60019 Bittern

Situation normal then...

 

maybe just two more 15 is a nice number.

SilverFox

 

Spotted this on one of my photos of Bittern and wondered whether it is a dent.

SilverFox

 

(Best 'Crocodile Dundee' impression). Naah! That's not a dent .....

This is a dent!

(Image courtesy www.militaryhistories.co.uk)

 

York MPD. There is a brass commemorative plate in the floor of the NRM

 

There's a famous shot of a bombed out (IIRC) Nine Elms shed, illustrating a wrecked Drummond 4-6-0 (the bomb was a 'direct hit' shattering the back of the mainframe). I'm always amazed only two locos owned by the old Southern were listed as 'war losses', which speaks volumes for the tenacity of it's staff during the worst the Austrian Corporal's nazi hoardes could throw at the UK.

 

..... and pass the 'plod*'. A couple of skipfulls out to do it!

*plod noun [colloquial] filler, usually a powder prepared by mixing with water. Sets rock hard 30 mins before, or 2 days after you want it to. The wealthier may opt to buy it ready made in tubes or tubs and throw the unused 7/8 away when it sets solid (see also "superglue")

 

Given the reputation of the Drummond 4-6-0s, I always find it surprising that the shed staff at Nine Elms, Salisbury and elsewhere didn’t use the cover of an air raid to advance the allied war effort by blowing up a few of them up on their own account...

Tom

 

So Tom ...... newbuild LSW F13 ..... shall I put you down as a 'no' then?

H

 

Oh no, nothing could be further from the truth. I'm right up for it, just as soon as we finish "Beachy Head"; then the Craven 2-4-0; "Jenny Lind"; an LCDR Kirtley A class 0-4-4T; a Cudworth 0-6-0 goods with Mansell wooden centre wheels; a Stroudley D tank; the Beyer-Peacock outside framed goods; then the Stroudley "Inspector" for personal use; then ...

Tom

 

They weren't that bad! (Says a man far too young to remember any of them! )

Seriously though, from what I've read I get the impression that the T14 design was basically adequate, though not spectacular. They just needed Urie and Maunsell's modifications to realise their full potential. In my book, any design that survives more than 30 years in traffic can't be considered a total failure.

Admittedly, though, I wouldn't advocate building a new one. But that is a shame in a way; personally I think that, in their intermediate form with Urie smokebox but before Maunsell changed the running plate, they were actually quite handsome machines!

 

Oh, yes, this was not long after a now retired high-up BR Manager had an article in the 'Beano' explaining how it was absolutely impossible to ever even think of running steam hauled specials out of Marylebone, let alone it happening...............

 

The T14s might well have been better than the other Drummond 4-6-0s as Urie didn't turn them into H15s or N15s with very little (if any) of the original locos being re-used. I say "might" because who knows, given different circumstances, they may have gone the same way.

I did read of a run where a T14 complete with Urie and Maunsell modifications touched 82 mph at Shawford on the long 1 in 252 downhill stretch from Roundwood. I would suspect that the only way of getting anything like this speed out of any other Drummond 4-6-0 would have been for a helicopter to lift one several miles up into the air and then drop it!

 

No Chinooks back then. A very large dirigible airship or two, pehaps?

 

Agree ,and she would be a really unique and remarquable locomotive in service!

 

Seems the best place for this.

An agreement has been reached between LSL and SNG Engineering to commence the overhaul of 60019. This is likely to commence in 2024 after the new workshop is completed.

Good news!

Andrew

 

Who are SNG please and where is their new workshop?

 

SNG Engineering are basically the people who overhauled 60007 and all the announcement to SNG trust members said on a location was Yorkshire.

I'm sure all will become clearer as the year goes on. It will be good to have two mainline A4s again.

Andrew.

 

Thanks. I had thought the 60007 owners might have something to do with it but didn't want to presume!