31806 and possible mainline use

2mins down at wool so she must be doing ok should arrive at Wareham about right time / 1 down edit: RT at Wareham, well done old girl

 

Interesting to see the teenagers on the opposite platform going to have a look & take pictures/film the train

 

Worgret Junction 4 late and now back on 'home' metals.
Hopefully a gentle run down of the fire now to ensure not too much left in the firebox on disposal at Swanage; plus more paperwork to be signed off; and a new locomotive number joins the main line steam scene.
Assume the 5 Mk 1's are OK after their 60 mph experience (although various flats appear more audible at speed than at 25 mph - if videos are anything to go by).
Perhaps a visit to Wimbledon [or Hornsey or Ilford] wheel lathe might be in order now they are main line ticketed.

 

Approx 7 mins late passing Corfe Castle with 31806's safety valve(s?) lifting.
Hopefully some of that spare steam will be utilised pushing the consist up the 1 in 80 ish bank from Corfe to Afflington bridge.
With less than 5 miles to go - congratulations to all involved.

 

She was going good on the first round of trying to beat Bincombe bank this afternoon!

 

My video from today's loaded test, including the unassisted climbs of Upwey and Evershot.

James

 

Fantastic video, looks amazing on the mainline

 

Brilliant, was just to the left of you at Bincombe. By the way, its Bincombe bank not Upwey.

 

Heres my video of 31806s test run.. Filmed at Burl Farm Crossing near Evershot,Dorchester West and Upwey.

 

A shot from Wool last evening (where I discovered I could have not connected the cable fully to recharge my camcorder) and that SWR were either saving money or had not paid the electricity bill as no platform lights were on!

 

My version of the events from atop Bincombe Tunnels yesterday afternoon. I hope you enjoy!

 

Love the loco (sounds magnificent, does that) and train .... but hating what looks like a rubbish tip at the end of the platform at Upwey!

 

The maunsell Moguls are very under rated machines, I would rate them as good as any other 2-6-0 , when you think they originated around the end of the first world war when the designer was CME of the SE&CR , and lasted till the 1960's , were to be found over all parts of the Southern network from Cornwall in the West, to Kent ,
31625 in its short mainline career showed when it substituted for its larger stablemates, that it was as capable as any other loco I witnessed it coming over Gomshall bank as if it wasn't there, and the crew are on record as saying how good they were back in the day

 

Orange box says 24mph at Bincombe Summit on the lunchtime departure from Weymouth.

33 not powering at all

 

Indeed they weren't half bad, were they? Their appearance must've caused a few comments when they first appeared, but they don't exactly look like antiques, even today.

You can actually add "pretty much anywhere, barring a few lightly laid lines, across Southern Ireland" to their range .... over the same sort of timescale. The only downside over the water was that their appearance meant the decent, though sadly extinct, Class 500 4-6-0's (of equally modern aspect) only ever ammounted to three locos.

 

I was on Upwey for the run back to Swanage and thats my usual spot but when I saw the mess down there I decided to go London end of the up platform..

 

I watched a video taken by someone of the run, and you know what seeing a U Class sat at Yeovil junction at the head of 5 green mk 1s looks so right, even the 33 in its green livery don't look out of place, glad that loco and stock seem to have survived the first run above 25 mph for a long time, I have a hunch that 31806 will be very much in demand how ever I can see a problem, i'm assuming that much of the mainline equipment is under the tender, and 31874 will probally take over at some stage, will her slightly smaller driving wheels mean a 50 mph limit, or does the railway think that she will be ok for 60 mph,

 

31625 was very impressive when I travelled behind her on the ML with a great powerful performance throughout the day. I also witnessed her in action from the lineside several times. She made a glorious noise when she was involved in Steam on the Met and matched the sound with a cracking ascent of the bank through Chorleywood. You could stand and listen to her for a good while as she hammered up grade. A shame that a recurring problem with her frames saw her withdrawn from ML service.

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

 

Been watching a few videos. Such a nice sight to see - I was just a wee bit too young to remember 31625 on the main line. Superb sound too. Here's to many more, and perhaps a repaint at some point *wibble*

 

with 31625 it wasn't the frames, it was misalignment between the boiler mounting and the frames, mostly to do with the front end, it was the boiler off the N class, because the one fitted to the U had a patch and wouldn't have passed mainline use, I was part of the team that overhauled it , and as far as Iremember, it kept on breaking stays I think we worked out that the boiler was actually slightly twisted I know we burnt out the smokebox attachment holes and plugged it and drilled new to try to correct it I think the end decision was that the boiler might have been assembled out of true but as it would have needed the tube plate renewing, it was laid aside, the bottom end is a believe in very good condition