4079 Pendennis Castle Overhaul

No new developments have been reported since April of 2013. It would be nice to have an update?

I just found an update August 2014
http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/guide/projectitems/4079project.html

 

From the latest Great Western Echo

Pendennis Castle now has pistons and valves fitted to all cylinders and preparations are being made to reunite the boiler with the frames in early 2015.

 

Yes! This is great. I really hope that Dave adds her to the gwr locomotives on the locomotive page. Uk steam

 

There was a may 2015 update for Pendinnis if someone could link it for others that would be great.

 

There was a lovely photograph on Facebook over the weekend of her completed tender, fully painted, lined and written ' Great Western' wetted the appetite will be good to see a Castle in full GWR livery out and about!

Edit - Found it https://www.facebook.com/1614216472...421647218065/1215000538526832/?type=3&theater

 

Really looking forward to 4079 in gwr livery. Didcot shall have 2 distinctive steamers

Cheers

 

Now that is exactly the sort of thing I like to see come out of the Great Western Society! None of that BR livery rubbish. If only the King could be in matching livery ( I know its technically incorrect but it still would be nice).
Daniel

 

3 with 2999.

 

5 with the County and 47xx - although these may be a little more off.

 

I understand that boiler work is progressing well at Didcot and that the hydraulic and steam tests are going to be in a few months. Read on Facebook.

 

As if by magic https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1221608217866064.1073741998.161421647218065&type=3 (no idea if link works without a Facebook account - don't shoot the messenger!)

 

Also recent update on DRC website: http://didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/guide/projectitems/4079project.html

 

Pedantic question - where is 5051's tender if 5051 has 4079's, or does Didcot have more loco's with tenders swapping between those bound for traffic ?.

 

I touched upon this earlier I think 5051 has been paired with 6998's Hawksworth tender for a while so i assume that 6998 has had 5051's collett one.

So I assume that there is presently a tender floating around locoless?

 

I have a spreadsheet of preserved GW tenders, with the vast majority of data from the Vintage Carriage Trust list.
This is what I have recorded as being at Didcot.

No : Cap : Lot No : Built Appx : With : Notes
1719 : 3500 : A73 : 1906 : 2999 : well tank, shallow frame, no reinforcement evident.
1839 : 3500 : A83 : 1911 : 7808 : well tank, shallow frame, no reinforcement evident.
1994 : 3500 : A94 : 1915 : 5322 : well tank, shallow frame, no reinforcement evident,.
2106 : 3500 : A100 : 1917 : 3822 : well tank, shallow frame, no reinforcement evident.
2397 : 4000 : A113 : 1927 : 6998 : flush bottom tank, appears to have post 1931 frames fitted, deep frame, wide horns.
2640 : 4000 : A131 : 1934 : 6023 : flush bottom tank, deep frame, wide horns.
2826 : 4000 : A158 : 1940 : 5900 : flush bottom tank, deep frame, wide horns,.
2885 : 4000 : A168 : 1942 : none : flush bottom tank, unrestored, deep frame, wide horns.
2913 : 4000 : A173 : 1942 : 4079 : flush bottom tank, deep frame, wide horns.
4078 : 4000 : A189 : 1950 : 5051 : straight sided, 8' wide, slotted frames.
???? : 4000 : ???? : 2015 : 1014 : straight sided, slotted frames, new build 8'6 tender incorporating parts from a lot A172 (1941/2) Collett Tender.

All errors are my own... Corrections welcomed. Next time I'm there I may try a census!

I idly wonder, if someone were to put together the tender history of all Didcot's locomotives, whether any of the GWS' tenders would prove to have been in revenue earning service behind more than one of them.

 

2913 (4079's tender) is currently paired with 5051;
4078 (Hawksworth) is back behind 6998;
2397 (ex-5051) is 'around & about'.

I last saw 2397 parked between the shed & loco works on 3 Road. Prior to that it was tucked away on 5 Road alongside the shed. Chassis is pretty good, but the tank is shot - might be possible to bodge it for a cosmetic restoration, but a new tank is the ideal solution. That bridge won't be crossed until after 2913 goes back behind 4079 though.

Pete S.

 

At which point I suspect there will be a lot of grandfather's axe about it if I'm right about the frames...

Thanks for that.

Its a little oddity in the data I have that all three of the surviving lot A113 tenders from 1925/6 appear to have had post 1931 design frames fitted, but both the surviving A117 tenders from 1928/30 (6960 and 6024) appear to retain the earlier design.

 

Glad to know I am not the only one with an unhealthy GWR tender habit!

 

Thanks guys, just idle curiousity on my part, presumably the better tenders are likely to find their way behind soon to be operational locomotives and the shot ones behind static exhibits ?, certainly 5051 and 6998 are unlikely to need coal and water anytime soon.