71000

It certainly did the business during the Shap time trials back in 1995(?). The thrash was amazing. IIRC the final mile to the summit was full regulator and full cut off.

 

A great atmospheric picture. I missed that run down this way, but I had a cracking run behind it from York to Carlisle over the S&C around this sort of time in 2006. I remember us flying through Keighley as they had some locos in the station.

With the locos performance during it's previous tickets, I very much looking forward to how the loco performs with further modifications and improvements made it.

 

At least it’s a proper BR totem. Wasn’t there some daft idea about having The Duke rather than British Railways on it?

 

I have seen it only once, and that was on the ECML. I hope to see it again, and soon.

 

Funny that as I have always disliked them.

 

Think they look ok with black wheels.

Didnt that consist of tweaking the cam profiles and valve materials... ? AFAIK Its gone back closer to as originally restored rather than as originally designed.
( Source PBSLocos page - In December 2018 it was reported that a new set of Caprotti inlet and exhaust cams are to be produced for the locomotive to the 1954 original design to reverse a modification made at its previous overhaul.)
Given its one of the most efficient locos of its size now having a Ten tonne tender with a coal pusher no longer seems appropriate even if part of its history, perhaps when the tender tank is life expired that will get a rethink...

 

They're not easy to keep looking good but are now something of a tradition on the Jubilee...

 

Thank you, Dan. You may have missed out photographically, but you've done better than me as far as haulage is concerned. My only experience of 71000 was a short run on the West Somerset in 1995. All the same, I can still remember it - "Washford Bank? Molehill more likely!" It absolutely flattened the climb (1 in 65 at steepest). I'd love to sample her on the main line this time round.

 

A lot different to my first sighting of "The Duke" in the upper yard at Barry.

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing the return of the Duke this week, and on my doorstep too. Well done to all involved in the overhaul.
Checking back through the photo collection it was summer 1990 when I first saw 71000 on the North Wales Coast Express trains, where did the years go ?
Probably the most spectacular experience came in the winter of 1995, as the Duke hauled a late running CME over the S&C through the frozen landscape sounding more like a class47 than a steam loco as it passed. Unfortunately the run isn't documented on sixbellsjunction, but surely was spectacular.

Text from Flickr :- "Persistent High Pressure weather systems don't only bring hot weather to the UK, The Met Office write up on the winter of 1995 is well worth reading, when High Pressure sat over the country for well over a week bringing freezing temperatures from Europe with heavy snow falls.
On 28th December a few photographers are waiting in the usual position for 71000 with the Christmas week CME. Not wanting to drive on the narrow road on Birkett Common or go closer to Ais Gill we did the silhouette from the road in the valley bottom. The temperature was -10 C, the snow I'm stood on was a solid 6 inches thick and there was no wind at all. A friend with me who videoed this reckons it was one of his best sequences ever as the train passed and the exhaust just hung in the still freezing air."

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks that! I'm remember a run behind it out of Lime St in November 1995 and it roared up to Edge Hill. 71000 came off at Wembley before heading over to Bounds Green for servicing, then worked Euston to Manchester the following day.

 

By '73 it was in the bottom yard, sans tender and sans most everything else but tarted up a bit ... with silver painted tyres!
Ray.

 

I was on that train from Euston. We went up Camden Bank as if we had a banker.

 

According to the travel docs for Wednesday the stock is expected to be the Saphos set.

Dave B