Air smoothed merchant navy

nope

 

A guess: Both were orginally fitted with Klinger water gauges.

 

nope and nope, but the saggin dragon is warm

 

Steel fireboxes......

 

Is it the firehole doors?

 

nope and nope, and steel fireboxes weren't exactly rare back in the day...

 

The loco that bent her rods in a slip at Hook was 35004 Cunard White Star in 1965 (any photos of this, out of interest?)

The same thing might have happened to Fighter Command of course, but it'd be a remarkable coincidence if two Bulleids were withdrawn due to exactly the same thing happening at exactly the same place!

 

Not that the amount of money I could contribute is in any way significant, but I should like to see a modern high speed mainline loco built using the most recent available technology. Nostalgia is great but to push the steam technology envelope out a bit further would be fascinating.

Cheers
Alan

 

I've got news for you.

It did.

I've been told it was the same driver too. But I haven't been able to verify that conclusively.

35004 was taken straight to Eastleigh, whereas 34064 went to Basingstoke. Decision already made I suppose. 35004 was a loss because it was one of the better ones and not due works for some time.

Incidentally, the Bulleids had a habit of bending rods. They used to straighten them against the end wall at Nine Elms. But obviously in the latter days they just got withdrawn. And it still happens. 34092 bent its rods in Birkett tunnel in the 80's.

 

How was that done then?

Cheers
Alan

 

I have never seen a rebuilt with a Giesel Ejector either.. Completely different setup altgether...

 

I've just been talking to a couple of former Salisbury enginemen about the proposed unrebuilt Merchant Navy - daftest idea they've ever heard of they said, the rebuilts were far better!

 

not all former Southern crews thought the rebuilds were better.
I've spoken to some who preferred the originals.
Other classes also divided opinion. Old Oak men
generally hated the Brits yet Canton men were much
more accepting of them.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

 

And yet Fred Hoare, one of the great Salisbury top link drivers loved the original Bulleids. Although by the time I got to know him all the MNs had been rebuilt.

One of my best up ACE runs was with Fred Hoare at the controls of 34002. Badly checked around Woking, but a net time of just over 76 mins for the 83.7 mins on the MN schedule of 80 mins. He did tell me at Waterloo he had done 100 mph once. With an original Bulleid through Broad Clyst. I think having 34002 on the up ACE that day had brought back some great memories for him that he wanted to talk about. I was young in those days, (weren't we all!), and never thought to ask him about the original MNs.

Hopefully Gordon Hooper, (Exmouth Junction and then Nine Elms), will be at the Nine Elms re-union next month. He got the very best out of rebuilt MNs when he was a Nine Elms driver. But I am sure he has some tales of very, very fast running with original MNs when he was a fireman at Exmouth Junction.

But I guess the crews all had their own preferences and experiences, good and bad with both types.

 

Not that unusual - every railway has certain places that are prone to slipping. I'm including mainline, at speed, with modern traction in that comment.

All I can think of is the reverser. For high speed running, you want to be making small adjustments. Steam reversers are not especially suitable for that. They are great on a Q7, when they save you having to haul three sets of Stevenson Link into back gear, but not for making 5% adjustments at 90 mph.

 

For all the arguements about whether the rebuilds or the unrebuilds were better, there is one good thing about this project - if it comes off - which I think everyone would agree.

We have 11 preserved MN's. Obviously, 35029 isn't going to steam again. Of the other 10, only 3 have so far steamed in preservation, with 35006 hopefully joining their ranks before too long.

This leaves another 6 for which it looks like we are going to have a very long wait, with the possible exception of 35009, if Ian Riley decides to go for full restoration. I would think that one of the others would stand more chance of attracting funds, and therefore of actually being restored to working order, if it was the subject of a well-publicised amd well-marketed plan to restore it as an "unrebuild".

Even the most die-hard enthusuaist for the rebuilds I am sure would rather see an unrebuilt MN in working order than a rusty boiler, frames and wheels. (I like both types, and am therefore neutral. I'm just pleased that so many Bulleids have survived and that so many people have ben willing to put so much time and money into restoring these marvellous but complex machines.)

 

On a similar vain:
# 35005 Canadian Pacific - Out of ticket but it'll be back before you know it.
# 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. - About to storm back into life
# 35009 Shaw Savill - For sale but might just get restored
# 35010 Blue Star - Group will get round to it when they finish restoring there Black 5
# 35011 General Steam Navigation - Possible restoration but the worst of the bunch
# 35018 British India Line - So much hope when on the Mid-Hants but now sitting in a siding
# 35022 Holland-America Line - Spares for Port Line
# 35025 Brocklebank Line - Under active restoration following a change of location.
# 35027 Port Line - Will return at some point
# 35028 Clan Line - Main line and it will more than likely stay that way
# 35029 Ellerman Lines - Sectioned, will never run again but is now surviving as a great exhibit

 

Which "Southall" is Port Line at? The GWRPG Centre, or the people who "restored" 6100?

 

The latter.

Regards,

Dan