73096

Now it's moved I thought I would start a new thread on this loco.
Have just read the latest SR which arrived today.

Says 73096 will stay in JB's ownership & is already being stripped down & assessed for overhaul at Southall pending further main line use. To quote "as swiftly as possible".
The article also touches on the JB/MHR dispute as well as saying 34016 will be overhauled once 35018 is finished at Carnforth. Unconfirmed reports also say that 34016 is now owned by WCRC.

 

Good news all round!

Chris

 

Hopefully neither Bulleid, nor 73096, will languish up north so we can't play with it properly

 

Since John Bunch still owns 73096 according to SR, it seems likely it will be Southern based like Tangmere which he part owns. With regard 34016 it will depend on the owner, whoever that it?

 

I had a quick look at SR in WHSmith today and read the article about 73096. I see that SR are still having a moan about the external condition of JB's loco's as though the MHR let them get into this condition on purpose. I think they will find that all loco's resident on the MHR are kept outside all year as there isn't anywhere to keep them undercover. 35005 and 41312 have got pretty tatty whilst waiting their turns in the overhaul queue as did 34105 and 76017. Other railways also have the same problem with most loco's being kept out in the elements.

I hope the planned overhaul for 73096 is better than previous overhauls carried out at Southall (i.e. 4472 & 46100) otherwise 73096's great ML reputation might be ruined........................

 

Different regime now.

 

Best ignored

 

Whoever owns 34016, I would suspect that it and 35018 will join Tngmere as a WCRC "Southern" poll, rather like 44932, 45699, 46115 and 48151 constitute West Coast's "Northern" pool. There is certainly a requirement for more 75mph SR-gauge-friendly locos. When Tangmere is unavailable, 44932 has been summoned fairly frequently over the last three years and 45231 has also stepped in. While Black Fives are great locos, there's no doubt that on the busy former Southern lines, a 75 mph capable class 7 or 8 is easier to accomcodate. Of course, 73096 is only a class 5, but like the B1s, it's 75 mph rated and it can certainly put in a good performance. It would therefore be good to see 73096 become part of the WCRC "Southern" pool along with the aforementioned Bulleids.

 

This has been bugging me, not so much specifically to do with the JB locos but more generally.

Do loan/running agreements between owners and railways not have something in them that says the locomotive should be returned in a certain condition like dilapidations in property terms? I am not saying returned in working order but at least clean?

 

Remember SR recently was having a whinge about the fact that the Bluebell had the temerity to steam an engine someone else had painted in LT Red to run a train, it's fast turning into the Daily Mail of railway journalism

 

Any 10+ year old paint job will look tired, 73096 was cleaned several times in 2014 and got a good spring clean by the MHR rangers before departing the railway… the only way to get a out of ticket loco looking like new would be a re-paint; pointless if due to be stripped down for overhaul!

 

To be honest it was more the red engine (my lack of SR knowledge prevents a more accurate description ) that caught my eye, it was just seeing this which jogged my memory.

 

Wont be long before it starts moaning about these dodgey new builds stealing jobs from hard working preserved locos. ;-)

 

Yes I know the paint on the red U-class looked tired, however if you were to park a red car outside for 10-15 years and see what it looks like I doubt it would be show room fresh!

 

A number of other railways use tarpaulins to cover their stock when out of use for long periods, good quality ones can last 20 years and of course are reusable...

 

Wouldnt be a complete surprise if 34067 eventually changed hands once the others mentioned are active again. There is certainly one major collection missing a spamcan.
The proceeds could be reinvested to extend the 'standardised' fleet. Another couple of MNs or rebuilt lights would certainly be of value to wcr.

 

That rather assumes that the proprietor lives for many more years and has bottomless pockets - and that there is a succession plan for him. I don't think he has any family (at least, that I've heard of) so will it continue once he is gone?

 

But will there be enough work for more than 2 from 34067, 73096, 35018 and 34016, and more importantly is their a bigger enought support crew?

 

Only time will tell. Your comment implies that the business is not financially self sufficient. Given the cost of buying, restoring and maintaining steam locomotives that would not be surprising.
The locos are owned by CRRES according to the Tangmere RAIB report which is presumably loss making for the reasons mentioned above.