46235 City of Birmingham

And sometimes "adults" say no to children just because they can because it makes them feel special, like they have power over something. You're also forgetting how happy that child is when he finally gets to play with that last toy.

 

No, not suggesting that. I meant my comment to be taken more generally. But Anthony has clarified his view in his reply to me above and I have no objection to that. It is a hazard of fora in general and this one in particular that meanings are misinterpreted. One would have to write an essay in each post for complete clarity.

 

So you agree that steaming Lode Star isn't daft then?

 

I disagree that only linesiders would benefit from 4468 running again. IMO even at 25mph on a heritage railway no end of people would buy tickets to say "I've ridden behind Mallard." I missed out back in the 80s so hope that one day I'll achieve that aim. I've been behind the other three so to add a fourth A4 to the list would be nice.

 

Understood.

 

Well it would return an engine to steam, if that doesn't seem like much of an achievement to you then I would suggest you are in the wrong forum/hobby. Do you think the Barry scrapyard hulks should have been left as-is to show what a scrap engine looks like?

I wouldn't put up money to just swap the nameplates, I will gladly be the first to donate time AND money towards the overhauls of pretty much any stuffed and mounted engine.

 

The biggest problem with Mallard is explaining to the thousands who come to York to see her and ask after her that she's in a shed in Southall/Carnforth/wherever being prepared for a run. "But I've come specially to see it" is the cry. And it happened in September this year, and in 2010 when she had the holiday in Shildon

 

So people who come to see her for FREE are more important than those who are willing to PAY to see her doing her intended purpose. If they were that intent on seeing her they could have looked on google, found out where she was, and gone to stand lineside and seen her then. Or even better they could have paid money and ridden behind her (if she was steamed).

There is always an argument that steam loco's on the main line cannot recoup their costs, I'm starting to see why if the NRM is all about catering to those who want something for nothing.

 

I'm happy to stand by my modest contribution to movement of the last 40 odd years, helping restore Barry wrecks, contributing to endless appeals and now recovering lost lines from the wilderness in Staffordshire and backing Tornado and the P2. I'd rather bring something new to the party than bang on about restoring another of a class that already exists. But I agree Mallard is something of a special case.

 

No, I can see why people would want Lode Star steamed when I fail to see the reasons with the others, but even then I don't agree with the idea of steaming her. To do so would be to destroy the very reason she was preserved in the first place.

 

Quite a few locos haven't recouped their cost during their main line careers so it's a valid argument. As for saying the NRM is catering for those who want owt for nowt, that's plain nonsense.

 

By all means, something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue apple green, the more the merrier. You obviously know first-hand how much effort goes into returning a loco to steam. Returning CoB to steam, even if not the main line is a wonder, and a sight to behold. Don't belittle the efforts by saying it wouldn't achieve much.

 

Is that the fault of the loco's or the fault of the management? Tornado seems to be doing ok. But of course Tornado won't ever get off the ground because the skills don't exist, and you can't get a new boiler made.

The FS restoration screams bad management too, even a muppet like me knows that you check the frames for cracks and the cylinders for alignment before putting it back together.

 

"Don't belittle the efforts"? What efforts - it's not being returned to steam AFAIK? I have great respect for all who give their time and/or money to our movement. Doesn't stop me from failing to see a need to steam CoB.

 

Simply the cost of running on the main line and overhauling to that standard is so great that not all locos get enough work to recoup that and put sufficient money back in the pot. Steam locos by and large are money pits.

 

The reason loco's were preserved was to prevent them getting the gas torch and being lost forever. Beyond the wildest dreams of the early preservationists we have the chance to make the loco's run again.

Maybe we should stuff and mount all the steam engines to preserve all their history before we lose it.

 

There isn't a need to steam any locomotive.

You said "overhauling CoB would achieve very little then really". Which belittles the amount of effort required to overhaul ANY locomotive to steam.

 

Steady on Ralph, that's why galas are so successful with people turning up to ride behind the different locos. Nowt wrong with that.

 

Reading this thread since your post Tom, I don't think that he read it or if he did, he understood what you wrote.........

Cheers

Alan