Great Escapes

Has anyone mentioned the two USA tanks at the KESR yet?

They were being towed to the scrapyard when they ran hot, and had to be abandoned at Tonbridge. This meant they survived long enough to be resold to the KESR.

Having said that the scrapyard they were on their way to was Barry. So it's likely they would still be with us if they had made it there.

 

You beat me to it. I was about to mention these two engines.

 

Could 60103 count as well?

 

Just had a look at my copy of Severn Valley locos as they were and 48773 has had several lucky escapes originally ordered for work in France, sent on loan to the LMS, recalled and sent to Persia (and derailed by a camel!). From 1945-48 was then used by Egyptian State Railways out of use between 1948-1952 then returned home for major firebox repairs at Derby. Sent to the Longmoor Military Railway but surplus to requirments, sold to BR and converted to coal firing at Eastleigh (and briefley renumbered 90733!) sent to Horwich for scrapping in 1963, someone noticed it had only had an overhaul the year before so it was reinstated and worked until the end in 1968 and being preserved.

 

I recall there being some video footage of them being loaded at Tonbridge and arriving at KESR.

 

There's seven different rumours, one for each day of the week for that boiler.

 

Have read a couple of reports of engines being found in the USA. Some in the water off the east coast, some under roads in North Carolina ( http://www.brooklynrail.net/BuriedLocomotives.html ). They have plans to eventually save them, as they are the last known representatives of their types, but at this point I don't think anything has been done.

 

J15 65462 wasn't the original J15 selected for preservation on the NNR. 65469 was selected, but then (I think) was found to have a crack in the frames.

 

Does anyone know if the Stanier 8F stored outside Baghdad still survives? Hopefully it hasn't fallen victim to the latest rounds of violence in that area...

Richard.

 

9642 escaped from Hayes/Birds of Bridgend in 1968, after use as the yard shunter prolonged its life. This, along with 45305 from Drapers of Hull, may have been the only 2 BR engines to escape from a scrapyard not in Barry.

75014 was coupled to 71000, when they arrived at Newport by mistake, presumably because other locos in their convoy, were meant for that no hope location. The story of their escape is told in Steam For Scrap Vol 2.

 

6430 was purchased from Cashmore's as spares for 6412 and 6435.
http://www.southdevonrailway.co.uk/gone-not-forgotten/6430

 

This was because the NELPG had first option on it, and when they were raising money to buy it the value of scrap went up, so BR sold it as scrap even though the date for the money to pay BR for the engine hadn't been reached so they had to acquire it from the scrap men.

 

I wonder if 6430 actually made it to Newport (or Gt Bridge). I have a niggling idea that a loco was rescued from a Scottish scrapyard, possibly 68095.

 

I have read that Metropolitan No.1 was saved for preservation in lieu of a Met F class 0-6-2. Somebody had bought an 0-6-2 but it was then discovered that it had cracked frames, so the 0-4-4 was offered as a replacement.

 

Wasnt Blue Peter bought because it was discovered that Bittern had cracked frames?

 

There was even a 4-4-0 dug up out of an old phosphate mine in Florida's "Bone Valley"

 

If we're including non B.R. locos how about 'Lindsay' the only surviving loco from the Wigan Coal and Iron Co. - what, never heard of them?
After withdrawal from the NCB it lay in Maudland Metals scrapyard, Preston for many years before it was privately purchased and restored at Steamtown. It ran there in the 80's and is still there AFAIK.
Ray.

 

I'm sure Geoff Drury wanted an A1, didn't he put in a bid for Saint Mungo?