60019 Bittern

Did Bittern come with a spare boiler???
And if so, anybody know which one is being restored back to use...

 

LSL bought the spare (A4) boiler that was with 4472 from NRM. Not sure which has been used, obviously the spare stayed at Crewe when 19 went complete to Margate 10 years or so ago.

 

I don't think Bittern came with a spare boiler. Flying Scotsman did, but it was a A4 type (it might have been the one carried by 4472 in its previous overhaul by Tony Marchington) and was bought by LSL as a spare for Bittern, I think. Presumably the NRM couldn't see a future need for it, regarding its higher wp as too straining for the A3- but (unless it is significantly heavier) it's difficult to understand the reasoning - surely it could have been used with the valves set to 225psi?

 

"Non authentic" for an A3 so deemed superfluous? Suppose we should be grateful NRM didn't cut it in half and build a picnic area between the two sections!

 

I believe the owners of Royal Scot & General Trust (LSL) and 34027 are members of the same curry club, or something like that.

 

Interesting.

 

Phil Swallow is a non-executive director of LSL.

 

Even more interesting! Didn't know that.

 

@Harry2857 would be the best one to comment but I don’t think 34027 did keep the GMSR and OTMR. The latter is an expensive bit of equipment to just leave and would probably be out of date by now. The air pump had been used as it was the only engine capable of working inbound specials of airbraked stock. The Belmond Pullmans are one example

 

I last priced TPWS4, OTMR & GSMR about a year ago.
The 3 sets of equipment added up to approx £45k.
Allow a few £k for conduit, cables, batteries, battery charger.
Labour costs depend on whether it’s done by in house staff, or contractors. In house staff do have a cost, but usually much less than contractors.

 

It would surely not have been deemed "non-authentic" for an A3, considering it was on the loco when they bought it!

 

IIRC A4 boilers got fitted to A3s in BR days with the boiler pressure suitably reduced. I’m sure I read in Peter Townend‘s book that the first thing that Top Shed knew about this was when they went to replace some boiler tubes on an A3 and found them to be too long due to the A4 Boiler having a larger combustion chamber.

 

I'd be fairly confident that reinstating/upgrading those systems wouldn't be seen as insurmountable to the parties potentially involved if they have a will. At the very least if 34046 is to be reitired for an extended period, some of the kit on that would surely be useable on 34027 if the latter was effectively replacing Braunton.
Pure speculation anyhow.

 

Don’t give people ideas.

 

It’s one thing to swap a TPWS Control Unit, a data recorder, or a GSMR radio between vehicles/stores/overhaul.
But to swap a complete installation: brackets, conduits, wiring etc between vehicles, to save a few tens of thousand pounds; when the owner is a multi millionaire; would be a very silly thing to do.

 

Which is why I said "the parties involved" and "at the very least". If the owner and potential operator have the will then it will doubtless happen but it's pure speculation in any case. It would, perhaps, explain why Braunton is apparently lined up for an extended rest at Margate if there is potentially an almost ready made substitute in the wings.

 

I realise this has been covered a few times on different threads but from memory :

60019 Bittern gained A4 boiler 27971 at Doncaster between 12/3/62 and 27/4/62, then gained Boiler 29332 between 1/2/65 and 24/3/65 up to withdrawal from Ferryhill on 5/9/66. I assume Bittern has then run in preservation with this boiler.

The boiler 27971 taken from Bittern in 1962 was then sold as a spare to Alan Pegler and ran with FS between 1978 and 2006 I think. FS then took the A3 boiler swapped at withdrawal from 60041 Salmon Trout and now runs with this boiler to date. Boiler 27971 was subsequently sold onto LSL for use as a spare with Bittern

So as 60019 Bittern commences her latest overhaul at Crewe (and elsewhere) - will this use Boiler 27971 that has been at Crewe for a few years, or reuse Boiler 29332? The Boiler on display at LSL in 2019 (27971) had a new copper firebox (not installed)

 

That depends on the tax position and the (book) cost of the items if held in store - or "stored" on another vehicle in the owner's possession. Many people remain unaware of how many "strange" decisions arise from understanding the tax position which influences many activities.

 

Don't forget LSL have 5029 (though apparently off to a preserved line for the summer), 70000 and 60532 available, 6024 coming into traffic shortly, plus 60007 and 71000. That's five or six class 7/8 locos available, and they only have one set of stock. There's no real need for another class 7 for a few years.