70000 Britannia

Is there anything planned for a public reunion with Brit 13?

 

Unfortunately not... it seems that 70000 is magnetised positive from the front, and 70013 is magnetised negative at the front..
any attempt at bringing the two together seems to propel them further apart !

There has been one or two occasions behind closed doors at Southall.

Its not for want of trying (I think there was at least one occasion, if not more, where both were booked on railtours to the same destination, same day, but didnt come off), and at least 1 gala appearence, but events got in the way.

Theres a few years left yet for the chance, but a chance of a triple in steam with 71000 probably looks a bit remote by now, for maybe a decade.
70013 did however run with 71000 at the SVR March 2009 gala (with 5029 and 60007 too), i guess thats the closest so far, no double header though.

 

Actually, if it were that way round, the poles would attract each other!

I need to get out more...

Tom

 

70013 has been operational since 2008, approaching seven years. Is it likely that it will have to be stopped for a boiler overhaul in the next 12 months? Or is the plan to see out 10 years on heritage lines?
Maybe major surgery in the meantime refreshed the lifespan?

 

I would guess that she will be similar to 777 where she goes to the GCR to see out the remaining 3 years of her ticket.

 

Shame when you think how useful 70013 has been to mainline steam. I wonder how much has been raised by 70013 to cover an immediate overhaul as the custodian group have done superb work in getting him ready for mainline work. The ammount of which I would say has been fairly impressive too. Interesting to note how much 70013 has seen use compared with other engines that promised the same and did not deliver, then hear the reasoning behind it.

 

Would be nice if they could loan the OTMR etc. to 34092 whilst they raise the cash to purchase their own, to replace one Class 7 with another ?

 

Can't you go for an additional 3 mainline years with a retube and few other minor things ?, suggest that's probably more likely, 777 running into more gauging problems probably had a influence on that whereas a brit is a useful thing.

 

70000 and 71000 appeared together at Steamtown c.1992 and double headed on the demonstration line.

 

As they did at Didcot too, about 1993 if I recall correctly. 70000 had a white cab roof at the time.
Daniel

 

71000 and 70000 at Didcot

 

Have just read elsewhere that Rileys have made the new driving axle & are about to press the first driving wheel on to it with their 400 ton press.

 

Didn't they do the same thing one weekend at bescot as well?

The Melter

 

Bescot open day 30th August 1992 71000 at the Tame Bridge end and 70000 at the Walsall end. Think the stock was a Tysely 117 and some sort of saloon. I was there as an 8 yr old! And now I feel a tad old! Just out of curiosity I think the saloon could have been the Hawksworth Dynomonoter car that ran behind 71000 in the early 90's whatever happened to that?

 

Rotting at Carnforth by the look of it.
http://www.ws.vintagecarriagestrust.org/ws/WagonInfo.asp?Ref=84

 

Wasn't sure if it was allowed to post links to there on here?

 

!?!