This just in from Sim Harris over at Rail Management...
Oh, dear. Yet another yearning for the old days.
Let's not fall for the spell of a concocted British Transport Film: a lot of it was staged/recreated, you know -- it was a STORY purporting to be fact (which some of it was, of course -- the snow was real).
However, there is no doubt that steam locomotives were better at snow clearing work -- and keeping going in the snow, too. No sensitive traction motors and miscellaneous electrickery to be upset, for one thing, and better adhesion, I think, too -- which is one reason why leaves on the line were less of a problem in them good ole days as well.
Perhaps that would have been a better justification for maintaining a strategic steam reserve, rather than the usually-quoted one of nuclear attack?
UPDATE: Nigel Harris, for it is he, responds...
Snowball? - 'Snow way to react.....
Oh dear, Sim.
What a perverse interpretation of what I actually said!
Of course I wasn't yearning for the old days. Of COURSE BTF films were staged, but what was NOT staged was the spirit which said that the line must remain open, wherever possible, which SABG clearly portrayed - and which is what I actually said. And mostly, the lines DID remain open, with some determination.
The youtube clip which TFC portrayed illustrated the same point with even greater clarity.
As anyone not in point-scoring mode could see, the issue I was highlighting is that it was this SPIRIT which is too often missing today, and the example I gave was schools!
At no point did I even mention steam locomotives, let alone the utterly barmy notion of strategic reserves!
I do wish people would read what was said - and not what they think was said!
Anyway, this isn't a discussion group, so I shall get me coat, undaunted.
Topic closed. Ed
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