NG loco of the decade

Aaaaah probably my favourite non-L&B loco, a masterpiece!

 

1. Upnor -At the start of the Decade the WHR was at Waunfawr. This loco has worked consistently despite being run into the ground in the process and even when we think Upnor has been finished off it still determined carries on. Without Upnor (and a bit of help from Conway) they wouldn't be a WHR (to Hafod-Y-Llyn anyway)

2. K1 for being different and all involved getting her back in steam

Regards

Duncan

 

How can K1 be the loco of the decade, it's spent most of it broken in a shed and now it finally works it does 1 years service and is worn out again.

I'd go for W&L 14/85 as well a great engine that has performed consistently well for the W&L it will be sad to see it go.

Tim

 

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I'd go for W&L 14/85 as well a great engine that has performed consistently well for the W&L it will be sad to see it go.

 

85 is another beneficiary of Lempor exhaust technology. In original state she was quite capable of blowing off against both injectors after a mile of 1 in 29 but was apt to set the scenery ablaze. With Lempor, an effective spark arrestor can be utiilised.

She is a bit smaller than the L and B locos but ( peace unto the Lyddites) I suspect she is an altogether livelier peace of kit. "Russell" is closely related to "85" and I dearly hope the two WHR factions can kiss and make up so that "exchange trials" can be run between her and LY.

Paul H

 

K1 wouldn't get my vote, it doesn't steam, the rebuild was comprehensive but they didn't fettle it enough, in my opinion the K1 is not finished yet.

Loco of the decade for me has got to be Merddin Emrys off the Ffestiniog, when it was re-painted in 2005 the stunning paint job was unveiled with total style, it has had a lot of problems, but all of them have been conquered, now it steams like a witch and runs like a sewing machine, most of the things that have made it great have happend in the last decade, new bogies & coal firing. It looks great, it runs great, it steams great, perfect combination, epic loco.

 

Linda ran consistently from 1996 to 2004, so worked more years (2000-2004) in the decade than K1 did.

My vote goes to Durango & Silverton K-36 486. After 30+ years of open display at the Royal Gorge in Colorado, this loco was swapped for K-37 499 in 1999, shipped to Durango and had a comprehensive overhaul. It is now a regular performer and clocks up some incredible mileages.

Second place goes to 143 which has battled on despite the lack of maintenance and which now includes a whole load of 138, and third place to Baldwin 778.

 

N-G Locos of the decade

Indeed, the restoration of the decade has to be the Baldwin, in that it brought back an important n-g class to British metals. When are we going to see it steaming through the Aberglaslyn Pass ?

K1 is an important loco, but has no previous operating history in the UK; likewise the Joffre class represented by Axe.

New-build of the decade is, of course, Corris No.7.

If they ever finish it, Lyd must be a contender for new-build of the new decade; unless someone manages to recreate a GVT tram loco in the next ten years......

Richard

 

What do yo mean if they ever finish Lyd? I am personally going to Boston Lodge if they don't and shaking some cages!! Would a GVT loco ever be built...I mean where would it run? Obscure gauge and all

I like the Baldwin, always have loved the class, but some reason 778 hasn't got me going like I hoped it would! Does it have to have UK operating history?? If so then it rules out all the garretts! Personally I still think W&L 14/85 or Upnor Castle...

 

The Glyn Valley Tramway ? More likely on the 2'6" GVT(C) than the 2'4.5" GVT(G) but either would do.

Lyd does seem to get put on hold on a regular basis when something more important comes up.

Richard

 

Uproar is a good option, but 778 is also a a candidate. I am also considering a certain 2-6-2 T being lovingly re-built at Gelerts Farm.......... OH, how about the one they said would never be rebuilt? Dorothea !!!

 

I disagree Taliesin, it might not pull as was hoped, but it's done a fair amount of work the past decade.

 

I would suggest Gelerts farm's other less famous steam engine, which pretty much came in at the beginning of the decade, has got up every morning, putting in a days work and gone to bed each evening with such limited fuss. She has been the only steam engine to call on for several years, and has very rarely let the railway down. This is what makes an engine great, not some temperamental beast that has done one or two years service, spitting the dummy every other use...

I would suggest the loco of the decade has to have operated for a large portion of it to be considered. I know people are going to be more drawn to something new and interesting but are we not looking at the loco of the decade not the loco of the last two years...

778 is a good engine but will be the loco of the next decade? Well actually RUSSELL will be the loco of the next decade!!!

Most of the W&L fleet could also be considered, as they do a similar day in day out job, but they do get a few days off when another engine is used, Gelert doesn't!!! I will also give a mention to IRISH MAIL who dragged the entire WHRp coaching stock and GELERT during the last Gala, making a huge noise in the process!

 

I find it difficult to accept Gelert being the loco of the decade. It has spent that time burbling along a few yards of track and has never really done any hard work at all. Merddin Emrys has in my view probably qualified more than most and has performed excellently in hard conditions as I understand it. It has also been nice to see the original Welshpool locos back in action.

 

Except that Taliesin was built in the previous decade and came into service in 1999.

I was suggesting sub-categories of rebuilds and new-builds, which by definition would have to be completed in a year beginning 20.. Perhaps there should be three categories -

1) Rebuilds
2) New-builds
3) Workhorses

Richard

 

1 years worth of tweeking, then 10 years of work and lubrication improvements, I certainly think it's a noughties loco, given it can't really be classed as a nineties loco given it didn't do enough work in that decade.

 

Better make a note of this to pass on to the builders of the new no 10. Add a year's worth of tweaking to the timetable for building it before we add the plate with the year of construction on.

 

Fine - enter it in the "workhorse" category for the noughties.

Richard

 

The problem with nominating locos as a "loco of the decade" is that those who volunteer at/work for/are a member of a particular railway are quite likely to nominate a loco from their particular railway rather than considering the narrow gauge scene overall (there are plenty of examples in this thread!). On that basis I nominate Lilian.

Another for consideration would be Adrian Shooter's Darj - who would have thought we would see one of those back and operating in the UK regularly?

Don't think we can nominate the "impossible" restoration of Dorothea as Kay hasn't quite finished her yet - maybe this decade!

Charlie

 

I wouldn't go for the K1 personally. No offence of course to anybody who worked on it or whatever but surely the NG loco of the decade should be one which has been integral to the railway it runs on? For that reason (even though it's not a very exciting choice) I'd definitely have to go with David Lloyd George.