47298 Returns

Going by the Llangollen Loco Roster it looks like we will be seeing a Jinty in use on service trains again.

http://www.llangollen-railway.org.uk/locoroster.html

Any idea when the last time this happened?

 

Looks like a trip to Llangollen looks probable and especially with Jesse Out in January

 

Oh yes Jessie's first workings too since conversion back to a saddletank.

 

Is that as a proper Jinty or a silly blue thing? A proper 47298 and a proper Jessie might be worth a visit.

 

Should think I'll be along for a trip behind Jessie in the new year!

 

Typical I am away...I would have loved to the see the poor man's austerity in Black in the Dee Valley on a nice short rake of stock. Also great to hear that Jessie is back - what a great engine that is. Best performance I have ever seen at Foxfield - what bank?

 

Jinty will be operating in Blue livery but without face and No 1. Jessie is being finished in her red livery from before. The services are now split between these locos only with 6430 as reserve from what I understand. This means Jinty before NY, Jessie after. Shall confirm following my visit tomorrow.

 

Work on 47298 has not ben completed in time, so she will not be hauling any Mince Pie Specials. This means 6430 is now working the rest of 2009, with Jessie taking over for the start of 2010. 44806 is standby loco.

 

Is Jessie definitely running on Saturday? Is she back together now then?

 

Jessie was running today, but has been failed due to poor steaming. The driver of the day / owner believes this is due to blocked tubes...

6430 will be used tomorrow.

 

Had a couple of trips with Jessie today and it was struggling all day. At one point it was down to 80psi but managed to get to Carrog. Enjoyable day though and the trains were very busy.

 

Surely at 80psi the brakes would be well in? :shocked:

 

Not necessarily, I've been on a loco (with extenuating circumstances other than my ineptitude, I hasten to add!) where I came over the top at Harmans Cross with the gauge showing 75psi, and the vac gauge was only just starting to flicker.

 

The driver reckoned if it had got down to about 70psi the brakes would have come on. What was impressive was that it still managed to get the four coach train up to Carrog three times.

 

If the loco has a Penberthy ejector with a pressure reducing valve, it will usually create 21" down to about 40 psi.

 

Some pictures of the Jinty on its test runs are now of the Llangollen Railway's website....

http://llangollen-railway.co.uk/_wp_generated/wpbad54597_28.jpg
http://llangollen-railway.co.uk/_wp_generated/wp0bfbac10_28.jpg