76079

Pedant alert: 76084 has also operated on the mainline in preservation, albeit to a much lesser extent than '79.

 

While starting to strip the loco at Steamport we found that the bevel gears in the reverser weren't mating properly, this must have been a problem when in B.R. ownership. Bob Maxwell re-machined them & they were perfect after that. The main thing we did at Steamport was releasing the boiler from its mountings.

Bob.

 

In the days of Frogstone It was mainly scraping off the crap and making sure Dave Hibbert didn't fall off too often.

 

Unfortunately its main line days are over, the mainline kit isn't coming with it. It will have a period in store as the repairs to 80105 will come first.

 

So far, (and likely to remain that way with her move!) my only two shots of 76079, both at Steamport.

 

Cecil Raikes also getting in on the shot.

 

It’s really good to hear this. Since 76017’s boiler ticket expired in January we’ve no 76’s running. 17 is in store at carnforth, 79 had been in store at Pickering and 84 stores at weyborne. We at Toddington standard locomotive Ltd with 76077 were the only ones actively working. With 77,79 and 84 all being Sutton oak and springs branch survivors, there’s now a good chance that a few years from now we’ll have possibly all 4 in steam at the same time. Then It’ll be a case of trying to get them back together.

 

From Facebook.

 

Does anyone perchance know the date of 76079’s last run to Whitby please?

 

I fired 76079 to Whitby on the 13.30 ex Grosmont, then through to Pickering and back to Grosmont on 12/4/2023. On shed it was found that the tubes were leaking yet again. One more attempt was made to expand them and I think it was tried once more in traffic before it was given up as a lost cause. I'm not sure if it went back to Whitby again or not but it was certainly stopped by the end of that week.

I seemed to have an unfortunate effect on locos that spring. On 2/5/2023 I had the S15, 825, on that same Whitby turn. After a problem free trip the fitter's examination on shed found a slight wisp of steam from the smokebox tubeplate. Investigation next day revealled a previously undetected crack in the tubeplate and the loco has not worked since. A new tubeplate has now been made and fitting it is on going.

Then just two weeks later on 15/5/2023 I was on the Q6 on the last train of the day to Pickering. Next day it went back to Grosmont where it split it's r/h side cylinder somewhat spectacularly.

Fortunately I seem to have passed through this phase of killing locos and most have survived since then.

Peter