30925 Cheltenham

I believe that there is going to be one, but I don't have any details.

Have a look at http://yorkylad.fotopic.net/p61502586.html for a taster of a Schools out on the network!

 

To get back to the original thread; I still feel it would be worthwhile having one representative of the Schools Class out on the mainline.

Whilst I applaud the effort and the result of the re-streamlining of the Duchess, it seems a waste of money if it is only ever going to be a static exhibit. I can't help but suspect that there are long term plans afoot to go mainline with this Loco'. If this is not the case then why has the NRM wasted resources and gone against its own policy of restoring as many Loco's as possible to mainline running condition just to create something foerever stuffed and mounted?

I hope very much to see 'Stowe' steaming again but it seems a long way off at the moment and, when did we ever see the Bluebell allow anything out on the mainline in recent years?

Perhaps in the near future our best hopes lay with the NYM allowing 30926 to venture mainline providing they or other parties can come up with the cash to make it happen.

 

Apologies if im wrong, but im pretty sure no one from the NRM has ever said 6229 will be 'forever stuffed and mounted', they wouldnt have lowered her cladding otherwise, but they've made it quite clear that even if they had the money they simply dont have the resources with so many other NRM engine in ticket and Scotsman to come as well, so she'll have to wait. I certainly dont see how restoring the cladding is a waste of money without an overhaul - it was deliberately put on for her display in the NRM to provide a direct comparison to Mallard and what a striking exhibit she is.

With regards to this supposed policy of restoring as many engines as possible to the mainline, thats the first i've heard of it. If the money is available im sure they've said in the past they will consider it if the loco is suitable, but their first priority is quite rightly the museums not mainline steam.

The criticism of the Bluebell is also a bit bizarre - what heritage railway has recently restored one of its own locos to full mainline condition? Perhaps there's some kind of clause stopping privately owned locos restored at the Bluebell going mainline but much more likely people dont keep their engine(s) on a line with no mainline link and limited workshop space if they want to go mainline.

Chris

 

The NYMR is restoring its locomotives to full mainline condition in mechanical and boiler terms, I believe, its just that they don't need OTMR on the Esk Valley Line. If someone provided the finance to so equip Repton I don't think it would need any other work to allow it to venture further afield and the same is true of the NYMR's other NR-registered engines.

 

onething with the nrm is they retreamlined hamilton to show how it was but at the sametime why didnt they repaint mallard to the same standard

 

Why ? 4468's paintwork wasn't exactly shabby last time i saw, just a waste of York's limited resources that one.

 

I full agree. I think the supposed new layout of the NRM with 'story telling' exhibits is potentially the most important project the museum has undertaken and I hope that Mallard and Hamilton will stand together and tell the story of streamlining in the 1930s.