6023

How many miles does a steam engine clock up running on the demonstration line at Didcot? compared to the cost of a full ten year overhaul? I would imagine that much of a ten year will be boiler related, with mechanical work being needed maybe 15 to twenty years, compared to whats needed normally its with this in mind I think that an engine like say 6023, might be better off under a deal with say the SVR,or GWR, and a overhaul and run agreement, as to be honest, it makes no sence for an engine such as the King to be based at Didcot trundling down the demonstration line, if for the same cost of overhaul 2 other smaller engines at Didcot could be put back into steam, and plus 6023, could be a roving ambassador for the GWS visiting other railways such as SVR, Torbay etc, whilst its working its ten year ticket.

 

This is a very important point, and one which has been the route cause of a lot of the problems over the past twenty years. I'm afraid the reality is that as time goes on, people are going to be 'introduced' to the GWS through visiting Didcot, and not because they have an innate interest in Castles & Kings etc. Membership of the GWS has gradually been diminishing over the years, as its core of GWR-loving old boys die off.

Without the railway centre, the GWS will just become a niche group, one which certainly won't be able to look after all the stuff it has. It's why the best interests of the railway centre have to take priority over the best interests of the GWR old boys, and why its so important now that a proper strategy is developed, one which isn't bent to suit the whims of a minority. As a member, I'm certainly not averse to engines being hired out, as long as the reasoning behind it is sound, and not just full of excuses to go for a jolly. It's easy to talk about engines being 'ambassadors', but in my 17 years at Didcot I saw zero evidence that seeing a GWS engine on another railway inspired someone to start volunteering for the GWS, whereas I repeatedly saw people start volunteering at Didcot because they'd visited the centre and thought it would be a nice place to work. (The fools!)

 

Both of my sons have done a week of work experience at Didcot Railway Centre - the eldest with the Civil Engineering team and, a couple of years later, the youngest with the Carriage and Wagon team. The former has gone on to be a graduate Civil Engineer working on the railways in South Wales and the South West and the latter spent the whole school summer holiday volunteering at Didcot because he enjoyed it so much.

I still have the photo taken by son number 1 from the footplate of 6023 on the demonstration line at the end of one of these days - he absolutely loved it and it would be a shame if opportunities to see the really big engines in steam were no longer available to inspire the pupils from Oxfordshire (and neighbouring counties) schools.

 

Absolutely, it's inspiring for the workers and general visitors as well; when it's the same couple of little engines week in week out, it can get a bit dull. You want to be able to see the cool stuff as well.

 

I don't have it to hand, but there was quite an explanation regarding this in either a recent Echo or the Annual Report.

I think, especially with the experience of 4144, it has, in my simple interpretation, been identified that if they hire a loco to say the SVR for the summer it gets steaming fees for say 5 days in 7 which is lot more than it would earn running 2-3 days a week at Didcot, as only part of the wider costs of opening the site. Also add into this I would assume that there are benefits in possibly fewer steaming cycles?

As a long distance supporter (who has not been on site for probably 9 years) it appears that the strategic direction of the organisation has changed substantially in the last couple of years, I cannot see any more new build schemes coming forward unless they follow the Churchward County model, likewise there seems to be a definite plan in place for overhauls (1466 and 1340 overhauls contracted and underway), 1363/3650 on site plus 4079 waiting in the wings and of course bloody Thomas! Its not ideal but its a damn sight better than it was a couple of years back. It seems to be less based on possibly the whims of certain parties (I have no factual evidence of this, its just how it looked) and more on practicalities.

I believe another railway did come in with an offer to overhaul 7808 but it was declined (no idea why)?

 

When I asked about 7808, the official response was that it was decided between both parties that the cost would've been prohibitive. 1466 was lucky in that it received a couple of big bequests, which is why they've been able to farm it out.

 

As this thread seems more generic DRC stuff these days...

Large Prairie No.4144 will be visiting the Kent & East Sussex Railway from April to September 2020.

 

7808 overhaul was to funded by Bodmin and carried out at the Flourmill, plug was pulled very late in IIRC.

 

The latest issue of The Railway Magazine reports that there will be a farewell event for 6023 in the summer at Didcot before her boiler ticket runs out. She is also going to be repainted into GWR Green livery.

 

It would be nice to see 6023's full height chimney, safety valve bonnet etc restored for the occasion.
Ray.

 

Bang - there goes its "USP" - will they ever learn?

(must go and find a dark room somewhere . . I've commented on livery froth!)

 

The real livery freaks would note that as the only single chimney King 6023 is the only one that purists would like to see in GWR livery, which gives her a perfectly reasonable USP.

 

That was done last saturday,
kind regards

 

Hardly a "USP" when it's in a sea of "Gasworks" green 4-6-0s . . . . . I'll get my coat.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

They could always turn out 5051 in BR apple green as a replacement, although I'm not sure to what extent an out of ticket engine really has a USP if all it has to 'sell' is its livery. The Pannier from the Railway Children might be one to argue that for.

 

If you read the short piece it says the loco will go green after it’s next overhaul.

 

6023 back at full height today:

 

Nope, don't like it, looks strange, put it back to how it was!

 

As a 4-4-0?

 

Glad to see the electrification flashes have gone too. Just need to lose that overhead wires guard from the tender now...