Pannier Tank 9682

.... is apparently being offered for sale - any thoughts on who might want it? I'd like to see one of these locos on the WSR, ESR or Gwilli, but I don't think any of these lines has the resources, which makes me wonder who might.

 

Interesting as 7760 was for sale a while back and nobody bought it.

 

We were never told the asking price for 7760, though - perhaps it was too high? I suspect 9682 will be "priced to go"

 

I have heard that the price was £100K for this engine and then you still need to pay to get it back into ticket.

 

Steam Railway says three interested parties are negotiating so looks like there is some interest

 

Would it be any use on the WSR or a bit on the small side?

On the other hand getting it back into working order should be much simpler than with 4110

 

I have always thought that we could do with one of these excellent loco's at Ropley.
Just imagine: 9682 and 41312 in charge of the MHR off peak services and a great loco for hire during busier times when longer trains are operated. I can but dream I suppose

 

Sold apparently says a very reliable source.

 

Do you know if it has been sold to a group or to a railway? (i.e. will it be a roaming rental loco or permanently based at a railway)

Thanks

Keith

 

That is a matter for the vendors/purchasers to announce when they see fit not for speculation on here.

 

I wasn't asking for the name of the group or railway - just curious as to how it will be used in future. Never mind, it'll all come out in the wash.

Keith

 

Is this the one that the Dean forest were interested in?

 

It would suit many lines, particularly those that can raise the cash and haven't succumbed to 'big chufferitis'

 

So rather than speculate about its eventual destination, is there anyone who can provide insight into approx the cost of returning a loco like this to service and the economics of attempting to recover that money over the 10 years to the next overhaul?

I realise that there are a large number of variables but it should be possible for some one in the know to put together a central business case together.

 

It would be wonderful if you could look at steam locos in purely business terms but the reality is that a fairly large sum of money is necessary upfront to return a loco such as this to reliable working order (or one hell of a lot of free skilled volunteer time) - think six figure sums depending upon type/condition.

Once a loco is in working order and assuming willingness for it to be hired out, earnings are restricted to what heritage railways are prepared to pay in the hire market.

With a loco out working, earned hire fees need to be accumulated towards the next overhaul & any interim repairs - unless at the end of a working period the loco is to become a static exhibit or sold on at a value reflecting its need for overhaul. The fees commonly earned are insufficient to recover both the initial "investment" in purchase and next overhaul as well as adequately providing for ongoing maintenance.

Anybody thinking that there is money to be made from steam loco ownership is sadly mistaken!

 

For a Pannier tank the market might be smaller than it first appears. Issues of coal/water capacity and power might render it less suited to pulling 8 carriages on the SVR/NYMR/GWSR/WSR for example during summer. A loco owner would I guess look to achieve say 40 steamings a year with many of the steamings on consecutive days so as to minimise the stress on the boiler. That’s probably what constitutes the most “attractive” deal so the market is (in peak season at least) limited to lines of a reasonable length (say 3-8 miles) and open about 4+ days a week in summer.

Regards

Matt

 

I wasn't thinking there was money to be made, I am not that innocent; I was interested in what the figures were out of idle curiousity and because we rarely expose the underlying economics of railway operation in this forum.