1994 Blue Peter incident

Hi all!

I'm doing a bit of background research into the 1994 wheelslip incident involving 60532.

Whilst I'm aware of the video on YouTube, what I can't find easily is any images of the subsequent damage to the locomotive / valve gear.
Does anyone have anything they would like to share?

Many thanks!

 

I would suggest contacting NELPG who were custodians of the engine at that time and carried out the rebuild.

Then you would receive info. which is officially shared rather than unofficially.
There could be quite a bit of info.

Good luck.

 

There were a lot of pictures of the damaged valve gear in a Steam Railway mag around that time. Sadly I think I got rid of my copy in a house move many years ago so can't help with which one.

 

http://flic.kr/p/6akB2G

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https://i.redd.it/omgiw3nhnvsf1.jpeg

A couple of photos found online.

 

Additional to what was visible one of the driving wheels shifted on its axle so had to be pressed off and refitted in the correct orientation.

 

I remember been in the second coach and the sound of the loco is something I'll never forget, most of the die hard enthusiasts in the front coach were close to tears,a very sad day .

 

I should like to mention masive slips like this were not uncomon ,and loco's did'nt fall to bits doing it.I think I've told this story before on Nat Pres .During the autum/ winter of 1956/7 a friend of mine and I used to meet a our usual spotting place about 100 yards north of Kettering station to see the 6.47 pm Kettering - Toton.This was a 16A Nottingham 8F working. It was a easy job for a 8F with 60 empties or so although it crossed snake like ,over from the road behind platform 5 ,the down fast ,to the down slow road. Up 1 in 125 .We used to follow the train on our bikes on a parrellel road to the line.Our extra interest begain when Loddington started loading 27 ton iron tipplers for Corby .As the 6.47 was going that way it was decieded to take these on that train. My diary for 1955 recals that on 28th of October 48763 with 15 x27 tipplers and 65 empties stuck on the Hilly Hollies bridge ,thats about 750 yards from the station.The train blocking all lines exept the up slow.Delaying a up Manchester due in at 7.10pm.

The final slip was massive ,the loco driving wheels glowed red in the dark,sparks from the chimney went sky high ,there was so much steam passing through the regulator valve that the only was to stop it was to wind up the reverser into mid gear.The weight of the train would pull the train backwards very slowly while the loco was slipping. After a short time a banker was sumound ,2F 58214 ..December 16th 48102 ,10x 27 tipplers 61 emties. 48050 banker. Jan 19 48111 stopped but driver restarted ,51 empt 14 iron ore. No more entries so I expeck Loddington stopped loading for Corby.
Ive also seen a 5x(Jub) a couple of times do this ,only in day light ,(no glowing driving wheels )the driver keen to make a flying start up the 1in 125 from Kettering ,went full regulator after only a few yards in starting , massive slips accurred.The only way was to put the loco'in mid gear to halt the slip.I remember on one of the accasions a 16 year old who had just started in the Signal and Telegraph Dept in his wisdom said "Mad Sod, there will be a long grove on the rails."Probaly right ,but in those days there was no inspection of the tracks or inspection of the loco'. Soon after it happed non stoppers would fly through at 60/70.
As for Blue Peter ,the loose driving wheel might be a clue .If it was, its a good job it did'nt happen at speed as more serious consequences could have happened.