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The Atlantic Coast Express 5th-8th September 2014

Discussion in 'What's Going On' started by steamvideosnet, Jun 2, 2013.

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  1. buseng

    buseng Part of the furniture

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    Talk about fate! Wasn't it built with two air pumps to overcome such an issue?
    However in this case one pump was already removed for repair & as luck (or not) would have it the remaining one failed!
     
    buseng, Sep 10, 2014
    #361
  2. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    They now have a 3rd air pump I believe,not fitted to loco.
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2014
    Paul42, Sep 10, 2014
    #362
  3. gwr4090

    gwr4090 Part of the furniture

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    Yes, there is a source of decent quality coal in the UK. I believe Nunney Castle and Braunton were both using good Welsh steam coal, whereas Tangmere, I suspect, was not. Just compare the exhausts of Tangmere and Braunton climbing the bank to Exeter Central. The problem is that the Ffos-y-Fran opencast facility near Merthyr Tydfil which is the only source of Welsh steam coal can't meet the high demand from steam loco operators on the main line and heritage lines. I don't think price is actually an issue. Many heritage lines report that it is very economical. The Welsh coal burns vey well with relatively little smoke and firebox residue, but it does crumble into dust rather easily and needs careful handling.
     
    gwr4090, Sep 10, 2014
    #363
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  4. mrKnowwun

    mrKnowwun Part of the furniture

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    You can't compare the exhaust of Tangmere to anything else with a boiler on the railway today. If you were to run it on butane it would still produce clouds of dense exhaust,
     
    mrKnowwun, Sep 10, 2014
    #364
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  5. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    But it wasn't a coincidence that Tangmere had steaming problems both down and up on the ACE. I feel sorry for the crew who I was told had to work pretty hard to keep things together. I come back to the central point. Is it fair to the people who have to operate any locomotive to be given either:
    - a steam locomotive not in optimum condition - untrue, I suggest, with Tangmere and the ACE
    - resources that are inappropriate for the locomotive - i.e. coal?

    There's no excuse, in my view, for taking the easy/most convenient/cheapest way out on such matters. The countryside has a layer of soot as evidence of what Tangmere can produce. (I wonder what the locals around St David's Hill thought of the climb to EXC on Monday? Contrast Tangmere with Braunton). But it goes further than that. I know of a locomotive owning group that, apart from choosing its coal carefully, also keeps a meticulous check of water consumption so as to ensure that the added water treatment maintains the correct balance to minimise any foaming in the boiler.

    We may be talking about heritage motive power but that shouldn't stop us using 21st Century technology and knowhow to get the best out of these machines. West Coast - please note if this applies to you.
     
    Big Al, Sep 10, 2014
    #365
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  6. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Nice film! Braunton is a credit to the people who prepared her.

    However - is it a trick of the light, or does the tender look a strikingly different colour to the engine? (See e.g. 9'05" - 9'25")

    Tom
     
    Jamessquared, Sep 10, 2014
    #366
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  7. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    No trick. The tender and locomotive are different shades of the same colour. I think you have to go back to when it was on the WSR to get the definitive answer to that one. (It doesn't stop it performing really well though!)
     
    Big Al, Sep 10, 2014
    #367
  8. steamvideosnet

    steamvideosnet Well-Known Member

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    It's no trick of the light Tom - I believe the loco was outshopped in 2008 but the tender was outshopped a couple of years after and so were painted at different times.

    James
     
    steamvideosnet, Sep 10, 2014
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  9. gwr4090

    gwr4090 Part of the furniture

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    The tender was built and painted several years after the engine was completed and entered service. Braunton initially ran with a different tender which is now at the Mid Hants.
     
    gwr4090, Sep 10, 2014
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  10. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Thanks Al and James and David - glad my eyes aren't playing up on me!

    Tom
     
    Jamessquared, Sep 10, 2014
    #370
  11. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    The other part of that posting from me (not quoted above) got some responses but I'm refreshing this as no-one has responded (unless I've overlooked it) about the speeds up Hemerdon. On the RD thread post 171 Sean Emmett quoted 36 at Hemerdon. Does that mean the point where the gradient eases or the summit? What were Braunton and Nunney doing at the same place?
     
    MellishR, Sep 12, 2014
    #371
  12. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Braunton and Nunney were not pushed particularly hard as Ray knew he was up behind a cross country service that would have stopped them further on. 24 mph min.
     
    Big Al, Sep 12, 2014
    #372
  13. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Thank you: that makes good sense.
     
    MellishR, Sep 12, 2014
    #373
  14. Hurricane

    Hurricane Member

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    Is that the tender now behind Wadebridge?
     
    Hurricane, Sep 12, 2014
    #374
  15. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    Wadebridges' tender is a different colour to the loco...
    From all accounts Wadebridge might be a contender for the most tenders used in Preservation...
     
    ADB968008, Sep 12, 2014
    #375
  16. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    Is it at the Mid Hants? I thought the tender it first ran with was 34027 Port Line's tender which originally came from 35006 and at was sold from Barry with 34053 before in turn being sold to the Port Line group (before they became Southern locomotives and before they had 34053 under their wing) and ran with 35027 before being used with 34046 until the new tender was built.

    IIRC that is 35005's tender.
     
    Pete Thornhill, Sep 13, 2014
    #376
  17. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    http://www.wadebridge34007.co.uk/news.html
    AFAIK
    34007 has run in preservation with tenders from 34039, 35027 (via 34046), 35005 and it's own is under construction.
    I think ive documented it correct (please amend if i've shuffled the deck of cards wrong)...

    34007 first ran with 34039s
    35005 was swapped for 34046 (ex 35027)
    34046 (ex 35027) went to 34007
    34039s departed to Eastleigh with 35005 before being return to it's owner.
    35005 current has no tender, but at some point 34007 will have it's own and return its current to 35005...
    35027 i'm guessing is without tender currently but presumably would inherit from 34046 in due course.

    A bit more history, but 34007's current tender...
    (source: http://www.southern-locomotives.co.uk/34053/34053_Restoration.html)

    entered barry behind 35006
    left Barry for use 34053
    was sold for use with 35027
    before going behind 34046
    and now sits behind 34007
    and could some day be with 35005...

    dont know it's BR history but it can't have seen many more locos in BR days surely ?

    bottom line.. there's more locos than tenders..
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 13, 2014
    ADB968008, Sep 13, 2014
    #377
  18. steamvideosnet

    steamvideosnet Well-Known Member

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    steamvideosnet, Sep 21, 2014
    #378
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  19. Alberta 45562

    Alberta 45562 Part of the furniture

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    My dad's video from the rear of the train on Exeter Bank right in front of 34046 is now up at

    Cheers,
    Mark
     
    Alberta 45562, Sep 21, 2014
    #379
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  20. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    Lovely bit of filming. Do hope someone was watching out just in front for over hanging vegetation etc!
     
    KentYeti, Sep 22, 2014
    #380
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