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Bulleid's "Leader"

Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 12:34 pm
by Kyle1987
I am a big fan of the LNER, but after reading about Oliver Bulleid's "Leader" class loco I was intrigued. However, i have been unable to find any information, or (more importantly, lol) pictures. Does anyone know where I may be able to find this info?

Thanks every1, Kyle

(PS: I am in Australia, so the library offers little help)

Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 12:39 pm
by Rlangham
A page with a photo here

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/L ... leader.htm

Not very aesthetically pleasing is she? :shock:

Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 12:49 pm
by Kyle1987
Definitely one of the strangest looking steam locos ive ever seen! Still, i would love to see a kit come out...

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 9:31 am
by Tom Quayle
lol not one of the southern regions most pleasing locos to look at but would make an interesting model. I prefer the 10201-03 series for looks and modelling potential

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:09 pm
by richard
There of course, is another big "What if..."

What if Bulleid had stayed on with the LNER? He would then be the natural person to take over when Gresley died...

The Bulleid Pacifics may not have happened, but perhaps something resembling the Q1 and the Leader? - but in LNER colours



Richard

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 6:39 pm
by Colombo
Sorry to come in so late on this thread.

I can recommend the following book:

Leader: Steam's Last Chance (ISBN: 0862993768)
Robertson, Kevin

Abe books have several on offer.

The big problem with Leader was that it used huge quantities of lubricating oil for the gear boxes. It was estimated that the lube oil cost about as much as the fuel for a diesel loco on the same journey. Alas it threw oil all over the track.

Colombo

Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:28 pm
by Wandering1500
Plus of course the horrendous conditions the fireman had to suffer?

David

Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2006 11:52 am
by Colombo
David,

Yes indeed, the fireman had very little room to move around. I think that the loco would have been more suited to oil firing.

Also the loco came out 30 tons over weight, partly because it was carrying 2.5 tons of ballast weights to compensate for the boiler being offset over the frames. And finally it was only designed to replace the M7s on the western division.

The faults in the initial design were such that he could never have progressed any further without starting again from scratch. Amazingly OVSB then went off to Ireland and built the turf burner for the CIE.

Colombo

Bulleid's Leader

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 12:55 am
by Muzza
For more info about the Leader, try here:

http://semg.org.uk/steam/leader_01.html

Thank goodness for the web.