THE Mid-Hants Watercress Line suffered another set-back this month when its flagship engine, Bodmin, had to be taken out of service, just weeks after returning to the line.
Bodmin was pulling Guildford-based company Steam Dreams' inaugural 'Cathedrals' Special' mainline run to Winchester from Waterloo.
According to Mid-Hants Railway spokesman Cedric Johns, the plan was for the passengers to disembark at Winchester to see the city and for Bodmin to run on to Eastleigh to pick up coal and water and for straightforward maintenance.
During the service, however, the Eastleigh fitters discovered cracking in one of the wheels, thought to be due to metal fatigue, and the engine was declared unfit to run. A diesel was bought in to pull the Steam Dreams train back to London.
As a result all Bullied Pacific engines of that type in the country - thought to be about six, have been "stopped" until their wheels have been inspected, said Mr Johns. He explained that Bodmin was rebuilt at Eastleigh in 1956 and the English Welsh Scottish (EWS) engineers who operate the freight maintenance depot at Eastleigh were currently looking through their steam archives to find out the correct welding procedures for wheels of this nature.
"Until then Bodmin will remain at the Eastleigh yard,"he said.
Bodmin's untimely demise, just weeks after returning from a major ten-year service, follows a similar disaster in March when Steam Dreams' recently purchased Canadian Pacific was grounded during the staging of a national pilot scheme designed to train diesel drivers to handle steam engines.
The next Cathedral Special is scheduled for this coming Wednesday, April 25.