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| News page updated Fri 24-Apr-09 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(For older news, go to the News archive)
Winter Maintenance |
[24-Apr-09]
A programme of winter maintenance commenced in early January at the workshops of West
Somerset Restoration at Williton on the West Somerset Railway. Most of the work was carried
out by the Society working members, supported by work undertaken under contract by West
Somerset Restoration. Work undertaken has included:
| The planned maintenance programme was completed on schedule at the beginning of March. However an inspection of the boiler at this time raised suspicion of a possible problem with the firebox tubeplate which had not been detected in earlier inspections. So far tests have proved inconclusive and further investigation is required to ascertain if there is indeed a problem or not. The locomotive was therefore unable to participate in the West Somerset Spring Gala. The Society has also withdrawn the locomotive from the three planned mainline railtours in April and May until this issue is resolved.
Back in action |
[02-Dec-08]
Repairs to the leading left hand bogie axlebox were completed at the Williton Shed of
West Somerset Restoration
in mid-November. After being weighed, the engine has undertaken running-in turns on the
West Somerset Railway, during which it became the heaviest engine to be turned on the
West Somerset's new turntable at Minehead. Picture of no 6024 on the line may be found at
www.wsr.org.uk - (see latest pictures).
A video of the engine being turned may be found
here on YouTube.
On Monday 1 December, 6024 and support coach ran from Bishops Lydeard via Westbury to Bristol,
where the engine is now berthed at the EWS Barton Hill Depot. This is in preparation for the first of
Past Time's Yuletide Torbay
Express trains from Bristol to Kingswear and return on Saturday 6 December. After completion
of its December duties for Past Time Rail, no 6024 and support coach will return from Bristol to
the West Somerset Railway on Monday 22 December. No 6024 will then be in service during the
West Somerset Winter Steam Festival on Sunday 28th and Monday 29th December. More details
at www.wsr.org.uk
Special events. Following this, winter maintenance will be undertaken at Williton.
No 6024 is expected to remain on the West Somerset for several months.
|
The Torbay Express |
[17-Sep-08]
Following completion of repairs at the Severn Valley, no 6024 moved from Kidderminster to the EWS depot
at Bristol Barton Hill on 19 July ready for Past Time Rail's very popluar Torbay Express train from Bristol
to Kingswear and return on Sunday 20 July. The King completed this journey on 6 Sundays during the summer season,
intespersed with a trip from Bristol to Weymouth on Friday 1 August. On the seventh and final booked Torbay working
on Sunday 14 September, no 6024 ran a hot bearing on the leading bogie axle and was taken off the train
at Taunton. The engine has moved to the West Somerset Railway for attention to the
bearing at the WSRA Wiilliton shed. As a consequence, 6024 will not now be visiting the Sevren Valley Railway
Autumn Gala in September as originally planned.
|
Mainline programme changes |
[18-Jun-08]
After the success of the Royal Train event at the SVR last week, 6024 was given more running
in at the railway last Saturday and Sunday on service trains. The loco performed well, but a minor problem
was discovered with an axle box on the tender where a small part of the casting broke away. While perfectly
safe on a heritage railway, the society is to replace the box before resuming main line work. This delay
unfortunately means that we will not be able to go to Penzance with the Duke. The axlebox will be
replaced as soon as the work can be fitted in with the SVR's busy schedules and we expect to resume
main line work with the Torbay Express in July.
|
The Royal Train |
| 
[Fri 6-Jun-08, updated 10-Jun-08]
The 6024 Preservation Society is proud to announce that 6024 King Edward I has been chosen as the
Royal Train locomotive on the occasion of the visit of HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess
of Cornwall to the Severn Valley Railway on Tuesday 10 June 2008.
The royal couple will be travelling to engagements in Worcester by Royal Train. They will later continue onwards to Kidderminster Town SVR station by car, where they will rejoin the Royal Train which will earlier have arrived ECS from Worcester with Class 67 locomotives topping and tailing. The Royal train will then be hauled by 6024 to Bridgnorth pausing at stations en route to meet civic leaders, staff and volunteers, and Society representatives. The Royal Train will return directly from Bridgnorth to London behind top and tail diesels after the visit. It is planned to use both No 6024 and LMS 6201 Princess Elizabeth on SVR services during the following weekend Sat and Sun 14/15 June in an impromptu Royal Engines Celebration. 6024 is expected to commence work on the 10.35am ex Bridgnorth. Members are reminded that the 6024 Preservation Society AGM will take place at Kidderminster on Sunday 15 June. 
6024 in Steam |
| 
[Mon 26-May-08]
With the return of the bogie and leading tender wheels from the Severn Valley Railway workshops
at Bridgnorth, the extended annual maintenance programme was completed last week. No 6024 was back in steam
over the Bank Holiday weekend, and undertook some running-in on the main demonstration line at the
Great Western Society depot at Didcot (Picture courtesy Martyn Bane). Subject to final inspection, the engine
is now scheduled to move to the Severn Valley Railway for a short visit on Saturday 7 June, and will resume its
mainline railtour programme on Saturday 21 June.
Revised Spring programme |
[Sun 23-Mar-08]
The Spring railtour prgramme for 6024 has now been amended to allow more time
for lifting the engine to access the bogie, and for reprofiling of the tyres on bogie and tender wheels.
This work is due to take place in May. Railtours scheduled during May have now been reallocated to other engines.
|
Annual Winter Maintenance |
[Mon 10-Mar-08]
Following the two successful railtours at the end of December, 6024 moved to Didcot in early January,
at the generous hospitality of the Great Western Society. A full program of annual maintenance work is being
carried preparatory to the 12month recertification. The tasks include replacing the heavily worn expansion link die blocks
in the valve gear, repairing a small leak from the rear of the outside right hand rear cylinder cover (which
necessitates the removal of nearly all the right hand motion), and replacement of the brick arch, as well as work
on the blastpipe, the air brake system and a number of smaller items. Visitors to the Didcot Railway Centre may
see some of the work in progress in the main running shed. Further reports on progress may be found
at Huw Button's website. The work has taken a little longer than originally anticipated, but most of the
major work is now complete and the emphasis is now on re-assembly. It is anticpated that some running-in
will take place on the Didcot demonstration line later in April, prior to resuming railtour comitments.
A full program of railtours is being planned for the Spring and Summer (see Railtours page),
and further details will be announced here as arrangements are confirmed.
|
6024 back in service |
[Sat 15-Dec-07]
With a large turn-out of working members in attendance, the inside-right hand piston, crosshead and connecting
rod were refitted to 6024 at Bristol Barton Hill Depot over several weekends in November. The locomotive was
successfully tested iin steam in the depot yard on Sunday 25 November. 6024 worked a short test run to
Weston-super-Mare and back in the late evening of Monday 3 December. Then in the early hours of the
following morning it left Bristol with the water carrier, support coach and a Class 67 diesel in tow. It travelled
via the Severn Tunnel, Abergavenny, Hereford, Shrewsbury (Abbey Foregate loop) and Telford to Bescot.
The original planned route from Hereford via Ledbury to Worcester had to be altered as Class 67 diesels are not
permitted on this line.The loco is now hased at the EWS Depot at Bescot in preparation for its forthcoming
railtour duties on 22 and 29 December. 6024 will then move to the Great Western Society Railway Centre
at Didcot where annual maintenance will be undertaken.
|
Motion repairs |
[Tue 16-Oct-07]
Further unforeseen delays in machining of the right inside cross head by a sub-contractor have meant that repairs to 6024
will unfortunately not now be completed in time to undertake any of the booked railtour comitments in October. It is now
expected that repairs will be completed during November, and that 6024 will be available for the planned railtours in December.
|
Motion repairs |
[Thu 27-Sep-07]
During 6024's Fitness to Run (FTR) examination at Bristol Barton Hill Depot on Saturday 1 September, it was
found that the tapered cotter pin that locks the inside right hand piston rod to the crosshead had shown sign of movement.
As a result 6024 was unable to undertake the Torbay Express comitments on 2nd and 9th September and the
subsequent mainline railtours in September, for which the Society apologises to disappointed passengers.
The inside right hand connecting rod,
crosshead and piston have subsequently been removed at Bristol, and parts have been taken to Tyseley
for repair, remetalling and machining. It is anticipated that repairs should be complete in time for 6024 to head
an additional Torbay Express in October.
|
Torbay Express |
[Wed 29-Aug-07]
6024 has completed a busy period of railtour activity in July and August which has included a total of 9 Sunday Torbay
Expresses from Bristol to Kingswear and return (including susbtituting for 34067 on 26-August), together a run from
Bristol to Par and return on 24 August, double-heading with 34067.
|
6024 at the West Somerset Railway |
[Fri 08-Jun-07]
Following the charter tour on 16 June, it is anticipated (subject to final confirmation) that 6024 and support
coach will run from Old Oak Common to Bishops Lydeard on the West Somerset Railway on Sunday 17 June.
6024 will remain here until the evening of Saturday 7 July when it will move (tender first) to Bristol Barton Hill
in preparation for the following day's inaugural Torbay Express. It is expected that 6024 will haul a special Society
charter at the WSR on Sun 24 June. Details to be announced soon.
|
The Water Wagon enters service |
[Thu 07-Jun-07]
The Railway Touring Company's Cambrian Coast Express from Shrewsbury to Paddington on Saturday 9 June
is expected to see the first use of the Society's Water Wagon on a charter train. No 6024 will be picking up
the wagon at Tyseley on Friday 8 September en route from Kidderminster to Shrewsbury. It is also planned
to use the wagon on the Yeovil Betrothal from Paddington to Yeovil Jc and return via Newbury on Saturday 16 June.
|
6024 on BBC Coast Programme |
[Mon 04-Jun-07]
No 6024 will feature prominently in the BBC2 programme Coast due to be broadcast at 20.30 on Sunday 10 June
(details may vary in the regions). This edition covers the coast from Bournemouth to Plymouth, including the famous
South Devon sea wall section of the mainline through Dawlish and Teignmouth. The programme includes sequences
of 6024 on Past-Time Rail's Torbay Express recorded last summer, with shots of the train from a pursuing helicopter
and also a camera mounted on the front of the locomotive. 6024 will of course be hauling the Torbay Express again
this summer, commencing on Sunday 8 July.
|
6024 in service on the Severn Valley Railway |
[Wed 30-May-07]
In a late change of programme, 6024 moved from the EWS Barton Hill depot in Bristol to the Severn Valley Railway on Monday 28 May.
It is expected to be in service on Severn Valley Railway services on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 June. It is then due to
move via Tyseley to Shrewsbury on Friday 8 June, in preparation for working the Cambrian Coast Express from Shrewsbury
to Paddington on Saturday 9 June. This train is expected to see the first operational use of the Water Wagon.
| |
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