50041
Guy Vincent
From a small number of photos classed as 'rejects' that I thought had been thrown out years ago I found the attached colour print of 50041 at the side of Old Oak Common depot on Sunday 10th December 1983. I went there in the hope of catching sight of the loco and was able to creep down and snatch this truly awful photo before quickly making a hasty exit back to the canal towpath. The damage was pretty severe but at the time with the class having just gone through a major refurbishment programme a good case could be made for repairs and 50041 was duly dispatched to Doncaster Works.
Regards, Guy Vincent
Clive Smith
Regards, Clive Smith.
Roger Winnen
Hope you and family keeping well. Picked up on Roger’s query about the IET modification. I’m not involved in any way but it looks like it could be a modification to overcome cracking problems, part of a Forward Repair Plan to ensure long term use. Below are extracts from bulletins and although the 1st states coaches I’m wondering if that’s what was actually meant. Up to now it has been time consuming checks on the cracks each time an IET leaves the depot.
May 8 2021. “Checks for cracks in the train’s yaw dampers, the area where the suspension system attaches to the vehicle body, resulted in the identification of cracks in the jacking point area on some coaches. Regular yaw damper inspections were prompted following the withdrawal of eight class 800s from service on April 28 after hairline cracks were discovered on two trains with suspected issues on another six.” (https://www.railjournal.com/news/hitachi-class-800-801-802-iets-withdrawn-from-service/)
Sep 2021. “An Office of Rail and Road (sic) interim report said the cracks found in the Hitachi Class 800 and 385 series lifting plates were the result of stress corrosion, and cracks in shock absorbers called yaw dampers were a result of fatigue. A full report will come in December 21.” (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-58494275)
“ORR's final report will establish the root cause of the cracking and will review Hitachi's plan for long term fleet recovery and management and identify any areas for improvement for the industry.” (https://www.investegate.co.uk/office-of-rail--38-road/rns/orr-interim-report-on-hitachi-train-cracks/202109090700011750L/)
Roger Winnen
Roger Winnen
Ron Kosys
Exhibition Road Bridge
David Tozer and Keith Turley
the 05:56 Reading to Salisbury via Exeter New Yard NMT.
Regards Keith Turley.
Exeter St Davids
Paul Barlow
Many thanks Paul - looks very chilly.
David Cook
I hope that you are keeping well and Covid free.
My apologies for the circuitous route of getting this email to you. I have a new computer and have had issues with email addresses for some people. Some are there and some are not. Yours currently is not!
I’m not sure how I missed the article by David Hunt that you uploaded to the website on 16th September 2021, but I have only just discovered it. Being heavily into all things regarding 4566 and its pre-preservation history I was “intrigued” by some of the things that David said. Whilst I do not doubt that he was of an age to go “shed bashing” at Newton Abbot (sadly, I was too young as I was only 6 years old in 1960!) I am struggling to accept what he says, and in particular the doubt he has in relation to 4566 being the last engine overhauled at Newton Abbot Works.
He claims that inside the works was a 57xx pannier tank, No. 5775 and that was after the ceremony involving 4566. We are obviously talking about events which took place almost 62 years ago and so it could be accepted that proving the facts might be very difficult.
My approach to this was to contact the Great Western Trust at Didcot and this morning I received via email 5775’s records. They make an interesting read. They do indeed confirm that 5775 was at Newton Abbot BUT on 8.3.60 (for a Light Casual repair) and she was back at Pontypool Road on 4.4.60. She remained shedded there until 1.3.63 when she was at Swindon Factory for a Heavy General repair prior to sale to London Transport Executive on 30.4.63 as their L89. Subsequently she was purchased by the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway arriving there in January 1970.
How could 5775 be in the works in June/July 1960 when she is shown as being back at Pontypool Road by then?
My records show that 4566 entered Newton Abbot works on 15.6.60 for a Light Casual repair (ironically the same as 5775) and this was completed in time for the ceremony on 15.7.60. From information given to me by Mike Roach whilst 4566 was in the works the following engines were also recorded: 9646, 9655, 5174, 4087 Cardigan Castle, 5029 Nunney Castle. In a newspaper cutting in my collection there is a posed works photograph showing staff “finishing off” 4566 prior to the ceremony, with 1008 County of Cardigan alongside. There is no mention of 5775 being there at that time.
David says he is just being pedantic on the subject so I will have to be the same. Who is right, who is wrong? It’s a tough one to call but all of my research indicates that the last engine to be overhauled before the works closed to steam was 4566.
On a separate note, I would like to comment on the point raised by Roy Hart regarding 5775 being shedded at Pontypool Road but being sent to Newton Abbot for repair. As I have discovered, this is unusual but not impossible. 4566 was shown as being sent to Caerphilly Works for a Heavy Intermediate repair in January 1961 (16.1.51 – 15.2.51), When I first read this, I thought that it was a mistake but as it turns out it is not. When there was insufficient capacity within a works it was usual to send engines for repairs to wherever they could be fitted in.
I hope that all of this makes sense!
Wishing all CRS members, a belated Happy and Healthy 2022,
Regards
David Cook
(4566 Group)
I cannot provide a solution to the 5775 conundrum, but I would suggest a possible answer on why 4566?
The issue was political. The matter would have been in the hands of the PR department, who would have made the running on orders from Paddington. Closure of the works was not exactly good news, so why not mask it by turning out a prettily painted and photogenic little tank locomotive to celebrate the local craftsmanship?
An overhauled pannier tank (if painting was approved) would have been turned out in unlined black - just not the same.
Of all the engines around the place on the given dates, it must be borne in mind that some were only there for a few hours' attention by a fitter, and none would have been very clean. A planned PR event required plenty of notice. 4566 fitted the bill, last engine to leave the works or not.
All of the above may seem rather cynical - but that's what the PR business is for.
All the best to you all from sunny Asia,
Roy