60019 Bittern

It can't be used for paying

Not in passenger use...

 

Isn't that on the Met? In spite of Mr Watkins' efforts, that isn't mainline.
As LP Hartley said "LU is a foreign country, they do things differently there"

 

Well yes, but how do you think they got there!

Tom

 

That would be an ecumenical matter...

They could well have come by lorry
(Unless there was a ticket I missed, they weren't in passenger service if they did come by rail)

 

They didn’t. Up the Brighton mainline and through Clapham Junction …

Tom

 

One of the Apple Green A4's does survive, admittedly in Canada though.

Personally I think A4's look best in Blue (preferably Garter Blue with valances as a personal choice), although I thought 60007 looked great in Wartime Black. It'd be nice to have something that isn't in BR livery on the mainline, which these days seems to be very rare compared to when Bittern was last in steam 10 years ago.

 

I think the only one will be the Duchess when it returns in LMS red

 

I really hope that it doesn't go into BR green. In my view it does nothing for the lines of the A4 and in my view, unless a loco is regularly polished up to the degree of 35028 or 45596, its a livery that just tends to look a bit grubby all the time. I suspect it won't go BR Express blue as 007 and 60153 are already wearing it (as much as it matches the Saphos stock beautifully).I wouldn't be surprised to see the water tender repainted into Blood & Custard to match the saphos stock though.

However - fab news that Bittern's overhaul is starting. And even better that LSL can harness the skills and experience of SNGLT to make it happen.

 

Bittern is now at Crewe. Photos on the LSL Facebook page this morning showing it arriving on an Allely's low loader.

 

On the subject of wooden stock on the mainline, I think the GWR rail motor has made a few excursions onto the mainline before?



Trying to remember back to what I read at the time, obviously there were a lot of conditions attached to the exemption, but key amongst them was that is was in a scenario where operationally it was on a section of line it should not be sharing with any other train? Not simple, but definately wooden bodied, on a non-LU mainline and carrying fare paying passengers.

 

From memory, those were even more locked in than NYMR east of Grosmont (the Looe branch, I think).

 

Looe and Brentford branches, both under engineering possessions I believe.

 

As another example, LMS 2968 had a boiler examination in February 1998 which ended her main line rail tours because the firebox crown stays were found to be wasted below Railtrack requirements. However LU invited her to take part in Steam on the Met in May 1998 as they considered the heritage railway boiler certificate to be good enough.

 

AIUI there is a certain amount of "because we can" (red ends rather than yellow ends)

 

Surely, when an NYMR train runs to or from Whitby any other train on the branch is effectively locked in at either Glaisdale or Whitby? Could the collision risk in either case be mitigated by placing a temporary stop block in (rail clamp?) in front of the stationary train until the NYMR train has arrived and become stationary in turn?

 

The distinction was that the Looe branch is genuinely one train. Whitby has the second platform.

It comes back to the willingness to be creative and proportionate - and to be honest neither Looe nor Whitby are likely candidates for operation. I think 1729 will need to remain off the national network, more's the pity

 

Frankly they'd need their heads read if they didn't return Bittern with valances… which in turn dictates the paint scheme to a certain extent. Valances make it unique amongst operational A4s, and is the optimal form for an A4. The visual connection with Mallard is likely quite a powerful image in its own right, and I'm sure Hosking would be able to whistle up a set of garter/marlborough blue Mk3s if he fancied it.

With or without the beavertail, that combination with Bittern in garter blue and valances would look the absolute mutts nuts… I would of course be happy to see it in Apple Green whilst we're waiting for Mk3s to be refurb'd, but unless there's plans to do a silver set, I'd not worry too much about trying to replicate the Silver Jubilee for now.



Simon

 

Do the valances add any significant width? Thinking with a view to loading gauge-friendliness.

 

They're the same width as the running boards and cylinders, but obviously they're lower down. I don't recall 4464 having any gauging problems when it ran with them previously.