Isle of Wight Steam Railway Loco updates

Hi Julian

Could you repost the image, please as it doesn't show up.

Thanks

Nick

 

W11 out on a test run today.

Not my photo.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/98184884@N06/13247644265/in/contacts/

 

Good to see W11 sporting her new boiler. It is worth pointing out that, bearing this livery, W11 and this set are about the only chance we have to ride in an authentic early Grouping train except on special occasions. (W8 was not rebuilt as an A1x until 1932). More importantly, from the economic point of view, this rake has a tare weight of less than 70 tons which something as tiny as an A1x has no trouble with at all.

Usual disclaimers

Paul H.

 

Happy to pay it if 'Ajax' can be guaranteed!

John

 

Nice progress on W11 there! I'll endevour to get down to the IOWSR sometime this year... Work, College, Railtours and the Bluebell currently stop me from going at the moment... Just out of interest, what's going to happen once all of the engines tickets expire? Surely that'd leave the railway with only an 03 shunter? Or is there a whole strategic plan for the engines once they're withdrawn??

Nathan...

 

Well by the time Newport and 41298 expire in 10 yearish time I suspect 32110 and some of W8,W24 and the Austerities will have been restored again.....

Could ask the same will Bluebell only have 09018 in 10 years time when 847 expires....

 

Not quite sure what you are getting at? Like all railways the out of ticket engines will be overhauled again, the cycle will be constantly repeated.

 

I was referring to the fact that they have 80% of their steam fleet operational, or there abouts, so what happens once for instance the two Austerities, which are their "main motive power" are withdrawn, but can't be overhauled because the E1 and other Ivatt are being worked on, etc... Will they not end up with a pile up of out of service engines? I'm in no way slagging off their workshops capabilities, I'm just curious that's all... I presume that the terriers would be easier overhauls in the coming years as they've both got new boilers... As I said, not slagging, just asking...

Nathan...

 

I do not I believe that the two Austerities come out of boiler ticket at the same time, I do not have the dates to hand but have a feeling that they are four or five years out of sync. Don't forget there are actually three Austerities ( Juno at Shildon) and 46447 at the ESR our strategic reserve!

To aid future heavy overhauls a new workshop is planned, this will possibly be sited next to the new storage and display building. The finance for the workshop is covered by the bequest for the E1.

You will find the strategic-vision a very interesting read.
http://www.iwsteamrailway.co.uk/strategic-vision.aspx

 

Not really 80%. The railway owns 12 steam locos (10 of which are on site) so 6 makes it 50% or 60% depending how you count it. Either way, I suspect that many railways would be delighted to have more than half of their resident steam fleet available for traffic.

But, remember that it is also a side effect of not having too large a collection.

 

Surely the proportion of engines in traffic is unimportant, it comes down to do the railway have enough engines to run the service, and are enough engines coming back in to traffic to replace those going out? The Bluebell 'lococmotive crisis' which was a hot topic a while ago was because they were not turning them round fast enough.

I think we could have a whole thread on this area if we tried

 

You could have too many of your engines in traffic, I suppose, which might result in unnecessary expenditure and a future shortage when they all go out of ticket around the same time.

Richard

 

W11 has been out and about on test this week, some great pictures are on the IWSR web site and Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Isle-of-Wight-Steam-Railway/128859617189527

http://www.iwsteamrailway.co.uk/news/w11-newport-back-on-the-road-101.aspx

 

Indeed she looks like the Gold Medal winner she once was. Incidentally she played a significant part in introducing the automatic air brake to Continental Europe. This is one very historically significant machine.

Apart from No. 11 I can only think of the Caledonian 4-2-2 as a surviving gold medal winner. Can anyone suggest another survival.

P.H.

 

Changed a bit since those days, though Paul!



Tom

 

Seemingly not.

PH.

 

Does anyone know where the gold medal is these days?

 

Books written some years ago say the L.B.S.R. board presented it to Stroudley and it's whereabouts are unknown.

P.H.

 

Last weekend W11 was double heading our heritage goods train with W8 - it's a long time since we've seen double headed Terriers on the Island! Pictures are at the link below.

Both of the Terriers and Calbourne (Ajax as well, if you like that sort of thing!) will be in action for the 'Dinosaurs of Island Steam' Gala next weekend, and the goods train is out with one of the Island engines on our monthly (second Sunday of the month until October) Island Steam Days.

The Gala will mark W11's return to passenger service after overhaul and fitting of the new boiler. Details (including WTT) are on the IWSR website.

http://www.iwsteamrailway.co.uk/news/island-terriers-double-head-the-goods-111.aspx