City of Truro withdrawn from service

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60800
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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City of Truro withdrawn from service

Post by 60800 »

Not LNER in any shape or form, but still more than worthy of note and very sad news indeed.

From steam railway mag on facebook;

This press release has just come in from the NRM. Sad news for a Steam Railway appeal locomotive:

GWR No 3717 City of Truro

The National Railway Museum has confirmed that is to withdraw GWR No. 3717 City of Truro from service.
The locomotive, which is reputed to have been the first to reach 100mph, failed when being prepared to haul steam rides during the half term holidays at the York museum. It was due to appear at events at the Mid-Hants Railway, the Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway and Locomotion; the National Railway Museum at Shildon later in the year.
After a boiler tube was reported as leaking and initial repairs proved unsuccessful, the workshop team carried out hydraulic testing to 50 psi and this confirmed there is a hole in the wall of a tube.
The National Railway Museum curatorial and workshop team examined a number of options including a retube to enable the locomotive to be certificated to operate for a further two years, but regretfully came to the decision that it was in the best interests of the locomotive as a National Collection artefact that it be withdrawn from operation now. This also took into account the condition of the rest of boiler and the deterioration of the platework on the tender.
Senior Curator of Railway Vehicles Anthony Coulls explained:
“At present the locomotive is in good mechanical and cosmetic condition and can be withdrawn and conserved for display with minimal investment. A further two years of operation would certainly result in the need for repainting and additional mechanical work, particularly as the tyres are thin and that additionally its tender tank is in poor condition.
City of Truro has had two good innings in this last period in service from 2004, especially after the repaint in 2010 and most railways who have wanted to operate it on their lines have done so.
"It is a very elderly iconic locomotive and we must remember its place at the heart of the National Collection and our obligation to preserve it for the long term benefit of the public. Therefore, we have agreed that we should withdraw it with dignity now and put together a carefully thought out conservation management plan to make it ready for public display."
36C - Based out of 50H and 36F
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