Today, 21st March 2022, marks the 100th birthday of Livio Dante Porta, the Argentinian engineer who took over the mantle from Chapelon in continuing the development of steam locomotive technology through to the end of the 20th century and on to his death in 2003. ASTT is celebrating his centenary by releasing the first volume […]
We are deeply saddened to report the untimely death of Shaun McMahon. It is understood that he died in Buenos Aires from complications associated with Covid. Shaun began his railway career on the Ffestiniog Railway, joining the permanent staff there as a trainee technician engineer in 1984 when Phil Girdlestone was Works Manager. Thus began […]
The Bure Valley Railway, Advanced Steam Tractions Trust and the Heritage Railway Association have held a further set of trials to test bio–coal under more arduous working conditions. The first set of trials took place in June and tested the fuels under normal Bure Valley train operating conditions. The objective of the second trials was […]
After a few set-backs and delays, ASTT’s latest publication “Selection of Papers by L.D. Porta – Volume 3” is now available for purchase through this website. It features 19 papers formed into three groups under the headings: Boilers, Fireboxes and Combustion. Full details can be found on the book’s sales page. This is the third […]
The DS Spiez has returned to lake operation in Switzerland, equipped with a brand new V-2 steam engine designed and built by Roger Waller through the auspices of his DLM company. A video of the ship on test can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MZVIFrvIP4. The German description of the video says: “During this trial, the new […]
Radio 4 listeners will have been saddened today (28th Jan 2020) at the news of the death of Nicholas Parsons at the grand age of 96. By a sad coincidence, Vyvyan Vickers has just reported that George Carpenter died yesterday (27th Jan) also at the age of 96. Vyvyan reports as follows: “George was born […]
In response to an August 2019 article in The Railway Hub drawing attention to the threat of a government crackdown on the burning of coal on heritage steam railways, ASTT approached Steve Oates of the Heritage Railway Association (HRA) to offer assistance in preparing a submission to a government inquiry into “carbon offsetting in transport“. […]
Our member from China, Liang Chenyuan, reports that steam locomotive construction did not end with the last of the SYs in 1999, but that anyone with enough money can still purchase a brand-new narrow gauge C2 Class 0-8-0 locomotive. He sent the picture below of the most recent version of the diminutive type, built in […]
For those who are unaware, ASTT’s 2019 Conference was a great success with 50 in attendance, most of whom can be seen in the above photo, lined up in front of Britannia in Crewe. 10 papers were presented, and an afternoon was spent visiting Locomotive Storage Ltd’s workshops in Crewe (where Britannia was on display). […]
ASTT’s publication of Porta Papers Volume 2 is now on sale. The volume includes three papers by Porta: Adhesion in Advanced Steam Locomotive Engineering Facing the Oil Crisis, 1984 (revised 1986); Fundamentals of the Porta Compounding System for Steam Locomotives, 2000; A Proposal for the Tornado Project, 1992. As a corollary to the Tornado […]
ASTTs 2019 Conference will be held over the weekend of 5th-6th October. at the Ibis Styles Hotel in Crewe. It is expected to include nine presentations from an international cast of speakers representing the UK, USA and the Netherlands, plus a tour of Locomotive Storage Ltd’s workshops. Details of the conference and a booking form […]
Volume 1 of a collection of technical papers by Livio Dante Porta is now available for sale – see the book sales section. This first volume focuses on the tribology and lubrication of valves and pistons, and should be essential reading for everyone involved in new-build steam, and wise reading for anyone who is interested […]