6201, her new lease of life.

The loco will be wasted on the Scarborough runs's ! Put the Jubes on those runs, they've gone beyond the call of duty in recent year's covering for the lack of insufficient class 8 power in the North West.

 

The last time I saw 6201 was when it was with 5043, can’t remember the year though.

 

10th March 2012 and the last run solo for 6201 was on the 17/11/12.

 

The SSE is not a waste of time and resources, the SSE is ideal to get a loco. well bedded in, sort any snagging, and when it IS bedded in........stand back and watch another of 10A's finest doing it's stuff. I refer members to 35018 BIL, that had steady few months and now look at it..............it'll flatten owt you put in front of it (with a decent load on the hook).

Speaking of BIL.................Martin, nice try but no cigar............unless the money is right. It's a 10A machine.
OR, a loco. exchange for a couple of months, send yon Clan Line oop 'ere, we'll allow BIL down there BUT, get Clan Line in decent nick because it'll get some hard graft oop 'ere.

 

I photo'd it on 10.09.16 on the Welsh Marches.

 

I think @sgthompson was meaning about her over Shap on her own

 

Approaching Wennington on her loaded test run this morning. The sun had been in and out for the 30 minutes or so that I was waiting and broke out just at the right time For once...lucky me!

 

It's well known that 6201 is a fine performer with its present front-end draughting arrangement. However, I can't help wonder how much it's performance might be enhanced with a Jos Koopmans blastpipe? As the one fitted to 6023 has been such an outstanding success, it would be fascinating to see how a similar blastpipe fitted to 6201 might enhance its main-line performance capabilities.

 

Crossing the Lancaster canal at Capenwray (about 5 minutes out from Carnforth).

 

Stone the crows ..... they've only just got the old girl running again!

Seriously though, there are probably worse things for the owners to consider, come next major work (and pray, bob .... be that at the end of a successful boiler ticket .... Lizzie seems to have had her full measure of woes!)

 

If it has been a "fine performer" for 86 years, what is the point in changing it? Do people really want all locos to sound like a Mamod?

 

6201 at Starricks Farm , Clapham and Langho .

 

At Clapham

 

On Wilpshire bank near Lango

 

Fair enough. It would be a pity if 6201 lost it's deep bark. However, I don't think 6023 sounds much like a Mamod. If it does, it's a mighty loud one! So much emphasis is placed on locos performing well on the main line. To enhance the performance of Princess Elizabeth, or another current main line registered loco, with one of Jos Koopman's blastpipes would be a fascinating and probably worthwhile exercise, but I guess it's unlikely to happen.

 

Apropos modifying the draughting; the chimney does look small, especially in comparison to the Duchesses' double chimneys, but I think this is a case for "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

 

Or indeed, to consider that we are preserving old machines, with all their foibles, not trying to make the most efficient way of getting from A to B.

After all, if you went to a Historic Grand Prix meeting, you wouldn't want the assorted Lotus 72s and Williams FW07s to have hybrid engines, Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems and be covered with myriad little aero devices, even though they would undoubtedly be faster if they did... It would be missing the point of why you went to such an event in the first place.

Clearly there is a bit of a fine line with modifying such machines: you wouldn't be going anywhere without the necessary electronics; and a discrete rebalancing of the proportions of coal and water might be desirable in a 21st century environment where you no longer have water at every station or water troughs. But I struggle to see the point of re-draughting a loco that is already plenty powerful enough to haul the trains required.

Tom

 

All the above points are valid. It was just a thought. I don't think there's a potential blastpipe change likely. If the 6201 association are adamant that the livery must not be changed, there's probably zero chance of the blastpipe being swapped!
I do hope however that Jos Koopman gets his marvelous blast pipe design tried out on a mainline loco soon......Maybe on a Jubilee or one day on Nunney Castle?