The Armistice Kentish Belle 11/11/23

Meow...It is what it is , if i think somethings ugly i am perfectly entitled to say so, and do so- without any insidious authorisation for the ugly police to come and rectify it.

One of the reasons it looks odd is the height, now something could be done about that with a multiple orifice arrangement, but i am not going to be sending a demand for something to be done about it with or without a hefty cheque for the reasons given... doesnt mean i am not allowed to venture the opinion does it?

 

Perhaps the people who donate funds and volunteers who give a huge amount of time and effort are the right people to make the decisions about the engine.
New volunteers and supporters are always welcome please have a look at the society website Bahamas 45596 if you'd like to make a positive contribution?

Registered charity 259626

 

Maybe you're imagining someone telling you something very personal to you needs to change? Chillax, you clearly misread
If I donated to Bahamas as I have done in the past, I'd be annoyed if it didn't look exactly as it does to be quite frank. My personal taste prefers a single chimney Jubilee over one that has a double chimney but I'm certainly not suggested you rip off and replace to look otherwise!

Show me someone who doesn't have preferences?

 

I did say it was just a personal thing, an opinion if you like. I'm a Deltic man but I don't like the white cab surrounds, (that's another opinion, just a personal thing.). I'm happy to see and hear Bahamas out and about.

 

Can I just say that in my opinion Bahamas is one of the best looking locomotives on the mainline. That has nothing to do with what chimney it has, but everything to do with those who restored it, look after it and work hard to turn it out immaculately for each run.
The fact it performs as well as it looks, is the icing on the cake & as @Big Al suggests the dbl chimney helps in this respect, however, for best sound track Leander gets my vote!

 

That roar that they make at high speed... suggests something isnt 100% right... but who would want to loose that.

 

I personally don't think Bahamas suits a double chimney either but it's always immaculatly turned out and performs superbly so what's not to like! However I have always thought a Brit. Would have suited a double chimney though!!

 

Thanks for your positive response, there's a lot of graft goes in to keeping her looking good and as reliable as we can, our 'Chimney Music' audio CD doesn't sound too bad, even the track with Bahamas and Leander double heading's worth hearing !

 

Why such a bristling reaction to pretty mild comments, I wonder?

 

Jubilees have always done that when being worked hard at speed

 

There were a total of five Jubilees fitted with double chimneys at various times, excluding the two rebuilds , 5553/5596/5684/5742/5722. 5684 had a Kylchap exhaust in 1937-8. As with most preserved engines it was fate that decreed Bahamas would still be with us today. It was something of a favourite at its last shed, Edgeley as their only express loco and when it was withdrawn a Stockport engineman wrote to the Manchester Evening News suggesting that it should be saved. A local bank manager, George Davis, agreed to taken on the fund raising and later became chairman and the rest, as they say, is history.
My own involvement started in 1967 when it was stored at the back of no 9 road covered in a polythene sheet. I understand that various stories about hot boxes were used as excuses why it couldn’t moved as funds were raised,. I think it was as close run thing and the purchase was only possible with a loan from a Manchester businessman.
On my frequent journeys north to record the last of NW steam I usually bunked Edgeley shed before returning to London. On one particular occasion I was collared by the Shedmaster, Terry Smith who asked to see my permit, I told him I hadn’t got one and I had seen him before and not been asked for it. He said I needed one now and he could arrange it if I had ten bob on me which I thought a bit strange. I was invited into his office and told I would need to complete a form and he handed me an an application form to join the Bahamas Locomotive Society, ‘ you will be welcome here anytime if you show your membership card’ he added. I was never asked for the card again.
From that letter published by a Manchester newspaper we now have a superb mainline engine, the Coal Tank in working order, a couple of industrial saddle tanks, the Ex Willesden 45t steam crane and the Ingrow Museum.

 

With a little bit of imagination, whilst riding in the train you could be being hauled by a class 45/46.

 

Now that's a proper Jubilee, Farnleys finest. And whoever decided to paint the smokebox hinge bracket white should be .................disciplined.

 

That would have almost certainly be one of the MNA

 

So that was the first ten bob, I guess over the years many hundreds and thousands more have followed. And what have you and your fellow members to show for it? Nothing but a magnificent, splendid locomotive out on the main line doing what it was designed to do. Along the way I suspect friendships were forged and there were many hours of pleasure, disappointment and sometimes frustration but you must enjoy it or you wouldn't still be doing it. Thank you, your loco is always superbly turned out and is a pleasure to ride behind or to watch, either in the flesh or via photos and videos.

I wonder if you can clear something up regarding double chimneys.

I had always assumed that there was only ONE double chimney and, at various times, that found its way onto several locomotives. If we disregard the Kylchap fitted to 5684 (1936-38), from a photo it looks to be more circular than the conventional DC. [It was removed because of "excessive fire throwing".] That leaves 4 locos; 5553, 5596, 5742 and 5722. 5553 was seen as early as 1940 with a/the DC. In the early/mid 1950s 5742 had a/the DC which was removed in Nov 1955. From late 1956 to early 1957, 5722 underwent tests at Rugby Test Station in a bid to improve draughting. As part of the tests she carried the conventional SC, then a/the DC and finally a modified SC. She returned to service carrying her original chimney. In 1961 5596 became the final recipient of a/the DC. So, the chronology allows for there to be only one DC, unless you know otherwise.

[The modified SC was fitted to 9 locos whilst in BR service and more recently to 45690.]

 

They're three cylinder locos and three cylinder locos tend to roar at high speed.

 

Bulleid Pacific’s don’t!

 

Not as deep a roar as a Jubilee but it's a roar of sorts.