Bulleid Pacifics - Past or Present

One question that does come to mind about 35018 is. I think she came out of Barry with a tender or has now got a tender. Is this the same tender that she had when she went to barry?

 

A set of motion was indeed made, in China I understand.

Regards
Chris

 

A set of motion was indeed made, in China I understand.

Regards
Chris[/quote:q1j14lh0]

In China? You sure??

 

Hi Lee,

There was alot more work done on the engine than anybody knows. The Loco is near enough complete and if on MHR metals would have been running by now!

I bet the owner of 35018 is now out of pocket for storage costs etc..... I bet the owner wishes otherwise.... And I never wil understand why 36018 left!!!

 

Yes it was made at Datong, i believe.

 

Also in about 1997/98 before the MHR went through the political turmoil that was to follow, there were estimates that 35018 needed about 18 months work to complete. It was certainly due to go in the works after Bodmin was outshopped and indeed cylinder reboring and brake gear rebushing had been completed along with a fair amount of cladding manufacture.

Sadly for now, 35018 seems to be getting rusty again in the Portland sea air, when i last saw her about 18 months ago she had deteriorated visibly from two years previous. With 35005 now owned by the MHR, her owner missed the boat so to speak.

 

A little dig in my references shows that 35018 is currently paired-up with tender No. 3350, which was fitted to 35025 Brocklebank Line from 1952 until withdrawal. 35018 went to Barry with tender No. 3343, which was the self-weighing tender modified in 1952 and swapped from 35008 Orient Line in October 1964 following 35018's withdrawal. This was possibly because tender No. 3118, which was fitted to 35018 at withdrawal was in better condition than that on 35008, having been re-bodied in 1962. No. 3118 was also a first series tender, and was effectively reunited with 35008 Orient Line, which had this tender from construction until it was swapped for No. 3343 in 1961. Tender No. 3343 still exists, and is currently the one behind 34105 Swanage whilst tender No. 3118 was scrapped. I hope this rather confusing state of affairs is helpful in showing that the answer to your question is no!

As I'm an optimist where Bulleids are concerned, I believe that 35018 will eventually steam (if the estimates of 18 months from steaming are correct, then the rust must surely be superficial at the moment, and is a matter of money to sort out), although It's sometimes best to leave things sort themselves out without wading into the mire of political intrigue.

 

I might be wrong, but doesn't 34105 currently carry an "unrebuilt" high sided tender?

 

Thanks for the info.
:smt023

 

The tank has probably been reconstructed since preservation to resemble that of an unrebuilt tender, but the chassis should still be one of the shorter wheelbase MN types. To double check, there is visible evidence to differentiate between a former MN tender and a 'Light Pacific' tender. MN tenders have three vacuum reservoirs on behind the coal bunker compared to four on a true 'Light Pacific' tender. If I can remember, 34105 has three, and so has 34067 Tangmere, which has MN tender No. 3130, withdrawn with 35027 Port Line in 1965. In fact, several preserved 'Light Pacifics' have been paired up with MN tenders.

 

I can see that Portland Sea Air deteriorating alot more as no work seems to have been made on her! The MHR done an awful lot to get 35018 to the state she was in before she left. Seems no one cares... If you are going to take a loco away - Surely its for a reason? :-k

 

Well it will not get very far without the motion it is still at Ropley,hmmmm.

Regards
Chris

 

I’ve checked today and have also asked about the tender that is behind 34105. There are four tanks on the back of the tender. But the tender body was reconstructed when 34105 was overhauled. The tender chassis is a MN and is the one that come with 35018.

Once again "Bulleid Pacific" thanks for all the info about the tender.
:smt023

 

Well it will not get very far without the motion it is still at Ropley,hmmmm.

Regards
Chris[/quote:t76g6qgr]

It may come in useful then in years to come?! ;-)

 

No problem. Its always best to check these things. ;-)

 

When I joined the MHR in 1983, I was told by Barry Eden that 35018 only needed 18 months of work to finish her, provided the owners could raise the necessary funding.

 

Sadly because of the lendth of time between 1983 and now and the fact that 35018 now rusts in the salt air at Portland, I suspect that a lot of that work will have to be re-done.

Regards
Chris

 

Called into Portland on the way back from seeing 34070 Manston and 34067 Tangmere together on Sunday.

35018 is still in the open air but now surrounded by mobile road cranes operated by South Coast Crane Hire Ltd, which i guess is part of South Coast Steam Ltd.

Next to it, is the original "non repairable" boiler from 30506 and near the fence by the compound gates are the driving wheelsets of the ex MHR S160. Since i last popped by two years ago, there seemed to be less steam locos on site.

Also i can only guess that the frames from the S160 are in the shed as they were not able to be seen in the yard. Does anyone know where the tender of the S160 is stored ? as on the various visits past the site i have not seen it.


Regards,
Andrew

 

She is certainly going to need a lot of extensive work being left out there in all this time. Does anyone know the future of this loco for the near future?