Collection X

There are still several NGG16s (in varying states of decay) in South Africa. Prices from scrap plus a few percent should secure any one of 'em ..... postage and packing may be a tad more problematic though.

 

There's an NG15, NGG13 and an NGG16 a bit closer to home at Exmoor, which I think are (or were) up for sale. May be a little cheaper on the p&p!

Keith

 

Why not come and see for yourself! The Vale of Rheidol Railway is holding a fundraising auction and is offering an exclusive opportunity to view some of the UKs most elusive locomotives in Collection X, accompanied by railway CEO Rob Gambrill. It is fair to say that opportunities to see these engines are as rare as hens teeth! https://www.32auctions.com/rheidolrailway

^Will

 

deleted

 

So past caring about the fleet of locos in "collection X". I remember hearing about the importing of the Sabero locos, what, 50 years ago?? Lots and lots of speculation down the years, but really, they may as well have been scrapped. If they ever surface I may just go have a look if I'm passing, in the meantime, the need to see these disappeared many decades ago......

Cheerz,

Alan

 

There’s no need to see anything, but I look forward some day to the eventual completion of the Aberystwyth museum and the fulfilment of Peter Rampton’s wishes to exhibit his collection on his own terms for which he left the foundations (and lots of money) in place. I’m sure he was thinking long-term and didn’t mind he mightn’t live to see it all so neither should I.

 

Long term indeed, as I mentioned, a full half a century.......

 

I know you have your cynical hat on but do you really think they might as well have been scrapped? These locos were saved for a good reason and someday there will be a wonderful reveal to, perhaps not you or me, but some of us someday.

 

Here what you are saying Miff, but I can indeed envisage that wonderful reveal behind the obligatory fence to hold back the crowd of 1 person, oh go on then, 2 persons. I look around and we - as in those of the railway enthusiast generation - are disappearing at an alarming rate, those that have gone already never ever saw that someday, how many of us actually will.

I do accept that the cynical hat is comfortably perched upon my head, however, I find very little joy in knowing that another railway enthusiast has caged up a large fleet of locomotives unseen for decades and I stand by my reaction of what'evz......... seriously, for me, any interest in these particular locos waned many years ago.

Cheerz,

Alan

 

Hoping we'll both live (or if not, our children) to see the opening day at Aberystwyth.

 

I am sure that everyone would rather they were restored or available on display, but if not then secure and conserved is surely better than stuck in a linear scrapyard or worse scrapped.

I don't think it would be fair to accuse Peter Rampton of hording, nor as far as I am aware, were there any examples where there was a bidding war and he took locos or stock that a local group would have taken and restored. I am happy to be corrected if there are any heritage projects that have suffered because their potential rolling stock was in collection X.

Tbh, I think I prefer the approach Peter Rampton took, to say the publicity hungry, egomania of some prominent people in railway heritage who have made grandiose promises and then failed to deliver on them.

 

Certainly the 6 ex IMR carriages in the collection would have been scrapped if Peter Rampton hadn't stepped in.
Ray.

 

Do I assume that Peter Rampton was a collector of old railway items that otherwise would have been scrapped, no matter what they were?

In that case he was not the only one. Colin Shears did that at Winkleigh in Devon in the 70's with all sorts of road vehicles.
He grabbed anything he could to keep it from the scrap.
Apologies for the Instamatic film from 1974

 

The difference between "Collection X" and Winkleigh appears to be that items from the West of England Transport Collection did pass on to other bodies for preservation over a period of time.
Our Bristol L4G single decker spent some time at Winkleigh in the late 1960's/early 70's before eventually making its way "home" by 1978, albeit via a couple of other preservationists. Has anything from "X" been sold/passed to other groups?

 

I don't think it unfair to call Mr Rampton's collection a hoard. He collected stuff because he could. He had wealth that most of us do not, and the will to waste it on work expired railway equipment. If he had not, much of the collection would have been scrapped, some might have been saved by others, and the remainder would be rotting in the jungles, due to local apathy and an export ban preventing any hope of saving it.
Whilst we might not like that he did not permit visitors, surely we can understand? Many enthusiasts (not just railway enthusiasts) think that their interest gives them the right to access whatever takes their fancy. By the time you've had the same conversation with half a dozen people, each of them telling you exactly which locomotive ought to be restored first, and why.....you'd be buying a gun and a dog and a keep out sign

 

Fair comments, both, but I'd like to think there can be a sensible middle way between hoarding and over promising/under delivering.

 

As I understand, it wasn't a case of that he wasn't willing to permit visitors, but that in the early days when he did open the doors stuff was pinched. On the back of this, the doors were firmly closed and anybody who turned up on the doorstep or trespassed were not welcome. If you were willing to help or employed by Peter the access was duly possible, but details were requested to kept private to ensure security.

As much as we may not like it from an enthusiasts perspective, it's fully understandable from a personal perspective.

 

We also live today in an impatient society. In the past it must have been commonplace for the wealthy to embark on projects that they would have known would not be completed in their lifetime, much less so nowadays, I think. Peter Rampton was clearly a throwback in this respect! I for one hope that his long term plan duly comes to fruition as he envisaged.

 

The auction ends tomorrow. Not only are there opportunities to view the "Collection X" locomotives stored in Surrey, there are also opportunities to see locomotives stored on the Vale of Rheidol in the Capel Bangor storage shed.

If rare unseen engines aren't your thing, footplate rides on Rheidol tank locomotives, footplate ride on Quarry Hunslet "Margaret" including rare track connection to Devil's Bridge siding or a trip in Permaquip Personnel carrier "Thunderbird 4"

https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/69410/auctions/86086?r=1&t=all

Regards,

Will
VoR

 

Got myself a nice trip on Margaret next September.