The LNER Encyclopedia

In a recent discussion involving Mallard, I came off rather worse for wear and I apologise for the stir I caused and will be more conservative with my posts in the future. It seems that some articles I have read on other websites regarding condition, ownership and general 'news' on certain locomotives has been a load of rubbish and I will not let them hinder my knowledge of steam locomotives any further. I have also asked for the topic to be removed. One thing I did discover is that the NRM has a spare A4 boiler that I assume is what came out of Flying Scotsman when recieved by the NRM. I would like some information regarding the state of this boiler and where Scotsman's current A3 boiler came from.

Many thanks and equally as many apolgies, I was rather a bit too harsh on the NRM, it does a brilliant job of preserving locomotives and keeping a small fleet of locomotives running too.

Ay up!

We live and learn, Blackout! I also take a lot of what's in the magazines with a pinch of salt while I'm at it as well. Some of them ain't as accurate as they could be...

My understanding of Mallard was this: she was restored for a 6 month ticket (although it has been suggested that Scarborough Council were expecting a full 7 year ticket) and that the tubes were leaking badly on the last run. A quick re-beading should sort that!

However, policy seems to be to wrap it up in cotton wool! STEAM IT!! PLEASE!!!

I remeber that Mallard quite literally had an open day in... whatever year it was, sometime last decade. The streamlined doors and smokebox door were wide open. I didn't see any cotton wool inside her though

Still in brilliant condition, as always, inside and out. Brel certainly did a good job back in the 80's with the paint and I was also fortunate enough to sit in the drivers seat in a photo op a few years back when the NRM had a camera pointing at her cab from near the Eurostar (They even let me have a little tug on her regulator and whistle too ). I'll try and find the picture and post it soon.

If you had bothered to read my response in your previous thread, you'd know exactly where Bittern's spare A4 boiler is now...

EDIT: Of course, the thread is gone. Silly me!

It's at Crewe being overhauled for use on Bittern at her next overhaul. The NRM sold it about three years ago.

We all make mistakes, but it takes guts to apologise.

S.A.C. Martin wrote:If you had bothered to read my response in your previous thread, you'd know exactly where Bittern's spare A4 boiler is now...

Live and learn indeed, but would a modicum of common sense go amiss?

It was a rather quick scan through the posts and then immediately deciding that the topic should go, so I didn't read any of them to be honest

the NRM has a spare A4 boiler that I assume is what came out of Flying Scotsman

They did. Simon mentioned that it was sold to Jeremy Hosking (owner of Dominion of Bittern) after removal from Flying Scotsman.

The A3 boiler was from Salmon Trout and for many years in the 1970s was the sign at the entrance to the car park at Steamtown, Carnforth. Apparently its' surprisingly good condition was down to the amount of paint slapped onto it during those years.

Blink Bonny wrote:the tubes were leaking badly on the last run

hmm, steam loco's really do cry on the inside when they know their time has come. Green Arrow and Mallard are both proof of that

S.A.C. Martin wrote:It's at Crewe being overhauled for use on Bittern at her next overhaul. The NRM sold it about three years ago.

I thought it was completely rusted and useless, thats where my surprise of it's existence came from. I always thought the boiler had been scrapped!

EDIT: was the A4 boiler removed immediately after 4472 arrived at the NRM, or did it run with it for a while. I seem to remember it failing on the Scarborough flyer with a boiler related incident. Please, correct me if I'm wrong!

jwealleans wrote:Dominion of Bittern

Take a gander at this then!

apologies for my atrocious paint skills

Shouldn't it be "Silver Dominion of Bittern"?


Richard

In that case then, 60009 should be Osprey Union of Merlin Whitelaw

But, 60009 is my second favourite loco, so she won't be getting a ridiculous nameplate anytime soon

Also it would be a bit long!!

A very well executed 'fiddle'. Do the residents of Bittern know it's a dominion (Bitterne is a suburb of Southampton)

It's at Crewe being overhauled for use on Bittern at her next overhaul.

I had a visit to Crewe "Works" a couple of months ago and was able to walk inside the A4 boiler, I did not realise that it was ex-Scotsman. The rear tubeplate was out and some work was in progress on the front tubeplate.

No 9s cylinders were being re-bored by an in-house designed and built boring machine and some frame cracks were being repaired. When I asked how long it would be before the overhaul would be complete, I was told "as long as it takes". A very sensible answer, I imagine.

I was very impressed with the quality of the workmanship. Duchess of Sutherland's boiler was also being worked on and had had very neat patches applied to the rear corners of the firebox.

I was fortunate to have business dealings with Doncaster Plant and visited on several occasions. On the first occasion which may have been in 1968 I was shown a pile of about 6 fully refurbished Pacific boilers outside the workshop where the Deltics were being repaired at that time. The Works Manager was awaiting instructions on what to do with them.

I believe they were scrapped.

Around that time the Plant had a contract to build GWB coal fired steam boilers which were used in factories.

Colombo