Non-working replicas?

Somewhat reminiscent of some of the very early pictures of locomotives by artists who hadn't looked very closely at some of the bits.

 

Late 1940s Swindon proposal?

 

Nah, not enough brass on it!

 

I believe Stuart Reeder will be along shortly with a proposal....


Keith

 

Post war austerity?

 

There's an argument going on within PKP right now that the collection in Warsaw would be better scrapped and replaced with models in the station building instead.
The argument is the public won't care, it's cheaper and the model collection would be cheaper to maintain than the rotting examples outside, which they believe the public don't care about.

Flip side, theres a group in Germany desperate to get their hands on the only surviving streamlined DR BR 03 which is in that museum

 

Hadn't realised it was getting that bad there now. When I visited the place last July, there were actually some people painting some of the exhibits, which was a pleasant surprise.
I must confess though that I found the collection of models that they already have on display there in the main exhibition building to be very interesting and worth seeing in their own right !

 

Back in the early 60s there was some debate here about doing the same thing as the enthusiast pocket could never be deep enough to fund all teh preservation schemes then mooted and look what happened.

 

I personally don't see the appeal in non working locos, real or replicas. To me the whole point of a steam loco is the sight and sound of one in steam and working. I agree that there are some, like the original Rocket, for example where its just not practical but I would love to see the ones in the NRM which haven't worked for years running again, like Gladstone, the NER 4-4-0, the SECR D class etc.

Out of curiousity, how much work would be needed on something which is complete, but has not been steamed since about the 1920s? cant be as much as an ex Barry loco can it?

 

Could you restore one in that condition AND retain the authenticity?

 

Not that fussed about authenticity providing it has the look and feel of the original.

 

Which is where I suspect you and others would fundamentally disagree. - and where the NRM have some particularly onerous responsibilities for maintaining their exhibits.

 

Don't see why not. Probably clapped out when taken out of service and spruced up. Fewer parts missing, but every possibility that boiler is end of life, bearings all knackered etc etc.

 

Nothing that can't be dealt with now given the will and more important enough cash

 

I think the point is, with some "restorations", the work involved would be so extensive that you might as well new build to create an operational replica, and preserve / conserve the original as is, without further damage to the historic fabric.

Tom

 

I'm personally quite happy about ditching a bit of original fabric if you end up with a working steam loco which is much preferred to stuffed and mounted metal. I take your point about building new, shame they didn't consider that option before they started on 60103.

 

60103 is a good illustration. Probably not that much of the original 1923 fabric left, but it is still the only A3 in the world

 

I'm afraid 60103 is an absolute special case. She's effectively been in continuous work give or take the years out for overhaul in preservation, since building in 1923. A working locomotive always changes. But that lump of metal which has things added, taken away, replaced, will always be known as Flying Scotsman.

She is unique as she's the only operational locomotive with a clear remit to keeping running. You can argue very successfully that she's the only locomotive for which never steaming again must not be an option. Her myth, legend - whatever you want to call it - is what brings ordinary everyday folk outside of our sphere and into our world briefly.

There is no doubt in my mind: to stuff and mount Flying Scotsman would be a disgrace, and I am forever grateful to the NRM and Ian Riley for bringing her back, better than ever.

Whereas I believe it's time to admit that some engines - like the Stirling Single - are unlikely to run again, and we are best served by building a locomotive of a similar vintage design to showcase the age of the single wheeler (like the replica GWR single Didcot mooted) than to overhaul no.1 and risk losing any more of her authenticity, particularly now that she has an original tender to match.

 

A point is that a working loco is an attraction, stuffed and mounted ones, much less so. I tend to feel that some of the long term non working locos at the NRM are almost forgotten about, but think of the attention and interest which would be created with some of them being returned to steam and working again.

PS, ive heard that the loco in worst condition of all is Crab 2700?

 

The attendance figures for NRM and Steam would tend to suggest that's not the case.

Yeah, but for that matter given the will and more important enough cash you can build a new one and you don't need to grandfather's axe the original. But that wasn't the question.