Bulleid Pacifics - Past or Present

On a similar note- does anyone know if 34101 will be equipped to work the Esk Valley line when she returns?

Be lovely if she was, I can't wait to see her return- was the first Standard Gauge loco I went on the footplate of whilst she was in steam!

Chris

 

It did do a lot for the class back in the 1980's. 34067 has now taken over the baton at the moment and in due course 34007 will I'm sure be a welcome addition to the mainline scene.

 

I’ve been told no, but I read that apparently something to do with wheelbase of the driving wheels and the tightness of the curves into Whitby - but I’m sure Gresley has been down there so I don’t know if I misunderstood.

 

I believe Gresley only went there once, and that it was the trailing axle that didn’t like the curves.


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34101 has a different design of trailing truck to the A4 that might be less rigid, so could possibly run to Whitby, but I don't think there are any plans for it to do so, if only on account of the cost of equipping it to do so. The question (perhaps) should be which of 80135 or 34101 would be the better option later on, and how large a Whitby fleet is needed - and, of course, whether the NYMR should run to Whitby at all!

 

"A loco that would have done much for the class were it to have remained on the main line" - which rather implies that your view is that since it came off the mainline, it has therefore not done much for the class.

Tom

 

Currently no plans to equip 34101 for running to Whitby. There is no precedent for one running down there so whether it could do so without problem is an unknown and to spend a small fortune to put it to the test would be a bit foolish.

 

How does the curvature of the line between Grosmont and Whitby compare with say, the LSWR line to Padstow; which is legendary for being twisty?

SR West Country class locomotives often ran to Padstow.

 

I suggest that there is no comparison between the two. Remember that the Esk Valley line was built as a horse drawn railway following the tight twists and turns of the river itself and that history is still clearly evident to this day.

Peter

 

I don’t know but some of the curves along the line are checkrailed so almost certainly less than 10 chains. My gut feeling is a bit tighter than that.

 

I see on the SR WC/BB drawing the “radius of minimum curve is 5 3/4 chains,

 

There’s a lot of difference between going round a 5 3/4 chain curve at 5 mph in a yard and 25 mph on a running line.

 

8 Chains (161m) at roughly 26M30CH is the tightest recorded on the 5 Mile Diagrams. Near Low Newbiggin House between Br. 48 and 49.

 

I might be wrong, but I seem to remember reading somewhere that the problem was with the LNER four axle tender.

 

Big Al, I have to challenge that. 34067 has a bad rep, unfairly in my opinion. You say 'there is a list' but look at that list objectively (making some assumptionsas to what that list is);

1) Stalling at Exeter Central - overloaded and the Std 4 slipped first.
2) Stalling on the climb to Filton - allegedly a driver who didn't like the loco, a class which is accepted to need a sympathetic hand to get the best of. I've been on a couple of runs same line, load and loco where we've stormed up that grade.
3) Dropping a rod. Nothing to do with the loco, just bad luck.
4) Wooton Bassett. Ditto.

In comparison, in its last ticket 34067 put in significant mileages, often on Class 8 loads, a long way from its mechanical base at Carnforth. During that time in put in some truly brilliant running and was a credit to the class. Towards the end of its ticket it was getting tired, but so would any loco in similar situation.

Some of the preserved locos are tighter and sweeter sounding (34070 is the best IMHO) but they're all somewhat more pampered than Tangers!

Jonathan

 

“Dropping a rod” is not bad luck.

 

For the locos record it is. A matter of fatigue or maintenance is hardly a reason for blacking a particular loco.

 

I wonder what the result would have been if it had been the rod on the other side of the loco. It does not bear thinking about.