70013 Oliver Cromwell

Working this weekend on the Great Central, no repaint except smoke box and smoke deflectors.

 

Update today from the 5305LA's Facebook page re 70013:

"HOT OFF THE PRESS!
We’re ecstatic to share that 70013 has passed it’s steam test to extend its boiler certificate. It is cleared to run on heritage lines until the end of the year.
70013 will be in action this weekend at the Great Central Railway to celebrate!"

..and in a reply to a question:

"The overhaul will now be postponed until the end of this year/early next year to allow us to maximise the use of the extension.
Unfortunately, 70013 will not return to the mainline until after it’s overhaul, as the extension is for heritage use only".

So it means that 70013 WILL return to the main line after its 10-year overhaul, which will now start in Jan 2019. There had been quite a bit of speculation that it would never return to the main line.

Good luck to the 5305 guys.

 

Where does the money come from to overhaul it?

 

ELR need to get a bid in for August to re-unite her with coaches from a certain trip 50 yrs earlier!

 

Would have thought income from hire fees would be ring fenced towards overhaul, only a guess, maybe not if the Science Museum get their mitts on it first...

 

All steaming fees normally go towards the overhaul and it has done a lot of mainline work. The work done at the last overhaul was fairly extensive and part funded by a public appeal.

 

As the GCR have "50 years" events on the first two weekends in August, I don't expect 70013 wil be going anywhere else that month, though I could be proved wrong......

 

IN this weeks Rail Mail for GCR members there is a photo of 70013 back at Loughborough, with a short remark saying its not going anywhere.

 

I'm sure that will be the case and it makes sense. My comment was me musing over a WIBN.

 

It won't be but look out for a charter by Timeline with the mail train and a mixed freight

 

whilst its a pity cromwell won't be on the mainline at the time of any 15 guinea special re runs, at least she will still still be able to play her part on the GCR, When you look back at the struggle it took to get her released from Bressingham and thanks must go to all of those who ensured she would return to the mainline

edit: changed the incorrect original 57 to 15 , but with the modern fares, access charges what would the fare be today ?

 

Have you upgraded the fare with inflation? The fare was 15 guineas!

 

whoops allowing for inflation i guess that 57 guineas would be about the same today

 

when you work out what 15 guineas was then to the average wage earner, and costs etc, what would the equivilent be in todays money and how would it compare to what a re run would be charged today

 

According to an on-line calculator, 15 guineas in 1968 would be £272.50 at today's value.

Dave

 

By today's standards, just "ball park" really .....

 

What is it that allows locos to continue to be run on preserved lines for a while after they are no longer allowed on the main line? Are they operated at a lower boiler pressure? If that's all it is, couldn't Cromwell be allowed out once in August, with an assisting loco?

 

mainline certificates are for 7 years but can be extended to 10 if the boiler has a retube before the 7 year date, but after that it has to have a full strip down and overhaul, in a lot of cases, owners will not always decide the cost of a whole new set of tubes is worth the cost against what they might earn but the engine will still have 3 years of use left in the boiler ticket some engines have not gone mainline from day one, but have worked on heritage lines for a time first, in this case often the ten year will be about the same time as when the mainline certificate expires, there is no requirement other than that,in cromwells case the GCR have extended the ticket until the end of the year after which she has to have an overhaul . the mainline certificate expires, or has expired only 6 months or so earlier

 

70013 out today on a damp drizzly morning which turned brighter by the 2.00 run

https://www.flickr.com/photos/10257146@N05/41074115521/in/dateposted/ crossing Swithland Reservoir 10.00 service

https://www.flickr.com/photos/10257146@N05/26203932767/in/dateposted/ on the straight out of Loughborough with the 2.00 service