"Are the main line performance records, notes, etc., of MHR locomotives archived? If they're not, then they ought to be.

This issue has been brought dramatically to my attention during my analysis of two recent runs behind 34016. Despite poor line conditions and operational problems, the locomotive produced quite dramatic accelerative and output performances. I'll list some examples:

1. On the return leg of the Bristol trip, my evidence shows that 'Bodmin' exceeded 2100edhp over a mile (equivalent drawbar HP) on the brief 1-in-132 and 1-in-162 gradients just before Savernake summit.

2. On the December 6th Salisbury trip, Bodmin accelerated from zero at Shawford to 71mph by Litchfield summit despite a slack in the St Cross area. This required a sustained 1220edhp for over 19 minutes. From Winchester to Litchfield 1328edhp for over 10 minutes was achieved (i.e. 34.72 dbhp per square foot of grate area), and in excess of 1900edhp was being produced in the final mile to the summit.

I'm sure my figures are not the best that has been achieved recently, bearing in mind the problems faced on these particular trips, but to claim that Bodmin is equally, probably surpassing, performances recorded during the 1948 exchange trials would not be an exaggeration.

It would be of great future historical/research interest if these achievements by MHR locos were officially archived."

Nigel Kendall
9th December 2000

Salisbury to Waterloo via Southampton and Reading
Date: 6th December 2000
Load: 10-on 330/360
Loco: 34016 'Bodmin'
ABBREVIATIONS: psr: permanent speed restriction, tsr: temporary speed restriction,
ob: overbridge, ub: underbridge, mp: milepost, rr: relay room, sigs: signal check
  Decimal Spot P to P  
Mileage Location Sched mins secs Mins MPH Av. mph notes
     
0.000 Salisbury 0 0 0 0.00 0.0  
0.810 Fisherton tun ent   4 8 4.13 11.8  
1.060 Fisherton tun ext   4 57 4.95 18.4  
6.970 New Road ob   13 42 13.70 40.5  
8.950 Dean 15 15 21 15.35 72.0  
10.410 Dean Hill lc   16 34 16.57 72.0  
11.110 Lockerly Green ob   17 12 17.20 66.3  
11.620 Skew ub   17 40 17.67 65.6 sig check
12.400 Hathill Farm ob   18 38 18.63 48.4 checked
12.820 Dunbridge   19 49 19.82 21.3  
13.570 Mottisfont Dunbridge lc   21 35 21.58 25.5  
14.990 Copse ob   23 40 23.67 40.9  
15.300 Lone Barn   24 15 24.25 31.9 sig check
16.540 Romsey 23.5 26 51 26.85 28.6  
16.820 Winchester Rd ub   27 41 27.68 20.2  
17.820 Ashfield ob   29 26 29.43 34.3  
18.270 Four Lanes ob   30 1 30.02 50.0 46.3  
18.800 Lee ob   30 38 30.63 51.6  
19.150 Cold Harbour ob   31 1 31.02 54.8  
19.900 Barbers ob   31 46 31.77 60.0  
20.510 Belvers ob   32 22 32.37 61.0  
20.890 Banks o/a crossing   32 46 32.77 57.0 check
21.950 Redbridge fb 31 34 37 34.62 34.4 checked
23.700 Millbrook fb   38 37 38.62 26.3  
24.650 Southampton 35.5 40 50 40.83 25.7  
24.920 tunnel ent   41 17 41.28 36.0  
25.220 tunnel ex   41 53 41.88 30.0  
25.620 Northam ob 38 43 4 43.07 20.3 checked
26.060 Mt Pleasant lc   45 21 45.35 11.6 checked
26.350 sig stop   46 59 46.98   10.7  
26.350 sig start   48 43 48.72 0.0  
26.610 St Denys fb 47 50 30 50.50 8.7  
26.840 St Denys Rd ob   50 58 50.97 29.6 check
27.990 Swaythling fb   54 15 54.25 21.0  
28.900 Airport fb   56 13 56.22 27.8  
30.000 Works Rd ob   59 12 59.20 22.1  
30.330 Eastleigh 53 60 45 60.75   12.8  
0.000 Eastleigh 0 0 0 0.00  
0.860 Allbrook Jn   3 41 3.68 14.0  
3.100 Sig stop   9 39 9.65   22.5  
3.100 Sig start   11 39 11.65 0.0  
3.800 Shawford 12 14 56 14.93 12.8  
4.430 Shawford Jn SS   16 6 16.10 32.4  
5.026 St Cross tun ex   17 14 17.23 31.6 eased
5.663 crossing   18 47 18.78 24.7  
6.513 Upper Stockbridge Rd ob   20 16 20.27 34.4  
6.908 Winchester 15.5 20 53 20.88 38.4  
7.154 Andover Rd ob   21 15 21.25 40.3  
7.413 Hyde Park Rd ob   21 37 21.62 42.4  
10.098 Stoke Charity ob   24 29 24.48 56.2  
10.856 Wallers Ash Sth   25 15 25.25 59.3  
11.126 Wallers Ash Nth   25 31 25.52 60.8  
11.592 Borough Farm ob   25 58 25.97 62.1  
13.253 Weston rr   27 29 27.48 65.7  
15.379 Micheldever   29 20 29.33 69.0  
15.881 pophams ent   29 46 29.77 69.5  
16.211 pophams ext   30 3 30.05 69.9  
17.588 Lichfield Sth   31 13 31.22 71.0 70.8  
21.250 Dunnifield ob   34 12 34.20 73.6  
21.580 East Ockley ob   34 29 34.48 69.9 sigs
25.760 Basingstoke 34.5 40 7 40.12 44.5  
26.140 Reading Rd ob   41 9 41.15 22.1  
26.590 Daneshill Nth ob   42 33 42.55 19.3  
28.600 New Bridge ob   44 34 44.57 59.8  
30.720 Bramley   46 31 46.52 65.2  
31.230 Clewetts Green Rd ob   46 59 46.98 65.6  
32.700 Jackdaw Rd ob   48 19 48.32 66.2  
34.060 Mortimer   49 29 49.48 69.9  
35.410 Alfreys Rd ob   50 39 50.65 69.4  
37.660 Pengewood Rd ob   52 38 52.63 68.1  
37.850 Smallmead ob   52 49 52.82 62.2 sig check
39.470 Southcote Jn   54 44 54.73 50.7 checked
40.320 Reading West   57 29 57.48 18.5 sig stop
40.320 Reading West   60 12 60.20 0.0 start
41.250 Reading   65 20 65.33 10.9  
44.020 Earley   72 44 72.73 22.5 sig check
45.160 Winnersh triangle   74 59 74.98 30.4  
45.940 Winnersh   76 35 76.58 29.3  
47.960 Wokingham   80 43 80.72 29.3 psr
52.200 Bracknell   87 22 87.37 38.3 psr
53.460 Martins Heron   89 5 89.08 44.0 sigs
55.570 Ascot   92 3 92.05 42.7  
57.690 Sunningdale   95 45 95.75 45.9 34.4  
59.440 Longcross   97 43 97.72 63.5 53.4  
61.390 Virginia Water   99 35 99.58 62.7 sigs
63.540 Egham   102 8 102.13 50.6 sigs
65.060 Sig stop   106 35 106.58   20.5  
65.060 Sig start   106 52 106.87 0.0  
65.470 Sig stop   107 53 107.88   24.2  
65.470 Sig start   112 20 112.33 0.0  
65.560 Staines   114 2 114.03 3.2 psr
67.060 Ashford   116 40 116.67 34.2 sigs
69.710 Feltham   120 29 120.48 41.7  
72.020 Whitton   123 21 123.35 48.3  
73.290 Twickenham   124 41 124.68 57.2  
73.760 St Margarets   125 13 125.22 52.9  
74.860 Richmond   126 39 126.65 46.0 psr
75.510 North Sheen   127 32 127.53 44.2  
76.310 Mortlake   128 28 128.47 53.1 51.4  
77.460 Barnes   129 48 129.80 51.8  
78.660 Putney   131 9 131.15 53.3  
79.820 Wandsworth   132 51 132.85 40.9 sigs
80.620 Clapham Jn   134 30 134.50 29.1 slack
81.900 Queenstown Rd   137 36 137.60 24.8  
83.200 Vauxhall   139 56 139.93 33.4 sigs
84.450 Waterloo   145 46 145.77   12.9