Bulleid Pacifics - Past or Present

34007, it seems that what has been said above by Swan Age is your best bet and Steve, my Grandpa gave me similar details to them.

 

Looking at the 2005 picture it looks like the loco has had work done on it and the tender looks like it has run. Was the work done at the MHR and how much was done? Has the tender run with another loco in preservation?

I seem to remember that she had her tender when she came out of Barry in the early eighties.

 

The tender that was purchased with 34105 (3343) from Barry was ex-35018 and ran with it when first restored, 35018 was purchased with tender from 35025 (3350), the body of this was removed and sold to the owners of that loco a few years later. A 5500gal high sided body was built and placed on 3350's frames. The tow groups/owners then swapped the tenders so 35018 actuall got her tender back that she went to barry with... which she actually never ran with in BR service as she swapped her 'good' tender with 35008's 'bad' tender after she was withdrawn.

34105 photo : http://www.steamtraingalleries.co.uk/pic_watercress_276.html with 6000gal MN tender ex-35018, now at Portland.

34105 photo : http://www.flickr.com/photos/taffytank/3681746111/ with new 5500 gal high sided body on ex-35025 frame

 

So Pretty much every loco that is now in preservation then!?

Such a shame that 35008 and my favourite Croydon were never preserved!!

34059's Tender Wheelset is the original!

 

Talking of Bulleids that should have been preserved................

"It's a shame that 34057 Biggin Hill, 34006 Bude and 34066 Spitfire weren't saved" is what my Dad often says. Which were the best members of the 3 classes that didn't make it to preservation?
An ex-driver that my Dad knows says that 35005 was one of the best MN's and fortunately she was saved.

 

I too have been told about great runs prior to Preservation that 35005 Canadian Pacific held.... She too is my favourite loco.

 

Talking of 35018, she was about 45% restored when she left the MHR, work done included:

Rebushing of brake gear.

Reboring of Cylinders.

Manufacture of cylinder cladding, boiler cladding and running plates.

Repair of cab and overhaul of axleboxes (She was jacked up in Ropley shed for nearly three years) in the early days.

 

Yes I agree, last I spoke to Mr Heather in the early 90's he said she was only really in need of a boiler overhaul and re-plumming. Most if not all parts were purchased and avaliable. It's a shame really she would be such a nice loco to have for the MHR.

 

I remember being told she was only about two years away from running again. What a waste of time and money spent on her just to see her on top of a hill in Portland wasting away. There can't be too many locos that have got this far in to a restoration with such a bleak future ahead of it?

 

If 35018 is never to run again maybe her owner could sell her cylinder to 35010 Blue Star Line group to help with the overhaul of this loco.

 

Not much is happening to either of these 2 loco's Lee... Its down to the owners and it will always be the same with owners like this.... Shame, but maybe they will read these posts one day and decide to do something once for all!! Both haven't run in preservation!! If things were being done or even money set aside i wouldn't feel so mad!!!!

 

I expect Gumballs has charged Heather so much rent for BLI being in his yard that he now owns it!

 

Who owns British India Line? does he own any other locos?

 

Mr Richard Heather owns British India Line, outright i believe. However he used to part own the loco with John Bunch and also part own 34016 "Bodmin". This changed during the early 1990`s due to personal reasons.

I believe he also has a share in the S160 ex MHR, that is also at Portland in a dismantled state.

 

So is Richard Heather still with us?? Does he know how the loco is doing in these fantastic British Weathers out in the cold etc and Salt eating away?! What is the state of play now since the early 90's between these 2 chaps??

 

I'm sure that if you have a well funded plan to do something about it Mr Heather will be only too happy to talk to you. If, on the other hand you are just a self righteous plonker with nothing useful to contribute then he would be well within his rights to tell you to get lost and mind your own business.

There are loads of locos up and dowen the country whose owners have bitten off more than they can chew, why focus on this one? Its a casualty of the MHR politics - get over it, you've got another well knackered Merchant Navy instead now.

 

I doubt if these owners will be reading these posts.

Like you, I would love to see these engines steam - particularly 35018, which was the first Bulleid to be rebuilt, and also I have a soft spot for it as it was well placed for a photo during its stay at Barry. I was pleased when it was recued supposedly for use on the MHR and sad when work stopped and it was subsequently taken away by its owner.

However, we can be thankful that it is still in existence and while this is so, there is at least the potential that one day it will be restored.

During the years since the end of steam, a number of locos - both ex-Barry locos and not - have seen a transformation in their fortunes by a change of ownership or change of heart on the part of owner. Just a few examples of locos that have come back seemingly from the dead or are in the process of doing so:-

4612, 4270, (310)65, 34053, 41298, 46115, 47445, 60019, 65033, 75079, 76084.

There is no reason why 35018 may not one day be added to this list, but there is nothing that probably any of us on this forum can do about it at the moment.

 

I think you are out of order with your comment and personal attack on 34007. 34007 is only asking a question regarding the status of the loco.

 

Baiscly its sat outside in the back of his yard just rusting poor loco