34028 and going Main Line

Presumably it's comparable with the trips Clan Line regularly does with the Belmond trains. Does anybody know how they manage for coal?

 

Quite a few of the 'main line' Bulleids have acquired extended coal bunkers, presumably on the grounds that water stops on tours are well established practice and Bulleid tenders mostly have plenty of it, whereas coal stops are a nuisance. Off the top of my head, 34027, 34067, 35018 and 35028 all have extended bunkers, from prior or current mainline work. With the WC-style 5500 gallon tenders, the giveaway is the bunker extending beyond the end of the tool tunnels, whereas the two MNs appear to have had the whole lot extended for a more subtle revision.

 

There were several different versions of Bulleid tender, on MNs the 6,000 gal tenders had short bunkers, the 5250 gal a bit longer and the 5100 gal tenders longer still. The configuration of rear ladders, vacuum cylinders and shape of the filler caps also varied. There was one unique tender, the self weighing tender rebuilt in 1962 to resemble a stretched 5250 gal version with a water capacity well over 6,000 gal.The first two tenders had front filler caps in the cab, a good idea in theory as the fireman wouldn’t have to climb up on the back of the tender but any water surge with heavy braking caused them to burst open and flood the footplate so they were quietly removed after a few years. Clan Line’s original 6,000 gal tenders now resembles the 5250 gal version but without the longer wheelbase, the actual capacity is about 5750 gal owing to the intrusion of the air pump into the water space. 34067 is coupled to an ex MN 6,000 gal tender.
The story of Light Pacific tenders was possibly even more complicated when you add the rebodied version into the mix. This was a result of post war steel shortages when some tender bodies were produced using thin 3/16th thick steel.
MNs successfully worked through to Exeter on a tender full of coal with the ACE and its back working the Exeter - Nine Elms goods.

 

29th November RTC's The Bath and Bristol Christmas Express
Believe these are the likely timings for Saturday week -
? ECS Southall Wcr to Paddington (via reversal at Greenford): https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...9/detailed
34028 Paddington to Bath & Bristol TM: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...9/detailed
Turning Move & Servicing: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...9/detailed
Move back to Bristol TM: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...9/detailed
34028 Bristol TM back to Paddington: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...9/detailed
ECS back to Southall Wcr: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...9/detailed

 

Good news from SLL - Southern Locomotives Ltd. <BJ>

''Our newly overhauled support coach has left Herston works today, to start its new life on the main line behind 34028 Eddystone''.





Photos Stuart Magnus.

 

Midland pink

 

Both interior and exterior look good but, at first glance, I haven't noticed a steam heat pipe, nor any internal radiators, for use when 34028 hauls just this support coach in winter time.
Perhaps the loco's steam turbo for cab lighting, etc. has been boosted sufficiently to supply ETH The loco and support coach might get towed by diesel so, once again, nowhere near an ETH supply.
Unless something has been fitted and I've not spotted it, looks like support crews will have to cluster round the LPG oven to keep warm unless the break on the Swanage Railway - before starting the 2026 season - can be used to fit a rudimentary steam heating system of some sort.
I recall being somewhat toastie on shed at Tyseley during the various evening layovers when Flying Scotsman was used from Dorridge on promotional trade trips for an engineering company near South Wigston. After turning at Syston triangle we later took the businessmen and women back to Dorridge where a BR diesel took the various trains back to their starting stations as these trips had been organised from diverse areas of the country. Cannot now recall the dates nor the name of the engineering company concerned.
Apologies for thread drift.

 

Timings for Saturday 6th December. RTC's The Rochester Dickensian Christmas Express
WCRC Diesel Southall to Newbury ECS: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...6/detailed
34028 Eddystone Newbury to Rochester: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...6/detailed
ECS to Sittingbourne Down Goods Loop: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...6/detailed
Return ECS to Rochester: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...6/detailed [includes reversal at Swale to ensure 34028 is at the front for the return to Newbury]
34028 Rochester to Newbury: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...6/detailed
WCRC Diesel Newbury to Southall ECS: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service...6/detailed

 

The support coach (35011) will join 34028 on the main line in 2026. So likely to continue to use 80217 for the final few trips this year.

 

Look closer, it's steam heat fitted now.

 

Does someone have the Eddystone train times for tomorrow?

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...3/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=WR
Steam off at Salisbury on the return and Eddystone runs to Swanage

 

In this path

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U70371/2025-12-13/detailed

 

Sometimes you are just better staying at home.
Went to Wareham where the service is hourly at that time of night. I along with most on the up platform for the better angle, 34028 arrives at the same time as the up service at 22:43. Normally stuff for the branch stops for about 2 mins while they get the token out of the box on the platform, but someone from Swanage already had it out, not sure they even stopped, could not see due to the 444.


Then went to Corfe, easy to get there at 60 mph although with so many deer in Purbeck now, not happy at that speed in the dark normally. OK when I took a test shot, but in the end too dark as the shot I wanted the camera would not fire(too dark) and the going away shot blurred. As I got out of the car at home the loco was blowing off, or blowing the drain cocks over in the station.