34039 Boscastle WC class

The tender frames have had the spring hanging brackets fitted. This is a slow job because all the bolts are "Fitted" to their individual holes to ensure no subsequent movement. The wheels are due to be fitted very soon and the tank on before Christmas....(This year in case of doubt!).

 

It was good to see the picture of Boscastle and Lbro University students in the 35011 GSN thread. There is a lot of co-operation within the Bulleid Pacific groups.

 

It was a very helpful visit, and you're right, there is a lot of communication & co-operation between the various Bulleid loco groups. I've been finding it most useful with our work with 35011

 

Next weekend will see Boscastle Shed Tours taking place at Loughborough, more details on the Boscastle website.

 

More good news!
There were some major moves going on in the shed and Boscastle's tender frames arrived at the front of the shed (- alongside our new visitor!) The springs were on the frames and soon the wheels and axleboxes went into place. Many thanks are due to the GCR shed staff for their work and the capable supervision of our chief engineer Andy Morgan.


Then the wheeled frames were moved to the back of the shed.....and the tender tank lifted.


.....and put on the newly wheeled chassis.

Photographs courtesy of Mr M Playle

 

There is now a more detailed account of the tender work on the Boscastle website in the "Latest News" section.

 

Although it is the Santa Special season (based at Quorn), Loughborough Station will be open over the weekend Dec 11/12th (approx 11am to 4pm) for the lunchtime dining train....and "Boscastle Shed Tours" for the final time this year. An opportunity to see the progress on the tender, and see Tornado, before it is stripped down for maintenance.
Details on the Boscastle website.

 

from the archive....... The chalkboard denotes that Boscastle passed it's hydraulic test on Tuesday 7th July 1992 and on the 26th of that month, the team at Loughborough are working hard to get to steam test 34039's boiler....

 

Lovely picture! Let us hope that we can show the same next year!!

 

Here is the tender sitting inside the shed, with the axlebox end covers in place.

 

Boscastle "Shed Tours" are happening this coming weekend Jan 8/9th. This is also a chance to see Tornado working before its overhaul, which starts later in the month.

 

There is a very good, comprehensive article about Boscastle in this months(527 Jan/Feb) "Steam Railway" magazine.

 

Boscastle "Shed tours" are being offered this coming weekend (Feb 12/13th) at Loughborough. Details on the Boscastle website.

 

Work is concentrating on the tender and getting the brake linkage installed. There is ongoing work to be done on the boiler, but this has slowed, as LMS has Tornado to overhaul with its boiler being taken out.

 

A reminder that the "Boscastle Shed Tours" will be taking place at Loughborough loco shed next week end (March 12/13th). This will give visitors the chance to see the progress on various locomotives in the shed, in addition to the latest work on Boscastle's tender braking system. More details on the Boscastle website.

 

It looks like 34039 'Boscastle' is really progressing forward & The overhaul work is getting closer to the ending stages...

I would certainly be interested in seeing how 34039 is progressing forward through the ending stages of it's long overhaul process.

And I wish the team at GCR all the best of luck on it's continual progress & I look forward in seeing more loco updates on the Bulleid Pacific.

 

Hi Moxon2311
There are regular updates on the Boscastle website as well as on this thread. Shareholders also get updates - increasing as completion nears!

There has been an interesting letter about Boscastle, in this months Steam Railway magazine, relating to an inadvertently closed chimney cover. There is a discussion about the reason for such a cover. Two theories have been suggested, one is that it is a device to keep heat in the boiler/tubes- possibly relating to the abortive oil firing episode 1946/7, the other is that it enabled passage through carriage washing apparatus, (which was a reason for the casing shape?) So is there a definitive explanation?

 

I don't believe there is any evidence that Bulleid pacifics were washed using carriage washers; nor have I seen any evidence that such a proposal was even planned. I've certainly never seen any evidence that a carriage washing equipment was installed at any of the major locomotive depots, for example, and I've never seen a SR / BR era photo of a loco going through such a plant.

By the 1940s the SR were using portable pressure washing kit mounted on a small trolley to clean locos, and the casing on a Bulleid pacific would have made that task easier than a conventional shaped locomotive; but that is not the same as as deliberately putting a loco through a carriage washer, which apart from anything else, would have resulted in the crew getting drenched.

There is a story repeated here about an M7 tank engine going through the carriage washing plant at Clapham Junction while shunting a rake of carriages for washing; I suspect that wasn't an isolated occurrence, but was a decidedly accidental one!

As for the chimney cover - we put them on hot locos that are out of steam to help keep the heat in; and subsequently even on cold locos to stop rain entering the smokebox via the chimney.

Tom

 

30777 inadvertently went through the carriage washer at Clapham junction as late as 1995! I doubt it was a design feature of the Arthur’s!

 

I have film of an air-smoothed Battle of Britain loco going through a carriage washing machine at Littlehampton. The loco was 34067 Tangmere and the occasion was The Sussex Belle railtour in Sept 2006. The loco reversed through to reach the point on the siding where coal could be loaded from a lorry then came back again once serviced. The cleaning machine wasn't working at the time - much to the relief of the loco crew, no doubt!