (then) new-fangled trick photography. The film has been sped up to give a high speed journey from London to Brighton in 4 minutes. This is about the speed of sound! Although this was taken from an early electric train, it is fun to look out for some steam locomotives as you whizz by...
Enjoy a cab ride on Green Goddess on the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway,
just like Peter did in the Moonlight Express!! You can see the driver operating the reversing gear (handwheel on right), the regulator (steel lever in middle) and putting coal into the firebox. Can you see the boiler pressure gauge? This is the engine which Chris had the honour to drive one day, many years ago....
A very large and old gas engine starting up and running. The syncopated sound it makes, once up to full speed, is simply amazing.
Steam engine with a glass cylinder and valve cover so you can see how it works. The engine is running on compressed air and you can easily see the piston being pushed back and forwards. Also shown is the valve, admitting air to first one end of the cylinder and then the other end. The valve also lets the exhaust air escape from the opposite end of the cylinder. This engine is called a 'Double Acting' type because the steam or air works on both sides of the piston.
Years ago, showmen used to buy two old steam locomotives which were going for scrap. Then they would sell tickets for spectators to watch the two engines in a spectacular head-on collision. Sometimes they would even have a train of coaches behind the engines...
See all the parts come together to make a steam locomotive. Then it crashes!
Amazing music. Enjoy....
Driver's Eye view of Bekonscot model village railway.
This might be the best ever garden railway......
The web designers found this clip as a test. It seems to be silent so don't muck about with your computer!
Useful Links
Model Engineer Magazine Chris read this magazine from about the age of 10. It is a constant source of interest and knowledge on how to make things, especially model steam engines!
Museum of Retro Technology This is an amazing mine of information about weird and wonderful locomotives, motorcycles with one wheel, and the Auxetophone - a mechanical record player which was incredibly loud!
The Young Engineers An organisation to encourage an interest in engineering for youngsters. Perfect for Peter's Railway readers.
