Heritage Line Loco Power Requirements

The GWR had a couple of similar looking ones too. The earliest was LMS 1831 which was actually based on the frames of an ex-Midland 1F 0-6-0 tank. It kept its original number because it was officially classed as a rebuild, a somewhat drastic one!

 

And the Southern had them too, they became class 12 I think. There was also a solitary Bulleid designed 0-6-0 intended for transfer freight workings, I cant remember the number, think it was 110xx something or other.

The point here is that the first workings to be turned over to diesels were shunting, with Gronks and the like, and local passenger services, with DMUs. Thus ensuring that smaller tank locos tended to go quite early on

 

Will there be more locomotives with valid boiler tickets in future?
Or fewer people wanting steamtrains?

 

Enough now, Hermod. The only one who thinks your thermos locomotives are a good idea is you. They would be soulless, pointless, and drive away customers from any pleasure railway foolish enough to try it please give it a rest.

 

The SVR has an 11 and it is indeed very similar to a gronk

 

Apologies if this question has been asked before or if this is the wrong place. The energy of enthusiasts is channelled into the maintaining and restoration of steam locomotives saved from scrap and all the new-build/replica projects under way, with the aim of recreating a member of a lost class. Excluding as yet unrestored locomotives, of the classes which did "make it" into preservation, which one(s) have the most surplus parts still in existence, making it possible, if a desire were there, for a 'new' member of the class to be built?

 

I would guess one from the GWR.

 

47005-47009 Horwich 1953/54

 

Well that explains why my preferred WIBN choice, a "breathed on" B&CDR 'Baltic' doesn't seem to be in the running!

 

Not so much "breathed on" but supplied with oxygen from all accounts!

PH

 

The story of the development of the B&CDR 'Baltics' always puts me in mind of the tale of one particularly well know Hollywood "ball breaker" actress who once told an 'up and coming' director "If you're not very careful, I'll play this scene the way you want it'. On this occasion, t'would appear, that's exactly what an exasperated Beyer Peacock did!

 

That made me laugh! I think it has always been a bit of a mystery where the inspiration for them came from, and who actually designed them...
Funnily enough, weren't they the longest lasting of all the 4-6-4Ts in the British Isles?

 

Other than CDRJC Class 4 "Erne"..... which was 3ft gauge.

I banged on a bit about the origins of the B&CDR 'Baltics' a while back in thread "Steam Traction/Private Builders Their Designs/post#3" on 30th May 2017. Short version..... let's just say, if you want to develop a successful new design, don't do it that way!

 

A bit of necromancy here (sorry mods!) but I couldn't find a place to post my query other than posting a new thread, which I thought unnecessary.

Watching Great Rail Restorations this month, I was struck by the beauty of the 4 wheeled coach on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway they had restored. Absolutely stunning, wonderful restoration and a credit to all involved.

I then watched it get hooked up to a wonderful rake of the island's bogie coaches, beautifully restored in various liveries. Marvellous work, again, and the heritage and history of the vehicles apparent.

Then they put the Terrier on the front, and it was a wonderful train. Really looked smashing. Full on heritage. I thought "that's railway preservation, right there".

I have then seen the beautifully restored Ivatt 2MTs lined up in all of the railway mags at one of their stations. I couldn't help but think that it was a shame they were likely to be pulling those trains in future.

If I visit the IOSWR, I want to travel in their period rolling stock behind their island line locomotives. Not the austerity, and certainly not the Ivatts.

I understand the practicalities of restoring locomotives for use, and no doubt the Ivatts will be very useful, reliable, brilliant machines (because they've been restored to a high standard and are excellent machines). But it takes away a bit of the magic of the IOSWR for me.

Am I being unfair here - knowing the practicalities of a working railway? Should I just enjoy steam at the head of the train? The (purist?) in me says they shouldn't be there. The realist says it is logical and practical to have working steam of a good quality whatever its heritage.

So why can't I shake this feeling of disappointment at the thought of Ivatts running the trains on the IOSWR?

And to clarify - because I hope, sincerely, that no one thinks I am picking on the IOSWR just for the fun of it (I'm not - their volunteers are talented, hard working and dedicated), but I also feel this way whenever I see a diesel at the head of the quint-set on the NNR (very rare mind!) or the BR green liveried 9F on the GCR, or similar.

Have I lost my marbles a bit - overthinking it - ???

I am not, assuredly, saying that I want things done a particular way, but more asking whether it is okay to think this way...!

Answers on a postcard please!

 

The steam world has more than its fair share of nutters, cranks and weirdos, so don't worry about it!

 

It depends on how you calibrate your response. If it is at the level you've expressed, then that is entirely reasonable - and I think shared by many (disclaimer, I liked the 8F in red!). Take it a stage further, to the "I won't visit xyz railway because...", and it becomes unreasonable pedantry neglecting the compromises that railways do need to make to be sustainable.

 

An initial correction IWR 10 was marshalled in the 4 wheel set not the bogies coaches.

The Loco question is a down to practicalities the 02 was built in the 1890s and the Terriers in the 1870s are you seriously suggesting that they should be the entire Loco fleet? Are you also suggesting that the gift of three Austerities and three Ivatt Class 2's should have been turned down? If you were the person making the decisions at Havenstreet would you run the service with just three engines?