Bulleid Pacifics - Past or Present

why go

Why go to the bother of removing all the nonferrous parts And the extra bother of getting at the axle boxes only to store them for safekeeping? I’d love to know where this mountain of nonferrous parts was hidden over the several years it took for the locomotives to come out of the yard.

 

Not heard of Eddystone then or the first MN to return to the mainline that’s still there now. I look forward to the day when someone up there gets the valve events of Tangmere right so it actually sounds like a Bulleid.

 

Erm, us “southerners” started the club.

 

SLL has updated its Latest News page to record the return of 34028 Eddystone to the main line. https://www.southern-locomotives.co.uk/News/news.html

 

During the Watercress Line engineering open weekend a couple of weeks ago 35005 Canadian Pacific briefly operated a with slight modification to her livery as a National Lottery Heritage fund plaque was placed over the BR emblem on the tender.
Here she is at Ropley carrying the plaque which was taken off at Alton:

 

Below is an image I captured on the final day (5th October) of the excellent Watercress Line Autumn steam Gala. It is of 34059 recreating a scene from her past but a scene that is now very much in the present as evidenced by the crowd all capturing the non stop express run on their mobile phone cameras. The loco crew are exchanging tokens with the signalman as 34059 powers through Ropley in fine style, shaking the platforms like the trains used to.

 

A typically detailed news update from SLL, although it does dedicate a large part to their non-Bulleid loco: https://www.southern-locomotives.co.uk/News/news.html

 

Time rolls on, and there's another news update from SLL, covering all the locos. https://www.southern-locomotives.co.uk/News/news.html
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The things you randomly spot on the way back from church! Brocklebank’s boiler (I believe) with some suitable haulage going through Haywards Heath yesterday. Not quite sure what they were burning but it left a pleasant haze over the town centre for a while afterwards!





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A few years ago a traction engine (possibly this very one), did a trip around this part of Sussex as part of the High Weald Steam Show. I'm not sure if 35025's boiler returned to Selling after or it it was stored elsewhere and has now being moved back?

 

I think it's being stored elsewhere, though at present Bottlebank's boiler is off out for the day, enjoying a trip to the seaside as part of the London to Brighton commercial vehicle run.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1B1oZQbL5T/

 

The SLL website news page has been updated today, with news of all the fleet. https://www.southern-locomotives.co.uk/News/news.html

 

At the risk of starting another paintfroth/livery debate, but I feel a bit confused about one aspect regarding the tender changes.

Am I correct in saying that 34070 is receiving the new build high sided tender from 34007, 34070's tender is going behind 34072 and 34072's is going behind 34007?

But isn't 34007 due to be turned out in Malachite Green (a Southern smokebox roundel seems to have been cast and I'm sure has been displayed at the locos sales stand and Heritage Painting's Facebook posts mention and show the cab being painted Malachite Green)?

 

I believe you are correct about the swaps, however I would assume that 34072’s current tender will be repainted for use with 34007. There may be other work required on the tender for mainline running so it would make sense to repaint it after the work is completed.

 

Assuming 34007 is going into Malachite Green, then it would require a higher sided tender tank, whereas 34072's current one is a cut down version.

 

Maybe it will be modified to high sided configuration. I suspect very few people know the full story!

 

New issue of Steam Railway has arrived today and has seemingly answered my question and the plans for it going mainline.

According to them, the loco will carry it's 1948 transitional livery of Malachite Green with the number s21C107 on it's front running plate and cabsides, Southern Smokebox Roundel and British Railways lettering on the tender and will initially run with the tender from 34081 after running in on the MHR.

They also say that in January 2028, the loco will be withdrawn for the fitting of the mainline equipment and air brakes and will then be fitted with the tender from 34072 (which will be upgraded for mainline use and have tender raves fitted) and 34081's will be returned to the BBLS.

There's also a couple of page feature on Southern Locomotives Limited too.

 

Would the plans for 2028 perhaps coincide with 34028 being stopped for a boiler swap?

 

In the Down Main section it says that negotiations with a main line operating company haven't begun yet for 34007, but the hope is that it'll be on the mainline by mid 2028, after spending 2027 running in on the MHR.

The SLL feature says that one of boilers being worked on at Tyseley will be dropped into 34028's frames when it's current ticket expires, which I think is around 2031 (it's not mentioned in the article, but I'm sure the loco returned to steam in 2021).