Bulleid Pacifics - Past or Present

Also, it was 34027's left cylinder that had the cracks, so a new pattern would have to be made in any case. It seems, from that costing from 72010, that the price for a pattern is roughly half the full cost for a new cylinder. Expensive things! I can see why preservation groups may be reluctant to fork out cash for a product that may be used only once, but once made, they can be used again and again by whoever needs them...

 

It's that day again!

45 years ago just around this time, 35005 left Waterloo on the 21.20 to Bournemouth. Gordon Hooper Driving, Dave "Dropgrate" Wilson firing and Inspector Brian Smith with them. Terry Jackson, the late John Evans myself and elder brother Don had been invited to time the run.

The rest as they say, is history.

Rebuilt Bulleid MN 35005 Canadian Pacific set the fastest ever documented steam loco start to stop Waterloo to Basingstoke. 43 mins 48 seconds, and that included a 19 mph temporary speed restriction past Wimbledon C Box. 89 mph at Byfleet Junction and the only 90 mph I have ever heard of on the down road before Basingstoke, (at Newnham Siding), with a normal length train.

A careful start from Basingstoke and fingers crossed by the four of us timing as the track was due to be lifted at Weston Box on the down road. But no. All the temporary lights were lit, the pw gangers waiting but still standing back as we raced by at 93 mph on the way to 105 max approaching Winchester Junction signal Box.

We came back with the same crew behind 34089 and by then the track at Weston Box on the down road had been lifted!

 

Sorry 73129 for not answering your question directly, Colin Chambers and Bob Allen did at one point tell me how much a cylinder pattern costs, but i forget how much. MHR werent too worried about it seeing as it is paid for by others. Dunnno what use it will have in the future, it will be kept though.

 

Does anyone know the latest on 34058?

 

If what you mean is about a rumour that has been going around.

No.

Lets just wait and see what transpires in the future.

 

Reading another forum today. There is good news about 35009 Shaw Savill. It looks like the long awaited overhaul of 35009 has started.

 

There was a smidgen of news in the latest issue of Heritage Railway about 34027's overhaul, that the boiler needed a lot more work than anticipated. According to HR, it has had 'a new front barrel section, which has included a new front tubeplate and cradle/saddle section' made. 'New firebox sides have been fitted... [and] the outer throatplate has received repairs. The inner firebox is almost a completely new construction, with a new doorplate, wrapper and tubeplate'. See Heritage Railway (June-July 2010), p. 33.

With all this work going on a Bulleid boiler, there's hope yet for a new-construction firebox for 35022!

 

and for 21C123

 

Alan,

Yes, braking at the right spot was vital. Gordon Hooper braked very hard passing the Junction box and also stopped perfectly in Winchester City.

I was also on that Jim Evans run, having started the day on the 02.30 Waterloo as far as Fratton with 34087. That was a rare steam working to Pompey via Basingstoke and Eastleigh. Reubens Hendicott driving and an inside even time run from Woking to Basingstoke, (very light load).

Incidentally Alan, did you time much on the old SR in 1967? I'm still missing a number of my notebooks in that year, and I would love to recover the missing logs. I have details of which locos I travelled behind each day, but not the logs. Would be very grateful for any help you can give.

Cheers,

Bryan

 

Many thanks Alan. I'll do an updated list and PM it to you.

And yes. We did rather tend to go round en mass! "Follow the (fastest) drivers" was the name of the game in those days.

 

Does anyone have any latest info with regards to 34067 to come back running?
Also to any information to 34046 with her latest tender build and being fit for mainline use?

 

For update on Braunton please see here http://www.braunton-management.co.uk/news.htm

 

Thanks for that. Be lovely to see 34046 out on the main line again. A cursory glance at my records shows my last run with her was on 19th April 1965, 19.30 Waterloo Bournemouth train as far as Basingstoke. 12 cars and a mediocre performance with a Bournemouth crew. My other two runs were on the circa 12.40 ex Bournemouth. Both had exactly the same net time up from Southampton to Waterloo! 78 minutes, (net), for 79.25 miles on schedules of 89 mins and 94 mins, (both were summer weekend trains when the schedules were slower than the weekday 85 mins).

My stop watch (and these days my GPS as well), are twitching in anticipation of timing her again!

 

Well, if her sparkling performances on the WSR are anything to go by, she should be an excellent mainline runner. I wish all involved the best of luck, and I hope she upholds the fine traditions of the breed. Out of interest, will she have genuine Bulleid wheelsets (ie. BFB type) on the tender?

 

The new tender will have solid disc wheels and roller bearing axleboxes from an emu.

David

 

Saw a book the other day with a picture of 34059 on the Mid Hants in BR days and didn't realise that 34059 had a similar tender then. I know the Bluebell scratch built the one it has now but the picture showed a similarity with its original.

 

I must admit that before I saw a historical photograph of 34059, I originally thought that the tender design had been modified in preservation to increase water capacity. Seeing that she was equipped with such a tender under BR ownership is an added bonus in terms of the historical accuracy of the restoration. However, that doesn't mean to say I stoically differentiate between restorations going down the historical accuracy route and those that make modifications as a result of operational experience in preservation; any operational locomotive is a credit to those who toiled to make it happen.

 

With regard to 34059 it would appear that the loco is now back in traffic after boiler / firebox repairs having turned up at Horsted Keynes this afternoon (Saturday 24th) towing withdrawn Bulleid compatriot 34023.