O&K 2 foot gauge 0-6-0 WT for sale

See http://www.tractionads.co.uk/html/current.htm
scroll down about half way, the loco is called Elsa and is for sale by a Mrs P Durkin

Anyway interested in setting up a consortium to buy and then restore this loco????
35K is the rough estimate of price.

 

I'm attaching some photos of the loco. I also now have a report on condition by Keef's.
We need about a dozen folk prepared to invest 3K in the first instance, plus somewhere to locate the loco.

Any interest??

 

Three more photos.
Alan Keef report concludes "Elsa is a good example of a typical ex African industrial locomotive – very largely
complete and serviceable but modified and adapted during a long and full life. It represents the opportunity for someone to acquire a 2ft gauge steam loco that potentially can be returned to service for a relatively modest investment."

 

Any idea what the weight is? Just out of curiosity.

 

From the report: "She is very largely complete, has 6” x 12” cylinders, 20” driving wheels and
weighs approximately 9 tons in working order. From measurement of the
wheelsets, she is 24” rail gauge rather than 600mm."

 

Anyone interested in a consortium please contact me via PM
Thanks!

 

But are we talking standard or narrow gauge here?

 

It may well be that the price is high, but the loco was running until 1999 and has been in store since, so it's not the restoration of a wreck by any means.
Of course an owner is going to ask top dollar (or pound!), and it may be that a much lower price would be accepted (especially if few offers are forthcoming).
The size of the loco obviously means this is only suited for a line where the engine doesn't have to pull large and heavy trains.

 

For comparison, a 10 1/4" gauge steam locomotive changed hands last month at around £35k. 2ft gauge stuff has sold at that price mark (and higher - remember Sybil's asking price sans boiler was £50k and I know James turned down an offer a fair bit higher than that). I am sure Keefs will have advised where to pitch the price with their expert knowledge of the market.

 

Might the LSR be interested?

 

Unless a private owner was able to make a very good case for basing it at Launceston, probably not. Four Quarry Hunslets is more than enough to maintain the daily service (two will suffice) and there is a degree of commonality between the Hunslets that an O&K would not have, meaning it would always be remembered as the awkward different one! The sheds also tend to be packed full in the winter as it is, without slotting another loco in somewhere.

 

Where was the loco "running" Felix? I saw it, in steam, in Ted Hamer's garden in Zimbabwe in 1989 but the track it sat on was only a couple of feet longer than the engine - it certainly couldn't move. Did it subsequently go somewhere else where it could run? Whilst I respect Keef's opinion I suspect they are being optimistic about Elsa's condition and a full overhaul would be necessary and that should be reflected in the price. At the end of the day,though, it all depends who is bidding. Remember that 7 1/4"g. Duchess that, last year, went for 140k (over twice the estimate) just because two well known figures were playing 'mine's bigger than yours' ? Ray.

 

"Elsa was brought to the UK in 1989 when Ted Hamer and family returned here. Between 1990 and 1999 Elsa operated regularly at two private railway locations in Kent, until the expiry of the boiler certificate and the need for a further re-tube."
From the report.

 

I'd have thought 35K isn't an unreasonable price for this engine and I would expect it to be snapped up, but I wouldn't necessaily expect the overhaul to be cheap. On the other hand, it doesn't have a big, expensive to fix, boiler and most of the mechanical work could probably be done in a home workshop. If I had 35k to spare I'd be there like a shot!

 

This was the engine that sparked my interest in steam… coming across it one day going round Ted's garden just outside Canterbury.

 

Leighton buzzard could do with a O&K not sure they have enough

 

Back to Elsa please. Make a nice garden gnome for someone.

 

Gnome from gnome?