Locos at portland

Correct but 35018 had some Chinese ones, bit of a mix up really:

CW:

 

yes, 35018 's rods were made in China , along with a set that were made for Tangmere whilst she was at Ropley , these i believe were sold to go onto 34073 once the decision was made for Tangmere to go mainline i believe the problem is that the metal at the time would not be prooven to be to spec required for NR , but with modern testing methods, i am unsure if the same applies today so i wouldnt right them off unless it turns out that they do infact not meet the material spec

 

What about the others? Will the S160 return to the Mid Hants? and poor old Cunarder, shes unique and has been butchered to look like a Midland shunter. Last I heard she was due to go to Embsay and be returned to a saddle tank.

 

Re: Cunarder, last I heard (Summer 2010) she was to go to the Shillingstone Station project.

 

It will be interesting to see what happens to the S160. I don't suppose it will return to the Mid Hants, where it wasn't terribly popular from what I've heard - besides, they've probably got more engines than they know what to do with there now. The NYMR's S160 has been for sale for ages with no takers as yet, so this one is unlikely to fare better if it is offered. You would have thought one of these would be a good buy for one of the longer newer generation lines wanting to get into steam operations - e.g. Mid Norfolk, Wensleydale, Weardale but perhaps they haven't got the resources and it is easier to hire engines in.

 

Highly unlikely.

This Loco i understand is owned by an American called Richard Stone, (I think thats his name):

Regards
Chris:

 

No, but 34016 has, and I doubt it'll get overhauled any time soon. However, the driving wheelbases vary slightly between the classes, with the rear driving wheel being 7'6" from the middle driving wheel on an MN, compared to 7'3" on a Light Pacific (source: D. L. Bradley). In this respect, it would only be possible to use the Light Pacific connecting rods for the front set of driving wheels.

 

The crankpin hole centres on the leading coupling rods for the MN and WC/BB might be the same, but the rods are dimensionally different.

 

Deleted!

Regards
Chris:

 

Oh well, it'll have to be a completely new set. Out of interest, what is it about the Chinese-made rods that makes them unsuitable for mainline use? Is it because they are not produced to the requisite British safety standard for mainline locomotives?

 

IIRC, it's a quality assurance and documentation problem. They can't be shown to have passed acceptable QA tests at the time of manufacture.

 

Thanks.

 

Can these Chinese made rods be subject to any retrospective testing which will prove their auitability (or not) for mainline running? There are mainline locos which are obviously carrying original (as in ex-BR) motion parts and valve gear - these don't have the same documentation to show passing of 'acceptable GA tests at the time of manufacture'...?

 

I would say that it is to do with Grandfather Rights. Ex BR motion components are known to be made from correct specification steels.

 

if ,as it looks that a new set will be needed, im sure that by ordering it along with a set for Shaw Savil would mean that both owners will get them cheeper than what would have been the case otherwise, unless Ian Riley has already got a set for his MN that is .

With modern non destrictive testing cant the Chinese motion be checked to see if it is up to spec, because im sure that whatever spec material was used , it would have been a match to the BR spec , after all, it was several years ago now that Tangmere had to have a new set made and modern testing has come on since then

 

Is 35018 the engine with the wrong crank axle? (or no crank axle now it got donated to Braunton?)....or is this General Steam Navigation

Also I wonder what the future holds for 35029 ellerman lines now that York has ditched it as an exhibit (apologies for the crudeness- I think they have?).....Perhaps 35029 could steam again with a donated boiler- it has a full set of fittings after all.

 

35011 donated it's crank axle to 34046.

 

35011 did not have a crank axle, it was sent for scrap with three plain axles as it's crank axle had been removed by BR in order to keep another loco in traffic a little longer towards the end of steam operations. It was this plain axle (which came from a withdrawn light pacific) which was sold (not donated) to the owner of Braunton.

 

No we haven't. It has a future at the NRM, a very important one, but not in the Great Hall, that's all.

 

I used the term "donated" loosely meaning the axle from 35011 was used on 34046. Whether any money changed hands, I don't know. I said crank axle as I know it involved the centre axle & it was how fentmar described it & answered his question, it was 35011 not 35018. No need to split hairs.