7027 Thornbury Castle

Didn’t look particularly good here
27/7/22
As you say Martin topcoat on the boilers not looking great.

 

I made the comment because the parallel matters when assessing the value of his comments - as, bluntly, does the length of time 7027 remained in his possession.

But, I think most of us are capable of the sort of hypocrisy that he's indulging in, by complaining when something works against us but taking advantage of circumstances when it works for us. The old saying about glass houses applies here...

 

I wouldn’t bank on that. This loco is not being sold because the vendor needs the money, they have chosen to sell it specifically to these purchasers, and indeed have done so clandestinely. That being the case I can’t see them changing their mind simply because someone offers them more money, if indeed they have even sold the loco, rather than given it away.

 

That could have been the intention all along to give the 47XX fund a bit of a boost!

 

Or to sell it out of spite to p*ss the GCR off after they'd done a load of work on it...

Either scenario of which is not a positive outcome for poor old 7027. If I had the money I'd buy it myself, to ensure its survival.

Richard.

 

Looks to me like it just needs a good clean!

 

JJP has clearly upset a lot of people, including some members of this forum, but if he is the person most likely to save 7027 from a fate it does not deserve, I think that even if, for some people it means holding their noses, we should support his endeavours in any way we can.

 

I can assure you that there were numerous issues with it when it visited the NYMR - one of the most disappointing locos to visit the railway in recent years. As I recall it stayed on after the gala for a couple of weeks use but after a couple of failed attempts it was sent to Pickering to await transport home. No one was sorry to see it go.

Peter

 

Indeed. If he is - and unfortunately, past actions will inform future judgments even if the outcome is unfair.

 

That’s far more likely than any benevolent feeling towards the 47xx Fund. I don’t imagine that Mr Gregory is a very good loser.

 

I suspect most footplatemen who have had the experience of 2999 on a reasonable load on a decent length line would agree that it is best described as unfinished. Yes it goes but the valve setting, for example, makes the comparison you seek difficult.

 

It has occurred to me over the past few days, that the scale of the PR fandango that the 4709 lot have brought upon themselves and the GWS can be measured, to some extent, by the fact that in comparison, JJP looks like a reasonable better alternative.
I signed the petition, along with 1300 others. Would I be prepared to put money into 7027? Yes. Whilst I cannot write a cheque for £300,000, I would, without a moments hesitation, join a group wherein I paid £10* a week for the next 5 years to see this locomotive restored properly. If 1000 of us signatories were to do likewise, that would give half a million quid a year to fund the work.
As to the people who say "there's plenty of castles", there's 8. Just 8, the correct number is surely 171

* I am led to believe that this is currently the price of a pint in London

 

Eight Castles is a lot when you look at the finances in the cold light of day. They will all need a full overhaul every ten years with an intermediate after five years for main line runners. Assuming the cost of around £500,000 per 10 year overhaul, that’s £4m or £400,000 a year without any cost of regular maintenance and consumables. There is no way those figures can be generated by steaming fees alone my assumptions are almost certainly over optimistic, especially for a main line loco.

 

It was reported a bit upthread that the idea of using Thornbury Castle as the basis of a Star was mooted a few years ago.

 

Planning is underway to have 4 Castles at Didcot in November, none of which will be 7027. It could be an opportune moment to get the Thornbury Castle Preservation Society underway.

 

They don't all need to run at once...
They just need not to be cut up.

I think this is what boils my wossnames.
The Saint had a hall reserved for using, the grange has borrowed stuff, the three counties agreement used Barry wrecks. 4709 has carved up one wreck (and then failed to use it, and is now pointing the gas axe at another artefect. If you fecked up one to no result, why do you get to carve up another?

 

Hear Hear