LMS Patriot Project Updates

So here is the latest Steam railway cover, get your copy tomorrow at all good newsagents

 

Not just the cover - 5 page feature on the project inside.

Kevin West
Design Engineer
LMS Patriot Project

 

Especially the painting of the finished article.

 

Simply stunning! I knew it would look good but it looks really, really good. I look forward to seeing even more of this wonderful machine in November at Warley.
I couldn't help but notice that the SR cover also features the strapline: "NRM - Scotsman will be finished." Perhaps the "Baby Scot" will be finished first - sorry cheap shot but could not resist it!

 

Was never a fan of the unrebuilt look, but that is quickly growing on me. Well done

 

Forgive me for "not keeping up at the back", but has a contractor been finalised as yet for building the firebox for this loco, and which I assume will be a traditional rivetted copper inner firebox?

46118

 

Ah well, with Baby Scots, there's always an issue as to what is a rebuild or new build in the first place!

 

The contract to build the boiler has been given to LNWR Crewe. The boiler will be a traditional riveted design to the original drawings with the exception of the barrel sections being welded rather than lap riveted on the advice of our insurance company. This is now the accepted method of producing boiler barrels.
The copper for the inner firebox has been ordered, so apart from the front tubeplate which has already been made and is now in the back of the Smokebox, the Inner Firebox will be the first major part of the boiler made.

Kevin West
Design Engineer
LMS Patriot Project

 

On behalf of the LNWR George the Fifth Steam Locomotive Trust , congratulations to the team at the Patriot group for coming so far. It must be immensely gratifying to see your countless hours of collective hard work, and your blood, sweat and tears amount to real and tangible progress. She looks absolutely magnificent and she's a real credit to your abilities, tenacity and indefatigabality.

 

Excellent, Kevin, thanks for the info. Hopefully where you go, others will follow!

46118

 

On our way just as fast as finance allows.

82045

 

Correct. Always preferred the rebuilds, but 45551 will look smashing all the same when its built.

 

I prefer 45500/45501 with the Claughton driving wheels ,still I'm very happy that 45551 is being built .

 

Read the SR article yesterday. I had not appreciated until seeing the picture on the front cover just how well the project was progressing. Well done to all concerned.

It was only 4 years after construction of Tornado began that the entire network - well, virtually all of it - was opened up to steam. My initial thoughts were that when complete, Tornado would run the bulk of its mileage up and down the ECML. I've been proved wrong, and happy that this is the case - I never expected to be photographing it in locations like Chelsfield or Abinger Common - both spots being no more than 5 miles from two of my former childhood homes. I hope that when 45551 is complete (and unlike some projected new-builds, barring a very major national calamity, this is a "when" and not an "if"), it too will find itself in demand to work tours across the country and not just up and down the WCML with which the class are primarily associated. It has disappointed me how little we have seen of the existing LMS 3-cylinder 4-6-0s in the southern half of the country. if West Coast don't want to send Galatea or Scots Guardsman down to Weymouth or Salisbury (apart from one 9th July special behind 46115 a few years back) perhaps The Unknown Warrior might make an appearance instead?

 

Perhaps 45551 will show us what an unrebuilt Patriot can really do. I recall the Bristol Barrow Rd "Patriots" working the heavy cross-country expresses alongside their "Jubilee" shedmates, and always felt the Patriots were no quite up to the job, even to the extent of the odd time when they had to stop for a "blow-up" on the bank north of Chesterfield, on the last leg to Sheffield. To be fair though they were older engines than the Jubilees, and maybe they were starting to get rather rundown.

Will be really interesting to see a "Patriot" demonstrate its true potential, maybe as they did pre-war when in better order.

46118

 

Seen a friend's copy of SR and the results are stunning. More so I suspect once the engine is on its wheels. Well done to all concerned.

 

I hope the group investigate the fact that the original small tube size was too large a diameter, so that when working really hard the firebox gases were drawn through the small tubes instead of doing their work on the superheater elements, where it was needed.

Dave

 

The LMS-Patriot Project is pleased to announce the following -
The LMS-Patriot Project
PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE
PR 09/13
Date of Release: 8th October 2013
release starts......
New Royal British Legion Endorsed National Memorial Steam Engine ‘The Unknown Warrior’ to visit the National Memorial Arboretum
The LMS-Patriot Company, the charitable new build steam locomotive project who is building the Royal British Legion Endorsed National Memorial Engine, ‘The Unknown Warrior’, will be displaying the partially completed engine at the National Memorial Arboretum on 21st November.
Construction of ‘The Unknown Warrior’ steam engine began in 2009 and the rolling chassis is being taken to the NEC Birmingham, for display at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition on the 23rd & 24th November. The opportunity has arisen to stop at The National Memorial Arboretum, for a short commemoration before the engine arrives at the NEC. The National Memorial Arboretum, near Lichfield, Staffordshire is the UK’s centre of Remembrance and it is extremely poignant for the new National Memorial engine to join the 250 memorials for the commemoration.
The steam locomotive ‘The Unknown Warrior’ is dedicated to all those who fought in the Great War and in all subsequent wars and will serve as a travelling memorial to all those brave men and women who gave their lives during all of these conflicts. It is expected that the new steam engine will be completed by 2018 – the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice.
David Bradshaw, LMS-Patriot Project Chairman said, “We are delighted to be able to show the latest progress of the new National Memorial Engine ‘The Unknown Warrior’ at the UK’s national centre of Remembrance. The National Memorial Arboretum honours the sacrifice and service of those who have given their lives for their country and I am extremely proud that ‘The Unknown Warrior’ will also serve as a national memorial on the national railway network around the country”. The LMS-Patriot Project is raising funds to complete the steam engine, mostly through public donations. A £400,000 boiler scheme has been launched to fund the new British built boiler that is being assembled at Crewe.
A Donations and Membership Form can be downloaded from www.lms-patriot.org.uk, or requested from: LMS-Patriot Co. Ltd., PO Box 3118, Hixon, Stafford, ST16 9JL, to which donations can also be sent. Further information and to make online card donations can be made at lms-patriot.org.uk
release ends......

 

So its been a while since my last post so here is an update. so last time I posted we had just had our front end assembled at Llangollen for the Steam Railway Magazine photo shoot. Since then we have had the smokebox removed, our inside cylinder fitted and then the front end re assembled. Our volunteers at Llangollen have recently been needle gunning the frames and painting them so they look presentable for Warley. All frame stretchers are now fitted and were ready to fit the driving wheels which are arriving at Llangollen today. The cab is nearing completion and will arrive next Monday at Llangollen ready to be fitted to the frames. And as Jordan has said in the previous post we will be going to Warley Model railway show via the National Memorial Arboretum on the Thursday. I hope to see many of you there over the Weekend so please don't hesitate to come and say hello if you are.

While we are at Warley we are pushing the "Pound for the Patriot". As some of you may know up to 20,000 people attend Warley show each year and if everyone there can donate just one pound (Your very welcome to donate more!) that will pay for our outside cylinders to be completed, it really is as simple as that! So please do come down and see us there.


During poppy weekend at Llangollen we dressed our front end up to replicate the memorial services which were held at Rugby shed with the original Patriot.

Members Kevin West and David Hancox seen painting the driving wheelsets at Tyseley over the past few weeks

Our other volunteers, Mike Dunn and David Hughes, seen at Llangollen needle gunning the frames.


Kind regards Gavin