71000

An update from a reliable source about 71000 says that the valve gear etc is currently being disconnected to enable the loco to be hauled back to Bury for attention by her engineers.

Dave B

 

Sad that D of G has valve gear problems again but it was expected. Poppet valve types nearly all suffer from very high leakage, one of the reasons Chapelon reverted to piston valves. The BC is regarded as the best as far leakage goes however it is viewed as being too fragile for railway locomotive application. If you wanted to get the best out of the design in terms of both performance and reliability you would put new cylinders on it equiped with modern, lightweight, multi-ring, diffuser fitted piston valves driven by your radial gear of choice.

However, it is a preserved one off and quite rightly it will remain much the same.

 

It's costing more in repairs than it's earning without a very rich benefactor the next overhaul is unlikely to happen.

 

Well we'll have to a whip round then.........

 

I believe that the gear boxes that turn the crank rotation to 'propeller shaft' rotation for 71000 and 73129 came from Malaysia, dont know whether this was from scrapped locos or not, but would like to find out.

I always understood that BC gear was quite robust (and not just in comparison with other poppet valves either) and could be left longer between repairs / retained its settings for longer than the walshaerts, on the standard 5's any way. Mind you have also heard that the walshaerts gear produced for the Standards was fairly 'basic'.
Dont know how much of the original gear is on either loco though...

If they have any of those books going that would get my contribution...

 

That is a crying shame - we need Class 8 locos on the main line! How many are we down to now?

Foxy

 

What a shame I've always had a soft spot for this loco, hope it,s problems can be quickly resolved as it seemed to be going so well of late.

 

More guilty than most of visiting the fairytale world of what-ifs and New-builds, but nothing compares to the Duke...

8p's including the 'Plinthed' ones that have actally ran in preservation:
A4's we have 1 out of 4
Duchess 0 out of 2
Princess 1 of 2
Duke - 0 from 1
Kings - 1 (nearly 2) of 3
A1 - 1 of 1
A2 - 0 from 1
Merchant navy 1 of.... ?
Flying scot is getting on for 8 now so currently 5 from 15....

 

It's not quite that bad, 60007 is only out temporarily and should be back by the end of the summer, and I think 60009 and the Duchess will be back next year as well albeit offset by the departure of one of the Kings. These are all main line engines, and there is then P & O lLine at the GWSR to add. Around 50% of the fleet operational at the moment is pretty good, I'd have said, and about as much as could be hoped for, paticularly when the Class 7 fleet has expanded considerably in recent years and looks set to grow further.

 

2xblack 5's make an 8?, theres 5 of them registered.

 

No, however I struggle with that I still can't make 5 x 2 = 8! :smile:

Of course, there is the long term possibility of "Hamilton" making a comeback, although the NRM would have to have a partner for that.... wonder what she'd look like in Virgin colours.....

Foxy

 

or even a 10 !
When two smaller engines are rostered in place of a big one this is grand for the fans, and puts less stress on individual locos (unless one fails and the other has to do all the work). Less good for the operators for whom its probably extra expense, but probably more security..
The imaginative use of split trains and bankers is another real treat that our railtour operators have served up for us of late.
mmmm nice .

 

Absolutely.. twice in 1 week I got to see a black 5 bank a train out of Victoria... and it was different black 5s on each occasion.
The only other time Ive seen this on the mainline was 5690 and 48151 on the Marylebone - Beaconsfield runs in 2006, but these were true TopnTail (only 1 was working the other wasnt assisting).

 

I have that excellent book (published in 1987 by Ian Allan). It goes into great detail about 71000's restoration. Its ISBN is 0711017530 and when I put that into Amazon's 'Books', 'Advanced Search' this found 5 items, available from about £10 including postage.
The follow-up book, '71000 The Impossible Dream - part 2' was published in 1992, ISBN 0951913107; it details the work required to get 71000 fit for the main line and the first few years of main line running.
I picked this one up in the NYMR shed shop for £1 a few years ago.

 

Please see the statement on the Trust's website below regarding 71000

http://www.71000trust.com/

Regards

 

A very well written press release there. I wish them the best in the repairs, hope 71000 is back on her feet, so to speak, sooner rather than later.

 

Doesnt say so, but judging by the report that she limped on with one cylinder.., that would be the right hand one. The left and centre valves are driven by the left hand drive shaft, so a broken link on that side would effectively freeze the cam boxes for the left and middle engines.... imagine one of the the return cranks falling off a gresley pacific and it would be a similar effect .

 

Mmm.... wasn't there a story of a GW driver who had a problem with a "Star" so he isolated one drive and limped home. Subsequently got carpeted for his lateness because his report stated that he'd brought the train in "with three engines" and some clerk thought this an excessive number of locomotives! I might be wrong.....

Bad luck for the Duke boys.

Foxy

 

I can't remember where, but I've read that too.

 

Still no News, no news is not good news i fear...