Sir Keith Park

Glad you enjoyed the day and thanks for supporting the event. It's not always about full sun. The important thing is that SLL, SVR and BBLS all benefitted from the day's activities.

 

Yes it is. It was a pity the permanent way wagons were in the way yesterday.

 

Just found a mention of the recent charter in this thread. I would like to add my thanks to Ian and everyone at the SVR for doing their bit to make it an enjoyable day in spite of the weather. Some of my shots are here Severn Valley Railway - Monday 8th October 2012 - Paul Gildersleve's Photos | SmugMug

Regards,

Paul

 

Seems it's difficult to do a charter without a pw train getting in the way somewhere.

 

Yes. I took a photo before the road railer arrived unlike some others who went for the other 2 locations south of Bewdley first.On Tuesday the only clear location was the signal box shot.

 

PDF of the event now on http://www.svr.co.uk/pdf/specialevents/MemberShareholderWeekend.pdf -- link now off the 'latest News' item on the website.

Patrick

 

Can anyone tell me how SKP's cab is doing- it's a classic survivor.

 

Well it hadn't fallen off the loco when I was in it on Monday.

 

Posting on this thread as the Bulleidophiles (is that a word..) are likely to be on here...
Please can anyone advise, or advise a source of the following:
After a detailed dimensional spec for a wc/bb boiler, incl tubes/ flues no's/ sizes, superheater elements etc

ta

 

Everything from Bradley:

Boiler diameter: 5' 9 3/4" at smokebox end, tapering to 6' 3 1/2" at firebox end.
Boiler length: 16' 9 1/2".
Firebox length: 6' 11".

Heating surfaces
Tubes (112 x 2 1/4"): 1,121 sq. ft.
Flues (32 x 5 1/4"): 748 sq. ft.
Firebox and thermic syphons: 253 sq. ft.

Total evaporative area: 2,122 sq. ft.
Superheater area: 545 sq. ft. (unrebuilt); 488 sq. ft. (rebuilt).

Combined total: 2,667 sq. ft. (unrebuilt); 2,610 (rebuilt).

Grate area: 38 1/4 sq. ft.

 

brilliant, thankyou

 

The Winter 2012 issue of the Severn Valley magazine contains an interesting article about 34053 the locomotive, and Sir Keith Park himself. It was interesting to read that the decision by SLL to restore 34053, which was only intended as a source of spares, instead of classmate "Sidmouth" was only taken after they saw an article in the Financial Times starting a project to have a memorial statue to Sir Keith built in Central London. The newspaper article mentioned that the only other memorial to Sir Keith was "rusting away in a field in Kent". It was felt that restoring 34053 would meet a growing desire to recognise just what Sir Keith did for Britain, particularly his pivotal organisational role in the Battle of Britain.
34053 is settling down in regular service on the Severn Valley, and is a most welcome addition to the fleet.

 

It was said of Sir Keith that he was the only man who could have lost the war in an afternoon but in spite of the onerous task set him not only did he win the air defence battle over southern England, he went on the repeat his success over Malta. To give a measure of his achievement it is worth noting that nobody else won an air defence battle before or since. As a lover of steam I can think of no more fitting tribute than to have his namesake loco up and running again.

 

Indeed. His magnificent accomplishment in Malta (in what was one of the pivotal battles of WWII - the island richly deserved the George Cross it got for the heroism everyone in that island displayed during that long and terrible siege - worse even in some ways than its prior great siege, when it turned back the forces of the Ottomans, thereby protecting the West - but I digress even farther, but it is odd how that one island was involved in two great, pivotal sieges) is somewhat overshadowed by his accomplishment in the Battle of Britain, perhaps naturally though, as I (and some historians) consider it the key turning point of the whole war (although I personally give a lot of the credit for the victory to his commander, Dowding - along with a host of others, of course).

But it's very good indeed to see that 'his' loco was saved and restored.

Noel

 

Credit to Dowding to come up with the whole air defence system in the first place (and refusing to send even more fighters to France in what was already a lost cause in May 1940), Brand for 10 Group's unswerving assistance of 11 Group when needed as well as fighting their own battles and the countless men and women of Fighter Command. Park needs special mention as 11 Group bore the brunt and if they'd folded then the Luftwaffe would have held sway over the vital areas required for a German invasion. I'll avoid including Leigh-Mallory as IMHO he was a bit of a trouble maker.

 

Thanks for your comments about the article, and your interest in SKP. There's a page about the man on the SLL website: Air Vice-Marshal Park . I'd recommend looking through the links, and the biography by Vincent Orange is a good read.

 

Indeed it is.

 

34053 reported on the SVR official website as "failed at Bewdley 23/12". Does anyone happen to know what has caused the failure please? Question asked on another forum and will post the answer here if it becomes apparent.

 

I'm sure the cause will be revealed in due course. To be honest, its quite an achievement that nothing has happened up until now, as it has only been bedding-in for three-four months.