Nunney Castle

Probably means the boiler can take a couple more steamings, but has no worthwhile life left in it long term, say for example the firebox is worn, doesn't mean it will go immediately, but isn't up to another season of tours.

 

I have read that it was a generational thing and many of the older crew preferred the Churchward cab, if nothing else as it gave more manoeuvrability with fire irons etc. I suspect it was a result of people generally in life not wanting change.

I also recall reading somewhere (it may have been Harold Gasson?) that one thing that united GWR crews was that they couldn't understand why other companies locomotives had cab doors fitted - I believe the comment was something like 'is it because the buggers keep falling off the footplate'.

 

I must admit my first thought when I saw the video was that they were not nursing her back to Crewe - although I suppose it was only LE.

Is it known what is up the boiler, is it just tired and needing overhaul or is there a fundamental problem which will need more that a 'normal' 10 yearly repair (I know there s no norm but hopefully you know what I mean).

 

Certainly is a strange one, especially as they are saying the rest of the engine is fine. Not as if they were taking it easy in my video either. Didn't she recently have a boiler extension granted too?

 

From Icons of Steam: https://medium.com/@IconsOfSteam/a-new-year-iconsofsteam-c5962b9eb8ba
"We are, unfortunately, starting off this year on a sad note. With the news that No. 5029 Nunney Castle is to be officially withdrawn from service, following her failure of a fitness to run examination, due to leaking boiler stays, back in November 2014. Because of the nature and amount of work required to remedy the problems with her boiler we have decided to move the engine to the Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust facilities at LNWR Heritage in Crewe as soon as is practical.
We have no immediate plans for a return to steam for the No. 5029. This is for a number of reasons, not least because our teams are focused on getting No. 46100 and No. 34046 back on the mainline as soon as possible."

 

Can't she have her boiler pressure reduced ala 4771, and do a tour of preserved lines? Seems a shame to see her go into store when only 18(?) months ago she had a bottom end overhaul.

 

A couple of shots from me of the move at Abergavenny and Craven Arms.

 

So sad. It is so unfortunate to see her go. I'm glad that she got around as much as she did last year.

 

It is very sad to see her finish her current career in this way. The wreath on her smokebox door seems to suggest she is going to be away for a long time. I recently bought the latest PSOV ML Blu ray which covers her final ML runs and the commentary by Karl Jauncey suggests 5029 has a very uncertain ML future and may never return to the national network. However, if you read the articles about the LSL loco's in the latest issues of The Railway Magazine and Heritage Railway they both say she is heading to Crewe for boiler repairs.

 

Curious! Looks cracking in the videos...


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to think only a few months ago it was putting in a performance like this at the Mid Hants....
(from 4.00 onwards is quite nice, as is after the pway slack at 6.50)

 

It does seem a bit daft, if she's well enough to limp home under her own steam I'd have thought the problems wouldn't be that bad.

 

I am glad I captured this performance from 5029 up the bank from Alton to Medstead.


The loudest climb I have ever had up there!

 

If the boiler issues are related to the dodgy batch of copper, then they've done right to pull it from active duty. The problem is that these stays are breaking in more than one place, which is very unusual. Normally stays break in one place, but the stays made out of the dodgy material was breaking in two places.

You can still run a steam engine with one broken stay... This puts more pressure on the ones in the vicinity of it, and when two stays go in the same row, then you have to replace it.

The thing is, if the box is littered with these stays, you could replace hundreds upon hundreds of stays. The dodgy ones have to be drilled and shelled out (being careful to remove the stays from the waterspace), then run a tap through and possible tap them up a size, then make and replace the stay and tool it in.

The good bottom end isn't going to 'go off'. Crewe have a hell of a lot of work going on and moving premises - you can't blame them for storing this engine. The set backs with the Brit and braunton over the last few years haven't helped - the same could be said for the Scot as well.

 

Great point about the bottom end not going off... Hadn't considered that...!


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Nobody would want a bottom end going off.

 

I'm quite intrigued at the failure mechanism that causes a stay to break in two places. Once there is one break, the stay is no longer stressed so a second break shouldn't occur. I don't know what the problem is; however, according to Sidmouth (above) the problem is with leaking stays, which is an entirely different matter. Whatever the problem, it probably isn't a five minute fix and will require a boiler lift to do it.

 

If by thermal expansion it is forced into an S-shape, fatigue may cause two identical breaks
kind regards
Jos Koopmans