GWSR loco updates.

At least its not easily seen except by train!

 

Here's a picture of 76077 from a steam loco blog post taken a few weeks ago, shows it quite well:



Something for a rainy day methinks...

 

Exactly the sort of thing which railway enthusiasts tolerate far too much. Then they wonder why local residents don't want a heritage railway next door! Nick 813 is utterly spot on.

PH

 

Judging by all the rust, I'd say its seen too many rainy days

 

So what's the solution then? Perhaps you can contact the owner of 76077? Perhaps he might be happy to sell it?

The Railway has moved this stock and its dismembered BR Standard load as far away from prying eyes as possible. The photo would have been taken from a farmer's field and, whilst its not want we (both public and enthusiast-and the two can be mutual!) want to see - we want to see 76077 being restored - at least there is an attempt to minimalise the eyesore.

However, I agree that now that passenger journeys to Laverton over the viaduct are the norm, more people will see this linear scrap and it does need to be moved for restoration. Who is the owner I wonder?

Action this day could mean that 76077 would be in ingots by next weekend but imagine the response on this forum! Hopefully there will be some movement soon; Standard Class 4 moguls have a good track record and there are only 3 others extant.

 

There are no local residents there Paul! There are houses that back onto Winchcombe yard, I do wonder if there have been many complaints over the years. However, from the railway side it's difficult to tell as weathering will have had a much worse affect, on the houses side everything could still be gleaming!

I was wondering if you might know who owns 76077 Kingham Branch, seeing as you were there when it arrived! As I've said before, no one I know knows who owns it either...

We are making a concerted effort to tidy things up, and have restored things more readily on display than rotting things. I do however have some concerns at Broadway; the plan is to have a long siding giving the impression of double track all the way past station road bridge, what's going to be put there, and will it be maintained?

We do care about how our stock looks, even our ballast wagons. So much so I think a couple of us are going on a jolly to Laverton next week to look at the possibility of repainting one in situ where the paint has started peeling already, and we're having long debates over what colour to paint the model railway coach , livery debates are not only the preserve of NatPres!

 

No bad thing if it "encouraged the others". It's nearly fifty years since day to day steam ceased on the national network after all. If someone has neither the means nor the personal skills to do the work then the remains ought to go to someone who has. (There is at least one example of this happening which has resulted in a return to steam). Host railways need to reflect on this and get tougher with the more recalcitrant owners groups or they risk serious damage to their reputation with non-gricers.

PH

 

If what you say is so then it is utterly bl***y amazing! There for no rent, even a nominal one, per annum? Non-payment of rent would be a justification for taking action to seize the "remains" and their transfer either (a) to someone who can do them up or (b) to someone who needs the bits to help in their own project. However, what is there is literally a mess, in several senses.

PH

 

I didn't say that the railway doesn't know who owns it Paul, just no one I know knows who, which is confined to members of the C+W dept. If conversation comes up, I'll try and ask someone more important if anyone drops by. if rent was not being paid, I'd imagine that it would have been removed, as that's what has happened to a number of items over the years.

 

I am somewhat puzzled by flying scotsman123's post that he is having problems finding out who owns 76077. It is not for me to give out names on a public forum, but the owner is very local to the GWSR.
As far as I am aware, work will start on 76077 once 35006 is up and running.

 

Thanks for the update Std Tank. The original plan was for the 35006 group to assist in 76077's restoration all those years back but it is good to know that this is still the case, all being well.

As a matter of fact, I do know that the owner of 76077 was a local (to the GWSR) person when it arrived at the GWSR in 1987 and I was also told, when it arrived, that there were, "quite a few spares for it." I do not know the owner's name and, if I did, would not mention it in a public forum.

One rumour I did hear all those years ago was that one reason (only one reason-others are available) why 76077 was accepted by the then GWSR Board (The 76xxx Class were never allocated to the Western Region of BR) was because the GW Steam Loco Group moved out around the same time, taking Cogan Hall, Ditcheat Manor, Odney Manor, 5199, a steam crane, a couple of coaches, a Siphon G and various other bits and bobs with them. Indeed, Odney Manor was the 1st ex-Barry loco to steam at Toddington after restoration there but departed very soon after.

 

As one of the local residents, the line of disused wagons and carriages and 76077 are of little concern to my neighbours and I. It's out of sight and out of the way for the time being.

 

I don't know what the answer is - but it's noticeable that "Owsden Hall" lay rotting and untouched at Toddington for years, but then it moved to the Swindon & Cricklade Railway (under the same ownership) and now restoration is proceeding at a rate of knots.

 

Although slightly before my time, I don't think that's entirely true, some work was done. I wonder whether the S&C hav helped financially in any way? I could see that as they do have a bit of a problem with steam locos, whereas we have what we need so anything extra is a bonus, but not necessary, so no point giving aid.

 

Patience please Mr Scotsman123. You are just one of over 500 volunteers on the GWSR and can not be expected to know everybody ;-)

 

Over 800 now I wasn't puzzled that I didn't know personally, just that no one I asked did, including some more senior members.

 

If this was on the Mid Hants thread people would yelling put a tarpaulin on that. Great photo a unique way of seeing a whole locomotive.

 

Aesthetically I prefer it without a tarpaulin, and at least that way people see it, rather than it just being undetermined lumps of metal.

 

Huh! It is just corroding away through neglect. "Preserved", my eye!

PH