City of Truro withdrawn from service

Unfortunately like us mere mortals even marvels of British Engineering get to the stage where a working life has to come to an end. I wish her well in her well earned retirement and hope that the NRM give her the prominence she deserves as the first locomotive to break the 100 mph barrier. (Yes I know all the arguments for and against, and I'm in the for camp.)
I never traveled behind her on the mainline but had the privilege of a footplate ride on the demonstration line at Didcot a couple of years ago.

 

Apologies, I stand corrected

 

Aren't the NRM currently overhauling an LNER A3 for just that purpose.

 

Mmmm.....bit of a sore point in some circles........

 

It has been wonderful to see City Of Truro at work over the last 9 years or so. She has done the job of "roving ambassador" very well. Credit should go to the GWSR team, too, who have taken care of her so well. The partnerships between the NRM and other groups and societies are key to keeping a selection of National Collection locos active.

I thought when she was withdrawn in 1992 (?) that I probably wouldn't see her work again. Given what has happened since then, I'd like to think that I may yet see her running again one day. In the mean time, she has added more to her "story" and will make a fine exhibit at York.

I wonder if anyone has come up with a viable proposal to return 1000, the Midland compound, to working order? Wouldn't she make a fine sight on the S&C or the GCR? I was too young to see her last time around. I suspect that's just a daydream for the moment, though...

 

But a LNER A3 isn't the be all and end all of the NRM locos and I would think she will spend most of her time on the main line and out of reach of my pocket. Having another loco trolling around the preservation lines will bring the NRM closer to the general public and more affordable for most people to travel behind.

 

Out of interest, which NRM locos are currently out and about flying the flag? Off the top of my head:

777 at GCR (active)
850 at MHR (active)
925 at MHR (active)
30587 at B&WR (active?)
44027 at GWSR (under restoration)
990 at Bressingham (static)
251 at Bressingham (static)

I'm sure I have missed some so what else?

 

The T9...

Tom

 

70013 under repair.
63601 Static.

Both at G.C.R.

 

Don't forget 49395 is out and about. The NRM has probably never had so many of its engines in ticket as recently.

 

The Midland Compound is also on static display up here in the Scottish Railway Exhibition at Bo'ness, the only NRM locomotive North of the border currently.

 

Isn't 30587 is due back into steam this year after a fast track overhaul to be based at Bodmin again.

I'll miss City of Truro though.

 

Knew I'd missed some

 

That's a huge SR (& constituents) bias of operational locos, especially when you include the T9!

 

You don't realise the active list is so big until you sit down and look at it, thinking about it though, the Super D can't have too long left either ?.

Is quite the Southern bias on the active list currently, so I'd hope something from the Midland or Eastern would be looked at in future (1000 seems popular and 2500's been mentioned in a few quarters), seeing as there is no GWR type in the national collection that could replace Truro that:

A) Doesn't have a duplicate type elsewhere in preservation (6000, 4073, 9400, 2818)
B) Isn't in ex Swindon Works showroom condition (4003)
C) Incarcerated by a daft building design that would cost £££ before you could even think about a restoration (2516).

I'd also like to think Hamilton may be looked at for Mainline use once 850 or 70013 are done (still a few years to go yet).

*I've rounded them up to big four purely to avoid mentioning countless pre grouping companies.

Incidentally, what happening with 63601 ?, it's been sat in Loughborough shed a while now.

 

That is of course because of the inherent superiority of such locomotives :smile:

As every good railway manager knew, and knows - Gresley for show, Maunsell for dough...

Tom (I'll get me coat...)

 

Is Butler Henderson still at Barrow Hill? That would be a nice option to take the place of City of Truro as an operational early(ish) 4-4-0.

 

No one has mentioned Butler Henderson. She was on display at Barrow Hill, wearing lined GCR green, and I think she's still there. She worked for a few years on the GCR, finishing about 2002, IIRC. Could she be a candidate for a future return, given a suitable sponsor (perhaps the GCR again)?

 

Great minds...!

 

I'd rather see one of the Ivatt Atlantics running.

Bob.