31874

I have searched to see if there is a thread for this N class 2-6-0, but couldn't find one.

Where is the loco at present please - is it in the shed near the end of the platforms at Swanage - where what sems to be a mogul tender is outside?

And what sort of condition was in in when its overhaul was, presumably, halted - I say that as I can't find any recent reference to it still being under overhaul. Presumably one SR mogul in service is considered enough?

Any information gratefully received, many thanks.

Bryan B

 

I was under the impression that 31874 was being overhauled at a private site in Dorset, but didn't think it could be at Herston Works.

31625 (minus tender) is stored in a open sided shed at Furzebrook, as I saw it during Strictly Bulleid II, but from what I was told in the Swanage thread, the tender at Swanage is one that has previously been swapped between 31874 and 31806 (and 31625 supposedly doesn't have one of it's own according to the same post), so a possibility it is intended, eventually, for use behind the N. But overhaul updates have been thin on the ground for a few years now.

 

I knew it was in at a site in Dorset, but for some reason I didn't think it would be Herston, which was the most logical location.

 

"You must log in to continue." If people restrict access to their FB posts, that's their choice.

 

I seem to recall a news update (a long time ago) saying that the chassis overhaul was complete and just awaiting the boiler. Of course the overhauled boiler was then used on 31806.

 

As far as i can remember, the original idea was that 31874 was going to replace the U class, and the engine was under overhaul to that point, the boiler how ever took a lot longer and cost more than was expected, When the U class came to the end of its ticket, it was decided it made more sense to do a boiler swop to put it back into use quicker than having to complete the N class the idea was that the N would also be mainline equipped, and whilst I don't have concrete evidence, i suspect that the funds might not have been there plus the U had recently had a bottom end overhaul, So 31874 is waiting for a boiler overhaul to be done to either the boiler from 31806, or that from 31625, the one from 31625 possibly needs more work to the front tube plate and smokebox as it was misaligned or possibly the frames on 31625 were, At the moment i don't even know if the boiler overhaul for 31874 has even started, because the Swanage railways motive power needs are different, than back when the contract was signed, and it looks like other projects such as the T3, and T9 have gained more priority over the mogols.

 

If so, why can I view some Facebook pages without having to log in?

 

I realise this is a the risk of getting told off for sticking my nose in again. However else where on certain social media someone in the know believes that once 80104 is back, 31806 will be redundant for Swanage's use and the moguls will be moving away. I know that when the agreement officially meant there still time left on the lease and that two engines had to be in working order before the lease ended but I only going on what they said. This same person said the railway had managed to upset the owner during the second half of 2020, which knowing 'his' history is something that not advised to do. So maybe there been negotiation to bring the lease to an end differently.

So I guessing 31874's overhaul will not be completed by the current organisation, and it be up to others to do so. If at all.

P.S. Concerning the tenders of the engines since I seen comments on it and there not quite correct; There were 3 tenders in total when they came in to the control of the current organisation. 31874 had a Ashford 3,500 gallon tender which the tender that engine was withdrawn with. A Eastleigh 4,000 galloon tender from 30499 at Barry which was in service with 31806. And lastly a former snow plough conversion which had nearly been converted back in to another Eastleigh 4,000 gallon tender at its pervious home, which I guess was for 31625.

The current tender behind 31806 is a random putting together the tank from the 3,500 gallon tender on to the chassis of the snow plough. The original Ashford tender's frames was by all accounts rotten, and the organisation had started work on replacing those, with new frame plates. But then suddenly created this incorrect thing late 2016. Which there been no explanation for why.

 

History repeating its self,
Still, I wonder about the Bunch collections next home, I can think of a location, not far from me, that will soon be extending in the next few years, will have a mainline connection, and has a need for motive power that is better suited to a longer line, Whilst they never operated in BR days, a couple of SR mogols might not now look so out of place.

 

On tenders: didn't the tender of 1806 get damaged in a fire at the Mid Hants about 10 or 15 years ago? I seem to recall it ran with the tender from 1618, loaned from the Bluebell Railway, for a year while its own was repaired. (The tender from 1618 was the only spare one that would match, owing to 1806 being a K class conversion , and 1618 being a loco laid down as a K class but then converted to a U during construction - the locos with K class parentage have different height running plates to the "pure" U boats like 1638).

Tom

 

Your correct. They repaired it including new tank. It was the only item of stock from the fire to not be scrapped.

I'm not sure about your other remark though, from the Irwell Press book I have on the U class, tenders of the two different designs were swapped about by the Us quite a lot, with your 31638 entering Barry with a similar Eastleigh 3,500 Gallon tender as your 31618 now has (in fact all the moguls at Barry had Eastleigh 3,500 gallon tenders when they entered the yard) but lost it to the steel works. Your 31638's current tender is another snow plough which was once a Eastleigh 4,000 gallon tender from a Schools. The ride Hight between a Schools and a U boat is different so they had to alter the height of the draw bar connections when rebuilding it for 31838.

 

Possibly, I can't remember the details now. I seem to recall at the time that of all the potential tenders available, that from 1618 was the only one that could go behind 1806 without modification, but it was a long time ago!

Tom

 

I think your 31638 was in service at the time so that tender was off the cards anyway... the tenders from 31874 and 31625 proberley needed much more work to get them going.

 

Originally 31625 ran with the tender from 31806, in fact it borrowed quite a lot from 31806, the tender was a former Arthur 4000 type with straight raves, it then was rebuilt to match the schools type, for 31625, 31874 ran with the original tender it received from withdrawal, and later had a new tender top . At that time a former schools class chassis was aquired and another new tender top was made for that, this was going to eventually be for 31625, and 31806, would get her old tender back,,
Then came the fire, and the tender was damaged, so the one from 31618 was borrowed to run behind 31625 , until the tender had been repaired, the new chassis and new body never got finished, I think there may have been problems with the tank, but there was 3 tenders, in all.

 

Besides 80104, hopefully 30053 should be back before too long. This would give the Swanage Railway five working steam locos excluding 31806, which would be sufficient to cover the line's requirements even if it decided to reinstate two steam hauled diagrams during the peak season at some point in the future and made only modest use of 563.

I for one will be keen to see what happens to the moguls. I speak as a former Dorking lad who would have made a few journeys behind U and N class moguls as a small child when they worked the Redhill- Reading line, so it is unsurprising that I have a soft spot for them. Besides my personal feelings, however, they are most useful engines, ideal for heritage operation and as 31625 proved in the late 1990s (and occasionally, 31806 in more recent times) capable performers on the main line. Given the past issues relating to their owner, I can imagine that other lines which might otherwise be keen on hosting a mogul will be somewhat wary, but it really would be a shame if these three fine engines were never to turn another wheel in steam again for the foreseeable future.

 

If it retains its mainline equipment, then 31806 could very well either end up at Southall, or at another site, What's the clearances like in Kent and Sussex, is it more gauge friendly than other parts of the network? it will of course need to be through piped with a brake controller, but could be used instead of a Black 5, that might be needed elsewhere. unless West coast have a vac braked compliant rake ready, as regards the N, well whoever takes that on, is going to need to fund a boiler overhaul, and 31625 that's going to need a complete overhaul, As you say other railways will be weighing up the pros and cons, and of course 76017 comes to the end of its ticket in 18 months, that's an awful lot of engines needing a lot of money spent, and of course, the railway that agrees to take them, will never own them. so that will make fund raising harder.