Once again, 6024 delivered another sparkling performance with Past Time Rail's "The Great Western" from Paddington to Bristol and return. This was the 165th anniversary of the first train along Brunel's route to the West and even the great man himself turned out for a photo call in Bath's Sidney Gardens.! Without the joys of the Greenford loop, it was a leisurely mid morning departure from Paddington for the 12 coach sellout train and the loco was quickly into her stride. The relief line to Reading is littered with restrictions which makes for a stop/start affair but we were soon away from Reading and eating up the miles. After watering at Challow the loco was quickly cruising along, past Swindon and on through Chippenham to the photo call at Bath's Sidney Gardens for the waiting press, city dignitries as well as Brunel himself.! A rousing restart and after a short stop in Bath station it was quickly onto Bristol. The return journey has less restrictions and so affords the loco the chance to remain in her stride which she did in some fashion. Smartly through Bath, the 2 miles at 1 in 100 of box tunnel was completed in just over 2 minutes, Chippenham station saw us flash past at our permitted maximum and we almost coasted up Dauntsey bank (with 255lb on the clock & both injectors on). The sections either side of the Wantage Road servicing stop were simply magnificicent as the loco cruised along in the mid 70's, at 18% cutoff and the regulator barely open. After Reading we were booked on the up main but ended up on the relief until after slough which again meant some restricted running. All to soon we were back into Paddington's platform 9 and the day had gone by all too quickly.
Here's a couple of picture from the day (click to open). Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3 and Picture 4
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Another excellent run for the loco, fellow support crew member Martyn Bane sent me the following report of the day...
"6024 moved from the SVR to Old Oak Common on Friday June 23, arriving on schedule at 81A and after a bit of shunting the loco was coaled, watered and re-prepped for the run the following day (with the aid of 6 tonnes of Chinese food - including the Chairman's helping of Singapore Noodles)! A short night followed as the route to Willesden South West sidings involved everyone's favourite journey - yet another trip around the Greenford Loop. The stock arrived promptly allowing us to get underway early. With lots of clearance restrictions the run to Reading was never going to set any records but the standard for the day was set - with the loco in the hands of Inspector Jones, Driver Hunt and Fireman Binstead in between the restrictions the 510 ton train was run as quickly as permitted. On from an unscheduled stop at Reading excellent progress was made to the first water stop at Newbury. An on time departure from Newbury saw the loco rapidly accelerating the load up towards Savernake summit. A delay near Hungerford put paid to all that momentum but you wouldn't have known it. By the time Savernake Summit was passed the train was running at 53mph which is one of the loco's best performance's in preservation especially so given the load. Early arrival allowed us to take the optional water stop at Hawkeridge Jc before heading (rapidly!) on to Bristol for turning and servicing. At Bristol there was a crew change to Inspector Rooker, Driver Butcher and Fireman Ward. The return started 10 minutes late due to delays servicing the stock, but from Bristol the running was first class but even so time was lost on the hard schedule, with further minutes lost by a series of TSR's east of Chippenham and at the foot of Dauntsey bank. For the record Box Tunnel was completed in about 2 minutes 20seconds. The 18-minute late arrival at Swindon caused the train to be stopped on the up through whilst 3 First GW services overtook meaning we were about 45 down getting to Wantage Road and the final stop. Getting away still about 45 down we took the up main as far as Slough meaning some fast running. After Slough on the up relief the running was still lively and was a fitting end to a high performance day out. A driver change at Acton Main Line to Driver Hodges for the final, loud pull up to Willesden followed by yet another trip around the Greenford Loop (giving us 4 passes of Acton MainLine in 1 day!) and back onto Old Oak Common a little after 11pm. Time to do it all again on Thursday and Friday - but thankfully minus the Greenford Loop!
Water treatment - the boiler chemistry has developed nicely but fine tuning of the doser is still required. The antifoam wasn't quite right on the outward but on the return a revised dose seemed to finally sort things out. The proof will come on the next two trips."
On an amusing note, Inspector Clive Rooker's grease top cap flew off near milepost 74. The next day, he sucessfully managed to find it.!!
Here's a couple of picture from the day (click to open). Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3 and Picture 4
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After a few chewed nails last week the loco made it to the Severn Valley Railway for the society's members day as well as running on the Sunday timetable and a private charter for the Hagley Hall group on Monday. Saturday was a hot sunny day and the members certainly enjoyed travelling being the loco and the BBQ held in the gardens of Arley station. On Sunday the loco worked two round trips and like the previous day the trains appeared to be full on both services. It was a great weekend for all involved and the SVR staff were excellent hosts. Sadly, the visit to the SVR was short and on Friday (23rd) to loco moves on to her old haunt at Old Oak Common. It's a busy couple of weeks now for the loco & support crew with 4 turns in quick succession.
The railtour on the 5th July for the Institute of Chartered Engineers is available for the general public to book and travel on. You can download a brochure and booking form for travel in one or both directions from this link. Brochure & Booking Form
The piston exam has been completed with all four pistons being re-ringed and re-assembled. In this picture, (Click here) Steve Underhill works away on re-assembling the front end. Colin Henderson spent the day sitting down, sorry, I mean giving the drain cocks a bit of an overhaul (Click here). Some of the platework from the front end is getting a rub down & re-paint. Here Graham & Keith work away at that job (click here). The washout was also completed, not before the water pump packed up. Here (Click here) Keith Lines gets the last of the mud out from the foundation ring. Martyn (Bane) has been working had on the water treatment side of the loco's operation. As a result of this, some new copper electroplated fusibles are being used in the firebox (Click Here) and also a dosing device is being fitted inside the tender tank (Click Here). Martyn makes some comments on the results of the treatment so far and his expectations for the future.
"After a few weeks on a full application of 'Porta Treatment' 6024 has been fully washed out. A few leaks had appeared prior to the washout showing the treatment was descaling the water surfaces. The washout showed this with a lot of scale - of various types - came out along with the normal dose of mud and adherent sludge. In the future, as the chemistry of the water develops, all mud and sludge will be fully mobile and non-adherent. There is a generally thin covering of scale, often quite powdery, on most of the boiler's water surfaces so there is some way to go yet but by the time the next washout falls due it is expected a great deal more scale will have been removed. It is likely to be a few years, at current rates of usage, before the boiler is scale free. However from now only a very small amount of (temporary) scale will form which is as a consequence of using top feed. No further water side corrosion will occur with immediate effect. All the materials which would have formed scales will go into solution or into suspension in the boiler water. As the boiler was refilled a measured dose of chemical was added directly to the boiler sufficient to stop corrosion and continue descaling . This has not raised the pH to the desired level (between 11 and 12) but this pH will be allowed to build gradually as we run. The fusible plugs were replaced with ones having a copper electroplate on the water side (standard Swindon practice) which extends the life of the plug under alkaline boiler water conditions. In addition a doser (based on BR and Argentine experience) is being constructed for fitting in the tender. The doser is over specified in that it will hold enough treatment to continuously dose in the region of 60000 gallons of water thus covering for almost all eventualities and almost certainly a weeks worth of running on a preserved line."
