Colne Valley Black 5s

I spoke to them at the SVR autumn gala last year, and from what I was told, approaches to buy an 8F boiler from Turkey had not been fruitful, so they were now going to build a new one.


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If they do so and all the forming blocks/jigs can be retained they are doing preservation a great service/ putting the chosen boilermaker in a useful position.

Is there a 'Black Five Owner' Association ?

 

Thanks for that, one might question the wisdom of selling the old boiler before a replacement had been secured? In my view they should sell the remains for a nominal sum to the firm that has the boiler .......

 

How does that work? They spend years at a site where there is no realistic chance of running and then move away once it's done? Are they paying a good whack of rent or is it a true case of enthusiasts who have a common purpose and don't worry about such things? You know, how it used to be years ago.

 

I think I’m correct in saying the boiler was sold by the previous owner (Glamorgan Council/Wales railway centre etc or whatever It became known as) to Ian Riley.

The new owning group purchased the remains of 44901 specifically with the intent of using a Turkish boiler, because of their experience in importing their Turkish 8F.




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Correct


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It's called Ian Riley...

 

Well, at least one of the owning groups has built a restoration shed to house their engine and that would presumably be left behind as an asset for the site owners to use if the loco were to move away, so they will have contributed something. I'd imagine the engines will at least get run in there and perhaps visit from time to time.

 

Do you mean they are leaving the Vale of Berkeley?


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I think 61624 was referring to the Black 5s at the CVR.

 

Ah sorry, makes sense now when I re-read it!

Thanks.

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I wonder if any of the class 5s mentioned in this thread will steam in the next ten years

 

The Colne valley ones do look to be making really solid progress, their websites make positive reading. Their facilities have come on leaps and bounds, and there are some serious components being made, so maybe there’s an outside chance.

However I wouldn’t be putting any money on 44901 steaming any time soon, while the Vale of Berkeley people could well astound us, I just cannot help but feel the whole enterprise is a flight of fancy. But that’s a whole other discussion.


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The 44901 website has now disappeared. So something is wrong with the project..

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Perhaps 44901's owners could arrange a swap for 35009?

 

Whether it's good or bad, it would appear to be a common arrangement. There are many examples of 0-4-0 shunters being restored on 10 mile+ lines, and also 9F's being done up on lines with 500 yards of track! Neither are likely to spend more than a year at their "home" before heading on a lorry to a more suitably sized line.

Each to their own I guess. I have always been surprised by others' opinion on this which has always been at odds with my own. If I spent ten years of my volunteer life restoring an item at my line, I would be furious if it was immediately sent on completion to work at another line. For this reason I have always chosen very carefully what I get involved in, making sure that said item of stock IS suitable and will be used on the line when it's done. Having just said that, I have questioned others who have done the opposite in the past and they are perfectly happy to see their engine go. The same applies to volunteers who choose to work on contract jobs, which will be returned to the customer before turning a wheel. I asked them, "do you mind working on someone else's engine that you will never see run here?" Despite leaving me puzzled, I was pleased that everyone involved was indeed happy with the result, which was simply another loco returned from the dead! To them, who it belonged to and where it ran when finished was irrelevant, the joy was found simply in restoration itself.

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It's an economic inevitability with these engines, I feel. The question really is whether the Colne Valley would be willing/able to pay a realistic steaming fee to the owners, and the extent to which the income matters to the owners, but if there isn't a balance to be struck the locos will inevitably have to leave eventually in search of more income, and I don't suppose there will be a shortage of lines willing to accommodate them. There's also the sheer cost of the boiler work to get them into steam in the first place and they may need an offer from a railway with deeper pockets than the Colne Valley to make them an offer to fund the boiler overhaul in return for mileage. It will all come down to whether the owners can afford the bills that come with completing and running the engines.

 

I cant see either of the CVR Black 5s spending too much time there once they are running. I think it was stated somewhere that the intention is 45163 will be ‘based’ at the CVR with engineering work taking place there (what with the group’s workshop being on site) but will visit other railways.

I’m surprised in all this time no other railway of a more suitable length for a Black 5 has offered the groups a deal (like the NNR did with 76084)

 

Apologies 61624 I think I just repeated what you said in your post but mine wasn’t as well worded.