New build Steam Locos. The U.K forges ahead

kevsmith Oct 7, 2015

  1. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    It was whilst I was writing my recent thread on the Ticket to Ride gala featuring the New Build Patriot 4-6-0 that I started to consider just how many projects to recreate lost classes of Steam locomotives are underway in the U.K.

    Flushed with the success of the LNER Peppercorn A1 pacific 'Tornado' and the two replica Great Western broad gauge locos 'Iron Duke' and 'Firefly' groups up and down the country are now steaming ahead (If you'll pardon the pun) on the following amazing list of projects

    Obviously some are more advanced than others but many of these locos are making considerable progress

    In addition another group is planning a recreation of the pioneer LMS Co-Co diesel electric 10000!

    I'll go though my archives and post some representative pictures of some of these locos shortly to show the scop of work

    cheers

    Kev
     
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  2. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Wow. That is an amazing list of possibilities.
     
  3. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    The Patriot is the missing link between the Midland railway 'small engine' policy and the advent of Stanier's standardisation policy. So it still has a parallel boiler and the barely adequate Midland standard 6 wheel tender. 45504 'Royal Signals' is seen on a fitted freight

    [​IMG]

    The naming of this class was a bit random, many were named after Army regiments and war heroes while others were named after seaside holiday resorts associated with the LMS.

    The B17 4-6-0s were also a bit mixed, some were allocated to the former Great Eastern region and fitted with the short wheelbase GER tender and were named after famous landmarks in East Anglia and known as 'Sandringhams' whereas others were fitted with the LNER Standard tender and were named after famous English football clubs and were known as 'Footballers'

    [​IMG]

    61638 'Melton Hall' was allocated to March MPD

    The great Western 'County' class 4-6-0 was the zenith of the standardised line begun decades before with the Churchward's Stars and Saints introduced in the first decade of the 20th century. features such as two outside cylinders, taper boiler, copper topped chimney and brass top feed became a stly erunning through nearly every class of GWR loco/

    The 'Counties' must have been a bit of a shock to the Traditionalists when they stared to appear in 1945 with a one piece splashers covering the three sets of driving wheels and double chimney

    1015 'County of Gloucester' is seen at Rospeath in Cornwall in July 1959

    [​IMG]

    Now a class I never saw in real life was the GWR 47xx 2-8-0. Known as the 'Night Owls' because the principally worked fast fitted freights under the cover of darkness into London like milk trains they were basically a larger wheel version of the ubiquitous 28xx 2-8-0.

    I was stood by the driving wheels of the new build recently and it is going to be an imposing engine when it is complete

    [​IMG]

    More soon

    Kev
     
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  4. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    The Grange is well advanced I believe and was one of the locos 'that got away' slated for preservation like the Highland railway 'Small Ben' but which got cut up too soon

    6840 'Aberporth Grange' is seen at Marazion in Cornwall also in July 1959
    [​IMG]

    They were basically a smaller wheeled version of the Hall class 4-6-0

    I'll go through my archives and see what else I've got

    Kev
     
  5. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Even I didn't know I had this. The only picture my dad took of a Star class 4-6-0 near Exeter sadly unidentified

    [​IMG]

    The negative was really thick (overdeveloped) and took a bit of rescuing in Photoshop
     
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  6. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Didn't we see a picture recently, when posted about a train showing? Or was that a different project?
     
  7. fitz

    fitz TrainBoard Member

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    Kev, are those ALL new from the ground up projects, or are some restorations of out of service engines?
     
  8. Alan

    Alan Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Ones I am particularly interested in seeing completed are a P2 2-8-2 and one of my favourite "local" classes the Gresley B17, these were seen regularly on the East Lincolnshire line and 'spotted' whilst in class in school! The only regular named locomotives in the area.

    I think I have seen it mentioned that it is cheaper to build new than to restore a hulk. My only fear is that such a big list of projects could spread the available funds a little too thinly. But Tornado is testimony to what can be achieved.
     
  9. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Interesting point! I would certainly be sad to see a historic item go un-restored, or decline from neglect.
     
  10. Alan

    Alan Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    There are already hundreds of preserved engines around the heritage railways and constant funds are required for them. Ten year boiler tickets run out before you know it and major overhauls are not cheap.

    We are very lucky in the UK that we can see steam engines in action any week of the year. No-one is very far from a heritage line and although not every one has steam in use every week, there are great numbers of restored diesels in use, often in their original liveries.
     
  11. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Update..... As the late Dennis Farina used to sat on Unsolved Mysteries

    On my way to Zedex 2015 (see seperate thread appearing shortly on the Z forum) I called in at the Severn valley railway and found

    where 82045 was up to

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Also the new build 'Trevithick' loco 'catch me who can'

    [​IMG]

    and the loco that proved it was all possible 'Tornado'

    [​IMG]

    Happy times

    Kev
     
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  12. bremner

    bremner Staff Member

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    new build locos make a lot sense, they can be built using modern metals and historic locos can be saved. The Georgetown Loop all but destroyed the Colorado and Southern 9
     
  13. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I would love to see video of that "Catch Me Who Can" in action!
     
  14. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Knew I'd seen it somewhere



    Kev
     
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  15. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Current progress, as of a couple of weeks ago is.



    2-4-2T Lynn has had wheels and axleboxes trial fitted at Alan Keef's works and has a target date for steaming in may 2017



    Unknown Warrior was having its cylinder liners fitted and boiler work ongoing



    County of Glamorgans tender is well advanced



    the 47XXX group only need £18,000 raised to complete all of the work on the wheelsets



    The G5 group now have a complete smokebox to display



    The P2 'Prince of Wales' mikado group have now raised 44% of the £5 million needed and has virtually completed the unique smokebox arrangement and the frames are having the stays and hornblocks fitted



    I'll keep you posted on progress as they carry on



    Kev
     
  16. fitz

    fitz TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks, Kev. It sounds like a lot is going on in the UK steam world.
     
  17. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Quick update on a couple of projects

    I was talking to the F5 2-4-2T project at a show before Christmas. Cad work for the frame plates is complete but the whole project has been moved to Tyseley railway museum in Birmingham. They are expecting to have the chassis on its wheels in 2017

    The B17 4-6-0 lads have now trial fitted the dragbox and buffer beam to the main frames and loads of cad work is complete. They have also had some progress with the Vehicle acceptance board for the chassis design

    Realised last week that another completed new build had slipped my mind

    The replica 'Sans Pareil' was built by BR back in 1980

    [​IMG]

    I'll keep you posted this summer as I travel round the country on how some of the other projects are progressing.

    An additional project I have only just become aware of is a plan to build an LNWR 2-2-2 'Small Bloomer' I'll have to do some digging on that one

    Kev
     
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  18. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    Looking forward to all of your digging results and updates.
     
  19. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    I was speaking to a couple of the lads involved with the Patriot project at the weekend and got the following update

    The outer firebox throat plate has been completed and the inner firebox is well under-way. The crank axle has been taken out and the inside slide bars are being fitted and the brake gear is well under-way with the brake cylinder due to arrive any day.

    The 2018 deadline is still on apparently so we may be able to reproduce this classic shot of 45518 'Bradshaw' at Huddersfield some time in the future

    [​IMG]

    Kev
     
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  20. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    So..

    latest news is that the George V trust has launched an appeal for £10K to roll the boiler barrel for the new build 4-4-0 and have started design work on the chimney and dome

    [​IMG]

    On the 47xx 2-8-0 front all of the wheels are nearly complete and should be under the chassis by then end of the year

    The pattern used to cast the driving wheels for Tornado are being loaned to the B17 Steam loco trust and the wheels will be cast at William Cook cast products at Sheffield for about £10K each

    The Cad drawings for the Clan 4-6-2 cylinders have been completed and wooden patterns will start soon.

    Now some good and bad news on axles. The 86 page report on the axles design for the G5 0-4-4T has been finished but sadly the machined axles for the P2 mikado have been rejected as the keyways have been machined incorrectly and are being returned to South Africa for rectification.

    Oned thing I forgot to mention - The patriot trust managed to raise £25k in two weeks in February. The November 2018 deadline looks ever more acheivable

    Kev
     
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