If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Bulleid Pacifics - Past or Present

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by 34007, May 13, 2008.

  1. Chris86

    Chris86 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2011
    Messages:
    1,328
    Likes Received:
    1,315
    Occupation:
    Safety, Technical and Offroad Driver Trainer
    Location:
    South Yorkshore
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    On a similar note- does anyone know if 34101 will be equipped to work the Esk Valley line when she returns?

    Be lovely if she was, I can't wait to see her return- was the first Standard Gauge loco I went on the footplate of whilst she was in steam!

    Chris
     
  2. Swan Age

    Swan Age Member

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2005
    Messages:
    941
    Likes Received:
    260
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    21C101 in the South West
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    It did do a lot for the class back in the 1980's. 34067 has now taken over the baton at the moment and in due course 34007 will I'm sure be a welcome addition to the mainline scene.
     
    Matt37401 likes this.
  3. alexl102

    alexl102 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2019
    Messages:
    448
    Likes Received:
    309
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I’ve been told no, but I read that apparently something to do with wheelbase of the driving wheels and the tightness of the curves into Whitby - but I’m sure Gresley has been down there so I don’t know if I misunderstood.
     
    Chris86 likes this.
  4. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2011
    Messages:
    25,484
    Likes Received:
    23,713
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Grantham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I believe Gresley only went there once, and that it was the trailing axle that didn’t like the curves.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
    Chris86 likes this.
  5. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2006
    Messages:
    5,294
    Likes Received:
    3,596
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    34101 has a different design of trailing truck to the A4 that might be less rigid, so could possibly run to Whitby, but I don't think there are any plans for it to do so, if only on account of the cost of equipping it to do so. The question (perhaps) should be which of 80135 or 34101 would be the better option later on, and how large a Whitby fleet is needed - and, of course, whether the NYMR should run to Whitby at all!
     
    Chris86 likes this.
  6. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    21,064
    Likes Received:
    20,773
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Snobbishness about the main line? Where on earth did you get that thought from?

    Of course it's easier and cheaper to get up close and personal on a heritage line but try persuading a racehorse owner that it's ok to just keep their filly in a field. As @Matt37401 said, it's more about money as Mr Cameron decided for his two
     
  7. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,099
    Likes Received:
    57,414
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    "A loco that would have done much for the class were it to have remained on the main line" - which rather implies that your view is that since it came off the mainline, it has therefore not done much for the class.

    Tom
     
  8. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    21,064
    Likes Received:
    20,773
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I stand by that thought as the only other example - Tangmere - aside from the odd burst of brilliance hasn't exactly covered itself in glory. There is a list...

    By contrast, off the ML, locos like 34081 have done plenty of good. When on the ML Wells was an asset and I was merely observing that had it been able to remain it would have continued to fly the Bulleid flag proudly. But that's not to say it hasn't done a good job on the East Lancs.

    I hope that makes it clearer what I am saying.
     
    green five and 26D_M like this.
  9. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2006
    Messages:
    11,930
    Likes Received:
    10,088
    Occupation:
    Gentleman of leisure, nowadays
    Location:
    Near Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Currently no plans to equip 34101 for running to Whitby. There is no precedent for one running down there so whether it could do so without problem is an unknown and to spend a small fortune to put it to the test would be a bit foolish.
     
    Richard Roper, torgormaig and Chris86 like this.
  10. twr12

    twr12 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2007
    Messages:
    1,540
    Likes Received:
    692
    How does the curvature of the line between Grosmont and Whitby compare with say, the LSWR line to Padstow; which is legendary for being twisty?

    SR West Country class locomotives often ran to Padstow.
     
  11. torgormaig

    torgormaig Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    4,440
    Likes Received:
    6,546
    I suggest that there is no comparison between the two. Remember that the Esk Valley line was built as a horse drawn railway following the tight twists and turns of the river itself and that history is still clearly evident to this day.

    Peter
     
  12. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2006
    Messages:
    11,930
    Likes Received:
    10,088
    Occupation:
    Gentleman of leisure, nowadays
    Location:
    Near Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I don’t know but some of the curves along the line are checkrailed so almost certainly less than 10 chains. My gut feeling is a bit tighter than that.
     
    2392 likes this.
  13. Dave Williams

    Dave Williams New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2021
    Messages:
    23
    Likes Received:
    26
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Devon
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I see on the SR WC/BB drawing the “radius of minimum curve is 5 3/4 chains,
     
  14. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2006
    Messages:
    11,930
    Likes Received:
    10,088
    Occupation:
    Gentleman of leisure, nowadays
    Location:
    Near Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    There’s a lot of difference between going round a 5 3/4 chain curve at 5 mph in a yard and 25 mph on a running line.
     
    srapley, Chris86 and 3855 like this.
  15. MrDibbs

    MrDibbs New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2019
    Messages:
    132
    Likes Received:
    101
    Location:
    York
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    8 Chains (161m) at roughly 26M30CH is the tightest recorded on the 5 Mile Diagrams. Near Low Newbiggin House between Br. 48 and 49.
     
  16. Allegheny

    Allegheny Member

    Joined:
    May 8, 2015
    Messages:
    625
    Likes Received:
    308
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I might be wrong, but I seem to remember reading somewhere that the problem was with the LNER four axle tender.
     
  17. Jonno854

    Jonno854 New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2006
    Messages:
    158
    Likes Received:
    58
    Occupation:
    Land Manager
    Location:
    Hook Norton
    Big Al, I have to challenge that. 34067 has a bad rep, unfairly in my opinion. You say 'there is a list' but look at that list objectively (making some assumptionsas to what that list is);

    1) Stalling at Exeter Central - overloaded and the Std 4 slipped first.
    2) Stalling on the climb to Filton - allegedly a driver who didn't like the loco, a class which is accepted to need a sympathetic hand to get the best of. I've been on a couple of runs same line, load and loco where we've stormed up that grade.
    3) Dropping a rod. Nothing to do with the loco, just bad luck.
    4) Wooton Bassett. Ditto.

    In comparison, in its last ticket 34067 put in significant mileages, often on Class 8 loads, a long way from its mechanical base at Carnforth. During that time in put in some truly brilliant running and was a credit to the class. Towards the end of its ticket it was getting tired, but so would any loco in similar situation.

    Some of the preserved locos are tighter and sweeter sounding (34070 is the best IMHO) but they're all somewhat more pampered than Tangers!

    Jonathan
     
    Spamcan81, twr12 and Sunnieboy like this.
  18. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2010
    Messages:
    5,591
    Likes Received:
    9,325
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Asset Engineer (Signalling), MNLPS Treasurer
    Location:
    London
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    “Dropping a rod” is not bad luck.
     
    Big Al, 21B, green five and 4 others like this.
  19. Jonno854

    Jonno854 New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2006
    Messages:
    158
    Likes Received:
    58
    Occupation:
    Land Manager
    Location:
    Hook Norton
    For the locos record it is. A matter of fatigue or maintenance is hardly a reason for blacking a particular loco.
     
    Bulleid Pacific and Spamcan81 like this.
  20. std tank

    std tank Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2005
    Messages:
    3,808
    Likes Received:
    946
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Liverpool
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I wonder what the result would have been if it had been the rod on the other side of the loco. It does not bear thinking about.
     
    green five, 26D_M and S.A.C. Martin like this.

Share This Page