Homes needed for 4cig and 4vop

If the alternative line to Plymouth via Okehampton is ever realized I believe it would be some years away, which of course might be too late for any tourist operation.

 

So you want someone to buy (at scrap value), maintain and store at least 15 HAAs.
Can you think of a heritage railway which has spare siding space for all these vehicles, which will have little or no revenue potential, but will require ongoing maintenance to stop them rotting?
How would visitors get to see this complete rake of wagons, understand how they were used and why they were important?
What about the other wagon types which other people think are equally important? You've already mentioned CDAs. What else?

You say that the lack of a huge rake of HAAs is not a good reflection on "the movement". I think "the movement" has in fact made a very good decision *not* to preserve huge rakes of vehicles. Instead, they have preserved examples of key developments in loco/carriage/wagon design (based on that is available and affordable), knowing that they have to interpret these for most visitors. A "OO" gauge model of a full rake of HAAs (with appropriate haulage), alongside a single example of the real thing would make far more sense to "Joe Public" than a rusting rake of wagons stuck in a siding which they would struggle to actually see.

 

While I largely agree with you, I think you miss something in this, which is the impact that a full rake of wagons can have, as anyone who's seen the windcutters working will attest. I have vivid memories of waiting at Banbury and a full MGR rake come batting through behind a class 58, something that I felt rather than heard or saw.

The question to be asked is how this can be brought out, and the majesty of heavy freight shown in a way that can then be used to illustrate the historical points you rightly highlight.

 

I have just found out that a group have come forward to buy only the cabs off of the scrapped unit not the whole thing. I have found the group online. https://www.facebook.com/groups/537477396295971/ They seem to have a lot of space and cabs in South Wales

 

Pointless and bizarre. Would you preserve The Boy David's head only and leave the rest be used for hardcore?

 

I like Southern EMUs, but wouldn't go so far as to compare them with Michaelangelo's works of genius.

 

no well, I couldn't think of a more famous statue other than Venus de Milo, which analogy would fall down on the arms question.....

 

There are quite a number of aircraft cockpits preserved where, for whatever reason, preservation of the whole aeroplane wasn't possible. So I guess this is just the logical extension to railway preservation. If the option is preserve the cab, or scrap the whole lot, which is worse?

Tom

 

oh without a doubt to me , it's worse to mutilate an old friend than to lay it to rest properly

 

Turn it around then: is there no point in preserving that part of the Venus de Milo that survives as it hasn't got any arms anyway...

 

no you missed the point there. It would be worth preserving the Vde M if discovered today in the hope that later you could obtain the arms.The point being that you wouldn't discover an intact VdeM and chop off the arms and keep the rest, unless you were Phillistine of course.

 

IIRC there was 39 saved for the GCR, and at present only 18 are now operable. See use at 2/3 galas a year plus 3/4 charters, so say just under 2x weeks use a year?

 

A DTC has been saved, 76747 has been bought by a volunteer at the Dartmoor railway. So at least half of the unit has been saved. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=692596120915939&id=135004650008425

 

Apparently it has cost 26,000 to scrap just one of the DTCs due to asbestos contamination, that sounds an awful lot of money considering it is spent on getting rid of something. On a lighter note something special is going to happen with the remaining VOP unit that no one will expect. https://www.facebook.com/SlamDoorTrains/posts/696799767162241

 

I am guessing that there must have been some very persuasive factors that led to retaining the VOP whilst disposing the CIG. The main reasons I say that is

a) The VOP is far more heavily modified than the CIG so represents a greater challenge to preserve in any era other than 1990's/2000's.

b) The VOP has the suburban door configuration making maintenance and corrosion higher than a CIG, and also less heritage (or indeed mainline) railway friendly.

c) VEP 3417, generally regarded as one of the more securely preserved southern electrics, is very similar, eroding the USP of retaining the VOP, although I accept this is a weaker point as there are other CIGs preserved too, namely 1497 at Dereham which appears secure as a full set.

None of the above is a criticism of the choices of the owning group, I'm sure it was a very long and involved decision making process that led to the VOP being selected from the two. I wish the project involving the remaining vehicles well, having got fond memories of these units on their home turf.

Sent from my HTC Desire 620 using Tapatalk

 

Please can anyone help me to locate the rest of the 4VEP and class 312 that I have headcode panels from? And the rest of 71009, which I have a roller blind from? Else I fear they are not worth preserving

Come to think of it, what is the point of the entire multi-£silly railwayana business?

 

And that's how rumors start. Half right.

One DTC has cost £26,000 in total including storage, maintenance and final decontamination. That's £26,000 to do nothing by the way, you can see now why it makes sense to dispose of the most financially demanding vehicles and those in the worst condition...

 

Seeing on the Facebook page that 3905 will be moving to a new home later this week, however the location hasn't been announced but it sounds like a good location and will hopefully mean the set can be restored to locomotive hauled use.

 

It is going to the East Kent Railway.

https://www.facebook.com/SlamDoorTrains/posts/696799767162241