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Heljan Kestrel is here


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Hi guys, my Kestrel is fully back in order :)

 

I discovered she had not been lubricated either, this is all fully done now.

According to Heljan UK oiling the worm will allow the oil to spread to all the other gears in the chain.

When you pop off the clip over the worm and gently ease apart the housing you can also see some of the other gears so an applicator can get the oil in direct as well.

 

As for the repair where the silver foil had been, I purchased a big roll of the correct sticky backed foil and have done a top job so that I get all red or all white and no mix anymore lol

 

If anyone needs some of the foil to do work on their Kestrel just message me and I'd be happy to post you a bit. :)

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Mike,

 

I'm glad you managed to sort out the loco to your satisfaction.

 

The YouTube piece is very enjoyable, in terms of the sound I'd go for version 2. This is on the assumption that Kestrel sounded like a TEP 70, and having had both haulage and listened to these lineside in Latvia and the Ukraine I'd say version 2 fits the bill, version 1 sounds a bit English Electric to me. There's some TEP 70 pics on my website in the albums on these countries if you're interested, link below.

 

It always bugs me that there is very little photo coverage of Kestrel working the Mansfield to Whitemoor freights, via Lincoln and Spalding. I'd guess that over 90% of its time with BR was spent on these coal drags, two out and back diagrams in a day. These would have been in traditional wagons, mainly 16 tonners, with the contents ultimately for the London area and East Anglia, routed via the huge Whitemoor yards at March in north Cambridgeshire. Although I have found one shot of Kestrel on an MGR, probably a trial with it being air-braked, there would be no reason for these then new vehicles to have gone south at the time as there were no suitable unloading facilities. In the last couple of years freight in the shape of intermodals has returned to the Lincoln - Spalding line after an extensive upgrade, traffic today being to and from Felixstowe. In the course of photographing the route I have come across a few older locals, and asked about Kestrel. They do remember it on the workings, and also Falcon on them a bit earlier, and there are  probably a few pictures languishing in drawers, but almost nothing has reached the public domain. By contrast the KIngs Cross to Newcastle passenger workings, which I think lasted two months or so, did receive good coverage in the likes of Modern Railways.

 

A minor point on your piece, Clipstone Junction was barely a mile from the Concentration Sidings at Mansfield, and so I wonder if the trial you mention was to Pyewipe Junction, just outside Lincoln where the Mansfield line came in (LD&EC), and where there were once a set of loops and sidings.

 

John.

 

Pics at https://www.flickr.com/photos/51265696@N03/

Edited by John Tomlinson
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Hi Mike,

 

I'm glad you managed to sort out the loco to your satisfaction.

 

The YouTube piece is very enjoyable, in terms of the sound I'd go for version 2. This is on the assumption that Kestrel sounded like a TEP 70, and having had both haulage and listened to these lineside in Latvia and the Ukraine I'd say version 2 fits the bill, version 1 sounds a bit English Electric to me. There's some TEP 70 pics on my website in the albums on these countries if you're interested, link below.

 

It always bugs me that there is very little photo coverage of Kestrel working the Mansfield to Whitemoor freights, via Lincoln and Spalding. I'd guess that over 90% of its time with BR was spent on these coal drags, two out and back diagrams in a day. These would have been in traditional wagons, mainly 16 tonners, with the contents ultimately for the London area and East Anglia, routed via the huge Whitemoor yards at March in north Cambridgeshire. Although I have found one shot of Kestrel on an MGR, probably a trial with it being air-braked, there would be no reason for these then new vehicles to have gone south at the time as there were no suitable unloading facilities. In the last couple of years freight in the shape of intermodals has returned to the Lincoln - Spalding line after an extensive upgrade, traffic today being to and from Felixstowe. In the course of photographing the route I have come across a few older locals, and asked about Kestrel. They do remember it on the workings, and also Falcon on them a bit earlier, and there are  probably a few pictures languishing in drawers, but almost nothing has reached the public domain. By contrast the KIngs Cross to Newcastle passenger workings, which I think lasted two months or so, did receive good coverage in the likes of Modern Railways.

 

A minor point on your piece, Clipstone Junction was barely a mile from the Concentration Sidings at Mansfield, and so I wonder if the trial you mention was to Pyewipe Junction, just outside Lincoln where the Mansfield line came in (LD&EC), and where there were once a set of loops and sidings.

 

John.

 

Pics at https://www.flickr.com/photos/51265696@N03/

 

 

Hi John,

 

Thanks for the lovely reply and info.

 

Glad you enjoyed the video and yes I think option 2 is the right one, option 1 is based on the class 47 with a number of manipulations for engine speed, turbo and more cylinders etc.

 

I agree with you, the lack of photos and importantly film of Kestrel is very odd indeed given the locos massive power and really good test results.

Almost like someone was trying to derail her so to speak.

Re Clipstone that info came from the wiki and Derby Sulzer site, I don't known the area but you could well be right

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Hi Mike,

 

I'm glad you managed to sort out the loco to your satisfaction.

 

The YouTube piece is very enjoyable, in terms of the sound I'd go for version 2. This is on the assumption that Kestrel sounded like a TEP 70, and having had both haulage and listened to these lineside in Latvia and the Ukraine I'd say version 2 fits the bill, version 1 sounds a bit English Electric to me. There's some TEP 70 pics on my website in the albums on these countries if you're interested, link below.

 

It always bugs me that there is very little photo coverage of Kestrel working the Mansfield to Whitemoor freights, via Lincoln and Spalding. I'd guess that over 90% of its time with BR was spent on these coal drags, two out and back diagrams in a day. These would have been in traditional wagons, mainly 16 tonners, with the contents ultimately for the London area and East Anglia, routed via the huge Whitemoor yards at March in north Cambridgeshire. Although I have found one shot of Kestrel on an MGR, probably a trial with it being air-braked, there would be no reason for these then new vehicles to have gone south at the time as there were no suitable unloading facilities. In the last couple of years freight in the shape of intermodals has returned to the Lincoln - Spalding line after an extensive upgrade, traffic today being to and from Felixstowe. In the course of photographing the route I have come across a few older locals, and asked about Kestrel. They do remember it on the workings, and also Falcon on them a bit earlier, and there are  probably a few pictures languishing in drawers, but almost nothing has reached the public domain. By contrast the KIngs Cross to Newcastle passenger workings, which I think lasted two months or so, did receive good coverage in the likes of Modern Railways.

 

A minor point on your piece, Clipstone Junction was barely a mile from the Concentration Sidings at Mansfield, and so I wonder if the trial you mention was to Pyewipe Junction, just outside Lincoln where the Mansfield line came in (LD&EC), and where there were once a set of loops and sidings.

 

John.

 

Pics at https://www.flickr.com/photos/51265696@N03/

 

I was fortunate enough to watch Kestrel pass My school on Lincoln Avoiding line twice a day for a few months.

It always got my attention and I had to write its number down every time I saw it....usually on school books.

It seemed a quiet loco to me, but I cant recall the sound as often the speed seemed to be around 20mph which did not

make it work hard at all.

As far as I know I did not take any photos.

I seem to remember it went south in the morning and returned early or mid afternoon.

It did visit Holmes yard at least once on MGR empties as part of tests.

Interestingly around the same time I noted 2 class 15s being towed north on separate days, 8200 and 8218.

I think they ended up at Crewe for stripping.

Loco classes typical of the time were 03, 08, 20, 25, 31, 37, 40, 44, 45, 46, 47.

Dmus included the 125`s which came to Lincoln for repairs.

I spotted all the power cars but no centre cars.

Of course all the Locos were pre tops numbers,

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Clever stuff, who's chips/programmer do you use Mike?

 

I don't use any chips, its all done in the production. Sounds were pre edited and played back on headphones while I drove the trains accordingly.

Then I combined them in the editing suite. 

This requires synchronizing, time and pitch changes etc.

 

Attached a screen grab from the production.

 

Hope this helps?

post-1423-0-62052800-1488408443_thumb.jpg

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  • 3 years later...
19 hours ago, luke_stevens said:

Just in vase anyone is interested "Steam Engine IS"' daily new pics has a shot of Kestrel on exhibition display at Shcherbinka.

 

https://parovoz.com/newgallery/pg_view.php?ID=678525&LNG=EN#picture

 

Luke

Looks like the pic was taken immediately after arrival in the USSR, dated 1971 and in perfect condition.

 

Definitely taken in the USSR as the loco behind is one of the Skoda built electrics of class ЧС4 = ChS4 in Roman script.

 

John.

 

P.S. Just noticed as well that it apppears to have the original heavier bogies refitted, I didn't realise that was so.

Edited by John Tomlinson
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On 15/01/2021 at 14:28, John Tomlinson said:

Looks like the pic was taken immediately after arrival in the USSR, dated 1971 and in perfect condition.

 

Definitely taken in the USSR as the loco behind is one of the Skoda built electrics of class ЧС4 = ChS4 in Roman script.

 

John.

 

P.S. Just noticed as well that it apppears to have the original heavier bogies refitted, I didn't realise that was so.

That's the first thing I noticed too John, always assumed it left with the 47 style bogies it last ran on BR with.

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5 minutes ago, jessy1692 said:

That's the first thing I noticed too John, always assumed it left with the 47 style bogies it last ran on BR with.

 I believe the Cl 47 bogies belonged to BR. The photos of it being loaded (at Cardiff docks?) onto the ship to the USSR show it reunited with it's original bogies. The Soviets had a higher permitted axel loading so it won't have mattered.

 

Luke

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31 minutes ago, luke_stevens said:

 I believe the Cl 47 bogies belonged to BR. The photos of it being loaded (at Cardiff docks?) onto the ship to the USSR show it reunited with it's original bogies. The Soviets had a higher permitted axel loading so it won't have mattered.

 

Luke

Cheers Luke, iv seen the pics of it at the docks but never noticed the bogies. Makes sense it went on its original ones so it could be used to its full potential. If only a rescue mission could have been mounted to even bring the shell back, what an exhibit it would have made.

Cheers

James

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  • RMweb Premium
1 hour ago, Dagworth said:

Was Kestrel regauged here before she left or once she arrived in Russia?

 

Andi

I am sure I have seen photos of her being loaded aboard a ship bogieless. The Brush type 4 bogies she ran on in passenger service were left on the dockside and her old ones went to the USSR. If a big back to back gauge had been used on the wheels for her new home I couldn't tell you.

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10 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

I am sure I have seen photos of her being loaded aboard a ship bogieless. The Brush type 4 bogies she ran on in passenger service were left on the dockside and her old ones went to the USSR. If a big back to back gauge had been used on the wheels for her new home I couldn't tell you.

 

yep, down a bit on this page: The big bird that flew too far: Part 2

 

Roy

Edited by Roy Langridge
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Further to the article referenced by Roy, I can confirm that TEP70's were still going strong in the Ukraine ten years ago, and in Latvia and Lithuania a couple of years later.

 

I suspect they still are!

 

Kharkov Osnovo Depot, 2nd May 2010,

 

Also Daugavpils, Latvia, loco is Lithuanian in red and grey, 11th May 2012,

 

John.

 

 

 

 

IMG_1559web.jpg

 

 

IMG_4426 copyweb.jpg

Edited by John Tomlinson
Roy not Ray
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