LNWR Bloomer

Just read about the replica LNWR Bloomer 670 being knocked up at Tyseley, can anyone shed some light on the project? Just curious thats all, never heard of it!

The site is here: http://www.vintagetrains.co.uk/tlw_bloomer.htm

 

People pick on the slightest thing on this site...it was just a turn of phrase #-o

 

I'm glad you mentioned this, as they deserve a plug..

I still send my used ink cartridges to Tyseley and am collecting them in my office at work as well

Bloomer Project
Birmingham Railway Musuem
670 Warwick Road,
Tyseley,
Birmingham,
West Midlands,
B11 2HL.

Don't binit.. post it... they are still collecting.

every now and again Richard Meanley sends a letter thannking me for the contribution..

I'm sure he'd love to hear from all of you with those cartridges..

 

The Bloomer project is still progressing slowly. Thanks to a number of donations, including the money coming in from the ink cartridges, a large amount of components are actually being machined up as time allows amongst the contract work. Hopefully some day soon we will get a spare 5 minutes amongst our main line charters and the contract work to finish 'knocking it up'. All at Tyseley do want to see it go someday so I have no doubt it will. Until that day as ADB968008 says we will be more than happy to take any used ink cartridges to help fund the project or any other donations people would like to make.

 

To give folks some idea of the scale of what is outstanding, how much money do you think is needed to complete the loco ? :-k

 

Well if all 4,000 odd members of this forum were to donate just £2.00 each then the project would be completed pretty quickly and we will be able to see one of the LNWR's finest running again. And that's coming from a Western man. ;-)
And don't forget £2.00 won't buy your wife or mistress a lot in the local Tesco, or for that matter a pint at your local hostelry. :smt003
And the address for your Postal Orders, Cheques or just two pound coins sellotaped to a piece of paper will be greatly appreciated at the address below.
Bloomer Project
Birmingham Railway Museum
670 Warwick Road,
Tyseley,
Birmingham,
West Midlands,
B11 2HL.

 

£8k is all thats needed.. if it's that close I think a rally round is required !

 

Might i ask who the cheque should be made out to?

 

Yes it will. And sufficient change for a packet of crisps!

 

Just make out your cheques and postal orders to "Bloomer Project"......yes folks it has it's own bank account and all donations will go to the Bloomer project and no other appeals.

 

Will it be an operational loco?

 

Yes, it will be an operational loco. I think Saltydog may have have the decimal point in the wrong place in his calculations as the figure I heard quoted for completion was a fair bit higher than 8 grand (10 quid each would just about do it). However, every bit helps and if this topic kicks off a positive fund raising drive then steaming of this loco will be sooner rather than later.

 

Thanks for all the interest in this one chaps. yes it will be an operational engine and yes Salty has got his decimal point in the wrong place (all those years of too much cod and Russian vodka round the North Cape). A better estimate would probably be around £15 each. The loco basically needs all the patterns and castings for the boiler mountings, there aren't an awful lot, but these things soon mount up; various items of motion require machining and fitting up to complete; the boiler casing which has some potentially expensive brass mouldings at the front and back of the firebox; the brass splasher beadings which are quite extensive, pipework, chimney and safety valve casings, main steam pipes, and a lot of little details like lubricator cups, cylinder drain cocks, life guards, smokebox door locking gear and the like. It also needs the driving wheels fitting and their axleboxes completing. All this will actually eat up a fair amount of money on materials alone particularly brass and copper which has gone up alarmingly in recent times. There has been what could be termed a steady trickle of motion parts and the like made over the last year or two which have been financed by several bequests by friends who wanted to see this engine finished but who are sadly no longer here to do so.

In terms of working, the parts of the engine have been drawn to replicate as accurately as possible the arrangements of the original engines, whilst there are no detail drawings, there are several very comprehensive arrangement drawings which have provided all the necessary detail to allow the drawings for individual components to be made. The boiler was a major departure as the original was composed of a considerable number of wrought iron plates in a form of construction that would just not be tolerated in this day and age. consequently it was designed to conform with "modern" welded boiler standards and was actually manufactured for us by Babcock Power Ltd at their Tipton works as long ago as 1987. We believe that it was actually the first all steel, welded boiler to be constructed for a standard gauge loco of any size in this country. In case any of you think that it relatively small, the size (other than barrel diameter) is basically comparable in length, grate and heating surface to an LMS 4F 0-6-0 boiler so it hardly ranks as tiny.

After a considerable number of years of inactivity on this project, it would be rather nice to see it completed as it does actually fill the early passenger engine gap in the Nation's collection of Victorian engines.

Anyway thanks once again for the interest in it,

regards
Bob

 

To put it simply: Cheques in the post.

Twenty pounds might not be the biggest donation in the world but I'll quite happily send another next month or when i remember.

Heres a picture of her taken last year at the 100 event:

 

Now just imagine that piloting a Castle over Shap......

Ian h :-k

 

Thats a dusty boiler !
Is that a Duchess nose in front of it.

Cheque is on it's way from me too

The next rebuild project is right here under our noses, 90% complete and on the final straight... all it needs is a bit of cash to finish it... who knows maybe someday we'll see it with some of the VCT's carriages at Keighley ?

 

OK you persuaded me, £2 is on its way

 

And here's a shot of her from yesterdays open day:



Less dustier, the Coronation nose has now been replaced by 46229's smoke box door.