Non - Stop BRISTOLIAN 17/4/2010!

Never realised there was such a thing, is this how the BR batch of Castles were outshopped ?.

 

I think this is how the 7000 series of Castles were built, although some earlier members of the class were also fitted with this arrangement (someone please correct if I'm wrong). They had single chimneys, 3 row superheater and a mechanical lubricator.

 

Sorry but all this talk of 5051 vs 5029 I have to put in a word for 5051. Nobody has mentioned the excellent run over the Devon Banks on 26th March 2005. So were didn’t break any records but 5051 handled the 8 coach train without any problems (Castles I believe we limited to 7 in days gone buy). We had a good run back and were very close to even-time into Bristol and boy were our ear-drums bruised from the pounding of that Castle beat all day.

The other real cracker was 5051 from Fishguard taking 10 coaches up the 1 in 50 no problem. Mr Churhill then gave us a blistering run up the Welsh coast. I have to say that those two are probably the best runs I’ve personally had with GW locos in the last few years.

5029: Don’t forget the run to Tytherinton – didn’t quite make that one and left most of the passengers stuck in a tunnel for an hour or so. Also we will not mention the 5029 run over the Devon Banks when the loco was failed the day before the tour!

 

What was the load that day and what is the gradient out of Tytherington like? Would 5051 be able to do it???

 

On this 'blog' it says about 1 in 60, load 10.

http://www.mikegtn.net/date.php?month=May&year=2004&tag=May 2004

 

5098-5099 and 7000-7037 were built with three row superheaters and the 7*** series were built with mechanical lubricators.
When you look at the class overall there could be a case for dividing it into four or more sub classes.
After the first batch was built the frames for the second batch were changed, then you have the rebuilds....The Great Bear and The Stars which weren't Castles at the start of their lives.
There's also the change from three glass to five glass sight feed lubricators and onto mechanical lubricators. The changes to super heating from two row to three and four row with single and double chimneys.
I think that the 27 year production run of the Castles shows how the steam engine steadily improved over the period.

 

couldn,t agree more about 5051 out of fishguard, i was their somewhere! now lets get back on thread with the bristolian, only 1 month to go.

 

Apparently someone is planning on going to Goring to photograph 5043 taking water on the temporary troughs.:der:

 

and air braked.....

 

Doesn't Tyseley have an old Mk1 Mail Van (CCT is it?), how strong is the floor in one of those? Vac-braked surely, though I don't know about 75mph?

 

Sod the Bristolian, could do Cornish Riveira with that, admittedly be about load 4 mind!.

 

We often dream about long non-stop runs, but even when means for carrying water are devised, they are still sometimes unused, or suitable paths simply can't be found. The hype of 6024s water carrier for instance, which, correct me if I'm wrong, has only occasionally been used "in anger", which would make London to Bristol and London to Birmingham non-stop runs possible. Or Bittern's second tender (which admittedly is only recent), but still "The Palatine" trip next week requires no water stops, and yet still stops at Stafford and Crewe are made for pathing reasons. Water carriers are often seen as the future, so why is 6024 still stopping for water? In my own armchair enthusiast opinion, careful thought should be made when deciding about spending money on these water carrier thingamyjigs. :mmph: :decision:

 

The water carrier has been used. We had it on our wedding train and I think it was used on a Shrewsbury London trip.

 

Apologies, have corrected the post, but at present it is still not used enough to justify it in my opinion. (btw sounds like a great wedding!)

 

Yes it was a great wedding!!!!

Here are some videos and links to my wife Shirleys web-site with details of the wedding and water carrier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxAbZZgGpSQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxAbZZgGpSQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0O4wIhn-K4

http://www.fireboxchaser.co.uk/Yeovil betrothal.htm
http://www.fireboxchaser.co.uk/water carrier.htm

Looking forward to seeing what is used on the non-stop Bristolian.

 

One possibility not yet considered......could 'Blues and Twos' be building a road/rail vehicle to chase 5043 and water that way?

 

Cue Benny Hill style music....

One other idea - some kind of slip coach type effort whereby 5043 propels the train at full pelt as far as Swindon each way and then drops off for watering, before setting off to catch the train up and push it the last bit to either Bristol or Paddington. The carriages would be non stop! (Well its no dafter than some of the other suggestions!)

 

:cheer2: