35018 British India Line

missing the paint froth!

 

As pretty as it is in green, I much preferred the black job.................

 

Indeed, the southerners have got Clan Line.........we'll keep BIL.

 

Doesn't look like it, no air pipes in any of the photos, and WCRC have never fitted any of their steam locos with air braking in the past.

 

WC are Vac brake operation with steam so I doubt it

 

As WCRC are a majority vac operator, have never fitted any of their steam engines with air and there is no evidence of any pipework associated with air brakes on the front buffer beam, I suspect not...

But then again I suspect that you knew that all already as well......

 

I agree - sad that 35018 didn't make it there and back but she got to York and kept time. Could have been a lot worse. Once she has settled down, I have no doubt she will be very popular. How many of us remember 35005 when it was bought for use on Steam Dreams' trains? Initially, when running a few driver training workings, some drivers who had experienced Clan Line dubbed 35005 "Canadian Pathetic", but a little bit more work and within a few months, it was a very different story. I managed to be on 35005's first main line outing under the Steam Dreams banner - to Salisbury and back. We averaged 74.5 mph on the racing stretch from Basingstoke to Broodwood on the return. I've never seen a a log with the detailed timings and I suspect there's a good reason for that - we were absolutely flying, if not quite in the style of 35003 in the dying weeks of Southern Steam in 1967! Can Pac, if my memory serves me correctly, then broke the record for steam on the climb of Hildenborough Bank. As we will remember, 35005's main line career came to an abrupt and sad end at Paddock Wood in late 2002, but not before showing that Clan Line wasn't the only MN that could impress. I've no doubt that 35018 will do likewise once these inevitable teething troubles have been addressed.

Then, of course, it we're patient, one day there will be 35009, 35022 and 35027 to look forward to......

 

Someone was pleased with the Merc and mentioned that it was possibly the greatest express engine.
Cue someone (a certain standard bearer) to jump and stick it that it was the Peppercorn A1.
Someone then read just "A1" and thought to the first locomotive exchange, so mentioned the Castle.
Someone mentions the Merc, referencing the first question. Hinting at Western vs Southern
Eager to defend the Eastern someone then mentions Gresley (usual first line of defence)...
Western fans jumped to the defence and then mentioned the King (natural evolution in design and debate)...
Debate starts to form over Eastern vs Western comparison.
Then everyone remembers that thread is for 35018, and you step forward and point that out.

Have to say that I do like the comparison between the two. I have long admired the standardisation and design evolution of Western that had similar results in the North East. Maybe its something for a thread elsewhere.

Back on topic...

That said, having seen pictures of 35018 the engine has been splendidly out shopped in green and its nice to see the fans of the engine delight in an authentic scheme being applied. Carnforth have again brought back an engine that was for years probably considered beyond hope. Its return will no doubt boost the WCRC fleet and it will have a big job to fill the legacy left by 46115 which bedded in and became a reliable and fantastic engine.

I know that people enjoy seeing things done authentically and that the return of 35018 in green is another example of engines being turned out in fantastic condition as they once were. 46115, 44932 are both examples of WCRC doing this, while 45699 has been given a guise that shows it running in a different scheme. In 2017 that's no bad thing, the engines will be operating on the mainline for years to come, and with operations out of Carnforth its likely 35018 will be staying 'up n'rth' to be working some of the heavier duties. Maybe it will gravitate southwards, but now WCRC have a powerful mainline machine on the books following this return to traffic.

So, now I'm again looking at getting right the smaller 35018 that's returning to the rails. If anyone has photos or film of the tender top or back that would be very helpful.

 

hopefully 35018 will be be sorted soon, and will settle down, so whats likily to be the defining moment? when she takes the long drag as if it wasnt there, and shap
As regards Victor's post im sure you northerners can spare her for one week end and i'm talking Bristol to Penzance, thats West not South,

 

Okay that's more than a bit unfair. Look at the context of my post again.

The point I made was picked up on by others so why you have wilfully ignored it to make a pop at me is beyond me.

 

Is there something odd about the front section of the running plate on this side?

 

Not that i can see,

 

A locomotive exchange ?? we get Clan Line you get BIL (if you promise to look after it).

 

The salient point being that in general untoward events will always happen with machinery, especially when putting into service or towards the end of life cycle - the bathtub curve analysis of reliability. Not every hazard can be managed out, the key being to take all reasonable steps to give the best shot at success. Failure mode analysis is also just common sense ie assess what went wrong, determine root cause then apply corrective and preventive actions to minimise likelihood of reoccurence, allocating appropriate resources to make the implementation effective.

 

Bathtub profile... superb not come across that one. Tender looks very BR standard now... and I like it
One thing that's very obvious from this last run is that BIL has no problem producing copious amounts of steam.

 

Optional illusion, if it's the section that looks as if it has been lifted vertically at the front, when it actually is angled away from the camera.

 

Have a word with your Northern Friends, see if they are thinking on doing a repeat on the S& C public service runs with Clan line Rather than Tornado this time