Latest on 34067?

Tangmere hasn't left Carnforth yet, because it isn't ready

 

Any further news re Tangmere please, kind regards john

 

Just recd an e-mail via preston railgen

"While at carnforth tonight have noticed that Tangmere is in light warm
up type steam and facing s/b - it was turned a couple of weeks ago
after the test runs and topped up with coal on Friday."

Anyone add to this?

John

 

According to the latest Beano, there were issues with the air pump and the valve settings that emerged during the test run, but apart form those, she 'ran sweetly'.

 

No move showing as of 08.30 today.............so presume it's being tested, rgds john

 

None of this with good old fashioned vacuum brakes. One, sometimes 2, simple ejectors + a pump on ex GW locos & thats it.

 

a fellow enthusiast asked me why rail enthusiasts call compressors air pumps, well as a lorry/wagon driver, one knows that an air pump aint no good for air brakes, pedantic view here, on top of the back of Tangmere's tender are 4 or 5 air reservoirs, kept at a high number of PSI's, pressurised with the compressor, the way air brakes work is that the air pressure holds the brakes off, when the brake is applied air is released in a controlled way allowing the brakes to come on. this was not always the case, for safety, if you run out of air the brakes come on. pedantic rant over.

 

The use of the word 'Pump' is more usually associated with reciprocating compressors but both are 'pumping' a fluid.
Air brakes on trains are also fail-safe so, if you lose your air pressure, the brakes come on.

 

Without specifically citing the current suggested probems with 34067, why is it that so many of the failures/problems relating to main line steam appear to be connected to the air pump / air braking system? Is there a fundamental reason why, locomotives originally designed with vac brakes seem to struggle, and yet European and American locomotives seem to fare much better given their historical precedent for air braking?

 

I'd probably put it down to experience and familiarity. We've years of experience with vac brakes and know what to do when things go wrong. Air pump experience is much more limited.

 

When were mainline steam engines first fitted with air pumps (post-preservation)?

 

Also numourius small Ex Southern and a few Great Eastern locos have had them since the Victorian era, not to mention all the Narrow gauge outfits.

 

Not all. The VoR only went over to Air brakes post-89 and the Talyllyn in '91 I believe.

 

Off the top of my head I'm not sure I could name a narrow gauge line that used air. Welshpool, Corris, L&B and Festiniog were all vacuum I think (?).

 

Standard 2-6-4 tank 80064 was fitted with air brakes when it was restored.

 

You take me too literally. The many air braked NG operations may not have been using it for all that long (excepting the North Wales Narrow Railway railway that became part of the WHR) but they have little trouble with it. The SR and GER loco's, were very definatly Victorian or early 1900's though

 

just recd this

Tangmere Friday 11/03/2011.

5z47

CARNFTHST 08:00
CRNFTHLHS 08:10 08:12
CARNFORTH 08:17 09:49
CRNFTHNJN PASS 09:50
CRNFTU+DG 09:52 09:56
MORCM SJN PASS 10:03
LANCASTER PASS 10:06
PRESTON PASS 10:27
EUXTON JN PASS 10:34
BLSHAWLJN PASS 10:36
WIGAN NW PASS 10:43
WIGAN SJN PASS 10:44
SPRINGSBJ PASS 10:45
WINWICK J PASS 10:51
WARRDALLJ PASS 10:54
WARRTN BQ PASS 10:56

 

Thanks for that info John, I will go out to Winwick if it runs.

Neil.