Near misses

The timber-tracked convict-hauled lines deserve a mention too edit in Aus

 

It wasn't me that passed judgement on how advanced NZ was or wasn't. As far as I'm concerned NZ is 'a country far away of which we know little'

 

My apologies simon . It was jamessquared. But your comment of NZ being a country far away of which we know little , is pretty representative of the Great British view of the world. When I was last in the UK , I was talking to a school party at Bressingham. "I'm from New Zealand ! Oh yes ,that's by the Isle of Wight isn't ? " was the students reply.

 

My view of the development of NZ at the time is based primarily on the personal experiences of my parents-in-law, who grew up living there in the 1950s and 1960s (Otago and the Waiarapa respectively).

Tom

 

Unfortunately you are correct, although people's horizons stretch perhaps a little further than Chamberlain's did in the 1930s. I hope to visit NZ when I finish being a partner in the bank of mum and dad.

 

I remember reading that apparently 1026 'County of Salop' was offered to the local council to be displayed outside it's Shirehall premises. Unfortunately (obviously!) they turned it down. Was there any truth in this?

 

Is there any truth in the rumour that Qantas captains still advise pax to put their watches forward two hours and back 10 years when flying trans-Tasman from Aus to Auckland?

 

Well they are both overseas (Tongue very firmly in cheek!)

 

I think there's some truth in this, I've a memory of reading somewhere that amongst others 70004 was offered to Stratford/Warwickshire counci and several of the Big Lizzie's with city names 46240 (City of Coventry) and 46254 (City of Stoke on Trent) Spring to mind as being offered to their respective city's councils for display but again, lack of space came into play. Then there's the story of Peter Beet wanting to buy 46243 (City of Lancaster) but I can't remember if he was just offered the loco without tender or cutting had already started on tender and it was thought to be a beyond building a new one at the time?

 

Shame William Shakespeare wasn't saved, always got the impression it was a bit of a celebrity during it's service lfe. Plus I still have my Hornby model of it...

 

They do nearly the same thing, other than changing the hours, if you go to the Scilly Isles. Or maybe its 20 years back.

 

No Unfortunately not anymore , Aucklands more like going to Hong Kong or Singapore now. Anyway you should stay away from the Aussies on Qantas , Air New Zealands the only way to travel.

 

I can think of at least one instance here in New Zealand , An A class Pacific of around 1910 as withdrawn from Invercargill at the bottom of the South Island soon after recieving an A grade overhaul . It was taken to the small town of Clinton about 50 miles to the north where it was stored in the engine shed there for about 12 months, The local service group was meant to arrange a display site , but when nothing happened NZR had it towed away and scrapped.

 

Residents on the Isle of Wight have often referred to the land across the Solent as North Island. So you can understand the confusion

 

Err, I thought this thread was about extinct types... why does everyone forget 2500?

 

I know this is post was a while ago but can we all take a breath and go through this again....?
- Built 1870s
- Withdrawn before WW1
- Survived until late 1960s!!!
If only, if only!
Pretty locos, and perfect for a preserved line...

 

Don't rub it in - I still have pangs of guilt about that engine! But to be fair, I was only 16 years old at the time with no idea of how to launch a preservation attempt. Long before Faceache, of course!

 

He told me that he wanted to buy it from the scrapyard in Wigan, but re-sale was prohibited by the BRB back then. One of the nameplates and the smokebox numberplate were donated to Lancaster City Museum.

 

That could well be true: BR sold the locos on the basis that they were to be scrapped, not resold into preservation. The sh1t hit the fan a few years water when Dai Woodham began to sell the engines onwards. When BR found out, they first tried to prevent it, then charge a premium on the basis that this was in breach of the original contract.

 

That's a shame, but it was refreshing to find so much preservation when I visited NZ at the end of 2015, I was only there for 2 weeks and stayed on South Island but found so much I didn't know about and didn't want to leave! I will be back one day soon to spend more time there.