Thomas no more..

there's mention on another group that the East Lancs Thomas lookalike is reverting back to its Manchester Ship canal guise as No. 32 Gothenburg. This has to be good news as far as the loco is concerned. Anybody on here know the reasons for this move and what livery it will be turned out in? Just interested in the livery; I'm not wanting to start a debate!

 

It looks like they've gone for 'Family Engines Big Day Out' instead:
http://www.east-lancs-rly.co.uk/?p=ffd

 

I would think that with many railways not doing Thomas events any more, there's less money to be made from hire fees. Much as I recognise that Thomas revenue is important to many railways, from a purely personal point of view I much prefer to see locos painted in historically correct liveries. I've never subscribed to the " it's only an industrial, we can paint it whatever colour we like" school of thought. I would argue that industrial heritage is just as important as mainline railway heritage and that it's important that we display and operate our historic artifacts in a way that demonstrates their working history.

 

It used to be green livery. I assume it will be going back to that.

 

From memory the MSC locos were always plain unlined black. Is your reference to green its former colour on the ELR?

Regards

 

Yes.

 

Does that have something to do with the amount of money they have to shell out to market 'Thomas and Friends?'

 

The impression i get is a lot of lines are finding the takings don't justify the huge costs incured anymore.

 

It does seem a lot of the bigger lines have stopped these events but some of the smaller ones such as the East Anglian Railway Museum & Colne Valley Railway are still holding them. The (larger) Watercress Line & GCR still hold theirs, would i be right in thinking that these sorts of places are making some form of profit still?

 

Msc locos allso were lined black too with a toolbox on the running board denoting the name of the engine

 

32 always looked better in lined green.
[attachment=1:2ac3vc72]_207094.JPG[/attachment:2ac3vc72]
I saw an old picture of 32 in Black with yellow lining (victorian picture frame style)
Who owns 32 these days Is it still Ian Riley ?

Talking of East Lancs engines of long ago.. what happened to this one ? I always had a soft spot for this one...It was ELR's first loco for nearly everything:

1st to the 1/4 mile
1st to Bolton St
1st to Summerseat & later Ramsbottom
1st to Rawtenstall, (by this time it was in undercoat, and was just before it's ticket expired)

 

I haven't been down to see it yet but i believe that the repaint is now part way through and i for one cant wait to see it love Gothenburg to bits. \/

 

Gothenberg is to be repainted in green livery.
NWGB No 1 is still at the ELR. It is stored in Baron Street shed whilst the museum is re-roofed. It is now in a darkish blue livery.

 

MSC steam locos have been various colours. According to Don Thorpe in his book on the MSC railway the livery was a dark blue which took on a black appearance due to application of cleaning oils. He doubts that locos were ever a true black. After WWII a light grey livery, edged black with a white line came to the fore. This is the livery presently applied to MSC 67 although it never carried it in MSC days. It did have traces of dark green paint and yellow lining on it when it was stripped for painting, though.

 

They were?

 

basically we can no longer cope with HIT, so we are going it alone

 

Evidence enough, that HIT have foolishly killed the goose that laid the golden egg.

 

has 32 had the tank extentions removed ?

 

Yes.