SVR Loco Newsy News / discussions

Interesting from a layman to note all the variation in tender types listed here (4000, 3500, 3000, normally used with 22XX class, 7325 'may need slight adjustment'). I've always assumed that, with the GW standarisation policy, that there were a small number of standard designs which would be easily interchangeable.

 

Great Western and standardisation are not necessarily words that go together in the same sentence! Variations would probably be more appropriate!

 

No need for the less than helpful comments re the (envied by others) GW standardisation which continues to be very useful and must have saved £1000's even into the preservation era.

The tenders ARE standard; but what is not standard across classes is the cab floor height - so this is capable of alteration as required if changing tenders between classes.

 

I volunteer [not in the MPD] but don't pester the directors etc for the current pecking order. Without going too far down the line of rubbish, misinformation or unnecessary personal opinion, I believe however that there's a thought to keep two engines going through the works at the same time - 'one quick one and one major one'.

Patrick

 

Trouble is, there are already 2857-heavy repair, 34027-heavy repair/total rebuild, ( contract, yes, but still takes up space and engineering capacity) and 75069, heavy repair/total rebuild, before a possible "quickie" which might be 1501, but that has gone quiet, or 7714 as a boiler swap if TYS do the new boiler plate work fairly quickly.

I'm sure the "one major/one quickie" is an ideal, but will it ever come down to that?

46118

 

It might take quiten a few years before that happens, mainly to get to locos that are now stored in the Engine House.

Regards,

Dan

 

I think the GWR mogul might be coming out in a few years time. The reason is that a certain new build was sort of promised the wheels that it is sitting on. But fear not as the SVR have a spare set of large prairie wheels (Off the one that was cut up at Barry) and it will change into it's other heavier form of mogul.

Of course that won't happen yet as were not ready for the wheels since there is the small matter of the extension frame to build before we start thinking of wheels.

 

We also need to remember that BN is also a running shed as well as a loco overhaul works, and keeping the current fleet in service can get in the way of the overhauls. This applies to most Heritage lines of course.

Recently there has been piston & valve work on 46443, a complete set of small tubes for 42968, and repair work to 5164 after what has been described as a mechanical "near-miss" when the head of a radial rear truck spring hangar bolt sheared off whilst the engine was in traffic. This I assume needed an out of course visit to the lifting jacks, because also an axlebox was running hot. 5164 is currently shown as undergoing valve and motion repairs.

The visit of Kinlet Hall underlines the fact that the active loco fleet is not overly large for the peak service.

46118

 

I'm not sure whether I'm missing the point, but if the wheels currently under the Mogul are destined for the Grange and the spare Prarie wheels will then go under the Mogul, then why not just put the Prarie wheels under the Grange and save a lot of phaphing about. Are all these wheels the same size?

 

I think it goes like this: The GW(SVR) Association have brought a set of new tyres, and own the set of 5' 8" drivers that were rescued from 4156 before it was cut up at Barry. By putting the tyres on 4156's wheels beforehand (the SVR don't have the facilities to do this), it is a straight swap job to sit the engine on them, which hopefully speeds up the overhaul. The current set under 7325 can then go to 6880.

And of course, while 5164 is on the jacks having the above sorted, this means 2857 can't go on to them which causes that overhaul to slip. I understand that a wheeldrop facility is high on the MPD wish list, which would mean that the jacks could be mainly used just for engines under overhaul.

 

Thanks for that. Now it makes sense.

 

Correct Martin. I don't think they were ever commissioned on the SVR, and the SDR did the work to get them running:

http://www.southdevonrailway.org/Railway-Wheels.html

 

Quite right Adrian - IMHO more's the pity they were never commissioned. Had developments at the works continued in that era where would we be now?

 

I don't think there was anything particularly hi tech about these burners - if the SVR wanted to give themselves the facility I doubt that they would be difficult to replicate. It does seem odd that, with the wheel lathe, they don't seem to want to add re-tyring facilities to that.

 

Kinlet Hall is due to arrive at Kidderminster at 7.30pm tonight for a stay until October following an appearance on today's Shakespeare Express. She will make her way to Bridgnorth tomorrow and will be available for general traffic thereafter. This will do a lot to ease the pressure on SVR based locos during the peak season. Hopefully we may also see her used on a photo charter or two as well as an appearance at the autumn gala.

 

I concur. Arguably, the sale of them all came down to political will at the time. Perhaps we are about to see a sea-change?

 

popped down to bewdley yesterday and saw kinlet hall over the pit, looking very nice =P~ will be nice to see her running and hopefully we shall see her running off bewdley at some point [-o< [-o< [-o< [-o< [-o<

regards James

 

Loco 6634 (or at least large parts of it!) now at Bridgnorth for completion followed by 5 years SVR service.