Locomotives that NEARLY made it

Shame a few more Britannia’s didn’t escape the cutter’s torch. Always had the impression they were popular locomotives ​

 

Well we nearly didn't get 70000 did we? But yes I agree a few more would be nice.

 

Wish 70004 had survived. I had a Hornby model of that one!

 

Ah, Philip Shirley - a name always spat out with venom and disgust by the late Geoff Drury, as Peter will no doubt recall, too! Shirley was actually Australian and returned to Oz, after his stint at BRB, apparently under something of a cloud.

Certainly no friend of steam or heritage but it was ever thus in BR thinking at the time.

JS

 

42859 nearly made it

 

there was a Fowler tender lurking round the back of KingsX suburban for a while in the mid '70s. i know that 'cos i eased the brake off and went for a ride along the platform .
and an ex GWR "motor" coach on the site of 34A

 

7037 was alleged to have been offered to Swindon Borough Council, who turned it down.
Similarly 34056 was reported to have been offered to the local authority in Croydon.

 

1607 survived at Cynheidre Colliery until 1969 when it was retired with a cracked frame. This was a factor in the Worcester Locomotive Society deciding not to take their interest in it forward.

 

The story goes that we were offered 60012 to come "home" to the Antipodes, but was rejected. A Great Gathering with 7 A4s perhaps?

Another one for debate is 60041, where Pegler purchased the boiler and cylinders as spares for 60103 - imagine if the entire loco had have been bought?

 

Yes, sadly transport costs were the reason again. Was India offered No. 11? The full set of 5 Coronation A4s in preservation would have been nice.

 

I'm genuinely surprised no-one has suggested having the parts of 60041 taken off FS to form the basis of a "rebuild" of 60041

 

Isn't the boiler the one currently on 4472 with the 'spare', A4 type boiler previously on FS now a spare for Bittern? ISTR that at least one of 60041's cylinders is also now on FS.
Ray.

 

Didn't 6441 also have a period with LMS on the tender? Whether it did or not, I rather liked in in crimson lake or whatever the colour was called.

 

I do recall seeing somewhere, that when Scotsman was based at Carnforth in the 80s, the spare parts from 60041 were considered to build a new Peppercorn A1 (before the formation of the A1 Trust). I think it was to be a static loco and would go on display somewhere in Darlington.

 

No Scotsman has an A3 boiler. Admittedly she ran for many years until the recent overhaul with the A4 boiler, which when overhauled during the Marchington era had the pressure returned to 250psi rather the 220psi of the A3s, which I believe lead to many of the problems that the NRM had during their overhaul. It was discovered in the fifties that by tweaking the A4 boilers they could be fitted to either class, but fitted with 220psi safety valves on the A3s. There were other slight variation 'tween the two boilers too, so shed had to specify which A3s they need tube, superheater element etc........

 

The A4 boiler came from 60041 and was used on 4472 for many years (including its trip to Australia?) rated at 220lbs. This was up rated to 250lbs during the Marchington tenure with the now well known consequences.

Peter

 

Funny you should mention that - I scanned this only this morning. I'm sure I have better shots of it somewhere with LMS on the tender but this one is to hand.


Carnforth July '82

Peter

 

Which is what I said "Isn't the boiler the one currently on 4472" in answer to the question of what happened to the 'spare' boiler.
Ray.