What happened to Pilton?

Just been reading a 2007 LCGB Bulletin news report. It states that Lynton & Barnstable diesel Pilton has been stripped down at Statfold Barn. What happened to it? I seem to remember this came from Australia along with No9 which now resides at Dinas. Or am I completely wrong?

 

Ok

the loco was stripped at williton, the spring gear & hangers and brake hanging gear arms were taken to Bristol and all renewed, bushes where inserted where neccessary and new pins and the forged eyebolts repaired or new ones made, Les helped me with some of the machining on these parts , the wheels went to Baguleys and had new tyres rolled by Firth Rixon put on then profile machined and the crank pins replaced and axle journals machined.

Pilton has the original plain bearing axle boxes whilst the one now at WHR has a roller bearing conversion done in OZ this makes the horn guide arrangement totally different on the chasis.

The loco was moved out of Williton , and went to store at Clutton south of Bristol , along with its mate . It was stored there for 6 months to a year on blocks as it had no wheelsets in. The cab was still on and all the transmission and engine still in place.

I met John Hedderly there with Graham Lee, to discuss Statfold continuing the restoration , and this was agreed and what happened an agreement was reached.

LaterThe loco was slid sideways with jacks and grease pads onto Exmoor transports low loader Les Driver and I did this move, he then drove it to Statfold Barn where it was unloaded by mobile crane Colin Pealing was there and took a lot of pictures.

I saw it a year later totally dissasembled in the shed at statfold, Pilton has always been and still is a L&B Trust assett and at some stage it is hoped by the members that it will return to the L&B Restored to nice order and suitable for use, there is no rush, if they had it they have no current use for it, but hopefully one day the railway will, its a long term plan , I am not aware that its state has changed from "totally dissasembled" and understood it is now in the bottom barn , but have not seen it, Perhaps" Fat Bob" might like to update us.

Regards TheEngineer

 

Thanks to "the engineer" for his interesting and informative reply.I hope one day to see it running at Statfold Barn and then on the Lynton and Barnstaple.I am also hoping to see No9 at work on the WHR, I suspect this may happen first once Bill and Ben are re-gauged.

 

Andy, am I correct in saying that 'Pilton' is too high and hence out-of-gauge to operate on the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway - at least under and beyond Bridge 65?

Chris

 

It is indeed still in its "disassembled" state still.

The Gardener engine was found to be beyond economical repair and the plans are to re-engine it, in due course, with a Cummins unit.

Otherwise this is an on-going project

Henry

SBR

 

As I recall, it would certainly have been a tight fit, but a reprofiled cab roof will, I believe, allow it to be brought within the L&B kinetic envelope.

 

Please read below

 

In response to AXE and Lynbarn58 KL bridge is the controling head height all other locations the bridges have sufficient I believe Pilton is significantly above the original L&B kinnetic envelope by about 12" - 15" height. Were the locos not 8' 8"

Height as built, the cab roof arc is 129" above rail level (centre of track) that is 10' 9" the roof has 2" heat sheild,that was fairly ropey as part of its construction , the roof can be lowered about 2" by removing and redesigning the roof insulation also before the windows in the cab fron specatacle plate interfear with the roof itself another 2" can be gained.

By putting a flat on the top of the roof another 3"-4" can be gained. This is without any serious redesign of the loco.

I recall vaguely the limit of what height could be designed out with simple reworking was about 6"after that it starts to get a bit major and alters the aspect of the loco. As well as head height inside, the floor can be altered to drop it about 2", after that it would mean some surgery to the transmission casing casting ( Not impossible), but quite complex or having a well where the driver and second man stand or sit.

I personally made a lot of noise behind the scenes about making KL bridge sufficient head clearance for 129" this can be acheived by steepening the continuous gradient to bridge 67 (I think that was 670 feet, from memory) to about 1:48 "all the way" as opposed to 1:50 or steepening the gradient to the cattle crossing location of the switch( or slightly further) into KL station from the KL bridge to about 1:44 .

Then fitting slab track in the area under KL bridge( With suitable drainage) then running south from the bridge the formation will be "level" as opposed to 1:50 down to correct this alteration in gradients, which would mean the gradient under the next over bridge would be greater also It is not a problem to engineer all this, it was planned for at least in my mind. It only becomes a problemon if you want to make it one.!!

I was assured about 4 years ago when the bridge designs were finalised by the L&B management that sufficient height was allowed for in the design and track layout.

Time will tell. I have plenty of time to wait and see. One hopes it right!!

Whilst in discussion about "Pilton" the whole envelope affair is about what loco's are there potentially in the future, that might want to work the L&B and the bridge design should not be the compromising factor.

Build it with clearance for Pilton and everything else will fit.

Hope that answers the questions

 

Brown, Prideaux and Radcliffe (Atlantic edition) gives 8' 11"

 

Thank you Martyn, it goes to point out that "Pilton" is substantially taller in the cab than any original loco on the L&B by the best part of 2 feet.

However there is also no reason not to have it and use it and whilst re designing the cab a bit to reduce its overall height to maybe 10 foot 3 inches, there are no other compromising pinch points on the L&B apart from KL bridge, which could be built to accomodate such a head clearance.

What other loco's exist that would need this head height , ( Open to all you readers)

Thanks TheEngineer