MHR Restorations and Overhauls

I'll be surprised if any of JB's locos could be returned to the main line for next year. Unless someone is going to throw a lot of resources and cash at his locos every quickly.

 

Is a U Boat actually economically feasible on the mainline? They are not that big a loco (class 4P/3F in LMS-speak, I think), so you'd probably find a limit of about 7 or 8 coaches and 60mph on most routes, and one of those coaches would be a support coach, so only about 6 / 7 coaches of paying passengers. I doubt you could make the economics stack up.

Tom

 

Found this video on u tube of 31625 on the main line with nine on.

 

Not a bother!

 

Still not a very big paying load if you take one out as a support coach, and I wonder what the acceleration was like?

Obviously, such considerations are route-dependant. But even on flat routes I'd have thought that was a marginal proposition, and on hillier routes, I'd have thought the viable load while still being fast enough to fit available paths would probably not pay the way. And if you are limited to a very small number of trips each year, it is probably not worth the expense of the mainline wizardry when there are no doubt half a dozen preserved lines in the country that would bite your hand off for a moderate size class 4 and guarantee you 80 days of steaming fees per year.

Ultimately it is Mr Bunch's decision. But what made financial sense 20 years ago doesn't necessarily make sense today. Unless he has very deep pockets and an insatiable desire to go mainline, I'd wager that the future for the moguls, if restored, will be on one of the larger heritage lines somewhere.

Tom

 

This whole thing between JB and the MHR is a shame it has come to this, There are no winners here, and regardless what other people say i will always associate Bodmin with the Mid-Hants no matter where it ends up.

 

You may well be right, Tom. I've no doubt that 31806 will not be short of work. Whether it will be doing the rounds as a "for hire where needed " engine like 5643 or whether a more permanent base will be found remains to be seen.

On the main line front, the moguls used to perform some quite remarkable feats between Redhill and Guildford, sometimes taking as many as 15 coahes up the 1 in 96 gradients. I think there was an aticle about this in Bluebell News some years back (I know that Bill Brophy provided the info, based on his concersations with former Redhill drivers) but I can't remember any more than these vague details.

76084 is supposed to be going main line, which I guess must be smaller in terms of firebox, etc than a MAUNSELL mogul, so it is possible that there might still be a niche for a U or the N. Anyway, we've only another 7-8 months of speculation left before all is revealed!
(Corrected - see Reading General's post below. I was in a rush this morning!!)

 

76084 IS a mogul of course

 

I have always found it odd that some locos dont get the names the wheel arrangements indicate. For instance you never hear about Ivat and Riddles praries, yet they existed. Riddles had large praries and small praries too.

 

Tom, the rumor mill suggests that both U-Boats will go to the Swanage Railway ?????????

However we will see what happens later this year, who really knows, ???????????

Chris:

 

Ideal sized engines for them and well in keeping with that line, and more suited to it than Bulleid pacifics. I wonder if the Swanage management are looking to reduce their reliance on SLL. In which case, how long before the second standard tank is offered for sale?

 

I'm sure they would get lots of work there, and an ideal sort of load (most Swanage trains are five coaches in my experience, but they run on a lot of days each year - almost an ideal scenario for a loco owner in term sof the balance between number of steaming fees each year and how hard the locos are worked mechanically). If I were the owner, I'd feel a lot more confident throwing my lot in with a heritage railway than taking my chances on the mainline (with all the extra expense) with a relatively small loco that may not get much mainline work.

Tom

 

that would be covered by the old adage "better the devil you know" I think.

 

Interesting comments folks.

31625 was very strong on the Main Line. I did several runs with her and many enthusiasts and loco crews were impressed with her strength. I have always thought that the two U-boats on the Main Line together would be a rather good combination like Ian Riley's two Black Fives.
I hope the two U-boats do go to Swanage. Not far to go to see two of my favourite loco's in action. If JB sells 73096 I hope it isn't too long before we see her back on the ML. Unfortunately my lottery numbers haven't come up yet or I would have made an offer!

 

And Chris, thats about it, thats what i've heard, that 31806 will go to Swanage, she after all has what 5 years left on her ticket, 31625 also but later , but nothing on 31874, i;ve heard talk of flower mill doing the boiler on 31625 hense why i think she may be going mainline, but if,and its only a big if, i expect that she will be swanage based and venture out from there doing bristol runs etc i dont see the U boat doing many long tours, unless its a 4th july 2016 special waterloo to weymouth piloting tangmere,

 

Please can anyone update me on the Hunslet conversion No. 10 Douglas? Is the loco still MHR based? And what is it's status? Thanks in advance

 

Sold some time ago and moved away to another railway.

 

At Ribble, either nearing overhaul or undergoing one:

http://www.ribblesteam.org.uk/exhibits/steam/33-hunset-2890-0-6-0-douglas

 

Any idea if it's going to return back in to a J94 again.

Cheers

 

Thank you Gentleman, much appreciated