35005 Canadian Pacific

This is my first ever post after years of just reading the forum without actually contributing anything.

I have recently got involved with helping to work onMerchant Navy class 35005 Canadian Pacific at Eastleigh Works. As you all know she is owned by the Mid Hants Railway and she seems to the railways unofficial flagship. During the project I have decided to write a volunteer diary to help give an insight into what goes into a locomotive restoration and hopefully inspire more (especially young people like myself) get involved with the heritage scene. All my entries are below:

23rd September 2013 – Diary Entry 1
14th October 2013 – Diary Entry 2
4th November 2013 – Diary Entry 3
12th November 2013 – Diary Entry 4
6th January 2014 – Diary Entry 5
3rd Feburary 2014 - Diary Entry 6
19th March 2014 - Diary Entry 7
11th June 2014 - Diary Entry 8
9th July 2014- Diary Entry 9
22nd November 2014- Diary Entry 10
10th February 2015 - Diary Entry 11

The diary entries are hosted on locoyard.com and seem to be quite popular. I aim to do one at least every 3 weeks so everyone can see how she is getting on.

I do need to point out that we arent actually restoring the beast but simply taking her apart so we can inspect what condition the locomotive is in and wont be able to start the actual restoration until funding has been secured.

Dave Wilson a Nine Elms fireman wrote a great piece for us on CanPacs record breaking run of 105mph which is a fascinating read.
Canadian Pacific - Record Holder - 105mph

I have also done a mini series looking at the history of the locomotive from its original construction to its current stripping down in Eastleigh.

Part 1 - The Spam Can Years
Part 2 - The Rebuild
Part 3 - The Preservation Years

Thanks for reading

Simon

 

Thanks for posting Simon, as a Mid Hants volunteer and contributor to the Can Pac fund, (albeit in a very modest way) it is great to see some progress on the beast!

 

Progress on the best is quite impressive. I am very much like yourself I am a contributor (again in a small way) and I am seriously impressed at the work the guys have done on the beast. I am only able to go once every two weeks but they are getting so much work done.

 

What I heard on the grape vine is (so not official) is CP will have the tender Wadebridge is using. Wadebridge is having a tender built for her at Ropley. Once the new tender is complete we will get our hands on it and makes sure its ready to run with CP.

 

I think the plan is to use the one currently behind Wadebridge. Wadebridge is having her own tender constructed.


Keith

 

Yea from what I understand its not the original tender the MHR bought CP with. Apparently one of Jeremy Hopkins locomotives had a newly refurbished tender but he swopped it for CPs in need of refurbishing but bigger tender. Not sure how true this is but its something I have heard a couple of times.

 

Simon,

I can only echo Hampshire Unit's sentiments!

A well written, informative and concise blog.

Can I put a suggestion to you? Get in contact with whoever it is at the Mid Hant's and every time you write a blog, get them to post it or link it on the home page in the preservation news section........... win win for both parties, and very much keeps Can Pac in the public domain!

 

Thanks for the kind words but I am leaving the Mid Hants to do the reports on the project as I am focusing on what I am physically doing. For me the main focus of my diaries is to try and inspire the younger enthusiasts to get involved in the heritage scene so I am advertising it on places like Facebook and Twitter. I am new to the scene as well so not in a position in terms of knowledge to convey what stage the inspection work is at and how it is progressing.

 

Simon,

I urge you to get in touch with the MHR, not because like H U, I volunteer, but because of precisely that, you like us volunteer............................. and your blog reaching the wider public via the MHR website could/would/will bring in new volunteers to the overhaul/ railway, and as your blog comes from the heart you say as you see/do, which is what it should be!.................................. if you're unsure PM 21B..................................... I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!! As a cop out personally I don't know him, but I believe he is high up in the railway and has his finger on the pulse (from reading his posts!)

 

Thanks for the advice. They have proved quite popular online (second entry has just over 600 views) think I will write a few more entries over the next couple of months and if the fanbase is there I will contact the MHR and see what they say.

 

Were you working on it yesterday Simon? I saw two gentlemen in the process of removing something from underneath the firemans side footplate just ahead of the firebox while walking through. It's good to see the overhaul started.

Regards,

Dan

 

Keep up the splendid blog! PM me whenever.

 

I only work once or twice every two weeks at the moment. I have a wedding to pay off so if there is overtime at work that takes priority at the moment. There are a couple guys like John Aplin who is incharge of the project who put in a good 30 hours a week on her. Amazing dedication

 

Thanks for the offer my plan is to simply get a few more updates done over the next couple of months and establish it a bit better before trying to publish it on the more "mainstream" sources.

 

Simon,

I really don't understand why you are holding back!!

Just PM 21B and get the ball rolling, your blogs are fine, and as I said enjoyable, and as with anything like a blog it will naturally develop and mature over time.......... you'll soon be as famous as the Wednesday Gang!!!

 

Will have a good old think about it over the weekend and have a chat with my friend Dave who owns the locoyard.com blog which is hosting my diary. The Mid Hants from what I have seen is very keen to engage with the youth (especially from what I heard from the 3 Daves at Medstead) and get them involved with the railway so my blog is something they might be interested in.

 

Hi guys my third diary entry went live today on LocoYard.com which shows some of the great process done by John and his team. Just a quick thank you for "Hampshire Unit" who gave me permission to use a couple of his photos of CP in my blog.

4th November 2013 - Diary Entry 3

 

My fourth diary entry went live today and does show the progress made on 35005. Work on Canadian Pacific is going at a good pace and we might even say we are ahead of schedule at this point (that's just cursed the project). Anyway check it out and let me know what you think.

12th November 2013 – Diary Entry 4

Cheers

Simon