A2 60532 Blue Peter

I quite agree, but with one small caveat - the acquisition of Blue Peter has put the restoration of 35022 or 35027 back, which is a bit sad for any Bulleid fan. However, if you take a more objective view, we won't be without 35028 for too long, 35006 is on the threshold of a return, 35018 is hopefully not far away and 35005 is under overhaul. By contrast, there is only one A2 and its acquisition makes the long-awaited line up of a working A1, A2, A3 and A4 a real possibility. What's more, I live in the South East and Blue Peter is one of the more gauge-friendly main line locos, so offering the chance to see/travel behind something not too far away from home that's a bit different from (much as I like them) Bulleids, Britannias, Black Fives and Tornado.

 

You've got a pont inasmuch as they look pretty similar, but Blue Peter has 6ft 2 inch driving wheels as opposed to 6ft 8 inches on an A1. I would suspect that, even if we disregard the design changes such as the all-welded boiler which are pecular to Tornado, there are probably quite a few other differences between an A1 and and A2, but not being sufficiently clued up on LNER/BR(E) pacifics, I'll leave it for a more knowledgeable person to provide the details.

 

The genesis of the Thompson A2s, as rebuilds of the P2s and variations of the V2s, makes some sense (not a lot, in some people's opinions, but some). But why did Peppercorn build two classes of pacifics with different size wheels but otherwise very similar? Were they in practice assigned to different kinds of duty?

 

Quite a few differences on 60532 specifically as she has the Britannia style multi-valve regulator type. 6ft 2in wheels as well, which gives a different wheelbase, no splashers, running plate is lower, deflectors are not identical in shape either. Tornado's built to represent a Darlington built A1, whereas 60532 was built at Doncaster and has rivets everywhere compared to Tornado's flush, seemingly no rivets anywhere appearance.

Because the new LNER standard Pacific classes as outlined by Thompson and approved by the board, were to have a 6ft 2in mixed traffic Pacific and a 6ft 8in express passenger locomotive.

Both useful in theory but in practice the 49 Peppercorn A1s were excellent and the mixture of 6ft 2in locos across four classes (A2, A2/1, A2/2, A2/3) didn't really help their cause. In total, 15, 4, 6 and 15 locomotives of each built.

The only "standard" - as in mostly identical - class amongst the 6ft 2in LNER Pacifics was, strangely enough, the A2/3 (Peppercorn A2 had single and double chimney, and multi-valve regulators giving three potential sub classes within one class). They all - except for A2/1 (which used a V2 boiler type pressed to 225lb) - were able to have all of the different new type large Pacific boiler variants fitted near the end of steam.

 

They did yeah. A2/2 as rebuilt from P2, and then later on Peppercorn's A2 class displaced the A2/2s which went further south. A2/3s went north too in a few pockets here and there.

 

Well I did somthing I haven't done in ages today and watched Blue Peter and I have to say it wasn't a bad peice on 60532. Wouldn't satisfy the purists but I thought for the age group it was meant for it was rather informative well done BBC.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05vnpc7/blue-peter-hetty-feather-and-football

Starts around the 12:20 mark.

If I'd have known it was going past Stoke I might have made an effort to go and have a look for it. When was the moving date?

 

See post #186 above.

 

A1 vs A2 Trials up Falahill summit at more than 35mph we can only hope...

 

Just to bump this thread, is there anything to report regarding everyone's favourite Peppercorn A2?

 

Latest update to her page on the Icons Of Steam Website says that her overhaul to ML condition has started.

 

https://flic.kr/p/R3trkX

From November, not my photo

 

Great to see her on the way back, always a top performer, be good to see her soon.

 

The straight-up stairway in Bitterns Water tender is interesting .... Bittern must be behind BluePeter in the queue ?. So in theory a useful if not entirely authentic tender swap could only be a Paintjob away...

 

I read Blue Peter has a sensitivity to priming. Why not with an overfilled boiler. that stands to reason. Has or can anything be done to more or less foolproof that condition from happening again or is it simply a well trained crew fully understanding the loco they are operating? The 1994 episode caused major damage.

 

I think Geoff Dury insisted on anyone driving Blue Peter after the Durham incident did a special course to get to know 60532's little foibles and quirks.

 

In the nelpg 50th anniversary book- keeping north eastern steam alive there is a section detailing the Durham incident. Shutting the regulator, reverser into mid gear, regulator wide open, and reverser let out. Resulting in wheel spin, the driver couldn't control the reverser and it went into full forward gear. It is believed that the locomotive primed and the wheel slip ended after 35 seconds after the fireman shut the regulator.

I would recommend the book to all, published by silver link. Ian Allen had plenty in their Birmingham store this week

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