Flying Scotsman

Evening Star is still in The Great Hall - got some photos off it today - FYI the Q1 is currently over the pit which is open!

Even though it was very very wet today, had a cracking day at Railfest & got loads of pics which will take me a few days to get through. I was pleasantly surprised how good Flying Scotsman actually looks in black, and the smoke deflectors finish off the look perfectly.

 

Yes - very damp in York today but a great display of railways old and new. Scotsman is at the far end of the site but easily visible from the shuttles. Great to finally meet Mr Coulls in person, and experience his diesel driving. On the other std gauge shuttle, Sweet Pea was making more smoke that Teddy! 6 or 7 different rides available and other locos in light steam including SNG. Thanks to the organisers and loco owners for a great day out.

Richard

 

Has anyone got any news from Railfest about when it will be completed? Will it be running by the end of the year?

 

I think that for all the arguments over livery, smoke deflectors, etc, the most important point is that the restoration of this iconic engine is finally on the home strait and Scotsman will hopefully soon be back hauling trains on the main line. Unless you are someone with a pathological hatred of Gresley A3s (and I can't think there are too many such people around) this has to be very good news. Well done to Ian Riley and his team.

 

And hopefully visiting some heritage railways too. I just hope the NRM or whoever is running the loco doesn't thrash it to death with a load of work to try to pay for the overhaul.

 

The design spec for the Gresley A1s was to haul 600 tons at an average of 60mph so I think 4472 should be well capable of handling what gets put her way.

 

But that was when she was brand new...............................These are elderly machines now. Riley and team have done an excellent job but you don't want an overhaul like that every few years.

 

A great deal of 4472 is quite new now. It is also an A3 not an A1, and so a much improved machine. Add the double Kylchap exhaust and you have a very much improved machine. When the A1s were first built it has been argued that Doncaster works was not well enough equiped to build these engines as well as they needed to be produced. The staff were one thing, the equipment they had to work with was another. It is very likely that the locomotive has been assembled to a higher standard than was the case over the Winter of 1922/3. The engine has suffered for decades because no one took the trouble to try and identify all the issues afflicting it. Little wonder the remedial work has cost so much. We should be glad that the work has been done and should remember that it will not be the last engine where a multitude of sins are to be found lurking under a coat of paint.
As to driving it, standard Gresley method applies - full regulator with cut-off to suit the needs of the situation and boiler pressure a little under the redline. If you look after it and it will look after you and do all you could reasonably ask. It will never be overloaded, these engines will handle 20+ coaches, try to get permission to run a train that long today. Taking 12 or 13, pretty standard for her over the years, will not present a problem so long as the engine is looked after properly.

 

Seems to have gone very quiet is it still at York it was last week,the NRM web site as not been updated recently.

 

The NRM facebook page said something about staying until the middle of July in a post earlier this week

 

Well as of wednesday this week, let's say Riley's works still looked comparatively empty...

 

It will never be overloaded, these engines will handle 20+ coaches, try to get permission to run a train that long today. Taking 12 or 13, pretty standard for her over the years, will not present a problem so long as the engine is looked after properly.

Coaches were 5-10% lighter in those days, though.

 

It depends on the route. On the ECML with reasonable timing that may well be the case - after all the gresley pacifics were designed for 20 coaches on the ECML - but thrash it over Shap and the S & C with 20 coaches and there will be trouble ahead. Wide open regulator and 15 - 20% cutoff is the normal working setting - if it is necessary to increase the cutoff to 25% and above more than occasionally it's overloaded, however many coaches are hung on the back.

 

There is a update in the latest Heritage Railway Steve Davis is quoted, no firm date for completion back end of year or early 2013 and the cost as increased past the 2.6 million.

 

Not wanting to knock the good job being done, but 1 year of the boiler certificate will be gone by the time she sees the main line again.

Cannot see her being re-introduced in the depths of winter, so a spring return must be the time.

Still, should be worth the effort once finished.

 

Not an update, but there is an excellent DVD with the current Railway Magazine which runs for @2 hrs. Well worth the cost of the magazine, and some footage I have never seen before........good viewing for insomniacs (me)........

 

It is good. My main problem is the Railway Magazine words thats stuck on the left of the screen all the time.

 

The interview in SR this month with Steve Davies is dreadful, whilst there have been mistakes made the approach of just asking the same question over and over again in ever ruder terms does no credit to the journalist or the magazine.