'The Capital Christmas Express'. 23rd November

Unlikely given it occurred in the middle of nowhere in the dark. Best you'd likely get is a video from the London-bound platform at Fleet a few minutes earlier.

Although quite why anyone would want to see it is a mystery to me...

 

Remember, I wasn't the one who brought the subject up.

 

Never said you were, but it was the most relevant post at the time.

 

Fascination with mishaps, has anyone not watched the Blue Petere video ?, horrible viewing as it is.

 

Yes, but it's not been shared online AFAIK.

 

- The reason I ask is to see what the actual damage was? Not just on 'Tangmere' but on the track as well?

 

Yes the cap is held by an internal clip, that was replaced on rebuilds by studs and nuts, which must make you wonder, in BR days did the works staff view the original fitment as being not really railway proof. ie wont come adrift at some stage

 

It was not just the rebuilds. A seemingly significant number of the originals can be seen to have had the mod - as can be seen in photographs and film.

 

As per 34007 shown earlier in the thread.
Aside from that wasn't it the small (crosshead) end that came adrift on 34067? Not the big end.

 

I see 34007 has also got the modified nuts fitted. Must of happen when a loco went in to the works. Looks like some unrebuilt light pacific's also had this mod done. It makes you wonder why BR didn't modify all light pacific's over to nuts?

 

You may be right, it seems to have been assumed in some posts - I am waiting for official confirmation before commenting

 

Yes it was the small end so the only way is that either the split pin came out, but the legs appear to be correctly splayed, or that the knuckle pin itself suffered a frature, i would say a 100 to 1 chance.
In this case it was lucky that the 47 was attached to the train, , had it not been, there would have been even more serious problems, plus thee are not many vac fitted deisels sitting in yards these days, had this been the good old days, Tangmere would have not been working to Basingstoke, steam was banned on 3rd rail dont forget, had it been possible, then there may have been a 73 or 33 parked up in woking yard, or possibly at basingstoke but it would have mean clearing the road, in any case, or wrong road running if you had to run to basingstoke then set back wrong road. both not the easiest things ti organise, just be thankful that it wasnt a derailed loco and people hurt.

 

because the decision to do away with steam, was made ,making it not worth modyfying further engines? some unrebuilds, even kept highsided tenders till the end, once the decision was made to electrify the remaining routes the plan to rebuild all the light pacifics was halted.

 

There is one mode of failure you have not mentioned, which is also a long shot - fatigue fracture of the little end. The videa of it leaving Basingstoke is not clear enough to see any damage

 

Are the little end pins and crosshead ect. Non Destructively Tested periodically for flaws, fractures and fatigue? If so what is the recommended testing/inspection frequency.

 

Wasn't it a air braked train?

 

I'm not certain,. but the train may have included some former "Green Train" Mark 2s and therefore be vacuum braked. Having said that as Tangmere is dual braked and remained in steam, it would probably have been possible to attach an air-braked diesel to the front to rescue the train had that proved necessary.

 

The WCR set is dual braked as far as I am aware with the possible exception of one coach

 

there were no green coaches from WCRC stock in the rake, all were maroon incl old mk1 pullmans... Yes we were fortunate to have the 47 on the back otherwise it may have been a much longer night than it was!
Think ourselves lucky we got on a warm SWT at Basingstoke to take us all the way home to Weymouth by the skin of our teeth.

there were no other diesels around and it was not possible to run our diesel back and run around to the front and tow us...