Overhaul of 45596 Bahamas

Green it will be...I was at a members meeting at Ingrow over the weekend. Progress has got behind a bit but it is hoped to have it finished @ October. The tender is all but finished and will be going to Tyseley shortly. It is planned for the loco to be based at Carnforth as room is short at Ingrow. It is planned to have the loco mainly based in the north

 

I note and welcome the word "mainly". If most of the support crew are based in the north, this makes perfect sense, yet the possibility of an occasional appearance further south has not been ruled out and would, I am sure be appreciated. Galatea certainly seemed popular enough when stationed at Southall for a few weeks last summer.

 

Looking back through the journals I don't think there was any suggestion it would be other than green

 

Three jubilees, a Scot, a five and and 8F based there, its going to be busy and would make a good open day!

 

Sorry, but I've never seen the point of preserving a locomotive simply on the basis that it's attached to a pair of nameplates.

 

Not quite sure what you are getting at there 5596 was withdrawn from 9B and a a couple of enginemen wrote to the Manchester Evening News with the idea and a local Bank Manager took up the fund raising and the rest is history as they say . I joined early on when, on an illicit shed visit encountered Terry Smith the shedmaster who told me that showing a BLS membership card would guarantee I would not be thrown out!
If 5596 hadn't been saved then no other loco would have replaced it and the Coal Tank would probably still reside at Penrhyn

 

How about preserving it because its attached to a double chimney... ? Don't know that it makes much difference to its performance but it certainly makes it, together with the green livery, IMHO the most handsome 4-6-0 in the country.

 

Could have sworn I'd seen a reference to 5156 and the desirability of its preservation due to being one of the four named Black Fives, but can't find it now.

Anyway, Nurse will be here soon...

 

No you don't need treatment I remember it but the reason there was much interest in 5156 was that it was a railtour favourite back in 68. The name plates had disappeared by then

 

Here we are Mr Grant

 

Apologies, guess I didn't dig deep enough in the forum history. From what I have seen here 2017 is the comeback year.................just great!

 

The story that I heard long ago was that footplate staff reckoned it "one coach better" than the normal Jubilee.

 

Haven't the members just been sent a letter informing them of the ongoing work etc? It doesn't give any time scales in the letter though from what i was told.

 

If they have I have't received it but it's now looking like an Autumn return rather than summer

 

The boiler of 45596 has been steam tested at Tyseley.

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/…/jubilee-45596-bahamas-boiler…

 

Anything new with Bahamas since the steam test posted above. Thanks for any good information.

 

According to the last members magazine it's being reassembled and the completed tender sent to Tyseley. Late summer or early autumn steaming I hope.

 

Almost there, around 6 weeks is the estimate and it will be steaming around the yard at Tyseley. Picture taken today after the public had gone home

 

Can I ask, when was the last time Bahamas ran on the mainline?

 

I'm sure it was in 1993 on the N Wales Coast to Holyhead.