Flying Scotsman

Thanks for detailed reply. I have some vague recollection of at least some of an eight wheel LNER tender at Tanfield many years back or am I dreaming?

 

N

Never knew the tender had a whistle on it!!

 

I don't think I need to say anything further!

 

If there was another Gresley eight wheel tender anywhere, the opportunity to recreate one of those GNR coal rail tenders would be one to take with both hands. I fear that such a tender hasn't been at Tanfield though.

The only thing I can think of close is the Stirling Single's recently restored 6 wheeled GNR tender - which to all intents and purposes, was the original Ivatt tender that Gresley derived his first 8 wheeled tenders from.

 

Whoops.

 

That's a pity, it's actually my favourite design of them all, couldn't explain why, though!

 

I wonder if we were both there on the same day!

 

We've all done it, not to worry.

RE the GNR tender, it has always puzzled me that no other A3s were preserved but a total of six A4s were. Was it that Scotsman was felt to be representative of the whole class by other enthusiasts - and therefore why bother if Pegler had it covered - or was it just a lack of opportunity to buy an A3? We'll probably never know.

 

Absolute rubbish!

 

You are not dreaming. The A1 Trust purchased 4472's water carrier and it was stored at Tanfield for a period of time. It was subsequently sold to become 4464's water carrier.
The A1 Trust decided to go for increased water capacity in a new tender rather than haul a second tender around as the necessary pathing stops allow time to replenish the enlarged tender en route. This is why 60163 only stops once for water between KX and York.

 

Thanks for that, it's reassuring to know my memory ain't playing up!

 

Now you say that, I vaguely remember seeing a photograph of the tender in question stored there. Thank you for the clarification.

 

Well... only three A4's were preserved in the UK privately... and I can understand why the A4 was seen as more glamorous. Perhaps it's also a contributing factor that the privately preserved A4's survived until 1966, whereas all but three of the A3's were gone by the end of 1964.

 

And this is the most important thing, people will come out to see FS in whatever livery she is wearing! FS is FS and the media hype when she is finally finished will be sufficient to draw the enthusiats, families etc out to ride behind the engine or even just to see it.

 

and once the A2 has been done, you will hopefully have the full line up and hopefully all in steam assuming that theres an A4 thats still going to be in ticket

 

Certainly in my case as a young articled clerk we never had the money - not even 30 shillings to buy a Hunt or Shire nameplate from the sentinel body grounded in North Road scrap yard.
Early purchasers were, by and large, made by people who had the money to do it. £3,000 for the last B16 - if they were still available at that price I'd have two now but in the mid sixties £3,000 was ten years salary!!
Remember the 50/60's train spotters didn't get their act together until many years after the last A3 was cut up.
Doff caps to Mr Woodham once again.

 

....and Sir Billy Butlin!

 

Will we see Flying Scotsman with a double tender again? Does the second tender still exist?

 

The frames from the second tender are now under Bittern's second tender. I doubt Flying Scotsman will get the second tender back!