Pre-1916 locos in steam in 2016

So far, the list seems to show some railways doing relatively badly - the GCR in particular, and all the Scottish lines too.
I am always fascinated by the "ones that got away", i.e. were put aside for preservation but then scrapped. E.g. the NBR Atlantic in the late 30s (Midlothian I think), three or more Midland locos in the late 20s (Johnson 0-4-4T, Kirtley 0-6-0 and 2-4-0 No 1 - although eventually No 2 was saved, now 158A), Ben Adler on the Highland (albeit with a Caley boiler). Any others?

 

What's the rest of the GWR list?

Tom

 

An Isle of Wight Central 2-4-0T was set aside for preservation in the 30s, but cut up as part of the WW2 scrap drive. Stanier's cull of preserved locomotives at Crewe also included an NLR 4-4-0T, and of course he'd already had 'North Star' and 'Lord of the Isles' cut up at Swindon. Speaking of 'preserved' engines at Swindon there's also the sad tale of 'Glory', which was vindictively destroyed by BR when the works was closed. And then there's the GN0SR 4-4-0 which was overhauled for the 1925 Stockton cavalcade but cut up shortly afterwards.

 

My mistake - that's spread across several posts in the 'Margaret' thread.

 

An IoW Beyer Peacock 2-4-0T "Ryde", Beyer Peacock 0-6-0T 0334 and and the aforementioned "bug" were preserved in the 1930s but scrapped in 1940 as part of a wartime scrap drive.

Post war - a Stirling F1 No. 1231 was stored at Ashford for some time but ultimately was not saved for similar reasons to Ben Alder (i.e. considered not sufficiently original). "Beachy Head", now being rectified. I believe a number of Billinton Ks were stored with the hope that one might be preserved, but were considered too big at the time. Adams O2 W31 "Chale" was offered to the Bluebell, but they couldn't afford to repatriate it from the Isle of Wight. Another C class might have been saved along with 592.

Tom

 

Not true. Stanier was not involved. It was a board level decision after Churchward and staff had spent IIRC three years trying to find a museum to take them on. Its in the GW minutes.

 

I knew that one was going to be controversial.

 

The mention of the frames of the "Bug" having survived as a boiler carrier reminds me that when I visited Stratford Works several times around 1960 there were numerous loco underframes, each with centre wheels removed, originally from old 0-6-0s and 2-4-0s, in use as boiler carriers. I assumed that the 0-6-0s were former J15s, which were still being scrapped at that time, but have since learned that some were real relics that had been withdrawn in the 19th century. No doubt similar things were to be found around other works. If only someone had thought of the possibility of new-builds or rebuilds. Hang on though, there were plenty of whole locos to be had then.

 

Wouldn't the Bug have been ideal for you to survey your empire each morning before opening the gates to the masses?

Tom

 

I have a Canadian Pacific "speeder" for that. Saves having to raise steam.

In my youthful enthusiasm back in 1961, I did inquire of BR about the cost of a "Buckjumper" (J69). From memory it was £650. My wages were £4 10s 0d p/w. End of story.

One or two brave souls did manage to secure locos from BR about that time- the GNR J52 was one and I think that Y7 68088 was bought by an individual and spent some years in a barn somewhere. Were there any more?

 

Wasn't there a big Z tank stored at Fratton for a while?

 

957, purchased by a Mr. Cox and stored at Retford for several years until moved to the KWVR in 1965.

 

Not forgetting of course FR No. 115...

 

Two of the Aussie Robinson 2-8-0s were built at Gorton and one actually ran on the GCR for a year or so from memory (this is memory from reading about them; I'm not that old!)

 

Well, there certainly wasn't a small Z tank ...

Being serious, it seems that both 30951 and 30952 were stored at Fratton at various times in the early to mid 1960s, reported in the Railway Magazine at the time as "awaiting preservation" though it is not clear exactly who was interested. There was a thread on the Bluebell Yahoo group a while back and no-one seemed to be able to recall that it was specifically the Bluebell interested. Possibly there were individuals or groups hoping to purchase them with the idea of basing them at either the Bluebell or one of the other nascent schemes developing at that time.

ex-LBSC K-class 2-6-0s Nos. 32345 and 32351 were stored for a while at Three Bridges; again attempts at preservation came to nothing.

Tom

 

Oh yes there was. http://www.lner.info/locos/Z/z.php

 

As a loyal RPSI member, I should mention that 131 (built 1901) should be steaming in 2016, at least around Whitehead, albeit perhaps with a borrowed tender (borrowed from 171, another centenarian).
Of the RPSI fleet, both of the 101 class locos are also 100plus, although one withdrawn and one in bits.
The unique thing, of course, is that these locos haul passengers on the mainline (possibly none of the oldies in 2016, although 131 just might I suppose if there's enough donations for the tender and bits very soon - I have no inside info).
However soon both of the GNR locos should be performing on the mainline, and for a lot less than £450!
186 may also be back on the mainline one day, although harder to schedule a 1880s 0-6-0 on the principal mainline in the island....

 

131: Tender chassis finished, tank floor laid out and work starting soon on building tank sides/baffles etc. TPWS and OTMR still to be fitted.


Keith

 

I heard somewhere that a Claud Hamilton was held back at Stratford around 1960 ish after the last one was withdrawn in the hope that scrapping it could have been fobbed off for long enough for it to be saved but it didn't happen.

 

I've heard this too, but although I had a couple of whole-day visits to Stratford in 1959 and 60 I never saw any sign of a complete Claud, though I did see and photograph a couple in the course of being cut-up. Moreover, I've never met anyone else who could positively confirm the story. I suspect that it arose out of confusion with the now-preserved B12 61572, which was held back from the scrap line due mainly to the efforts of the late Bill Harvey, the Norwich shedmaster.