6023

Wow, my comment was sort of in jest, like I did suggest to the P2 group that casting 6ft 1/4 inch wheels would help a little bit with various potential problems... ( we're they bothered ?)
The 'Prototype' king was turned out with thinner tyres and bored out cylinders ( ie almost life expired condition)to claim the Highest TE tag iirc... with subsequent production having the wear allowances reinstated ?
6024; Cant imagine that a full set of driving wheels and the associated cost would have passed under the radar.. and as out of condition reptilian points out more than a couple of inches and other things ( buffer beams/ tender draw bars, bogie mountings) may well need alts as well. Better to have this kind of thing built into a wreck restoration then an overhaul

 

On top of the new cylinders to narrow her a bit, its getting to the stage that they might as well have done a new build?

 

I think there may be some confusion here didn't the King Concept get tested by running a Castle with smaller wheels for a while?

 

I think stories are getting confused.

As part of the design work for the King a Castle was run for a while with new tyres turned down to just below scrapping thickness (safe with new tyres for a controlled test) to test out the smaller wheel size, but in spite of what as notable a figure as Pole (Felix Pole: his book) says, the smaller wheel size was determined very early in King design, hence the test.

Gibson also makes some tales about TE (A critical Appreciation of Great Western Locomotive Design John Gibson), but his sums literally don't add up. Cook (Swindon Steam) tells us the original King design had 16in cylinders which put the TE just under 40,000, way in excess of what any other class delivered at the time (Lord Nelson, 33,500, A3, 32,900), but at least the earlier ones were delivered with the cylinders effectively on first rebore to round the number above 40,000 in order to please Pole, and the sums do add up to match what Cook says. The figures for last bore/turn aren't readily accessible, but if I've guesstimated them correctly the TE of a steam locomotive with cylinders and wheels on the last turn is approaching 10% in excess of the nominal figure which does rather illustrate how pointless getting hung up about the last few hundred pounds of TE is... (|Sorry Sir Felix!).

 

I've not heard the smaller wheels being cast story - and really doubt its true given what that would cost! I know they are having new slimmer cylinders fitted to avoid gauging problems widthways which may be what you've heard.

 

Blimey, all these mods... Will it be renamed "King Frankenstein I"? *

Richard.

* The above comment should only be taken to denote a humourous purpose, aka a joke. Those with a sense of humour bypass please move on - nothing to see here...

 

That's pronounced 'Fronn -kahn -schteen' ?

 

Not sure where that idea got dreamt up! as I understand it the wheels have been recently fitted with new tyres which again have been turned below new size.

 

Latest echo says the last 2 major jobs are the final weighing of the loco and testing the new draughting at the WSR

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6023 to appear at OOC open day. https://www.facebook.com/Old-Oak-Common-Open-Day-260051724424124/

 

On Sat 2nd Sept.

 

Via the mainline!

 

Yes as gauging issues have been sorted out. So she will either be towed, or allowed to be driven there.

 

Would that count towards a test run as regards it's certification if it went there under its own power?

 

So to avoid speculation,... here we go;
Gauging issues; We have route permission from DRC to OOC and back (no where else at present) which involves changes from mains to relief and back to avoid some prohibited platforms.
TPWS & OTMR is still not yet completed and accredited so 6023 will be towed in light steam to supply lubrication to the cylinders/valves.
Depending what else is in the consist there may be speed restrictions, so imagine it will take place at silly o'clock (we've yet to hear).
Hope this helps?

 

So 6023 is safely back at Didcot after her excursion. What next? I keep hearing line-side discussions of a move to the SVR this month or next for a "working holiday", perhaps until Christmas, followed by main-line tests, perhaps in January, perhaps involving Uncle Bob and the Tyseley Loco Works team. Can anyone in-the-know say, yet, how much of this has any basis in reality? Or is more waiting required? ;-)

 

There's a website update with pics of her at Paddington. Doesn't say whether she actually pulled anything though..

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Isn't her ticket up soon?

 

Her ticket started ticking from mid March 2011. So unless her mainline ticket has been extended/renewed it has about 6 months left for the 7 year mainline ticket.