A Locomotive for National Preservation/Heritage Community

Hi Everyone, following the conversation on the 'Shaw Savill' thread - let's get a discussion started.

My idea is this: To bring all the heritage community across the country together - we as railway enthusiasts under the 'national preservation' banner lend our support, both financially by way of sponsorship and our collective expertise to a locomotive to serve as an icon for the UK preservation movement.

I am under no illusion such a project will be very difficult, and I see a few options straight off:

1. Sponsor the restoration of a locomotive yet to steam.

2. Sponsor the overhaul and subsequent running of a locomotive stored out of ticket.

3. Work with an existing preservation society/locomotive owner to keep a locomotive running and provide further opportunities for it to work.

I am not suggesting that we purchase a locomotive, it would be best for us to lend support to an owning group or individual, with a remit to allowing the whole heritage community to enjoy the fruits of our own labour. Whether our finance and other support would keep an engine running, enable visits to a wider range or railways, or allow main line running are questions to be asked once a suitable project has been selected.

For me, I think it would provide all of use with a nice focus as a community to watch something grow and build that we have all been part of!

So, let the discussion commence! Maybe admins could so a front page poll 'would you support with skills or finance a national preservation restoration or locomotive project' - simple yes/no would be great!

From my point of view - I can offer project management and web design skills, alongside photography.

Let's not let this turn into a 'let's make engine X' or a massive livery debate, but find out if it really is a project we could all be involved in.

I'm happy to work with whoever if we actually get to a point where a decision could be made!

Personally, I think lending support and expertise to an out of ticket loco, to get it to steam, or helping an existing group with the exposure of their loco are simpler options to start with...

I'm going to put one small bit of 'pie in the sky' in for fun - it really would be lovely to go on a rail tour organised for national preservation, hauled by an engine we had all helped to keep running.


Right..over to you lot!

 

I guess that to appeal to the maximum number of forum members it would need to be standard gauge, UK built, have run in BR service and be a tender engine.

Purely on the practical side, a simple robust design with two cylinders, round top boiler and the minimum number of bogie wheels (if at all).

I am sure there are a few candidates.

 

Could I suggest a share purchase, of a loco.

 

That would also work..

A BR standard tank might be an idea..pretty robust design, able to be useful if mainline registered, and no livery debate!

 

I was going to suggest one of the many hall classes that havent ever steam before. Plenty of spare parts around and lots of experience restoring them so wouldnt be as a biggest challenge as some of the others out there.

 

Presumably to ensure the money has "residual value" once committed? Sounds sensible, though that does require a present owner to be selling shares, or be persuaded to make shares available.

And there we have a problem - I amongst others might stump up for a rare type of loco, (or an LNER type as my preference) but not for just another loco of which there are multiple examples already in use.

 

I think a pledge is needed, to see how many people would stump up, and what amount.
I would have a few options for members.
Then an approach to a loco owner could be made.

 

It seems to me that a loco thus sponsored needs to be available to run all around the country, on preserved lines, and thus a medium sized tank would be most suitable and, to avoid partisanism, a BR standard would be preferable. Two options then, an existing class 4 or sponsor the Br2 or 3 tank currently being built or sponsor a second to the same design

 

I'm not sure we should talk about new builds really, I don't have a problem with new builds at all I think they are great, but as a locomotive would be an icon for preservation I don't think a new one counts ?!

 

35009 would be interesting as it is owned by someone who can do the work..we would essentially be sponsoring it's overhaul and running...

 

We all in our own way support individual projects..my suggestion is that to raise the profile of railway heritage and preservation, we get the whole heritage community to contribute in some way to show just how much interest there is and to draw more people, including youngsters into the movement..

I'm not just talking about members of this forum, but anyone involved in railway heritage and preservation

 

Sponsoring someone else's loco, i don't think is an option.
What about for an example The P2 Steam locomotive Company.

 

Thinking about it, sponsoring one of these projects such as the clan, P2 etc could work...anyone from A1SLT care to jump in ?

 

This is a difficult one, as I already have shares and sponsor Loco,
and the P2 wouldn't be a Heritage Locomotive to myself as it's really a new build?

 

There is probably a huge raft of suitable projects available, this step would be a hard one.
This is a good idea, however not everyone will agree.

 

What I think would be good to avoid is a 'board of trustees' or 'directorship' situation which if we bought shares in and owned a loco would crop up - we all are very strong of mind and opinion and I'm sure we have all seen that this can be the failure of most projects as once things go political the end goal is pushed very far out of site.

I am basically saying let's lend skills and sponsorship to something, project, loco etc with a set of conditions that we all get fair access to the end result...feel free to stop me everyone if I'm being too nicey nicey and living in fairly land!!!