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Tangmere

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Live Steam, Sep 4, 2011.

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  1. pnemickey

    pnemickey Member

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    seen passing Euxton in glorious sunshine this morning
    http://www.northwestrailphoto.co.uk...album=lastup&cat=0&pid=1810#top_display_media http://www.northwestrailphoto.co.uk...album=lastup&cat=0&pid=1809#top_display_media
     
    pnemickey, Sep 26, 2011
    #41
  2. Britfoamer

    Britfoamer Well-Known Member

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    Nice to see they've worked their magic again and got her up and running, hope they can do the same for 46115 for this Saturday?
     
    Britfoamer, Sep 26, 2011
    #42
  3. twr12

    twr12 Well-Known Member

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    There was somewhat less broken in Tangmere than in 46115! Therefore Tangmere was a relatively easy fix.
     
    twr12, Sep 26, 2011
    #43
  4. phil.sez

    phil.sez Member

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    phil.sez, Sep 26, 2011
    #44
  5. 92143

    92143 New Member

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    Well that photo brought a smile to my face on a very dull morning here in Devon.
     
    92143, Sep 27, 2011
    #45
  6. Britfoamer

    Britfoamer Well-Known Member

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    Magic Carnforth - good on 'em!
     
    Britfoamer, Sep 27, 2011
    #46
  7. royals pete

    royals pete Member

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    royals pete, Sep 27, 2011
    #47
  8. richards

    richards Part of the furniture

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    richards, Sep 27, 2011
    #48
  9. williamfj2

    williamfj2 Member

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    The inspection saloon was used for the train rides, thanks for using my pic!
     
    williamfj2, Sep 27, 2011
    #49
  10. royals pete

    royals pete Member

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    Thanks for that, chaps. looks very smart. Assume therefore that I hadn't missed it on a mainline tour photo anywhere.
     
    royals pete, Sep 27, 2011
    #50
  11. phil.sez

    phil.sez Member

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    Im glad it brought a smile.

    The Saloon Car has been with WCR for some time, it has been used on inspection jobs before with both WCR and DRS traction. (Diesel)
     
    phil.sez, Sep 27, 2011
    #51
  12. Corkerhill

    Corkerhill New Member

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    Corkerhill, Oct 2, 2011
    #52
  13. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    I hope it's ok to resurrect this thread away from the What's Going On thread (23/11) as I'm hoping we can have a dispassionate conversation about this locomotive.

    Tangmere is currently the only main line example of a locomotive design that was revolutionary and imaginative when originally built. It came at a time when BR was starting to look for simplicity and an element of standardisation in its locomotives and we know that this was a factor in the subsequent rebuilding. As a Southern man, I have a soft spot for the loco and whilst we can see other examples of the class at work on heritage lines - Swanage and the Mid Hants, for example - there's no substitute for seeing one on the main line. Tangmere has put in some impressive performances and I've been on a few of those runs. However, she's also had a number of problematic outings. Setting aside her penchant for sitting down in embarrassing places like Horfield and Martin Mill, you can't avoid noticing her failures on trains. I'm not interested in listing them all but off the top of my head I can think of the Torbay, Easterling, Shap? and of course the Capital Christmas. And then there are 'emergency' repairs that seem to crop up.

    Is a locomotive like Tangmere any more difficult to maintain in top condition compared with any other? Do her distinctive features pose particular engineering dilemmas? Are specific additional skills/safeguards needed to work on her?

    I guess the only people who can answer this are engineers on heritage lines with examples of the class and of course the current custodians. But it would be interesting to know...rather than guess. Thanks.
     
    Big Al, Nov 27, 2013
    #53
  14. ADB968008

    ADB968008 Guest

    I reckon the Duke is more complex than Tangmere, but then again were comparing in the naughty corner right now.
     
    ADB968008, Nov 27, 2013
    #54
  15. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Difficult to answer Big Al's question without knowing the exact nature of 34067's failures and apart from the well known "leg out of bed" with the valve gear, I can't recall what happened on the others and we don't know the exact circumstances of the current incident. All I can say was the only real problem we had with 34081 was the firebox that required work of various sorts from time to time. Mechanically she was fine throughout her ticket although she did get a bit leaky at the front towards the end and the steam brake became a bit temperamental too - although some drivers knew how to handle the problem and carried on regardless. I recall one incident where a driver failed it only for a senior driver on the line, and well versed in Bulleid Pacifics, to take her for a test run and declare that he would take her in traffic.
     
    Spamcan81, Nov 27, 2013
    #55
  16. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Apart from an instance when I think the air brake pump packed up, it has often been valve gear related as with the SD ACE in Sept 2011 that's another failure. Sorry I said wasn't going to list!
     
    Big Al, Nov 27, 2013
    #56
  17. 242A1

    242A1 Well-Known Member

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    Thinking back, 34092 gave little trouble. True it chewed up valve rings occasionally. Essentially it proved to be very dependable. This dependability caused many to change their views of the original Bulleid design. However Tangmere has proved to be far more tempramental. Perhaps rebuilding was the best thing that could have happened to the class. Strange how views change, the widely accepted view of TGM for example was that the class was hard to maintain, somewhat fragile, slow, poor steaming etc. depending on the sources you choose to read and believe. Judged on the performance in preservation, the spark arrestor blocks from time to time and that is about it so far as we know. Interesting world that of preservation.
     
    242A1, Nov 27, 2013
    #57
  18. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Poor steaming and slow? They're new ones on me.
     
    Spamcan81, Nov 27, 2013
    #58
  19. twr12

    twr12 Well-Known Member

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    To maintain spamcans, suspend belief and get on with it!
    As for "slow and poor steaming", where did you read/ hear that?
     
    twr12, Nov 27, 2013
    #59
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  20. 242A1

    242A1 Well-Known Member

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    Well, as I wrote, it depends who you read. And who you believe. Some do struggle to make the beastie steam and if you were to believe some observers they do knock themselves to pieces if required to run at anywhere near generally accepted passenger train speeds. Based on more recent experience though you can let it loose with any load, anywhere, and it will not disappoint. Some engines are indeed greater than the modest sum of their parts.
     
    242A1, Nov 27, 2013
    #60
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