Baldwin "Lyn" new build.

So, 759 club?

 

bit by bit , this line which never should have closed , is coming back to life.

 

Going of-piste a bit, but the cousins building the T1 Duplex seem to have evolved ties with the P2 folks here. The T1 website mentions cooperation regarding the RC valve gear, amongst other matters. IIRC, some American input was involved in developing the P2s valve gear. For any who haven't seen it, here's the url to the T1 new build website:

https://prrt1steamlocomotivetrust.org/

The sector we call heritage and the cousins refer to as Tousist Lines seem to have a different operating ethos (at least, outside the freemasonry of engineering departments). Either full-on hard nosed operations such as the Cumbres & Toltec or Silvertown & Durrango (how else could lines of those lengths operate?), or the small scale museum type operations. This side of the pond, the Brecon Mountain, Dartmouth and Vale of Rheidol are probably closest to operating methods adopted by the more commercially minded US lines.

 

Well, they've got the frames already!

 

Ah, "Mr Clickbait...!!"

I posted a thread on Lyn on there during last year and it appears that just under 3000 people looked at it according to their statistics, so there is some interest, but it's "foreign" so, as you say, that is of little interest to the average US enthusiast. Problem is it last had a post put on it in December last year, so its about 27 pages back on the site......
There is some Worldwide interest on there, but I look at it for the domestic US/Canadian preservation items that you don't see over here.

The Wiscasset Waterville & Farmington Discussion Forum site is more likely the place that it would generate interest over there, as having visited their museum, they are a very keen bunch who do some amazing work.

 

The WW&F does have a discussion forum which includes a section, (rather out of date) about Lyn.

PH

 

I checked an hour or so ago and found the steam test had been reported yesterday.......

http://forum.wwfry.org/index.php?topic=2988.0

.

 

I think this is the best railway thing I've ever seen. Congratulations to all at the L&B, and 762ers.

You've proved 'twas merely sleeping...

 

It's worth looking at their website to see their beautiful "Portland Forney" No.9 of 1891. Proves, along with "Lyn" that the U.S. had a "classic" era for locomotive builders in the same way their motor industry did. About as short lived too!

At the risk of incurring ire, IMHO Eastleigh did "Lyn" no favours by replacing Baldwin's original "capped stack" with a tapered stovepipe one. By contrast the parallel "shotgun" stack of No. 9 is just right. Still this is of no importance beside the fact that "Lyn" runs.

PH

 

Never thought I'd see the day, what a marvellous achievement! As someone who joined the then Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Association when I was 10, I've been long waiting to see this day and it hasn't disappointed. Can't wait to see her at Woody Bay with the heritage coaches

 

Just in case anyone was thinking that was that, can I remind everyone that Lyn will not be at Woody Bay until the Gala weekend at the end of September, as she still needs to be painted and a few bits finished off.

Could I ask if anyone who is a member on the WWF forum to mention the above as well as it appears one guys is traveling over here soon and I am sure no one want to disappoint him if he had made the journey for nothing.

This is not an official reply, but just being friendly to my fellow railway enthusiasts.

 

As someone who walked the trackbed in 1972 and thought "Perhaps It Really Is Dead" , all I can say is, 'Well done 762 Group'! (tho' I have to admit I was pretty sceptical in the early stages!)

 

The OSlJ, Mariefred, Sweden welcomes the L&B to the exclusive "600 mm gauge, 2-4-2T Club".
I have just had the pleasure to fire and drive our 1901 built little 12 ton gem for a week, she is right now celebrating her 50 year anniversary on our railway. Our first real line loco back in 1967, the difference from the previously used O&K industrial tanks couldn't be bigger.
What a loco! Just hope that Lyn will be just as good. Great job!
Are there any more contenders for a membership of this club?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Östra_Södermanlands_Järnväg

 

It is interesting to see the snowplough on the front as opposed to the cowcatcher on the front of LYN!

Mike P

 

Interesting comparison. These are the small, standard Swedish type of ploughs, usually fitted all year around.
For winter use, there are bigger ploughs. We actually happen to have the original big plough for this loco. I have never seen it fitted on No. 2, Virå as she is a bit light footed for serious snow fighting. But here is a photo of the plough fitted to he bigger 2-6-2T sister No. 4 K.M.Nelsson, taken by Arne Larsson in 1978.
And I can guarantee you that heavy snow fighting with steam is the greatest job you can have on a footplate. Heavy pushing and good speed is needed to get the snow out of the way! Takes a lot of shovelling.
In my picture of No. 2, note the lamp brackets next to the cab windows, they are there to get the lamps out of the way for the flying snow.


Here is what the old lady No. 2 looked like on one of her first performances back in early 1967:


And nowadays we also have the possibility to clear the line from snow with our Russian diesel:

 

Can I nominate her for 'Funnel of the Year' award?

 

Absolutely! I actually expected a comment on this.
But it is more than just a quirk. This type of spark arrestor was very popular in Sweden in the late 19th and early 20th century.
It is generally called turbine spark arrestor, but has no moving parts inside. Instead there are a full set of vanes that creates a strong swirling motion in the smoke gases. The heavy cinders are crushed by the centrifugal forces against the housing. The blast nozzle is located in the centre of the "wheel" of vanes and thus has a free path up the chimney.
It is extremely efficient. The Stafsjö Jernväg, where No. 2 came from was a public carrier railway that mostly served the large timber forests it ran through. From its southern end point at the harbour at the bay of Bråviken, the railway climbed 90 metres in the first 3 km. With forests around the locos were wood fired and had to be spark proof. And at our line this loco has never created any line side fire, this week the fire hazard level was at the top, no problem.
The spark arrestor creates at special hollow sound, listen at 18:30 min in this very well made video from last year:


The only draw back of the design is that it needs a long external chimney above the boiler barrel, thus very good for narrow gauge, but difficult for large std. gauge locos with high pitch boilers.

Just to reconnect to Lyn, I smiled when I read the the Lyn team appealed for lead for the a front ballast weight. Virå was designed with a front buffer beam and front frame stretcher made from solid 100 mm steel plates. 2-4-2 tanks with large fire boxes are rear heavy.

 

Difficult to imagine anything more charming!

PH

 

There was some talk a few years ago of building a brand new Cork Blackrock and Passage 3ft gauge 2-4-2T for the then proposed Irish narrow gauge centre, where ever that may have been

 

http://762club.com/762lynformation59.php Augusts lynformation, lovely colour she is!