Bulleid Pacifics - Past or Present

wasnt the plan to convert all the light pacifics? but it was the early decision to go over to deisel and electric traction that stopped the program one thing that does make me wonder is this, had steam continued for say another 10 years, would the rebuilts have found their way onto other regions and where would the most likily region had been, would we have seen the last bulleid locos being withdrawn from say the far north of scotland ?

 

I don't know if there was ever a serious plan to convert them all, but as the rebuilts turned out to be heavier than the originals that prevented them using most of the lines west of Exeter, so the SR needed to keep some originals. I don't think Bulleids would have found their way to the far corners of the land; basically operators were always prejudiced against "outside" locos and would have found a reason not to take them.

 

Maybe they didn't get stuck in to rebuilding earlier because they would have preferred to build more standards and withdraw the Bulleids altogether? Clearly this would have been more expensive though as it would have wasted good boilers, frames and wheels, so it just wasn't allowed. (not that the railways didn't waste a lot of money on various other schemes). I'll bet that cost is the root of most of the decisions around the re-building.

I agree with the comment that Bulleids in Scotland was unlikely. If the regions had been being that sensible there wouldn't have been hydraulics on the western for example. Overall, when you look at it, the 20 years from nationalisation to the end of steam were most notable for the overall mismanagement of the railways by politicians and railway bosses alike.

 

Also states the rebuilding was justified because the Southern Region could find work for them until 1972, as we know it was cut short by 5 years.

 

I have read somewhere there was a "plan" to send MNs up to the North end of the WCML towards the end of UK steam. Presumably a plan hatched sometime before SR steam ended when there were still reasonable numbers left.

 

I must say I find it interesting to hear that Duchesses were nearly sent south and Bulleids nearly sent up north. Not heard of any of this before.

 

Could just be wild rumours from the mid 1960s that somehow got into print and therefore into steam legend.

 

If I remember correctly there was a story that the Schools class were going to be moved to the Great Central in the early 60's. I think it dated from a special hauled by 30925, see attached photo by K A Gray.

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/location.php?loc=Nottingham Victoria

Why the GC would prefer Schools to Black Fives was anyone's guess.

 

I think the fact that rebuilding the Bulleids resulted in a heavier locomotive (driving axles 20 tons 18 cwt) was probably the reasoning behind allocating the next five 'Clans' (driving axles 19 tons) to the Southern Region. These would have probably taken over services west of Exeter when not used on the S&DJR. However, taking speculation further, I cannot see how the entire class would have been used east of Exeter, if the operating department struggled to find adequate work for them prior to rebuilding, so maybe there was always an intention to withdraw a few...

 

Sad news about the recent setback to 35006's restoration:-

http://www.gwsr.com/news/latest-news/£60k-metal-raid-on-gwr.aspx

Commiserations to all involved.

 

A similar fate befell 34081 back in 1997 just after we'd gained her boiler ticket so I can well imagine how gutted the 35006 crew must be feeling right now. In our case the Bulleid community rallied round and loaned us various components while we got replacements made so happily her entry into traffic was barely delayed at all. I hope and suspect similar will happen this time.

 

At this rate, the only sure way of maintaining peace of mind is for trusted volunteers to take the most complex and expensive items home with them for safe-keeping. I hope that a solution or the original article may be found soon.

 

the worse thing is that the scrap value is only a fraction of the cost of actually making the parts its very telling that the theives knew where to look its going to make anyone who gets asked by genuinly interested people can they look around the site to think about it before allowing the public near their engine or anywhere near where parts are stored which will no doubt upset anyone who may ask and get a sorry cant allow you enter the site reply but whilst scrap merchants keep paying in cash, no questions asked your going to get these people , but i would not call them that but another word stealing these parts for the small ammount that the scrap value would be . personally, i would love to see the scrapyard owner getting arrested and charged with recieving and handling stolen goods when ever it happens if they get found with loco parts after all, its easy to conferm with the seller if genuine what the items were

 

An update on SKP can be found on the SLL site

http://www.southern-locomotives.co.uk/News/news.html

Cheers,

Paul

 

I remember a 'gentleman' walking into the shed area at a railway I have been involved with (no further details for quite obvious reasons!) asking what we did with any non-ferrous scrap we had as made 'that flooring that glinted in the light' and the only way he could do that was with the non-ferrous.

Funnily enough he was marched off the premises pretty quickly and a fairly close eye was kept on things for a little while afterwards...

 

We may have been there on the same day Nick, when some scruffy blokes in a beat up white van turned up looking for scrap copper wire for making shiny flooring. I told them that we had just got rid of everything that we had lying about.
I phoned the police with the van's reg no.
No idea what happened after that.

Recently, I phoned a scrap dealer, enquiring about selling them some scrap rubber insulated copper cable that really was no good for anything. I was told, "We'll pay £1300/tonne for that, but if you cut the plugs off, we'll pay £1600/tonne". I started to explain where we were from and who we were, only to be told,"Don't worry about that love, just bring it along, we will weigh it and grade it and give you cash".

Unfortunately, our political masters are only intersted in themselves and not the people they are supposed to represent, so no chance of regulation of scrappies.

 

Attended a meeting on Friday night where Colin Boocock, late of Brighton Shed, related some of his work there which included carrying out financial assessment of Bulleid loco rebuilding costs. Apparently the running/maintenance costs savings gave a rough 'repayment period' as short as 6 1/2 years service. Therefore most of the rebuilds 'paid for themselves' it seems.

 

Considering that copper theft, IIRC, ranks just behind terrorism in terms of threats to this country, I am very surprised that the government hasn't taken further regulations on scrappies to prevent people getting away with these sorts of things. About this time last year, Cameron said he values the voluntary sectors, well this is the voluntary sector right here. How many pounds and hours would have been spent on those items nicked from 35006? Or on those stolen from 34081 and 35025 earlier?

 

http://www.watercressline.co.uk/News/Loco/View/620

35005 off to its birthplace for undercover storage and presumably will be restored there after Cheltenham is released!

 

Which location has the largest allocation of Bulleid locos at the moment? Ropley? Sellinge? Swanage (including Southern Locomotive's works)? Or perhaps Bury (if that's where 35018 is going)?

IIRC, Ropley has 5: 34007 Wadebridge, 34016 Bodmin, 34105 Swanage and now 34058 Sir Frank Pile, plus 35005 at Ropley's "sub-shed", Eastleigh !!!