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Somewhere in the Forest of Dean


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I'll be going to the Prairie Farewell Gala (Flour Mill's red 5521) on Friday 14th Oct - it's also on Sat and Sun. Any timetables yet?

 

PS. Iris is still lurking at Norchard - saw her today.

 

Ahh I forgot that was this weekend, unfortunately no timetables just yet - they exist but have not been released so it's liklely there is some tweaking going on somewhere - keep an eye out on the website page.

 

Yes rather funny that Iris, I heard three potential dates for it's depature but so far they've all passed! Never mind, the longer we have it the more chance we get for nice photographs of it! 

 

Have fun at the Praire weekend, I have been double booked and am unable to attend! :(

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Thanks to Dan for the above news.

 

In advance of the Classic Car Show at NEC in November I have been "running in" a compact mirrorless camera which is tiny but has an APS-C sensor (like in a Nikon 7200 DSLR for instance) and an electronic eye-level viewfinder. It doesn't have a zoom lens so feet are required! I find a full frame DSLR and a heavy mid range zoom inappropriate in some circumstances - like at the NEC. The software to process it's unique RAW files is new - so all in all quite a learning curve.

 

These are the results first time out.

 

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I can't decide if the chap in the last photo is having to give 5541 a push start, or if the crew are trying to give the Loco Inspector the slip... :D

It's a lady kind of chap. A senior DFR official. Lynne Wentworth the Admin Director if my memory serves me right.

Edited by ParkeNd
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Spent from 10am until 5pm at the Prairie Farewell Gala. 5521 the maroon Metropolitan Prairie is very nice and well worth seeing - it certainly wasn't being wrapped in cotton wool. Timetabling made it very hard to see both locos together. Between 12.50 and 1.30 they were both at Parkend but at opposite ends of their trains. Finally a magnificent double header was created at Lydney Junction at 3.30 pm but most people had gone home by then and didn't see it. Got some good pictures though - will post some soon.

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I aim to go back to DFR Wednesday this week when L150 will apparently be running so I might get a ride behind it this time before it vanishes for 5 years refurbishment. But here are six more photos taken Friday 14th October on the first day of the Gala. I have tried to make them a bit different from the other photos of the event doing the rounds on Facebook.

 

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Edited by ParkeNd
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I have deleted my comment as rubbish. I was having a senior moment and thinking the two locos were 56xx. But I still find it odd that people want to preserve locos in LT livery, which they only carried for a very short time at the end of their lives. That said, both locos look very well looked after.

Jonathan

Edited by corneliuslundie
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I have deleted my comment as rubbish. I was having a senior moment and thinking the two locos were 56xx. But I still find it odd that people want to preserve locos in LT livery, which they only carried for a very short time at the end of their lives. That said, both locos look very well looked after.

Jonathan

Until your post above I had not realised that 5521 had only become L150 in 2013 at the request of London Transpot to help celebrate 150 years of the Underground. This makes sense of a comment I heard yesterday when someone asked what livery the loco would emerge in after it's 10 year refurb. A further thought from me in that case - will its reduced cab height be "corrected" if the livery is changed back to its original colours? I got the impression that its future livery was undecided at this stage.

 

Nevertheless it is a superb loco that runs like a dream. Travelling in the coach immediately behind it reveals a tremendous aggressive sound. Apparently it's boiler certificate was due to expire at the end of yesterday and the thought of having to start taking it apart today was causing much sadness.

 

I have more photos taken on its last running day and will post a few because I reckon it was a significant day in its life.

Edited by ParkeNd
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Until your post above I had not realised that 5521 had only become L150 in 2013 at the request of London Transpot to help celebrate 150 years of the Underground. This makes sense of a comment I heard yesterday when someone asked what livery the loco would emerge in after it's 10 year refurb. A further thought from me in that case - will its reduced cab height be "corrected" if the livery is changed back to its original colours? I got the impression that its future livery was undecided at this stage.

 

Nevertheless it is a superb loco that runs like a dream. Travelling in the coach immediately behind it reveals a tremendous aggressive sound. Apparently it's boiler certificate was due to expire at the end of yesterday and the thought of having to start taking it apart today was causing much sadness.

 

I have more photos taken on its last running day and will post a few because I reckon it was a significant day in its life.

 

It was good day yesterday, I ended up doing both crossings and travelling between the two by car due to unforeseen circumstances, and I must say, it was thrashed everywhere. I have two wonderful videos, one leaving Whitecroft and one leaving Lydney town, both with some top valve action! By the end of the day the loco crew were just playing, lots of two-tone and chime whistles being used... :)

 

I just managed to get a video uploaded to youtube of her leaving Lydney Town on the last trip. My camera wouldn't play ball so I managed to get my phone balanced on a fence beyond the crossing, hence the vertical image! Hopefully that (and the phone shaking as the loco passes) shows the power that they were putting down yesterday!

 

Edited by Derails Models
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I have deleted my comment as rubbish. I was having a senior moment and thinking the two locos were 56xx. But I still find it odd that people want to preserve locos in LT livery, which they only carried for a very short time at the end of their lives. That said, both locos look very well looked after.

Jonathan

Jonathan

 

I'm similarly ambivalent about the 45 xx in LT livery - but ultimately it's up to whoever owns and pays for the upkeep of the loco.

 

If you are referring to the painting of a pannier tank in glorious LT livery odd....odd....ODD..(In best Brian Blessed at full chat)

 

I fear the ashes of my dear departed father will be turning in their Somerset grave and an apparition will be whistling up the Bristol channel to wherever such naysayers articulate such views.

 

My old man drove panniers in LT livery from Neasden Shed - said they'd pull anything and that they looked pretty as a peach turned out in lined LT livery - (the loco not the peach you understand).

 

I love seeing a pannier in LT livery - last mainline steam remember and it looks like they had fun on trip workings to Watford tip. - See the book Red Panniers for further details - pictures of the old man driving in his Kangol cap (which Mum still has) and entertainments such as the Croxley Water crane being used to dowse a wagon load of burning rubbish.

 

Just look for YouTube clips of Tyseleys wonderful LT liveried pannier doing circular mainline tours round Brum to see how LT livery suited panniers.

 

Imagine that loco transposed to blasting through Baker Street or Harrow on the Hill with a couple of bogie opens and a brake van in tow at 30 mph - the Great Western exhaust bark echoing off the retaining walls and tell me it looks odd.

 

Odd indeed - humph (tongue firmly in cheek)!

 

Best regards

 

Matt Wood

Edited by D826
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This Wednesday 19th October was the very last day left on the Flour Mill's 5521 (albeit masquerading as L150) boiler certificate. So here are a last few photos of it at DFR where a private party had been organised in the owners salon for Flour Mills guests. The driver of 5521 is I believe the foreman at the Flour Mill who will be in charge of taking the loco apart - which I think saddens him from what he was saying. The chap in the middle of the bench conversation is (I think) the owner of the Flour Mill and hence the owner of the loco. The last photo is probably my last view of 5521 - I will be 80 in theory when it returns - 80 in practice? - who knows.

 

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Edited by ParkeNd
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I'm glad I saw it in action at Midland Railex Butterley earlier this year - and rode behind it.  It sounds great on the video, thanks for posting it.

 

That rake of coaches is lovely.  Are they the DFR's?

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This Wednesday 19th October was the very last day left on the Flour Mill's 5521 (albeit masquerading as L150) boiler certificate. So here are a last few photos of it at DFR where a private party had been organised in the owners salon for Flour Mills guests. The driver of 5521 is I believe the foreman at the Flour Mill who will be in charge of taking the loco apart - which I think saddens him from what he was saying. The chap in the middle of the bench conversation is (I think) the owner of the Flour Mill and hence the owner of the loco. The last photo is probably my last view of 5521 - I will be 80 in theory when it returns - 80 in practice? - who knows.

 

_DSF0097_zpssv7iq2xg.jpg

 

_DSF0129_zpsvc8m1zp9.jpg

 

_DSF0118_zpsksezlku3.jpg

 

_DSF0120_zpsobx4vsmf.jpg

 

_DSF0136_zpssagzlosf.jpg

Hopefully it will soon revert to its proper self.  Like the Pannier, red does not suit a GW loco!  Don't worry, age is only a number, I'm a year older than you.

 

Brian.

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I have deleted my comment as rubbish. I was having a senior moment and thinking the two locos were 56xx. But I still find it odd that people want to preserve locos in LT livery, which they only carried for a very short time at the end of their lives. That said, both locos look very well looked after.

Jonathan

Sure I read something about this when the Prairie appeared in LT red livery, in something like "Heritage" magazine.

The attitude of the loco owner was basically that those who moan about inaccurate liveries aren't usually the ones paying for the loco's upkeep!!

I think LT had funded the livery, at least, plus transport/running costs to do with the related events the loco would attend because of it's LT livery.

 

Personally, I hope it returns to green when next outshopped. GWR or BR green - I'm not fussed!! :D

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ParkeNd,

The chap on the bench is nothing to do with the Flour Mill.

How long do you think the overhaul is going to take?

 

Maybe one of the DFR guys will tell us who it is please.

 

I had heard somewhere that the loco rebuild was going to be 5 years - and when I mentioned it to the driver he corrected me and said it was going to be more like 10 years. I suppose there are at least three ways the work can be done :-

 

1. As the sole priority with infinite funding and a dedicated team working uninterrupted.

 

2. Intermittently as funds are provided by other paying work for external customers - a la Gas Monkey Garage perhaps?

 

3. Fitting into the next X years workload as time becomes available in between other projects.

 

Perhaps you have an inside knowledge yourself?

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