Bulleid chain driven valve gear.

Does anyone have a photograph or know of a photograph showing the valve gear inside the oil bath of an unrebuilt Bulleid Pacific?

In addition I am aware of a couple of Youtube videos one showing the valve gear / oil bath of a Bulleid Pacific and another showing the valve gear / oil bath in a Leader power bogie. Are there any others?

Many thanks!

 

There are some good drawings of it on the bulleid society website.
http://www.bulleidsociety.org/21C123/21C123_Valve_Gear.html
I dont think your going to find any photos on the other hand, its a bit hard to photograph an oil filled bath!

 

Thanks, I had seen the pictures on the Bulleid website plus the one in the Enginemans black book. I have found a few pictures of components on the 34007 website as well but am hoping that someone has got some works pictures or some taken of a loco before the top of the sump and the boiler went on.

 

I can recommend two sources, but unfortunately, they involve purchasing DVDs. For archive footage of the chain-driven valve gear in operation at Eastleigh Works, I recommend Bulleids in Retrospect by Transport Video Publishing. For a more recent, colour view, then there is Steam Locomotive Profile: The Southern Pacifics by On-Track Productions. Both are readily available from Videoscene.

 

Thanks Bulleid Pacific, I will see if I can order them tomorrow!

 

Unfortunately when we put the motion up on number 7 in the shed at Bodmin the boiler and the top of the sump were already in situ, all the valve gear being lifted up from underneath through the access hatches. Would probably have been a damn sight easier and involved less Anglo-Saxon language doing it from above though!

 

The term "oil bath" is actually something of a misnomer as the moving parts of the valve gear are not actually surrounded by oil (which is contained at the bottom of the chamber only), rather it is sprayed on them. So to call it a sump would probably be more accurate. There is an inspection hatch between the frames at the back end through which it would be perfectly possible to take a photo of the valve gear but it's hardly a place I'd recommend going if you can possibly avoid it. If you ever get a chance to see one of his illustrated talks, Bulleid expert Colin Boocock has some excellent photos.

 

Thanks Widge, one of Mr Boocock's talks sounds just the ticket.

 

Although taken following an unfortuneate failure, some pictures can be found here:
http://www.stuart9941.fotopic.net/c955400.html

 

Interesting and very detailed Photos, You can feel the pain!

 

Which part was it that actually broke, please? Can't quite work out if it was a rod driving the link from the 'jockey shaft' or a radius rod or the inside cylinder connecting rod.

 

Thanks 32110, these pictures give greater understanding of what goes on in the oil bath / sump and to what a mess it can be when something goes wrong!

 

There is definitely a broken LH combination lever in there (the gear driving the LH valve is actually the centre set in the sump) at picture 516 at http://www.stuart9941.fotopic.net/c955400.html, although pic 474 also seems to show the union link as having broken off near the pin connecting it to the combination lever, although that may just be my eyes.

Incidentally in BR days 34007 spent some time on Weymouth shed having broken a union link; if you know where to look in the sump it still bears some of the scars as a result of this incident.

 

A few more here from Andy Shaw (who worked for Riley at the time) http://photos-by-andie.fotopic.net/c959401.html

 

This http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_mmDGlZHO0&NR=1 is a great video and nicely shows the gear working.

Ian

 

And here is a similar film of the "Leader".

The oscillating sleeve valves are rather hypnotic, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDZ2NEPragA