V2 4771 Green Arrow to return?

The problem there is that the original design work for the re-streamlining was done back in the '90s, when Railtrack's maximum height for steam locos was 13' 1". It's now been reduced to 13', so 6229 is now too tall to run on many mainline routes (especially the electrified ones). She could be overhauled, but her route availability would be so restricted that the NRM now question whether it would be worthwhile.

A real shame, as I for one would love to see a Streamlined Duchess in steam!

 

I haven't heard the full story but I think the reason for the current arrangements re 70013 can be summarised as 'internal politics' - from an era with different management, and it's an arrangement which the present GCR management have inherited.
It'll be interesting to see what happens next.
Meanwhile, 5305LA are busy restoring the NRM's 30777 having recently completed a body overhaul of the NRM's D6535, so I think it's safe to assume the relationship between 5305LA and the NRM is OK, regardless of 70013.
(And the GCR's overhaul of 63601 is also ongoing.)

Sorry I should stop calling it 5305LA, it's recently converted itself into a Trust. 5305LT.

 

Thanks and what of 5305 itself?

 

I think it's in the queue behind 30777. Some initial work has been done to remove tubes etc (I think) but the focus is on getting 30777 up and running asap.

 

<cough>Saints and City of Truro<cough>

 

Regarding the T1 claims, back in the good old days of yahoo groups, I was on a US steam forum. The more levelheaded US fans regarded the claims for the T1 as quite fanciful and not worthy of serious consideration. Speed is not just about horsepower. Valve events, steam generation and distribution, lubrication, hammer blow and track condition are all factors that come into play.

 

As for the T1, the measured timings were made on the "Pennsy T1 racetrack", which refers to the long, flat, and highly unobstructed section of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) mainline stretching between Crestline, Ohio, and Fort Wayne, Indiana. This section was legendary for allowing massive PRR steam and duplex locomotives to achieve high, possibly record-breaking speeds. The timings were made on multiple occasions by someone who was sent undercover by Franklin to do that very task, so he must have been qualified to do so. The only doubts about it are the apparent inaccurate spacing of US mileposts but that could work in two ways.