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URGENT - 6023 Safety Valve Bonnet

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by gw driver, Jun 1, 2011.

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  1. gw driver

    gw driver New Member

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    Dear All,

    6023 has arrived at the Mid Norfolk Railway but without its safety valve bonnet. Somewhere near the Waitrose roundabout at Swaffham the loco hit a tree and it appears that the bonnet was knocked off the boiler - but this was not noticed until the low loader arrived at Dereham.

    Appeals have been put out on the local radio, resulting in a reported sighting of someone near this roundabout carrying something very similar to a GW safety valve bonnet with blue bits on it. The time window between the loco passing through Swaffham and our gang getting there to look for the bonnet is 06.00hrs to 09.30hrs this morning. There has been no communication to either the MNR, the radio station or the police, as of 15.30hrs today, from anyone saying that they have found a large shiny brass object on the roadside in Swaffham

    On behalf of the GWS and the gang looking after 6023 please could I ask that if anyone knows anything about the "recovery" of the bonnet, please would they get in touch with me, or the local police or the MNR.

    Let's all keep our fingers crossed that the bonnet can be found and returned to the locomotive.

    Thanks for reading this and all help will be greatly appreciated.

    Best regards to all,

    Bruce Murray
     
    gw driver, Jun 1, 2011
    #1
  2. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    Good luck - probably worth a few calls to the local scrappies?
     
    Martin Perry, Jun 1, 2011
    #2
  3. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Moved as requested, and I hope you recover the bonnet.
     
    RalphW, Jun 1, 2011
    #3
  4. Spamcan55

    Spamcan55 New Member

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    Do you mean the roundabout by the BP garage/MaccyDee's at the eastern end of the Swaffham Bypass? There isn't a roundabout near Waitrose at the Fakenham Road junction (but there is a pikey camp there that a local copper told me was believed to be the source of most armed robberies in Norfolk....).

    Hope the bonnet turns up safely (and quickly).
     
    Spamcan55, Jun 1, 2011
    #4
  5. Eightpot

    Eightpot Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Overheard in a Pub local to Swaffham......"....Found a bloody great brass flowerpot with funny shaped blue handles on the side of the road this morning......."
     
    Eightpot, Jun 1, 2011
    #5
  6. The_Mighty_Kings

    The_Mighty_Kings Member

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    Hope they get it back and quick!
     
    The_Mighty_Kings, Jun 2, 2011
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  7. Stu in Torbay

    Stu in Torbay Part of the furniture

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    there is a theme it seems with Kings having their brass bit knocked off them!
    Hope it is recovered quickly. Doesn't the loco have a reduced-height one for mainline work as well? - as a last resort I guess that would just have to be fitted all the time?
     
    Stu in Torbay, Jun 2, 2011
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  8. buseng

    buseng Part of the furniture

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    If this is meant to be a joke, I think it is in pretty poor taste. I doubt if the 6023 people are laughing.
     
    buseng, Jun 2, 2011
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  9. Midland Red

    Midland Red New Member

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    So 6023 joins the other two preserved Kings in having lost its safety valve bonnet whilst travelling - do hope that it is found soon and in better shape than 6024's and 6000's when recovered.
     
    Midland Red, Jun 2, 2011
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  10. campainr

    campainr Well-Known Member

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    Some old dear probably thinks it would make a nice flowerpot I suppose. Even worse as its original so more than an economic loss to us all. Hopefully all local scrappies have been told, and someone get snooping around nearby it could just be sitting on someone's doorstep! Should also get some leaflets through doors as not everyone listens to local radio/reads local papers.
     
    campainr, Jun 2, 2011
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  11. 6880rules

    6880rules Member

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    Having fitted 5199s bonnet a few times I do recall making sure there were at least 4 5/8 whitworth bolts holding it down ( I did make it that way thouigh )
    Surley if 6023s bionnet was bolted to the loco like it should be i would expect a dent or two and nothing else
    not for it to be ripped off by a mere tree branch would would probarly brush past it anyway
    Was it not bolted down ?
    Ok i wasnt there, but if it was fixed correctly then i suspect foul play
    If it wasnt fixed down then...well ?
     
    6880rules, Jun 2, 2011
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  12. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    A good friend of mine who has been heavily involved in the restoration of the engine says that the engine itself is not damaged by the bonnets removal . The group don't know why it came free but patently are most focused on it's return . Less supposition gents please
     
    Sidmouth, Jun 2, 2011
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  13. Lingus

    Lingus New Member

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    Bur doesn't the whole railway preservation movement thrive on rumour and counter-rumour sprinkled with more than a tad of speculation?
     
    Lingus, Jun 2, 2011
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  14. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    Why would anyone need a king safety valve bonnet, plenty more interesting bits on the engine.
    This is an obvious accident, how are they so sure where it came off.. Plenty of times I dropped something, convinced it was one place but found it in another... I assume thyve retraced the whole route ...maybe if we all knew the route it might be worth keeping an eye out.
     
    ADB968008, Jun 2, 2011
    #14
  15. martin butler

    martin butler Part of the furniture

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    did it stop overnight anywhere on route? because unless its a very quite road a king safety bonnet would have been noticed if it was sat in the road, or on the verges? but with the high price of copper , everything looks like its been taken, not fell off unless someone at didcot took it off and didnt tell anyone, red faces all around if they did
     
    martin butler, Jun 2, 2011
    #15
  16. isport

    isport New Member

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    6023 with a bonnet attached just done return gauging run to Wymondham. Rumour is that it has been borrowed from another Didcot loco.
     
    isport, Jun 2, 2011
    #16
  17. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    The first post says,
    "Somewhere near the Waitrose roundabout at Swaffham the loco hit a tree and it appears that the bonnet was knocked off the boiler - but this was not noticed until the low loader arrived at Dereham."
    I think therefore that it being nicked whilst stopped overnight has already been ruled out.
     
    RalphW, Jun 2, 2011
    #17
  18. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    It's not rumour it's fact as a friend of mine and restoration team member drove it over last night
     
    Sidmouth, Jun 2, 2011
    #18
  19. isport

    isport New Member

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    Not from Pendennis Castle by any chance?
     
    isport, Jun 2, 2011
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  20. Steve from GWR

    Steve from GWR Well-Known Member

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    Thank heavens for Swindon standardisation. Just got to repaint those green bits now......

    Hope the original does get found though.
     
    Steve from GWR, Jun 2, 2011
    #20
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