Bittern outside Waverley station, Edinburgh, 18th October 1950
| From: Ben Zehetmayr Sent: 11 December 2007 15:01 Subject: Bittern at NRM I went with Frank Boait and Chris Yates to check over Bittern yesterday and do a few minor jobs. Got a few photos of the loco outside the NRM roundhouse as we coaled the tender. Light was unfortunately fading so most of my shots were blurred. Boy was it cold. Anyway she is fighting fit for her trip home on Saturday. BZ  See also Photos (NRM, all 11th December 2007): Ben Zetmayr
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| 26th September 2007: After its line-speed load test back from Bristol, the centre big-end bearing was found to be cool. Now that the loco has done some prolonged fast running, the rods were dropped for bearing inspection. |
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 Photos (Southall, 26th September 2007): Henry O'Dwyer |
| 7th September 2007: More of Henry's photos. The West Country alongside is Tangmere. Both return crank rods were taken down to check the pins to the radius link |
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Filling the sand-boxes before the
load test run to Bristol
Photos (Southall, 7th September 2007): Henry O'Dwyer |
| 31st August 2007: Henry O'Dwyer paid a further visit to Southall to supply extra detail on Bittern's water carrier. Outlined
images are clickable, as usual
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| The ½" cable (left of
photo below, under
the buffer of the water carrier) is an inter car jumper between the
TPWS aerial on the second tender to the engine, when in service it
would connect across between the tenders, but had been left down when
the picture was taken. A second jumper will connect the water level
sensor with the engine but safety requirements may dictate that the two
signals cannot use the same jumper. The aerial itself is a small round dome under the tender from which a co-axial cable runs the length of both tenders with an inter-tender jumper between vehicles. It is like a pickup coil similar to Central Line trains' ATP/ATO pickups. The loco and tenders will have three of these altogether so not only will it have to switch between end depending on whether it is going forwards or backwards (microswitch on the reverser weigh shaft) but also isolate the coal tender one to prevent it seeing a danger signal after the water carrier has gone beyond the signal and placed it at danger. The receiver in the cabinet in the cab is called the 'detector'. MHR
volunteer Ben Zehetmayr helped fit these devices and provided these
authoritative notes of explanation. Thanks Ben
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 Non-return valve at the back end of the tender |
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 Whistle (blue control) is a tube train one Gangway view frames corridor end
of coal tender
Photos
(31st August 2007): Henry O'Dwyer
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Water indicator has been added
behind the driver on the coal tender |
| 26th August 2007: Henry O'Dwyer visited Southall on behalf of us all and shot these photos of Bittern's 9000 gallon water carrier to extend the range of Bittern - the water carried in the normal tender is sufficient for only about 120 miles.
He reports that transfers and lining out are scheduled in the coming week Latest information on Bittern's movements |
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From:
Robin Silman
Sent: 27 August 2007 17:25 Hi Tony In case there was any doubt into the significance of the name on #60019’s support coach: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botaurus. Regards Robin Silman Photos (26th August 2007): Henry O'Dwyer |
Restoration of A4 'Bittern' at MHR: Index
Overhaul of A4 'Sir Nigel Gresley' at Grosmont
Very
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