Club 3850

There has been a recent unwelcome discovery in the dismantling of 3850 as part of her 10 year overhaul.  Her cylinder block has turned out to have a substantial crack, from top to bottom. 

3850's cylinder block

Close up view of the crack

At the time of writing, it is not known whether or not the cylinder block is repairable, or if we need to get a new one cast.  Until we lift the boiler and can  remove the cylinder block, we won't be able to examine it properly and form an opinion.  Regardless, the overhaul of 3850 will not be cheap.   In order to meet the cost of the overhaul, including dealing with the crack in the cylinder block, Dinmore Manor Locomotive LTD has commenced a fund raising campaign, which will include Club 3850:

 You will notice that Club 3850 includes for the Gold level members, amongst other enticements, a 1 hour helicopter flight over the GWSR following either Dinmore Manor, or when she is back in traffic, 3850. 

The first Club 3850 member, Ian Shapter took his helicopter flight on Friday 11th March, I went along to record the event for posterity...  it's a tough job, but somebody has got to do it.

Should you be tempted to take the plunge and become a 3850 club gold member, an interesting idea might well be to book your helicopter flight on one of the days of the GWSR's "Cotswold Festival of Steam" gala on the late May bank holiday weekend (May 28th - 30th), when we will have up to 8 locomotives in steam, not just Dinmore Manor, but newly restored Bulleid Merchant Navy class, 35006, Peninsular and Oriental S.N. Co as well as 3 guest locos, including BR Standard 9F, 92214.

I can vouch first hand that the 1 hour flight is a truly memorable experience, certainly one that I won't forget in a hurry.

Ian Shapter (l) with our pilot, Lee.

On the short flight from Staverton airport to the GWSR

Dinmore Manor waiting for us at Winchcombe

Entering Greet tunnel...

...and emerging into the sunshine.

Passing Gretton

Steaming past Far Stanley...

...and into Dixton cutting

Pausing at Gotherington station

Looking like she is on double track mainline at Gotherington loop

Heading towards Bishops Cleeve

Passing through Bishops Cleeve

Approaching Cheltenham Race Course

The crew & attendees of the DMLL shareholders day waving at us.

The most important bit of course is how can you help?  Joining DMLL as a working volunteer will always be welcome. Details of how to do that can be found by clicking here. For those who live further away from our restoration base at Toddington on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway or don't have enough free time to commit, then joining Club 3850 at one of the three levels will help us to return 3850 back to working order.  Please download, print and send off this application form:

3850 on the Great Central Railway

The stripping down of 3850 at Toddington has had to take a back seat to the winter maintenance programme for 7820, Dinmore Manor.  Come the first weekend of March, Dinmore Manor will be back in traffic on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, and our attention will be able to return to 3850.   As a brief interlude, I have been sent some slides of 3850 during a visit to the Great Central Railway in January 2011, taken by Ian Wright, which he has kindly agreed to allow us to reproduce here.

From 17th January 2011:

Departing Loughborough with a goods train

Departing Loughborough with a goods train

On Swithland Viaduct

On Swithland Viaduct

3850 with the windcutter rake, crossing small prairie, 5526 on an autocoach at Woodthorpe Bridge

3850 with the windcutter rake, crossing small prairie, 5526 on an autocoach at Woodthorpe Bridge

At Woodthorpe with a goods train

This second batch were taken on 26th January 2011:

With the freight train at Rothley

With the freight train at Rothley

At A6 Road Bridge

At Woodthorpe Bridge with the freight train

At Quorn Station

With 5526 at Quorn Station

This collection of slides provide a perfect illustration of 3850 at work in the preservation era, and Dinmore Manor Locomotive LTD would like to extend our thanks to Ian Wright for allowing us to reproduce these images here.  Hopefully it won't be too long before 3850 is back in steam again.