34073 moved?

I think the group behind 35011 were looking into back converting it but its been abandoned or shelved. I think due to lack of interest or funds. I'd prefer 35011 to 35018 actually. I'd rather we had 35018 in the condition it was originally rebuilt (with minor differences to the rest of the class).

I'd also agree with the posts about 34073 staying as a BOB and a tribute to the squadron its named after.

 

David Smith is on record as stating he has not bought it ,after speculation that he had.

 

Cheers didn't know that.

 

http://www.watercressline.co.uk/art...e-to-be-down/98833464ba56b6d05952fa26d70e6209

Picture of Bodmin sitting in the Platform at Ropley on the latest blog.

 

34053 was restored from worse condition than 34073 (ie. no parts apart from boiler, wheels, frames and bogie), whilst there was a toss-up between swapping 34010's boiler with that of 34072 at one point, which suggests that both might have been in a similar condition, with corroded patches on the boiler itself. Either way, I wouldn't be surprised if an entire Bulleid boiler will be built in this country at some point, especially if the amount of work done on 34027's firebox is anything to go by.

34073 is not by any means a lost cause; its just that no attempt has yet been made to restore it beyond the collection of various parts, which is by no means a criticism of its current owner.

 

Also pictured back in the headshunt at Ropley awaiting to go by road/rail on 5/5/2014: https://www.flickr.com/photos/52834510@N00/14122105061/

Seems there are some changes of mind going on regards her method of departure, firstly by road, then by rail, now it seems she will depart by road again according to the latest blog post on the MHR website!

 

Well, last Saturday I took a picture of her in the head shunt first thing, and it appears she was moved to the yard some time after that as a mate took one of her there, and don't forget the picture on the Wednesday gang's blog was taken last week.................................. so has she gone by road yet?........................... seems strange to keep moving her back & forth for no apparent reason!

 

If any MN is ever to be restored to something like original condition, how about including the kind of drive for the valve gear (spur gears?) that Bulleid originally wanted to use, rather than the chain drive, which has some weaknesses?

 

I Have to disagree with you on that one James, 35011 is the better candidate because its going to need a new crank axle anyway, by now 38018 will be too far advanced i would guess, starting with what is just a boiler on a set of frames would make better sence. you could swop the centre drive set from 73 after all bodmin runs with 35009's driving wheel sets., if it was a longer term plan.

 

Meanwhile 40ish miles south, 35009,22 and 27 sit together...
Not seen any news on these for a while either.

I suspect there will come a point where the practicalities / economies of a mainline steam fleet centered around Bulleids will emerge... There's enough of them about, and at 7/8 power they are what's needed,.. Maybe Southall one day will have a pool of them.

 

Seems probable that 35022 n 27 are waiting readiness of their owners new works before all the bits are reunited in Crewe.
As for 35009, with a new works to fund and build it's not likely to be high up the order of priority for its owner. Has been open to offers for several years so if a deal could be reached it would no doubt be sold. Would make a sensible addition to either of the big two steam fleets.

 

35009, at the moment riley operates 2, soon to be 3 black 5's, limited to 60 mph, how much work does he not get offered because the tour has to be timetabled at 75 and needs 7/8 motive power ? who ever operates a MN,other than 35028 which is reserved mostly for vsoe, stands to get bookings because of the rarety value steam dreams would i bet love to book an MN for some of its tours

 

The perpetual myth that Clan Line doesn't do WCRC arises again.
It does.. Ive seen it. MNLPS just runs VSOE (er sorry read New Plastic Pullman) on a contract basis and therefore focuses's their attention on their prime customer.

It would be nice to see 35028 do a little more, apart from 34046 London's become quite stale in its diet the last 12-18 months a bit of a swap between North and South steam pools would be nice.

 

Clan line is registered with both, West Coast and DBS, but runs very few non VSOE workings, after all thats their bread and butter, my point is that another MN would be sure to pick up work, gauge friendly, and has a decent size water and coal capacity in the tender , just to off at a tangent, when 35005 was on the mainline, did her and 35028 ever arrive /depart from the same london termini at or about the same time? was it ever possible to look out at either Waterloo, or Victoria and see 2 Merchant Navies side by side awaiting departure?

 

Not two MN's but a few years back 35028 arrived in Victoria plat 2 with a VSOE, and 10 minutes or so later 34067 arrived on Plat 3… nice night that was..

 

I bet it was, imagine in 2017, seeing 2 MN at the countryside end of either Waterloo or Victoria awaiting deparure especially if they were timetabled with in 5 minutes of each other, all we need now it for that mobile GPS system that someones working on for steam engines to become availible, then get 41312 and 30055 up to town to bring the stock in from Claphan.