35028, "Clan Line"

Lets not let this lovely machine slip too far down the boards!

Gives me a chance to compare hill climbing with decent loads behind 35028 as well.

Brian Butcher and crew made a lovely ascent of Roundwood from the Eastleigh stop on May 8th. 62 mph over Roundwood Summit with the equivalent of (1960s money), 15 on: circa 525 tons.

I'm typing up my old logs and just done a run with 35028 on the 09.49 ex Weymouth on August 8th 1965. 12 on for 400 tons. Gordon Hooper driving and Fireman Pack. Starting from Winchester we went over Roundwood summit at 64½ mph. Probably my best 12 car climb with a Winchester start behind a MN.

Let's hope she's back soon, tackling the grades with her normal heavy load.

 

Any further news on the old girl?

 

Gen groups showed 35028 booked a test run last night (30th July) but CAPE due to injector failure.

No further news.

Alan

 

Hope things get better for you guy's that are working so hard to get clan line back on main line;
AND THIS IS ONLY A SMALL SET BACK;good luck to you all and hope she back real soon

all the best
Jane;

 

Down at the Bluebell today I noticed that 21C123's injectors were missing. On enquiring with a member of the Bulleid Society it would appear that they were loaned to Clan Line on Wednesday. Let's hope that they provide the solution.

 

Good Spot Spindizzy! I took several photos of 21C123 yesterday and didn't notice the missing injectors. I was obviously blinded by the shiny paintwork!

 

Good move from the Bulleid guys and girls. Sadly 34023 won't be needing them for a while.

 

I suppose now is a good time to ask. Bryan, have you had any good runs behind 34023?

 

We nicknamed that loco Blackmoor Snail!

Never had a really fast run with it. Amongst others, a workmanlike run on an up ACE relief in Summer 1964. Salisbury to Waterloo in 84 mins, (81 mins net of checks), on a 94 minute schedule. Just 8 cars.

And a net even time run Waterloo to Basingstoke on the 17.30 in September 1966 with Gordon Porter driving.

Plus others I haven't typed up yet. But I am sure there was nothing out of the ordinary.

 

You will not find too many 'good runs behind 34023' towards the end of steam, as Alan Wilton, Brian Ventham and a lot of the 9 Elms staff did their utmost to keep her out of
the hands of the lunatic fringe, otherwise she may not have been around today!

 

I'd hardly call those who pushed the Bulleids closer to their design limits the lunatic fringe. Just crews who had a great deal of pride as steam locomotive enginemen, who amongst other goals they set themselves was to show that steam could, (and did), keep the proposed new electric schedules. They'd had too many years running on easy schedules to resist the temptation. And I'm not aware it did any locos any harm. I timed 35003 being pushed quite hard from as early as 1962, (my fastest up ACE run), and she still was fit to run at 100 mph or over 5 times in 1967. And lets not forget that 35028 and her 103/4 mph run on the level on an up Bomo Express in 1966 when she recorded 3000 ihp.

 

Slightly off topic but no more than serving wenches , apparently the parts required for 21C123's overhaul are being gathered in anticipation of time at which funds for the inner box are avaliable.

 

And a Merchant Navy right at the end. That was running at the speed limit of 85 mph and slipped in the wet. The sanders were put on but only worked on one side of the loco, leading to a very nasty incident when the driving wheels on one side of the loco regained their grip, while the others continued slipping. (Or something similar to that happened, you all know how technically incompetent I am with such things). Anyway it was the faulty sanders that lead to a coupling rod breaking and flailing around on the up main near Winchfield.

There were also problems with locos, (was it 35029 Alan?), being sent out in the hands of crews without a lot of experience. But near the end of SR steam crews were off for training on the juice units, and others were being drafted in from various places round the country, (very much so with fireman),to keep things running. I think 35029 was the one that dropped it's fusible plugs with a very inexperienced crew.

I have a run some where with Fred Prickett. A real old school Nine Elms Top Link Driver. Never over the speed limit, just did his job with great application and dedication. Had a dreadful run once to Basingstoke with him near the end on a main line express. Conversation something like this at Basingstoke:-

"Whats up Fred",

"First time the fireman's been on a steam loco Bryan. I've sat him down while I do both jobs"!

Anyway. Back to Clan Line before I get accused of ruining some one else's lunch break, (that's a joke guys. J. O. K. E.)

My first run behind that lovely machine was on the 11.00 Waterloo- Exeter, 10th May 1964. Not the ACE as it was a Sunday, but a semi fast train. Driver Pistell of Salisbury who could turn in very inconsistent running at times. 12 cars that day and a workmanlike time keeping performance all the way to Salisbury. Best bit was 55 over Grateley from the restart at Andover.

I had to wait until July 1964 for my next run with 35028. My best down ACE run. With Fred Hoare driving and Pete Allen firing. 77 mins 30 secs to Salisbury, (80m min schedule), with a severe tsr at Allington and a signal stop outside Salisbury!

Lovely to read the local newspaper cuttings from Salisbury when his daughter passed away in March this year at the age of 91. On the lines of, "And her father, Fred Hoare was the top driver at Salisbury Steam Loco depot where he spent most of his 50 years of railway service". Got a photo copy of his 50 year service medal not long ago.

Yes he was. And on that day in July 1964 Fred showed he was the top man, driving a top loco, 35028 Clan Line.

 

35021 also suffered a broken coupling rod at Winchester towards the end of Southern steam, and there are a few photographs in the recent edition of 'The Southern Way' (p. 68) of fitters from Eastleigh posing alongside the offending rod. They are, however, undated.

 

Maintenance standards dropped quite a lot towards the end. It wasn't only steam crews the SR was short of.

But 35028 came though it all OK! But was held back during the "Burridge week" at the end of June 1967. A mere 95 mph between Basingstoke and Woking after the guys from the MNLPS who were just about to buy the loco asked for Fred Burridge not to break their forthcoming purchase.

Not sure I should say this on this thread, but reading the note in my brother's log book, (that is the copy of that log I have on my PC at present), it seems one of Clan Line's injectors failed at Hook that night!

 

And posted it twice :second: :biggrin1:

Dave B

 

I was so bl.ody excited I'd managed to post a thread that didn't need editing for total crap content, appalling spelling and grammar that a non English speaking Lithuanian who had spent his whole life on the International Space Station with a dozen Bavarian Serving Wenches could better, that I managed to make the post twice. Please don't tell my daughters as they will say it's time I went into a home. And then I'd never ride behind 35028 again, (getting back to topic).

 

I think that can safely be described as subtle like throwing a brick through a plate glass window...!

Regards,

Dan