Betton Grange

Unfortunately I think it’s quite a complicated situation. As is often the case the poorly worded article from RailAdvent does not help.

I believe there was an agreement for restoration/hire of the tender between the owner of 3814 and the 6880 group. The 6880 group were doing much of the work on 3814’s tender and they were subcontracting parts to Llangollen Engineering. Many of the same individuals who are running the grange group were involved at high levels on the previous (to October 2020) Llangollen plc board. This basically led them to be unable to complete the tender. Hope that sort of makes sense.

 

Thanks, that makes more sense, albeit I am still not sure why the Grange Group cannot just get another tender on short term hire whilst the issues with 3814/Llangollen Engineering etc are sorted one way or the other.

 

Yes that might be what the group will have to do in the short term. Although unless I’ve missed it, I don’t believe 6880 have made any recent statements about their tender situation so for all we know they might already have the situation under control from their point of view. I think the RailAdvent article was purely based on a very short Facebook page by 3814’s owner.

Again I think it’s worth stressing that as far as I’m aware their wasn’t any agreement between the owner of 3814 and Llangollen with regards to work on the tender. It might be that the onus will be on 6880 group to sort out the dispute with regards to what work still needs to be done on 3814’s tender...

 

Seems as though those who were in charge of Llangollen and are also still in charge of the Grange group have now truly decided to jump ship...

 

They might not have had any other option. With the receivership, it's unclear what's going to happen to the space. (Not that the PLC owned the building, it's my vague recollection that they don't; but they might have a lease which could in theory be an asset.) At the very least, regular access for working might have been impractical.

Sad to see the end of the connection, though.

Noel

 

And if the Betton Grange group were led by the pre-October regime at Llangollen, I can imagine that relationships may be strained.

 

Same people involved with 5199, so doubt that will be returning either.

 

Where do they actually plan to run her, steaming fees at Tyseley will be limited to mainline and I assume much as with Hall's there will be quite serious restrictions as to where she will fit on the mainline?

 

An operation such the same as 7752 would work well. Based at Tyseley, currently without a mainline ticket but has spent a significant amount of time in the west.

 

7752 does not have outside cylinders to worry about.

 

If 6880 is to be mainly based on preserved railways I don't think that would be an issue. Lots of the lines that would probably be interested in having her for a visit have had a Hall to visit at some point in the past, and so provided they haven't changed their P-way to reduce width or height a Grange should fit!

 

The ORR generally expect heritage railways to comply with RSP5 and this document still has the old structure gauge that was a requirement on the big railway for many years so standard gauge heritage railways are likely to be able to accommodate a Grange without any problem unless it is a historical one.

 

Exeter-Plymouth would tempt me.

 

Well, if there's any set up that will know where on the bug railway a GWR 4-6-0 with two big outside cylinders will and won't fit, it has to be Tyseley. Sadly, the "won't fit" routes are likely to outnumber the "will fit" lines, but hopefully there will be enough of the latter for 6880 to have a few more main line options besides just the North Warwickshire line.

 

Along with Sidmouth. I would be thinking along the lines of Tyseley will be its engineering base and it spends a season hired to a railway and then a possible return for periodical maintenance. There by getting the best of both worlds. A consistent income from hire fees to railways and an expert knowledge base for the maintenance and overhaul.

 

Penistone to Huddersfield is definitely no go (6858).

 

Via Dawlish, or via Okehampton?

 

Am I correct in my understanding that 6880 Group also own 5952 Cogan Hall and it's tender? If so, do we know if it is scheduled to be relocated given the current situation at Llangollen?