Posted by Peter Ceresole on January 11, 2012 at 12:45:03 user PeterC.
In Reply to: Re: Great Aunt posted by andy clayton on January 11, 2012 at 06:50:50:
The GWR engines didn't 'pant' when stopped in the stations, perhaps it was the different braking system employed.
I think that's the reason; the Brits used vacuum actuated brakes, the French used compressed air (the Westinghouse system). My dad had been a railway engineer at Schneider-Le Creusot, and always talked down the vacuum actuation system because the maximum pressure available was one atmosphere, 15psi...