6100 Royal Scot

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

Is anyone able to say how close 6100 is to steaming? We were being told only last month that lighting the first fire was immenent, but that's still to happen and now she's off to Crewe.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

How long's a piece of string? Speaking to one of the work force this evening and he estimated that it would have been possible to have her steamable in around three weeks and completed in six to seven weeks but as she's off to Crewe............

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

You never know!!!
But I bet anoher King size Mars Bar he isn't.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

Moving on from Mars bars and associated items (fascinating as that is!)...

Smoke deflectors? Or more specifically, can 6100 (in double chimney form) run on the mainline without them? After all this hoo-ha with Scotsman's need for a set of blinkers for driver's visibilty, could we see the situation where they are eventually fitted to 6100 depending on the findings of mainline test running? AFAIK the plan has always been to run 6100 sans deflectors, but I do wonder what rationale supported this decision aside from the aesthetic?

If this has been mentioned/dealt with/chewed over elsewhere already, then apologies in advance.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

Both the smoke deflectors and the colour are entirely the personal preference of one particular person. He who is accustomed to being able to impose his will on everyone else.

It arrived at Crewe on Friday BTW. Initial impressions are not very good I gather. Don't expect it to be out on the network for quite a while yet.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

.........the chances are that they will find things that require unexpected attention.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

In a normal commercial world, poor workmanship that has to be put right would lead to claims against the original contractor. I guess that such ideas are a non-starter in this case? It will be interesting to hear what is found if it ever becomes public knowledge.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

Lets hope that when it does emerge from Crewe and is lauded as an example to us all, it doesn't clunk and bang like 61994 did and still does.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

Where will the money come to finish the overhaul at Crewe? Would the HLF have had to approve of this move?

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

A source from within the workforce has told me that Crewe will finish the job FOC. Perhaps that nice Mr. Waterman is after getting his hands on a rebuilt Scot. :-k
The same source has also said that part of the problem was a) Bressingham not being able to borrow as much as they would have liked and b) the HLF grant being lower
than hoped for. I have no way of verifying this beyond that it was told to me in good faith by a trusted friend.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

Good point that, 'The Great Marquess' was most definitely quieter after the initial SVR overhaul than post Crewe. The racket it makes at the moment is enough to make anyone with earlier experience of the little beast want to have alignment and clearances checked. It really is a shame since it was a cracking performer on the S & C in 1990, size for size it was probably the best engine I have ever travelled behind on that route. If I recall correctly you needed a good class 7 to beat it.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

One can't help pointing out that the HLF grant was something like a third of what they've managed to spend, and that was supposed to include the cost of overhauling Martell. Even a year or two after the HLF grant was announced it was being claimed in print by the chairman of the trustees that they were on target to finish the job within budget. Bressingham didn't plan on borrowing substantial sums of money to fund the 6100 overhaul, and much (I rather think that should be most) of what has been spent has been wasted.

Apart from the fact that the project has been grossly mismanaged by people who've got their snouts in the trough, the job hasn't even been done properly. It's certainly not going to be a main line runner anytime soon. It'll be interesting to see what happens if it makes it down to the WSR gala.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

So this engines already lost 1 year of it's 10 year boiler ticket ?

With 850 wasting 2.5 years you have to wonder why people waste such money ! if it we're me the Boiler would be the last item to be fitted and steam tested just prior...everything else can wait for it ! Surely economics should play here ?

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

I heard much the same on Saturday night from a very reliable source. It is a very sad situation surrounding 6100. It looks very likely that 46115 will be the only Scot on the ML.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

Maybe for this year, but I don't think it's quite that bad. If Crewe is allowed to do the job on their own terms I think they will sort it out. As far as I am aware, the costs will be recouped from intial workings. Though I understand they are already surprised at how much will have to be done to put it right. And there's more to follow yet.

What is sad is that it should have been left for so long before anything was done about it. The HLF lottery monitoring system obviously doesn't work. I have it on good authority that they were warned about what might happen right at the beginning, as were Bressingham themselves it has to be said. But they don't seem to be capable of responding, and they seem to have a case to answer as far as safeguarding lottery funds is concerned. Bressingham on the other hand were bullied into submission, with the aid of an outside influence, seemingly as a return favour for services rendered. Yes, there seems to have been quite a lot of 'horse trading' going on at Bressingham's and the 6100 project's expense. I've heard it said more than once that it only went to Southall to help pay the rent etc when the writing was on the wall for Scotsman and its hangers on. Amidst the ridiculous claim that the so-called engineering team was the only one in existence capable of doing the job. Ho Ho. Also there was a strange transaction that occurred when a locomotive was sold from Bressingham to a location in the Midlands at a knock down price (i.e. not the best offer), and a prominent instigator of that transaction also holds a position of responsibility in the Midlands organisation. You would have thought that anyone in such a position would have wanted to avoid any suggestion of conflict of interest. I was reminded about that when it was suggested recently that the same person tried to fix it for 6100 to go to the same place - which is probably where certain individuals intend 6100 to end up eventually anyway. The waters in that part of the world are rather muddy to say the least.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

Surely it would not be a bad thing if 6100 appeared towards the end of 6115's ticket #-o

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

With just a matter of weeks to go on its own boiler certificate?

I can't see how that would be a good thing.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

I may be wrong on this, however, when Bittern was initially tested and passed by the boiler inspector, it took a further 12 months to complete her.

Did'nt the Mid Hants re-test shortly before entry into traffic, to reset the ticket to get the full 10 years.

In theory the same could be done with Lord Nelson, as it has not done a great deal yet either.

Same for 6100.

Could be wrong mind.

 

Re: 6100 Royal Scot test runs

I'm not sure about the facts behind that. But I will say that resetting start dates etc, is a false paradise. Likewise 10 years. There isn't really such a thing as a ten year certificate anyway. You can't leave a boiler that long without attention, although there are people around who think you can, and some that should know better.

On the railway internal exams were set at five years. So that was the maximum time between boiler lifts ordinarily. Boiler inspectors were allowed to give six month extensions, but the total was limited to seven years. Seven years was an extremely rare occurance. I've seen thousands of records and less than half a dozen examples of a boiler going seven years between lifts. And all of those involved either new boilers, or new fireboxes. In fact it was unusual for a boiler to go a full five years.