FR & WHR & WHHR News

The hind unit has had a crack welded in almost exactly the same place in the past. I think they are plate steel bar frames, rather than cast.

Luckily it happened at the end of the running season and the loco was due some mechanical work over the winter anyway.

Tim

 

Another visit to wherever 140 is stored, perhaps?

 

I've lost track exactly what but most of 140 is in service...

A significant attraction of the Garatts for maintenance is you can have a float of power units / boilers etc. But it does upset the trainspotters when they find out that 143 is mostly 140 or whatever.

 

Pete is bang on the mark. Wasn't that the reason for standardising on the NGG16s in the first place? And we certainly mustn't upset the sensibilities of yer actial trainspotters... [moves tongue firmly into cheek] In which case, maybe it's just as well single Fairlie "Snowdon Tryfan" (Moel Ranger sounded a bit too "Hi-ho Silver ... Away!" ) isn't still with us ..... that variety of trainspotter would be in permanent meltdown. Best not tell 'em either, about the early 20th century history of 'The loco now known as "Sir Haydn" ' a bit further south. One for the rivet counters, that!

The important thing here is consistency, so's we all know where we stand. I've got an easy solution for the Garrats. If, say, the front tank on 140 is from 143, keep it in 143's livery. Saves all that time consuming repainting. The identity of the loco is easily defined by the numberplate, whatever it is, affixed to the cab sides, and if one cab side sheet is swapped without the other, photographers and trainspotters can 'cop' more locos than are in service. What's not to like?

Wozzat? Some magic date applies at which time becomes frozen, after which all history and deterioration cease and ne'er so much as a new pattern of washer used? Silly me...... must've overlooked that!

 

Just renumber it 141½

 

Or different numbers on each side?

 

The first Garratt is numbered K1 on one side and K2 on the other, as it is a hybrid of both.
Currently at Dinas on the WHR, undergoing a long term overhaul.

 

This is broadly the case but there are differences between 87 which is essentially halfway house between the NGG13 and they NGG16, and the BP built locos. This makes some parts incompatible.

The FR uses 140 as a Christmas tree for the others at the moment, but the stuff that is running is usually in far better state when it is worn out by FR standards than anything ex SAR. So incresingly they repair what is already there rather than knicking bits. One of the bogies is currently under 143 but i don't think the other has been touched. The other spare bogie had a broken cylinder and issues with the middle driving wheelset.

There are two spare boilers now thanks to the donation of one off 129 by the Puffing Billy Railway. Both have been sent away for overhaul recently. One will be modified to fit 87.

The other two NGG16s on site 130 and 109 are privately owned. 130 is under contract overhaul while 109 slowly rots in the grass. The FR just provides a location for it to be stored.

Tim

 

Quite right. In SAR days some parts have been adapted between the 87 batch and later batches - again I can't remember the exact details but it was once pointed out to me that one of the later boilers (on 143 I think) had at one time been modified for use on one of the earlier batches.

I believe originally the Festiniog tried to secure all the 5 locos required from the same batch but there came to be restrictions on export from SA which upset the plan. The two NG15's were I believe originally purchased to fill in the other two places, but other Garatts have since become available so they have slipped down the priority list.

140's other bogie was sitting down the back of the Dinas carriage shed last time I saw it.

 

As the need for back-up NGG16s has been shown on a few occasions recently, is there no thought (or no cash?) to buy 109 off Pete Waterman? It's just as well the WHR can rely on FfR back-up motive power in emergencies, but an extra NGG16 would of course help. I think I read that 130 will be based on the line, but privately owned. Still, 109 might be a sound investment if PW is willing to sell?

 

I expect the cheaper option would just be to overhaul 140 as you wouldn't have to buy it off PW.

Realistically the railway needs 4 locos. 2 in use, 1 hot spare, 1 under overhaul. When 130 is finished the WHR will have what it needs for time being. The investment would be better spent elsewhere such as infrastructure, rolling stock, stations, and so on.

Tim

 

Presumably FfR had a good reason for agreeing to store 109 after Pete Waterman’s original restoration plan failed. Hopefully there is some possibility in mind for future restoration (or use of the bits) whether owned by PW or not.

 

Isn't there a NG15 on the way. That would act as a fourth or fifth engine, and would make the WHR a little more diverse.

 

Perhaps it should be K0.5 as the boiler is new..........

 

And both tanks are new. K0.25?

 

Yup..... No.134, by a volunteer group at Dinas (with support from Blodge for specialised jobs). It'll be a while yet before it's ready.

Barrie Hughes' http://isengard.co.uk/ which is the 'unofficial' website for WHR goings-on is my usual fount of information (he's been on his hols, but there'll likely be an update in the next few days).

The project website page which is kept up to date is: http://ng15-134.co.uk/Restoration/WPNews.html For some reason, the 'Latest News' page ..... isn't (well, not very often at any rate).

Not sure what the timetable for the other NG15 (No.133) is at present. http://www.whrsoc.org.uk/WHRProject/ng15.htm

 

There's also the Chinese 0-8-0, which seems to be making good progress.

 

That would be the C2 project http://www.c2project.org/

 

...... and here's the C2 Project's website link to prove it!
http://c2project.org/index.php?page=home
This example, works No.221, is possibly the world's very last NG steam loco built for commercial industrial use, outshopped from Harbin Forest Machinery Plant* in January 1988 (no.... it's not a typo.... nineteen eighty-eight!). TBH, I'm a bit surprised the Chinese authorities let go of a loco this significant!

*Harbin is a city of over 5 million, in Heilongjiang Province NE China, due north of the Korean peninsula. If you'd expect to see some down-at-heel industrialised dump, I'll have to disappoint you: