Current and Proposed New-Builds

Just spotted this on Facebook:

 

Given one of the catalysts for the GCR 4-4-0 was the discovery of NOS cylinders that were for an engine built many years later, it makes you wonder how many accidentally-common parts there are out there.

 

I want one

 

Reminds me of many years ago, when Andy Crespin (now in NZ) took a break from Ropley to work in Bulawayo. He sent a picture of some of his Beyer-Garratts with the caption: 'Happiness is a shed full of these'!
Pat

 

There will be a lot of 00000's after the £ to build one - probably would not be let loose on the big railway and would take 3 loco spaces in a heritage steam shed. Nice thought, but the LNER only built one!

 

I like the term 'Amazing'!!!! We do try hard..... Must try even harder.

 

Well, I tried putting a lot of 0's after the £ and this is what I got:
£000,000,000.00
Looks pretty cheap to me. Let's have a fleet.

 

Agreed. Probably the only one I could ever afford is an OO model, and even those don't come cheap. Even if I did win the lottery a full size one wouldn't be on my list.

But what a lovely beast.

On a different but equally impractical tack, although I am an LNER enthusiast there is a paradox about the GWR that has always fascinated me. Despite their - very sensible - policy of standardisation, after the amalgamation of 1922-3 they conducted a quite amazing program of rebuilding and modification of inherited locos, some quite grotesque, some surprisingly handsome. In the more drastic cases it must have cost nearly as much as building a new replacement.

I wonder if the GWS or someone else with an appropriate standard boiler sitting spare would consider recreating one of these as a contrast to the standard types, because they are certainly part - and to me a fascinating part - of the GWR story.

 

So that's that settled then. A water-tube boilered W1 it is ......

 

But Swindonised...........

 

So stick some copper on the chimney, paint it green, name it after a toffs house. Job done.

 

What shade of green though?

 

Brunswick of course

 

Swindon never quite got round to a 'Palace' class, did they? Jus' sayin'!

 

Crystal Palace it is.

(Obviously, no railtours to Brighton)

 

Improved Engine Green

 

Middle Chrome green of course.

 

If there was an appropriate standard boiler sitting spare then We'd have 'Lady of Legend' and still have 'Maindy Hall'

 

FWIW there are 2 spare No1 boilers, 2861's at Didcot which was going on 4709 but now isn't and 2873's at Tyseley which was going on a Castle chassis to make a pseudo Star but now isn't. Maindy's cylinders and wheels also survive at Didcot AFAIK.
Ray.

 

I suggested that to David Elliott once. His response remains unprintable...