When Stanier met Soyuz: Tim Peake's spacecraft visits the National Railway Museum at Shildon

Of places where I like to be, one is on the footplate of a steam locomotive and another is observing the night sky on a clear night. They are both often stereotyped as very Asperger-like interests or fixations, and in many terms, their appeal is understandable to many, not just those on the autism spectrum. This month, Locomotion, the National Railway Museum in Shildon, welcomed a special visiting exhibit, the Soyuz spacecraft in which British Astronaut Major Tim Peake descended back to Earth after his six month stay on the International Space Station.  

The Espin Crater on the far side of the Moon

A railway museum may seem like an unusual place for a spacecraft to ‘land’, but for me, seeing two of my favourite subjects of interests, that I have been enthusiastic about since when very young come together in one place was no only an obvious thrill, but also an opportunity to see just how inter-connected the two subjects are as well as the legacy that Shildon its surrounding area area has in both fields. Major improvements were made to early steam locomotives by the engineer Timothy Hackworth (1786-1850), including the firetube boiler enabling greater control over steam production and usage while working as locomotive superintendent on the Stockton and Darlington. Hackworth later established Soho Works in Shildon where the first locomotive to run in Russia was built in 1836. Hackworth's 2-2-2 wheeled locomotive ran on Russia's first railway line, completed in 1837 running between St Petersburg and Tsarskoye Selo, serving to transport Imperial Russian nobles for sightseeing in Tsarskoye Selo. In nearby Tow Law, significant astronomical observations were made by clergyman and amateur astronomer Thomas Espin (1858-1934), most famously his discovery of the double star Nova Lacertae in 1910. Espin, who compiled a catalogue of over 2500 double stars, has a crater on the Moon named after him in recognition of his astronomical contribution. Ironically, after sending the first steam locomotive to Russia, Shildon has received a spacecraft from Russia in which the first British astronaut to walk in space returned to Earth.

Soyuz’s ‘landing’ position in Locomotion was next to Stanier Black 5 No.5000, whose footplate is usually accessible to museum visitors. The presence of Major Peake’s Soyuz allowed visitors to experience the unusual view of a spacecraft from the footplate of a steam locomotive! For me, it was a unique and thrilling opportunity to see two child (and adult!) aspirations rolled into one, that of driving/firing a steam train and being blasted into outer space! Though obviously not fulfilling them, especially the latter (something which still very few of us are fortunate to do), but seeing two vehicles which enable such things next to one another was special. The Soyuz capsule and Stanier Black Five steam locomotive compliment each other well with regards to their longevity of service in their respective fields.

Major Peake's Soyuz capsule next to Stanier Black 5 No.5000

The Soyuz spacecraft series is the longest serving crewed-spacecraft currently in use, having taken astronauts into space for 50 years since the first Soyuz launch in 1967, which tragically saw the first human in-flight space casualty when its pilot, the Soviet Cosmonaut Valdimir Komarov died on re-entry after the craft’s parachute failed to open. Originally designed to land a Soviet Cosmonaut on the Moon (a purpose that was never fulfilled), the Soyuz has served mainly as a ferry to and from earth-orbiting space stations, from the first space station Salyut 1, launched in 1971, to the present International Space Station (ISS), launched in 1998. Though it has experienced setbacks throughout its 50-year history, major redesigns of Soyuz including improved solar arrays and stronger shielding against micrometeoroids have enabled the programme to continue to provide a consistent means of transportation to and back from the ISS during the postponement of the US Space Shuttle programme between 2003-2005 after the tragic explosion of the shuttle Columbia on re-entry and after the retirement of the programme in 2011.

Meanwhile, the Black Five steam locomotive, designed by Sir William A. Stanier (1876-1965), since their introduction in 1934, would remain in service until the end of mainline service steam on Britain’s railway network in 1968. The last mainline service steam-hauled train being the Fifteen Guinea Special on 11 August 1968 double-headed by Black Fives 45110 and 44871. Designed by Stanier as mixed traffic engines, the highly-versatile Black Fives were equally at home pulling express passenger trains to heavy freight and were a favourite of many footplate crews to drive. Huge crowds flanked the lines to get a glimpse of what could easily have felt like, at the time, the last ever sight of a steam-hauled train on the UK’s mainlines with British Railways’ steam ban (lifted in 1971) coming into effect the following day . Fortunately, it proved to be far from it courtesy of the preservation movement, including the preservation of 18 Black Fives. As well as being successful during their mainline service days, Black Fives have also been highly successful in preservation on both mainlines and preserved railways, especially along the Jacobite route along the west coast of Scotland to which time-tabled steam hauled-services returned in 1984.

The virtual descent to Earth experience narrated by Major Tim Peake offered by the museum gave visitors, including myself, a chance to experience the human side of spaceflight (at least part of it) during its most difficult part, coming back home to Earth. Despite the many modern advances in aviation, a successful return to earth is largely dependent on human senses and presence of mind during what is both a thrilling and terrifying experience where there is no margin for error. Probably the most critical part is during the de-orbital burn, during which the main engines are fired in reverse for 4 minutes and 45 seconds. A second too short, the craft bounces back into orbit, a second too long could mean a fatal crash landing. During the deployment of the drogue parachutes, Major Peak advises you to keep your mouth closed to avoid biting your tongue!

Similarly, though in obviously very different circumstances, the maintenance and operation of a steam locomotive is also a very human affair. Often described as the most human-like forms of transport, much dedication and hard physical, filthy and sooty work is needed in their maintenance while working them is also a very physical affair, especially for the fireman who has to shovel coal often excessively not just to keep up the heat to enable enough steam to pull a train of as many as thirteen carriages, but also to keep several hundred passengers warm on a cold day! Before modern braking and suspension systems in modern trains, steam locomotive drivers often had to rely on years of experience as well as their presence of mind to ensure the safety of their passengers, especially when negotiating gradients.

During the virtual descent to Earth in Soyuz, when observing the unique view of a sunset over our home planet from above the atmosphere, where one also gets to see just how thin the atmosphere that we are dependent on for our existence, Major Peake reminded us to savor the moment as it is not a sight you are likely to see again any time soon. A sight and a thrill I savored from the day though was that of a spacecraft from the cab of a steam engine, a view available for a limited time.

Tim Peake's Soyuz Spacecraft can be seen at Locomotion, the National Railway Museum in Shildon until 15 January 2018. For more information about where to see it on its UK tour, click here