Current and Proposed New-Builds

I wasn't actually suggesting scrapping Austerities to turn them into such conversions, although my 0-6-2T idea would keep 99% of the original material - what I was suggesting is, use the designs for what are already well-proven, robust parts... but there are a fair few Austerities around unrestored, that seem unlikely ever to get the attention they need...

 

If you sit in the right seat, you can’t see the ears, the dull paint or how many chimneys it has ...



Tom

 

Is your vision a kind of stretch austerity ? (with the cab set back a bit longer tanks, bigger coal bunker)
or are you thinking of something that looks like the LNWR coal tank...

 

I like Austerities!

 

TBH I haven't thought too much about proportions or aesthetics, I was just thinking about availability of components etc! An Austerity 0-6-2T would allow a bigger bunker, maybe some water under the bunker and cab, roomier footplate...

 

Your deluding yourself. The worthwhile salvageable components for a loco of new design would be negligible, while at the same time giving yourself a whole heap of new design issues, to end up with a loco that would please no-one and by definition would be no more useful (in terms of the balance of haulage and running cost) than the starting Austerity.

If you want an Austerity-size loco and have an unrestored one available to you, then restore it. If you want something different, then go ahead and build it (bearing in mind the heritage railway world is inherently small-c conservative - historical pedigree, even in the new build world, will always trump an attempt to try to make something “better” or more efficient).

But it’s one or the other - there’s no value breaking up an Austerity to make a new build.

Tom

 

I'm firmly of the opinion that every heritage line should have a serviceable 'Austerity' on it!

 

Doesn't seem to have stopped the GWR rabble... (mutters darkly about sole LNER-built 8F)

 

I fired the one on the Severn Valley in the early 1970s. At the time, we ran only the 4.5 miles to Hampton Loade. That experience was sufficient to tell me that you really wouldn't want fire it the 16 miles to Kidder!

 

Added a whole new dimension to little (space) and (far too) often ?

 

I had one turn as a fireman on 193 a round trip to Bewdley, going south the injector knocked off at Northwood thankfully my driver was spot on at the water column.

 

I've heard a few stories about 193! None of them complimentary!

 

Ahem...

 

AFAIK the Porta modified Austerity was a much better loco

 

I believe 2890 acquits itself very well indeed, without having had such a modification.

 

Given how useful Douglas has proven...

 

I do beg to differ. British Railways express passenger sludge green manages to make any locomotive less than it should be. Bring back Doncaster apple green. Just think how happy and excited you'd be if that was 4472 behind you

 

For me, happy with BR Green, ta. I saw enough of it in Apple Green, as I did Green Arrow. That latter I preferred in BR Green too - which is unusual as normally my livery preference is for that immediate post-nationalisation era (60163, 34081 &c.) or earlier - e.g. the Y14 at the NNR.

 

Yes, and for some reason I'm sure that Apple green would look odd on a number of loco's but this isn't just any old BR Loco its e'FF'in Scotsman.
Save our Austerities / build another A3 !

 

Just so we don't forget Green Arrow: