34007 "Wadebridge"

Sadly I don't have any memories of this loco in steam days. No surprise as I only had two short runs behind her.

But she is standing out at present as a loco that responds to being worked hard.

She came under the first over bridge out of Alton making a wonderful noise last Saturday. Very obvious fast acceleration with six on before the crew had to ease back because of the overall speed limit!

But far, far better was the climb away from a slack a mile or two from Cheltenham race course on the Gloucester and Warwick Railway. Last train of the day during the 2008 Spring Festival was booked for 34007 hauling the 9F plus six. I assume by agreement the 9F wasn't going to work on the long straight stretch that climbed quite steeply. Giving Wadebridge a worthwhile load.

And the opportunity was not missed!

Suffice to say I doubt I will ever hear such noise or witness such acceleration again on a Museum line. Truly wonderful.

I got on 34007, a few times; and glad that she is preserved.

Just goes to show that Bodmin and Wensford; must have made a good job in restoring her?

I wouldn't go so far as to say that - They have designed the loco to the old design in leaving the Ashpan open with a gaping hole in the side!! And I had a blow-back on the footplate (Even with the Blower on)

I think the Bodmin & Wenford should have taken this into consideration... So in my personal opinion they didn't do a fantastic job...

You surprise me Admin. In BR days/during Steam Days, they did outshop Locos to a high standard at Eastleigh, and had crews welfare in mind.

But there you are, safety issues are all one sided theses days!

Tell me - Does anyone have any close up pictures of 34007 back in the 50's/60's? Just so I can see if they have modified the design of her?

plenty of pics here Admin

http://www.wadebridge34007.co.uk/frame.html

It looks to me as though the Ashpan was closed in - Obviously I can't find a clear and close up photo to tell. But it definately seems as though the Bodmin & Wenford went with the old design....

For the record, Wadebridge was rebuilt at the BWR, not by the BWR

The BWR provided a home, facilities and labour where required, but I don't believe that they took decisions regarding the loco

The Bodmin and Wenford Railway did the work... I see what you are saying in that the 34007 Wadebridge Group Bought the loco? But who did the work?
From what i hear the bodmin and Wenford did the work; hoping to keep the loco running on the lines. The trouble is the loco could not do the speeds around the curves of the line... The Radius's were too sharp!...
But at least the loco gets to stratch her legs on a preserved line to test her thoroughly! Trouble is that design she has been rebuilt to is a bad design - Especially when she nearly burns a fireman!

Is this just a problem with unrebuilts - Or do rebuilts have the same problem?? http://www.watercressline.co.uk/mhralp/Watercress_Line/Loco_Shed/Entries/2010/3/4_Ropley_Yard_Report.html

34007 has always been a pain in the backside (Even when I fired her - Which was pretty much all the time) I can't remember 34105 having the same problems as 34007??

Be good to hear though.

Andy

Does anyone know whether 34007 Wadebridge has been repaired after one of her coupling rod bearings ran hot?

Yes Wadebridge has been repaired and is steaming far better than she did since she arrived at the line.. So you are in for a treat!

Excellent, they were trying to fix it about a week ago. Having dropped the rod down the reason for it runnig hot was the bearing had worn out!!

35012 wrote:Excellent, they were trying to fix it about a week ago. Having dropped the rod down the reason for it runnig hot was the bearing had worn out!!

34007 was running today and going like stink!

Good news for 34007 as the loco 's new tender will now be getting Bulleid wheelsets and the first new wheel has already been delivered to Ropley.

Where are these wheelsets from? Or have these been Cast from plans?

The wheel that has arrived is a new casting and requires extensive machining to finnish. In all probability the wheels have been cast from the Southern Locomotives pattern.

Hopefully Lee won't mind but you can find a picture of the one that has been delivered here: http://lee.mediaobjects.co.uk/p67068707.html

Alternatively if you go to Nat Pres and look under Steam Traction for the Boscastle and Taw Valley thread you will find a link to the picture on page 6.

Can someone tell me why 34007 isn't working at the Great Spring Gala 25th - 27th March? Is she due a boiler washout or she still undergoing some minor repairs?

35005CP wrote:Can someone tell me why 34007 isn't working at the Great Spring Gala 25th - 27th March? Is she due a boiler washout or she still undergoing some minor repairs?

I had an email from one of the MHR's firemen who basically says thet there are still a number of issues that need to be sorted on the locomotive, including some work between the frames.

News update on the MHR Website states the following;

Quote; "Matt was boring out the centres of the new Bulleid-Firth-Brown wheels for Wadebridge’s new tender. They will go off to the SDR to be fitted out with axles and tyres. The tender will be a while yet, so Wadebridge will be borrowing Canadian Pacific’s tender in the meantime."

35005CP wrote:News update on the MHR Website states the following;

Quote; "Matt was boring out the centres of the new Bulleid-Firth-Brown wheels for Wadebridge’s new tender. They will go off to the SDR to be fitted out with axles and tyres. The tender will be a while yet, so Wadebridge will be borrowing Canadian Pacific’s tender in the meantime."

I think the work on 35005's tender was put on hold whilst they finnished the U and sorted 850 out. The main problem had been the tenders wheelsets especially the leading axle which had spectacular flats. Lets hope they can finish the repairs to the loco and tender at the same time and get 34007 back where she belongs. Does anyone know how the frames for 34007's new tender are progressing? last I heard they were still at the W.S.R.

Locomotive and tender update

The locomotive has been out of service since November, the main reason being that the tender developed a serious water leak. This was the main factor which prevented her from going to the North York Moors Railway; at the same time several other faults were identified, the most serious of which is probably that movement has been detected in some of the fitted bolts securing the cylinders to the frames. In BR days the standard treatment for these was apparently to flog up the nuts very tight, and to then weld the nuts to the bolts. This had been done on Wadebridge, and during restoration the bolts were thought to be tight and were left. Corrosion during her time in the scrapyard plus 4 years subsequent further hard work may be why some of them have worked loose. The cure involves removing the front bogie and checking all the bolts, and removing, making new and refitting those which are no longer tight.

This work is dependent on the wheeldrop being available, and it is hoped that the locomotive will be taken into the workshops next month for this and other work to be carried out; including dropping driving wheels for bearing and pad examination, changing one of the driving wheel springs, re-bushing the brake hangers, dropping all the rods, examining all bushes and crankpins and re-metalling as required.

As far as the tender is concerned, we have advised Boscastle group that we no longer require their tender, the hire of which we have been very grateful for; we have reached an agreement with MHR by which Wadebridge pays for remedial work to the tender off Canadian Pacific in return for the use of it till hopefully her own tender is completed.

With regard to Wadebridge's own new tender, we decided after much discussion to have new set of original BFB wheelsets made which are now available as castings at the MHR, rather than using the class 33 wheelsets which were to hand, partly in the interests of authenticity and partly because of the difficulty of getting non-standard design approval. The wheel castings and axles are now available.


New tender axles


The link below which will take you to some U tube clips of the test machining of the first tender wheel casting

http://steamtube.ning.com/video/proof-machining-first-wheel

I was at the Severn Valley Railway last Wednesday for a photo charter using 34007 'Wadebridge' on a photo charter remembering the Somerset & Dorset.
My photos can be seen here
http://paulgildersleve.smugmug.com/PaulGilderslevePhotography/Severn-Valley-Railway-Wed27/28689741_dJQ4jK#!i=2434240951&k=WbZ66nk

Regards,

Paul

As some of you may know 34007 is close to her Overhaul at the MHR. She performed fantastically at the MHR Gala a few weeks back!
Does anyone know if the Overhaul is going to start immediately?