34081 - 92 Squadron

PM sent.

 

From the outside looking in, can I just say well done to everyone at the BBLPS. Your loco is a credit to you and all the hard work you've put in to it. I'd just like to leave the last word to my Mum though, ' that greens a bit bright int it?'

 

steamvideosnet Post 285 to ask why drivers were "...opening and shutting the regulator quite a bit when accelerating
from a slow pace..."

As a precaution against slipping. If the engine does start to slip it cannot really get out of hand and run away if the regulator is shut and there is no more boiler steam coming through. One way of doing it is just by common sense observation - when it moves, the sound, how it seems from the cylinder cocks - and closing the regulator. The other is by watching the steam chest pressure gauge and when its gets to a given figure, say 120 psi, close it then. Obviously when it hasn't slipped you need to give it another regulator opening of steam after you have moved a bit and repeat until you should be away all right.

Hence the opening, shutting, reopening. Its a well known technique and it is a rather remarkable thing that they don't slip now either on the main line or a preserved one anything like they used to in traffic, especially before they were rebuilt. In those days it ranged from the ridiculous - slipping to a stand light engine - to the alarming - it was readily possible to bend a rod. Though normally it was just a
steady nuisance they really could not be depended to slog on stiff gradients e.g. over the Somerset and Dorset.

Its partly inherent in anything that has a trailing axle rather than a coupled one to sit back on but the Bullied pacific were
particularly light on their feet. Leaks from the oil bath certainly didn't help, nor did the good steam circuit with pipes that
were both generous and rather long with the shortish boiler barrel and longer smoke box so there all too good a volume of steam
if a slip started.

 

Commenting on the lack of sunshine at one location, somebody said "the sun always shines in that livery."

 

I suspect these days - at least on the mainline - that railhead conditions at platform ends are far better than they were in steam days when every loco stopped in more or less the same place and spent a few minutes dripping oil and little dribbles of oily water before getting away.

Tom

 

Summer by chrishallam posted Apr 7, 2017 at 4:39 PM

It certainly does at Ferry Meadows!

 

+1
I was taught to start a Bulleid from rest by 'pumping' the regulator and I know several BR (SR) time-served steam drivers who were given the same guidance.
The start from Swanage could sometimes be difficult especially if filling the tender had proved unusually messy.

 

I once watched 92 Sqn at Ferry Meadows. It was hauling a train tender first towards Wansford. The loco was on the level, but the tender was hanging downhill in one direction whilst the carriages were hanging downhill in the other. I thought this could be an interesting start, but the driver opened up and pulled away without even a hint of a slip.

 

No.34081 was in action at the Mid Hants today on a Mad Hants photo charter. To view some photos, visit the link below (you don't need a Facebook account to view):

https://www.facebook.com/ContrastPhotographic/posts/487797064894626

Top marks to all in the 34081 team, it looked and sounded a treat. While the livery is not my personal pick, it certainly is different and I've grown to quite like it after a day with '81. Indeed, you can certainly tell the 34081 lot love their locomotive. I don't think, only with exception of the MNLPS, I have encountered people talk about a locomotive with such passion and pride. Long may this continue!

Incidentally, that's not to say other societies/owning groups don't show pride or passion regarding their locomotives. It was just particularly noticeable with the 34081 crew.

James

 

Glad you enjoyed the day James and thanks for supporting the event.

 

They are indeed very proud of her. During the Gala yesterday one of them noticed a bit of dirt on one of her squadron plates and rubbed it off with his sweater sleeve!

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

 

Good job we didn't see steam that much on the Calder Valley Line during the '80s and '90s then, with all those nasty Pacers around contaminating the railhead - Although they did clean up after themselves I suppose, by grinding the railhead clean again!

Richard.

 

Here's my footage and photos from the recent photo charter at the Mid Hants Railway featuring 34081 '92 Squadron' on a mixed freight. A superb morning and afternoon with this magnificent loco, special thanks go to the organisations involved in making the charter possible!

Enjoy!

 

And my footage from the charter on Monday...

James

 

Happy to keep reading about the exploits of 34081, but a request for @Spamcan81 - could you remove the 'overhaul progress' from the thread title please?

 

Can do but I'll ask if moderators can split off the recent posts into a separate thread.

 

Many thanks.

 

34081 passing Northside Foot Crossing on Sunday afternoon.

 

A shot from the first day of the MHR Gala as 34081 rolls into Ropley proudly displaying the owning group headboard: