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35028, "Clan Line"

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by KentYeti, May 23, 2010.

  1. Dan Hamblin

    Dan Hamblin Part of the furniture

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    Well that sounds positive - thanks for the advanced update Bryan. Hopefully the root cause can be established shortly so that other loco owners can take appropriate action to reduce the risk of a repeat failure, and so that 35028 once again graces the main line :)

    Regards,

    Dan
     
  2. Sheff

    Sheff Resident of Nat Pres

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    That's great news Bryan! Let's hope the steam test is equally succesful.
     
  3. spindizzy

    spindizzy Member

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    Great news, thank you
     
  4. stan the man

    stan the man Member

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    Thanks for the update.

    Looking forward to seeing "Clan Line" back where she belongs.

    Oh and I see our old, mate Bongo is back . Hello Mr A. I was wondering how long it would be.

    JS
     
  5. martin butler

    martin butler Part of the furniture

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    thats good news about the firebox and i hope the steam test goes well but what i was wondering is this, are they going to re fit the original injectors? or borrow another set off one of the out of traffic merchants , i only ask this because there has been problems in the past with the perfomance of the set she has been running with and at least then the team could strip out the current set , unless they already have done this already so to ensure that they have a reliable set of injectors fitted , and can anyone tell me, just out of interest, does she still have the original tender tank from her Br days?
     
  6. std tank

    std tank Part of the furniture

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    I wasn't aware that the MNLPS has stated that the injectors were faulty.
     
  7. VirtualSteam

    VirtualSteam Member

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    Probably to early to say at the moment. However there have been injector niggles previously.

    Its very good to hear that the boiler is OK. I hope the steam test goes without a hitch
     
  8. Oakfield

    Oakfield Guest

    Do you have any idea how injectors work?
     
  9. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

  10. Oakfield

    Oakfield Guest

    Bryan, thanks for the post. I should have explained myself better, the question was meant for Martin Butler following his latest post which I feel in the circumstances rather misses the reality of the situation and the investigations being carried out.

    Like yourself Bryan, I have considerable experience of the operation of injectors and the various ways they can choose to misbehave!
     
  11. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    My only experience with steam locomotive injectors was regularly being told by SR steam crews, (1960-1967), that if they stopped working they would hit them with something heavy and metallic until they started working again. That resulted in something like 75,000 miles I timed behind Bulleid pacifics in those years and never a loco failure from a failed injector.

    Similarly the answer to a badly steaming loco in those days from the faster crews was "a decent spell at full regulator and 40%". That also nearly always worked. But lead to certain lineside bits and pieces, (corn fields, anything flammable left on the up fast platform at Basingstoke, the wood yard at Eastleigh etc), being burned to the ground. And some very fast running.

    These days the difference is that you can't exchange the loco at the next Loco Depot for another of the same class if the dramatic action doesn't work. And of course, the repair now has to be done and paid for by a small group of individuals who have already done a spell in the poor house as a result of the previous repair. Whereas in the 1960s that was all taken care of by a bottomless pit called the next Works visit.
     
  12. sunstream

    sunstream Member Friend

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  13. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Bryan

    Points are well made about injectors. And ex SR Grand Master - Jim Evans - is in print with comments on what may happen to injectors when the valves lift. Albeit it's a story linked to the early Merchants with the higher boiler pressure. But it's a reminder that the phenomenal capacity of a Bulleid boiler to make steam can catch you out even if you are an experienced fireman working these engines daily. The 21st Century generation of steam crews have a really tricky job, not only managing these beasts in the often start/stop environment they find themselves in, but also learning what works best with which locomotive.

    Alan
     
  14. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    Good points about current steam loco crews Alan. IMHO they can hold their heads very high in the company of such as Jim Evans and Gordon Hooper etc from the 1960s. And Dave "Dropgrate" Wilson who posts here from time to time. Fireman par excellence from the 1960s who was on the shovel on some of the very best Bulleid performances. He's writing some joint articles with my elder brother Don about some of the events of those last years. Published and to be published in one of the monthy mags. His own preference for getting an injector going again was "a hefty clout of the clack with either the 7/8th Whitworth or the coal pick", (hope that is not too much out of context Dropgrate!).

    Ah, the days before computer technology! LOL!

    I should add that my comments re injectors are only in a general context and not related to 35028. It is my intention to only refer specifically to that loco on this thread by posting any new press release updates from the MNLPS.
     
  15. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Hitting the clack with a spanner or whatever will only re-seat the clack (hopefully) if it is stuck. It won't do anything for a problem injector.
     
  16. IKB

    IKB Member

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    It has been pointed out to me that I was out of order in making the above comments.
    I was not there, I did not see what happenned.
    The person who made the post to which I was responding, was present at the time,
    and saw first hand what actually happenned.
    I therefore wish to take this opportunity to apologise to Bongo Jim,
    for doubting his word and knowledge of the circumstances
     
  17. martin butler

    martin butler Part of the furniture

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    the reason i asked about the injectors is because there has been reported cases of wasting water and not picking up cleanly and the person who asked do i know how injectors work, just ask any of the MHR boys on here i should hope i bloody well do, who said about the hitting of the clack valve with the spanner was spot on , yes i agree with what was said about how they can play up you can be on an engine one day and everything is fine but the next, you cant get the thing to pick up no matter how much you try
     
  18. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    Haven't spotted anything about '28 being OK for next Wednesday's VSOE to Bristol (apologies if I've missed the post). Is everything now alright with this graceful loco?
     
  19. KentYeti

    KentYeti Guest

    Sorry, I've been busy trying to learn about injectors since being put in my place over my lack of knowledge on them!

    The MNLPS will send me their next press release to post here when it is released. Until then I think it is best if we just try and be patient and wait for that.

    Now back to injectors, (general context only, not in the context of 35028). Not much hope for me there I admit. When I was one of the founding members of the group that bought 34023 my engineering knowledge and skills were assessed to see what I could usefully do during the weekly working parties at Longmoor. My engineering performance during that assessment resulted in me being asked to serve a long apprenticeship toilet cleaning. Only after a long time did that help my skill level reach the required level to permit my promotion from scraping cr.p off the toilets down there, to scraping cr.p off the loco. That was a proud day for me. The high point in my steam loco engineering career: ending the day covered in loco filth grime and other cr.p that 34023 was covered in at the time. Instead of being covered in cr.p from the toilets! A decision had been taken in the meantime that explaining to me the intricacies of whether a jammed clack valve in an injector should count as a failed injector or not, would serve no useful purpose. Wise decision.
     
  20. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    Hope the HRA's description helps :http://ukhrail.uel.ac.uk/glossary/inject.html
     

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