John Bunch & his locos currently based on the Mid Hants

A pic of 31874 newly unloaded at its private dismantling site near Wareham is now on the Swanage Railways Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/swanagerailway?ref=profile

 

And committed to a 12 month overhaul timetable too. Looks like next years summer hols may have to be in dorset.
Looking forward to seeing 31874 in steam.

 

so whats left in the Cattle dock now, i assume the tenders are loaded and on their way or haas 31625 also now left?

 

I was there when 31874 passed her first steam test at Alresford, so I'll have to make another trip to Swanage next year too

 

Just noticed that 31625 has now landed near Wareham. The pics are on the Swanage Railway Facebook page.

One thing occurred to me, is that to enable 31625 to return to service in 3 years time, not only will the tender need finishing, but a new set of motion will need manufacturing because AFAIK when it last worked it borrowed parts from 31806. Anybody know if that is correct?

 

It was certainly missing some parts (such as rear connecting rods) in the cattle dock at Alresford yesterday...

 

I assume that all the bits of Bunch's loco's have also been retrieved from their various storage places? - there's all sorts of bits in all sorts of places!......................... I know for a fact that the wagon group chippies at Medstead would love to have full use of the workshop CCT instead of just a corner.

 

New (British made) rods for 31625 are in store, awaiting journal sizes for machining the new bearings.

 

Ah thanks for that. Nice to here they are British made.

The original replacement motion for 34067 Tangmere and 35018 British India Line was manufactured in Datong, China I believe. OK for heritage railway use but no good for mainline work AFAIK.

 

Surely it's a bit optimistic to think 31874 will be running next summer. After all the loco hasn't worked a service train for many years and has been stored outside and most steam loco overhauls seem to over run. I look forward to seeing all three locos running at Swanage in the future.

 

What happened was: the boiler contractor said, "about a year". Somebody read that, and wrote, "12 months to overhaul the loco and tender".

Anyway, as usual for these things, it will be done when it's done!

 

I agree, it does sound a tad optimistic, but I was paraphrasing this quote from their FB page:
"The locomotive will be overhauled over the next 12 months and you can be part of its journey back to steam!"
And they are aiming for late 2016 / early 2017 for 31625. Two to two and a half years for both to be back in steam, aggressive, but if the funds and volunteers are available, I guess anything is possible.

If The Swanage hit these targets, then the three Moguls in steam together is an exciting prospect. Fingers crossed...

 

Id say just look at 46447 to see what can be done...

 

Quite right about the motion. It has been swapped about between 31625 & 31806. 31806 is currently "borrowing" it again.

 

I'll be pleasantly surprised if the good folks at Swanage get both 31874 and 31625 in service before 31806 is next withdrawn. However, they may well get 31806 back in service before 31874 has to go out again. That's more like a 10-year plan, but probably achievable.

 

i expect the N to take 2 years, 18 months at the earliest, whilst the boiler work could take 12 months, the bottom end needs a full overhaul, setting time limits never works, but as TWR12 sayes it will be done when its done, personally 31625 might have been a better choice because i believe the bottom end may need less work. so assuming it takes 3 years, to overhaul both engines, the working U class will be almost at the end of its ticket so the chance to see all 3 in steam will only be for about 1 season assuming shes now in the 6th year of her ticket.

 

One thing that hasn't been mention is 31806 and 31625 haven't steam together in preservation. So that's going to be a first for Swanage. Some think to look forward to.

 

It makes sense to overhaul 31874 before 31625 as it is more important historically and thus more of a draw for enthusiasts. It would be nice to think it might go out on tour

 

I'm actually glad they have gone to Swanage, you can not get a better new home than that, and that the intension is to restore them to steam, i always had a soft spot for the Moguls and have some good memories but times move on, the MHR can look foreward to the Std 4's and to seeing the S15's back in traffic the Swanage railway get 3 engines that will be very much at home and enhance their home fleet , what is there not to like, plus both are not that far a part and have a good working relation ship , so lets look to the future ,

 

A lot of people seem to be casting doubt on the swanage railway's timescales for overhauling these locos. Im sure they know what they are doing, and wihout knowing what funds and resources they have in place, i dont see any reason to doubt them.