Bulleid Pacifics - Past or Present

Ok same question but with South Devon inserted instead ;-)

 

From a conversation I had with Rob le Chevalier, I think that the South Devon would prefer to sell kits of parts rather than do large boiler overhauls.

 

Thanks Steve


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Absolutely.

I remember when the boiler of 34016 came back to the MHR from Pridhams during its last overhaul. A member of the overhaul team said that the platework renewal should give the firebox a service life of 20 years without being touched significantly again.

Well in 2003 I think, it was stopped needing major plate renewals on the outer firebox below the firehole plus new foundation ring corners. When it was withdrawn in 2007, it was stated that most of the upper inner firebox and syphons would need replacing.

 

Just reverting to the almost complete renewal of Taw Valley's firebox, isn't 34101 "Hartland" having similar work undertaken?
NYMR or elsewhere possibly?

As mentioned, the new Taw Valley firebox was stayed at Bridgnorth. A suitable machine for producing firebox stays was purchased and installed sometime last year if I recall correctly. So I assume the SVR can now offer production of stays to other parties.

46118

 

I've lost track of what's been retained on 34101's firebox (inner and outer) but it isn't much.

 

This has popped up on facebook recently, not sure how much truth can be taken from it but does make interesting reading.

35011 General Steam Navigation
I am investigating if there sufficient interest to restore 35011 back to its original condition with the chain driven valve gear and air smoothed casing.
As there are so many Merchant Navy in rebuilt form preserved it would interesting to see how an original MN compared against the rebuilt MN and if the funding was available look at using the original valve gear design that Bulleid wanted to use but had to compromise and use a chain driven design due war time shortages

 

Not the first time a back conversion of a Merchant Navy has been mooted. I hope this one is more successful than the others. I will be delighted if it comes to fruition.

 

I cannot find this on Facebook. Please can you post a link, or tell us how it popped up? I think it will be rather hard for a Facebook page to determine whether there's a million pounds out there waiting for such a project.

 

It would be good to have one MN in something like original build condition, but it would be crazy to restore exactly all the features that prompted the rebuilding in the 50s. The above quote is confusing, seeming to say both that the re-rebuild (de-rebuild?) would have the chain driven valve gear and that it should have the valve gear that Bulleid wanted to use. The latter, with spur (?) gears, seems ideal as it should avoid the unpredictability of the chain driven version while preserving the principle of the sealed oil bath.

 

It was posted by a chap called "David Williams" in several groups like
"UK Heritage Hub" and "Steam trains in the uk". He says he has permission from the locos owner to post and advertise the potential project.

 

Improvements?

 

Why don't you just leave everything the same just put the air smoothes casing on?

 

What was it Bulleid said when he saw a rebuilt MN? Something like "That is not my engine"?

I've always thought it a shame that the scaled down MN which Bulleid and Missenden promised to build for the RHDR was stymied by nationalisation. Now there's a new build worth doing.

 

Are there any drawings of the original gear Bulleid wanted to use? Anything has to be better than the chain drive and internal 3 : 8 levers, both for accuracy and particularly for maintenance.

 

Stop that, it's getting silly.

 

I probably should know, but who owns 35011, and where is it, and in what current state? (I have a clear picture in my mind of 05/06/28 but the rest are all a bit vague!)

As for the chain-driven valve gear: wasn't the main problem actually more to do with the reverser drifting out of its setting than the valve gear per se? Get rid of the Eastleigh reverser, stick an Ashford one on and it's job done

Tom

 

RHDR Bulleid-sounds interesting, what's the story there then?