Pannier 3650

A few shots of 3650 last night:

http://simon71.fotopic.net/c1585935_1.html

including Pannier man at the controls:


http://simon71.fotopic.net/p53844707.html

 

I made it as promised! Short video featuring 3650 and other activities at Didcot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8vnvSjBEys
My favourite 2 phot's...


Nice loco, cheers Pannierman

 

Nice photos and video guys, thanks for posting them.
Hope you had a good time.

d'ya know,... I told my wife when we finished 3650 I'd have much more time to spare. It was an honest lie, as everything now seems to have deadlines, unlike when we were restoring her. We have three weekends to carry out some maintenance before 3650 steams again on the 25th, 26th & 29th Oct (last three steamings in blue).

Incidentally, the above three dates will see both 3650 AND 3738 in steam. Unfortunately, they are running seperately on the two demonstration lines, but if I can persuade the right person, maybe we could steam a small 0-4-0 for the branch on one day, and pair the two panniers together for a while. No promises mind you, but I'll try.

 

I think I may have to take a trip from duties at Middleton and come down to Didcot for its last few steamings in blue. Really want to see it.

Andy

 

Might i just ask why you are changing it's colour to green when every industrial line in the country would pay a lot more money in hire fees if it was kept blue. Spend it to Tanfield for a week of photocharters with it pulling some real industrial wagons and every industrial nut will flock to see a industrial pannier in industrial colours on a industrial line.
But then it's your engine and you did restore it so it's yours to do as you wish.

 

A couple of pics of 3650 from Saturday night's shoot, she looked great, thanks to all those that organised and staffed the event.





Cheers, Mike

 

Mmmmm, more nice photo's. You can only imagine how difficult it is to stand still for the time exposures LOL. But we had a great time and can only thanks those that arranged it as well as those that came.

As to the livery change... The guy that owns 3650 can actually remember seeing her as a boy when allocated to Tysley in GW green with a shirt button roundel. Work out the years, and it's only fair that he has his loco as he intended all those years ago when he first had the opportunity to buy and restore her.

Pannier tanks are one of the most hireable loco's in preservation. With most light railway order speeds no more than 25 mph, a pannier will out pull the more glamorous King's, A4's etc which are more suited to the main line. We've had enquiries already, none of them worried what the livery is, and I'm sure the industrial lines would still welcome the chance even in green.

My own personal feelings (not neccessarily that of the owner or GWS) is that we ought to be looking at smaller lines, still establishing themselves, where we could do them some good, rather than being just another GWR loco in the fleet. But for now, we've still got a lot of things to do at Didcot before considering going up for hire. Didcot still hasn't had two of their own "GWR" panniers yet!

 

Just stick on some green vinyl over the top, then in a couple of years time when you're all bored of the green, peel it off and hey presto! Blue pannier again!

 

LOL, might be fun when things get hot though,... self peeling pannier. Now theres a first. Set out green, come back blue!

 

Just been going through some photos on me camera, found this from a few weeks back.

3650 partaking in a mega-shunt:



Juuust got it all in!

 

Fair enough and like i said in my last post, it is your engine to do with as you wish. It's just it looks so smart in that blue livery.
Perhaps in a few years it could return to blue since i don't think there are that many industrial panniers out there. I know the one up at Llangollen that is currently in bits was a industrial but then i already know the answer to whether or not it could perhaps go into it's industrial green livery.

 

The last three steam dates for 3650 in blue are fast approaching.

Saturday 25th,
Sunday 26th &
Wednesday 29th October.

3650 will probably remain in the running shed at Didcot for a couple of weekends while we use a pit to carry out a couple of jobs and a washout, but the begining of November will see her cleaned up, the lettering removed and rubbing down started. Once the "pit" jobs have been completed, 3650 will disappear into the works and will emerge again in GWR green with shirt button roundel ready for the next operating season.

 

I hope to be there on Sunday so what time does it all start at Didcot please?

 

See http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/v ... ening.html for details.

 

Ta. I'd been on the website but somehow managed to miss that page.

 

Here are a couple of photographs I took on the 25/26 October: -





(The second one was a bit late in the day and the sun had gone down too far I'm afraid.)

 

With the last official steaming of 3650 in Blue now over, I'd just like to say thanks to everyone from this forum that have shown us support in one way or another, either here in print, or turning up at Didcot and posting photos.

There's one more private steaming for our long suffering wives and girlfriends, and for everyone else that has helped us over the last 20 years. After the "WAG's" steaming, 3650 will be stopped, washed out and "Wintered" while we carry out a few maintenance jobs. We will then enter the works, and will re-appear in the new year / spring in "as built" green with roundel. I'll post steam dates for 2009 when I know them. Hopefully there will be an official launch next year, and things such as double heading of Didcot's two Collett panniers to look forward to.

Miles run so far between August and October 306.

 

Here's an interesting question....

What colour should the roundel be on 3650, bearing in mind we know it was out-shopped from Swindon in green just after the outbreak of WW2 in December 1939? Would it have been black edged gold (similar to the roundels currently on 7808 or 4866), or something more austere, hand painted straw/cream without edging?

Apart from debating it, can you prove what it should be?

Consider the gauntlet thrown down!! :-k

We're also looking for the anti-glare screen (blackout curtain) drawings for an 8750 class pannier. The GWS has the master drawing, which lists the drawing numbers that apply to each class of loco, but we don't have the actual drawings for an 8750 pannier.
There are clues with the various hooks and holes in the cab, but the drawing would alleviate the guess work.
Slim chance, but you never know what's out there. (Please don't say the N.R.M, it's probably way down the list of drawings to catalogue - even if they knew they had one)

By the way,... 3650 looks cr@p at the moment, all sorts of wierd shades of rubbed down blue (with some other colours showing through) and one tank a nice green with it's first coat, but soon to be rubbed down again!!

 

Hi Kevin,

Personally I doubt there would've been a need to adopt that sort of austerity measure so soon into the war - I imagine there would've been a large stockpile of transfers.

For the record, in Pictorial Record of GWR Engines, there's a picture of a 22xx stood new at Swindon in May 1940, with what I'd say is a guilt roundel. So that's my tuppence!

A while back I picked up an original copy of a Swindon plan for 'ARP Specially Restricted Lighting' in the Didcot area. I wonder if Notwork Rail would be interested in going retro...?

Ciaran