Bulleid Eastleigh Works Repairs

Tomorrow, for the first time since 602 Squadron in September 1966; A Bullied locomotive - 34070 "Manston" will be lifted in the main Erecting shop of Eastleigh Works. It will be undergoing bogie repairs by Swanage Railway.

Manston will be hauled in light steam to Swanage in a few days time when the repairs are completed.

 

Re: Bulleid Eastleigh Works Attention

I assume that date was the last time a Bulleid was lifted at Eastleigh. (Manston was in Barry Scrapyard at the time)

 

Re: Bulleid Eastleigh Works Attention

When Swindon works had stopped building standard gauge loco’s for BR. Eastleigh works was still rebuilding Bulleid light pacific’s up to May 1961 Bere Alston 34104. Which was 18 mouths after 92220 Evening Star was built.

 

Re: Bulleid Eastleigh Works Attention

I know the rebuilding programme was cut short but its strange Bere Alston was not given any special honour of being the last to be outshopped, especially seeing the rebuilding was major.

 

Re: Bulleid Eastleigh Works Attention

1961 eh? so when was the first light pacific withdrawn? Can I assume that shortly after 1961 a start was made withdrawing the unrebuilt examples? It seems a very haphazrd programme as I believe some unrebuilts lasted to the end.... when was the first re-built withdrawn? Im sure someone can give chapter and verse here..

 

Re: Bulleid Eastleigh Works Attention

The first unrebuilt Bulleids were withdrawn in 1963, only 2 years after rebuilding stopped. 34055 failed at Chichester and it and a futher 3 unrebuilds (34035/43/74) were withdrawn in June. A further 6 had gone by the end of the year. 34067 Tangmere being one of them.

The first rebuit light pacific to be withdrawn was 34028 Eddystone, which is still with us. It was withdrawn in May 1964, although two Merchants, 35002 and 35015 were withdrawn in February.

It all seems to have been a dreadful waste of money. 34096 and 34109 wer both rebuilt as late as 1961 and withdrawn in 1964 adter barely 3 1/2 years.

Two unrebuilts lasted to the end, 34023 Blackmore Vale and 34102 Lapford. Interestingly, most of the Bulleids that have survived are relatively early withdrawals. Of the 8 unrebuilds hat have been rescued from Barry, only 34007 Wadebridge was stil in traffic in 1965. Several rebuilds sent to Barry were stil in traffic in 1966 (34059/101, 35010/1/22/7/9) although no Bulleids still working in 1967 were sent to Barry, even though Woodhams did buy 41312 and 80151, which did work on the Southern into '67 - 41312 lasting to the end.

I hope this helps.

 

Re: Bulleid Eastleigh Works Attention

Any truth in the rumour that following its extensive rebuild Bere Alston was virtually a new locomotive?

 

Re: Bulleid Eastleigh Works Attention

The first withdrawals of original bulleids were not until June 1963. Basically this resulted from a decision to stop general repairs to unrebuilt engines. All the remaining repaired boilers were to be used on rebuilt engines only. About the same time all major boiler repairs i.e. off the engine, were also stopped, which meant that within little over a year, no general repairs would be possible. At which stage there were about half a dozen replacement boilers available for light pacifics, and about four MN boilers. So when those were all used up, general repairs stopped completely. 34052 and 35028 being the engines to receive the last repaired boilers early in 1964. In fact the six rebuilt lightweights that were proposed for general repairs in 1963 were the only ones ever to have exchange boilers after rebuilding. 35002 became the first MN victim, actually being stopped when 35028 was still in Eastleigh works, and 34028 was the first rebuilt WC to be rejected for shopping, and the first withdrawn in May 1964. The second locos of each class - 34016 and 35015 - were withdrawn due to other defects. 34016 was actually used for safety valve testing for some months at Eastleigh after withdrawal. Of the unrebuilts, 34055 was the first one to be stopped at the works and withdrawn due to a broken middle cylinder which had occurred on a return trip from Salisbury to Brighton. An attempt was made to repair 34055 in June 1963, but in the meantime 34043, which had hardly been used for the previous nine months, and 34035 were withdrawn. Closely followed by 34074. All of those engines were rejected for works overhauls in favour of the rebuilt engines as described above. The only unrebuilt engine to last until the final week was 34102, which was stopped after a poor run on the Tuesday.

 

Re: Bulleid Eastleigh Works Attention

34028 'Eddystone' and the M7 (together with the class 33 diesel and 'Queen May' brake van) came back yesterday. unforturelly I 'belive' (I could be worng) 34028 got a 'hot box' on her tender, delayed their arrival and our service trains (we were 20 mins down at one point, and it was really busy).

What I found remarkable was the two 'modern' bullieds have suffred faults (minor ones) and yet the 104 year old M7 had no probloms what so ever!!!! (I might now created a jinx...)

It was nice seing the bullieds lined up with 'Can Pac' at Eastleigh on sunday though.

 

M7 - you can't beat quality!

 

Manston was lifted in the Erecting Shop today. Bogie dismantled, axleboxes examined, blued, scraped etc.
Much measuring undertaken.
Tomorrow the bogie axleboxes will be delivered to Swanage Railway Herston Works for white metalling and machining.

 

so probably the Bullieds rescued from Barry would have been in better condition than many that were abused to the end?

 

Please could we spell BULLEID correctly?

O.V.S woulds not be happy with the apparent assumption that he was a tyrant and overpowering with other guys! I am sure.

And. When did the magnificent 7 reduce below that number?

i.e the last seven original condition Bulleids in service.

I wonder if 34102's withdrawal followed the utter thrashing she was given by "Boy" the New Cross Lip, Gaffney to get that Bulleid up to 100 mph, (or very slightly less depending on your stop watch and which mileposts you used!), on the up Salisbury due into Waterloo circa 20.30. (was it 20.26?)

I can still hear that amazing noise and see most of the fire depositing itself over the platform at Fleet and the fields approaching the site of the old Bramshot Halt!

 

did you ever make a mistake Mr Perfect....? :-k

 

I'm going to have to reinstate my signature. [-X

 

Like Guard and gauge, Bulleid is something every real railway enthusiast should know how to spell. ](*,)

 

Officially, it was mid March 1967 when 34006 & 34019 were withdrawn. But in truth, 34002 was under the crane at Nine Elms by the end of 1966 for attention to the rear truck and never worked again, and 34019 hadn't been out for several weeks before it was withdrawn. Somehow seven were kept on the books for six months after 34066 was withdrawn in Sep 66, but some of them didn't go out much. Most of them, apart from 34006, and later 34102, were stopped at Nine Elms, and I think that was a lot to do with the plan to save one of them. They were all still there on July 9th and were then heavily stripped of parts for 34023.

I wouldn't know when that was, but it was stopped for repairs at Eastleigh in late June, and as far as I know only went out again once after that, which was on July 4th.

 

Back on with the topic, shall we chaps?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG6Eq_SFROE

All 4 axleboxes re-metalled as required and machined on ex Eastleigh Works horizontal borer - at Swanage Railway Herston Workshop!
Boxes will be delivered back to ZG on Thursday for fitting to axles (ie, proper fitting with engineers blue and scraper). Then bogie re-assembly etc on Friday.

More news when its news.

 

What?

If you've got something to post, post it. But if you don't, then why have a dig at others who raise perfectly valid related questions, and answer them?