35009, Shaw Savill

I just wondered because I have made a list of all the remaining WC/BoBs and MNs and I plan to see them all I'm thinking that as I have seen 34023 34046 and 34059 I'm thinking that the watercress line would be good considering they got a Fair bit down there I'm guessing but I still think that its a shame that Shaw Savill is practically in this condition.

 

Although the MHR do have a fair few Bulleids on its books, being able to see all of them in one hit may prove difficult.
34016 has now left and is currently at Southall.
35005 is in various parts awaiting the go ahead for restoration to fully commence at Eastleigh.
34058 is out of public view awaiting restoration at Alresford.
34105 is in various bits undergoing restoration at Ropley.
34051 is currently being painted at Ropley.
That leaves 34007 which will either be in Ropley yard or on a service train.

The future for all of these however does look very bright weather that be at the MHR, the NRM or on the mainline.

 

Thank you shaggy Hehe, well that's was my problem I didn't want to get the to find out I can't see any haha

 

Yes, 34058 and 34073 might be a couple of pigs to 'win' due to their respective location. I'm just waiting for 34067 to disappear into Carnforth for a while and 34073 to subsequently emerge complete... We can dream.

 

Yes we can only dream but I find it slightly ironic that there is a picture of 35009 and 34073 together in little better state than they currently are, my dream is to see them together again but in full steam?

 

For a company/person like Riley restoring 35009 should/could be a simple job, if he is restoring and overhauling 35022 + 35027 then im willing to bet he would manufacture parts for 009 at the same time so that when 009s time for restoration comes it would be a relatively simple job. As others have said, with having other locos to work on maybe its just time that is preventing progress on 35009?

 

It just seems to me, that whenever 35009 comes near to its turn. A Black 5 seems to come along and distract the good man Riley and the Merchant slips back down the restoration queue.

 

With 3 black 5s, a busy contract business and 4472 (for the next 2 years), I don't think something the size of a MN is something you can really restore as an 'on the side' project. Then there's the jinty to fit in somewhere

Would have been nice if those rumors concerning 35018 a few years ago had been true, then he'd have had 2 black5s and 2 MNs to play with. Oh the ELR galas they could have made!

 

I thought he did have 2? Wasn't one going into his favorite livery of Lined Black?

 

Everybody seems to think Ian as a bottom less pit of money the cost of moving the works will be expensive and will not make him any money ,and the cost of restoring a merchant navy guessing at £750,000.

 

Your point is well made and perhaps a reality check for many is in the offing.

 

Also unless he could do everything to the standard of his black 5s and be 100% sure of reliability I'm not sure he would do it - Ian's company has an amazing rep and I certainly wouldn't want to ruin that by getting a loco done because the public want to see it...

I'm sure somewhere there is scope for *insert unrestored merchant navy group* working together with mnlps to get another loco mainline and restored - two merchants being looked after under one roof, one to do the Pullman, one to work wherever, and might help with overhauls etc?! Just thinking out loud...

 

While I'm all in favour of another MN on the main line, I think there's even less incentive for the MNLPS to provide it than for Ian Riley.

The Pullman deal is their business model, and you'd have to say it works out very well for them. They know exactly what they need to have 35028 ready for every year, they look after her extremely well and in return she gets the job done with minimum of fuss. They don't have to tout for work; most non-Pullman appearances in the last few years have been as a late substitute. I think even their shed accommodation is provided by VSOE, who'd have no reason to accommodate another MN that wasn't working for them.

As an all-volunteer group, why would they risk over stretching themselves (even with a merger) by taking on another loco, which would require vastly more work to get into running order?

I have absolutely no links with the MNLPS; I'm just saying how I see it from the outside.

 

The latest issue of the railway magazine says 35018 British India Line could be running on the main line this year.

 

Yes, this was established on the 'Bulleid Pacifics- Past and Present' and the 'What's Going On' threads.

Considering the next post, I suspect that there might be one or two more in the pipeline (35009 and 35010) for the very long-term, the former whether or not the current owner is the one who undertakes it. Regardless, it looks like we'll get five at some point in the future with 35005, 35006, 35018, 35027 and 35028 flying the flag.

The one I'm not too sure about is 35022, as there's been no specific plan for this locomotive, but it might be a case of sorting this one out for when 35027 goes out for overhaul. It gives greater flexibility to slow down the pace of turnaround.

That leaves 35011 and 35025, both of which leave me a bit worried on their behalves. The former is the only surviving MN to feature a fabricated Delta trailing truck, but without a crank axle, this one needs at least £20k just to get it back to basic Barry condition. I wasn't too sure about the project to retro-engineer it. As for 35025, it has also completely dropped off the radar.

Now, as Gordon Brittas puts it, for 'The Dream'. If I got that lottery win, the economics of restoring one would go out of the window if I had anything to do with it! I'd also buy a shed so that if I couldn't afford the subsequent overhaul due to indiscriminate splashing-out on locomotives, at least it would be stored under cover until such a day as when someone is interested in assisting with its return. As it is currently the worst, I'd probably go for 35011, mainly because it once had a reputation for being a particularly strong member of the class, and that it has a fantastic name. There endeth 'The Dream'.

Sorry about that meandering!

 

Reality time
to restore any large locomotive you require an engineering base ,skilled work force and a steady income stream to enable you to do it, without any of the three you will not do it, so stop dreaming about rebuilding anything,
the only likily merchant navies to return or remain in working order are going to be :35005 35006 35018 35027 35028 because all of these meet the 3 things you need.
35009 also has the same chance, but until Ian riley runs out of work ,or black 5's to repair its not looking likily that he will have the time to fit it in, but im not saying he wont do it, it depends on if he can work on 009 and 27 at the same time and ordering the verious parts needed for both engines at the same time . 35022 again that depends on JH's long term plans 35022 could be restored at a longer timespan to replace 35027 when her 7 year ticket is up. all the rest, are destined to be a source of spare parts or broken up for scrap when the owners are dead.

 

Aren't 22 and 27 destined for the new Crewe works rather than moving to a new R & S (E) Ltd premises?

 

Martin, there is nothing in your post I disagree with, even the potentially harsh realities of the situation regarding 35011 and 35025 (I'm reluctant to say anything about 35010, as they are slowly collecting parts for it while they are restoring the Black 5, although it'll be a century before they get anywhere at the current rate of progress), but one can still dream.

However, it has to be said that if we were all realists, half the stuff that has been achieved wouldn't have happened. Equally, if all we had were visionaries, then things would just stay on the drawing board! The movement needs a mixture of realism and vision, and it has been the combination of the two has produced what we have today. I have never ceased to be amazed by some of the most unlikely things suddenly coming to pass, and this is why I express a keen interest in goings-on. Long may this continue.

 

Without a dream/vision 60163 Tornado would just be a set of drawings in someone's Cupboard but it isn't.