Back Of The Shed

I know that there are many connected with the SRPS who want to see ex North British J36 Maude back in action.

For myself I will be delighted when Caley 0-4-4T number 419 is working again later this year.

 

In any case the vehicles (most of them I guess) are stored inside a building protected against weather and vandalism. I think that is the most important after all.

Knut

 

I accept that, but they seem to have more things not running than running. That they’ve had to hire in locos over the last couple of years when they have such a large collection of locos seems a shame.

I first went to didcot back in the 80s when they had a lot of things running - I seem to recall they had the mail train doing a drop, the coal stage was working. Now when I go past seems like maybe 1 loco in steam going up and down most of the time.

As I say, this is impressionistic based on having lived nearby and travelled past it every day on the train and been a member of the society for a while (as it was my nearest preserved railway site)

This may of course change as the new builds get completed and some of the locos under overhaul return to service.

This is very much true, but to me the didcot locos are the epitome of ‘back of the shed’ locos.

 

6697.

 

30064, 30072
(And a gala with all four surviving Yankee tanks in steam together)

I'd really like to see Dolobran and Rhyl in steam.

 

The Saint has taken more than 40 years to get to it's present state - so many of us will not see anything else from the Didcot stable in steam in our lifetimes - apart from 3650, but isn't that owned by a separate group?

 

P Way shunter 16 at Newbridge on the NYMR.
Its had an interesting life and deserves to be brought back into use.
http://www.nymr-pway.co.uk/plant/drewry-diesel-no-16/

 

What is the 140 bar Hydraulic system for?

 

I think that during the recent revamp of the web site someone copied and pasted detail of a tamper instead.
I have not seen any tamping banks fitted to 16 last time I was at Newbridge so a fat finger syndrome case I think..

 

That is just depressing. How on earth can they have got themselves in that position?

 

I can't imagine what they think they achieve by displaying that board!

 

How have they got where they have? For starters:

A board lacking a structure suited for running a museum/tourist attraction.

An unelected chairman who pursues his own WIBN projects at the expense of developing the museum.

No strategic vision. Lack of volunteers. Serious lack of skilled volunteers. Lack of recognition that there is a lack of volunteers. Lack of appropriate controls over workforce - both paid and unpaid.

Failure of certain key individuals to realise that the railway centre will not 'just look after itself' whilst they fantasise over locomotive projects.

Fortunately, it does seem to be recognised from the top down that there are some big issues that need addressing. However it will now take some time to turn the place around. The steaming of [insert newbuild/4-6-0] will not change the centre's fortunes, I'm afraid.

On the other hand, they are turning out some nice coaches.

 

It can't have helped that until the last year or two they did not have assured tenure of the site.
Not a help for any real long term thinking or strategic planning. That is now resolved.
But yes, yes indeed.

 

The current 'long-term' lease was signed 6-7 years ago.

However, I can't really see how the length of lease would impact on the GWS' ability to ensure that an adequate number of engines were overhauled in order to run the site.

Also, bear in mind what was achieved at Didcot throughout the 70's and 80's. I can't help but feel that 'but we don't have a long-term lease' became something of an excuse. At least for certain people.

 

My error on when the lease was secured............it's often longer than you think.
Probably a good example of how easy it is to have a correct belief but not the exact times.
There is a major basic strength in Didcot's position and and the transport to it - though no direct road link for a lorry in.

 

Do people really think that the steaming of pendennis castle or the saint is going turn didcot around?

I could understand didcot getting caught short for a season because loco x develops a fault, the return from overhaul of loco y takes longer and loco z’s boiler certificate was due to expire but this seasons to have been like this for a few years now. Also, something that concerned me was the fact that several locos were withdrawn before their boiler certificates expired due to various faults. This makes me wonder about maintenance or how they are being treated out on loan because pottering up and down the yard is hardly taxing.

 

Exactly! It's in a prime location. So why does it have, year on year, a static 40k visitors per annum? Somewhat of a rhetorical question I feel...

With regards to engines, the GWS got caught short because they didn't plan. They haven't planned in the past, but in the past 'they/them' were always there to bail them out with a suitable small engine. Now 'they/them' either aren't there, or have their hands tied with other things. So the GWS hasn't been bailed out. Hence the string of hired-in industrials. You can't rely on engines to do ten years - realistically it's 8 years max, anything else is a bonus. The board were warned about what could happen. I warned them, publicly, at an operations meeting, 6(?) years ago. What happened? Appeals to wheel the 47xx, finish the Saint etc...

 

Thanks, this is very interesting. So with the new builds - is it that these projects are drawing people and resources from the existing fleet? What is it that is driving the new builds? I’d always assumed that these were people who had decided that they would like to see a 47xx and didcot was the best place to base the project rather than an in house things.

 

the 47 is being built at Llangollen, along with the Grange, originally a Didcot initiative I think and following the Railmotor. Writing clearly on the wall there.