Sandringham New Build(s)

See the frames have been cut and things are progressing on this at Llangollen.
Then there's another one, which looks like a few bits of metal and is named after a football team nobody except their fans likes. Is it the Splinter faction Peoples popular front of Sandringham new builds?

 

What's the history between the two projects because original they were going to be built by the same people then they split and the United project seems to have ground to a halt while Sandringham seems to have progressed a lot further and has the support.

 

The Manchester United project is being run by the NBL Preservation Society, I think. It hasn't ground to a halt. They are reporting some progress with restoration of a tender, and fabrication of some front end components such as smokebox, buffer beam etc..

Much as I would like to see this succeed, I fear it needs a massive injection of cash to go beyond the relatively simple fabrication of sheet metal assemblies.

 

Brilliant idea turning out to be a massive own goal as seemingly none of the millions of Man Utd fans are remotely interested in chucking a few coppers towards a steam engine - maybe they should have tried Chelsea, Arsenal or Doncaster Rovers.
If I Recall there was an idea to build one working and one 'Display' in its streamlined guise... Guess that could still happen when one or the other gives up the ghost...
Quite like the idea of B17 , beefed up slightly, which might at some point even get streamlined.
But 2 ? almost as much chance as seeing 2 P2's.

 

The one currently based at Llangollen seems to be making reasonable if not startling progress. They are normally based at the Mid-Norfolk railway. They have their frames and I believe the stretchers/dragbox are in progress.
They seem to be working through the detail design for the chassis and boiler and with the acceptance bodies. They have a GE tender frame and an LNER tender (neither restored).

The other group (which I think was the original group) is based at the Mizen's railway and seems to have a close connection with the North British Loco Society. They have an LNER tender which has been cosmetically restored. The 'loco' is a cab with a front end made of thin material. As such, the loco doesn't exist and the current method of working will effectively only produce a non-working mock up. A lot of the current work will be scrap if the loco is to ever work.

If I was a betting man, I'd put my money on the Mid-Norfolk/Llangollen group.


Keith

 

There's a nice feature in the Arsenal magazine this month about 61648 Arsenal.

I think there was some publicity from Manchester United themselves about the project but not much seems to have come from it compared support the Spirit of Sandringham project seems to have gathered.

 

By coincidence, the NBL Preservation Group's newsletter has just arrived. Attached if anyone is interested.

 

Manchester United may have the most fans but B17s weren't really associated with Manchester were they? Mind you come to think of it, nor generally are United fans . All joking aside they might have been better off going for Cambridge United

 

Here's a quiz question; of the 25 Footballers, which clubs have lost their place in the Football League at one time or another?

 

By my reckoning it's 4.
Grimsby Town
Darlington
Doncaster Rovers
Bradford

 

Grimsby Town, Darlington, Doncaster Rovers, Bradford PA

 

or Ipswich Town!

 

Correct, so far as I know.

Grimsby Town - now back in the FL
Darlington - went bust. Fans reformed the club as Darlington 1883. Now playing in the National League North. Well supported, and could challenge for FL status.
Doncaster Rovers - now back in the FL.
Bradford - went bust. Phoenix club formed 14 years after liquidation. Climbed from West Riding County Amateur League to National North, but never regained old levels of support and unlikely to regain league status. Known as Bradford Park Avenue.

Many journalists (and Bradfordians) are often ignorant of Bradford's FL history, ascribing their achievements and records to Bradford City.

 

Am I not right in saying that the Sandringham worked the North Country Continental throughout before the war?
Ian

 

A true Bradfordian would never use the Park Avenue suffix back in their league days. Saw them play back in 1963 and to all fans of he club it was simply Bradford. It was that lot down the road at Valley Parade that needed the City suffix so as to identify themselves.

 

Worked into London Road (Piccadilly) from Sheffield Vic before the leccys started.

 

Thought Bradford PA were voted out of the league in 1970, replaced by Cambridge United. Didn't know they went bust

 

They played on in the Northern Premier League until 1974, then liquidated. The name was kept alive by a Sunday League team until today's club was formed c1988.

 

They were "Bradford" in the fixtures, results and league tables. The fans referred to them as "The Avenue", because they played at Horton Park Avenue. This May 1966 picture shows the old Horton Park station on the Bradford-Queensbury line. The stands and pavilions were demolished in the 1980s. The football ground lay derelict for many years and is now being refurbished with cricket facilities, whilst the cricket pitch and facilities are being brought up to county standard.

 

Its BR's fault for closing the Thornton line...'The Park' even had its own station (clearly visible)
Line was making money but not enough to cover the cost of much needed PWAY Repairs.

So was there a 'Footballer' called Bradford or Bradford City ?