Rotting away?

Well guys.

You lot seem to be having fun at my expense. Still never mind, I've been the butt end of loads of jokes, so it's all water off a ducks back.

I have to live with the famous John, Mile (distance covered in one hour!) and 14" = 1' 4"! and the nickname Wobbley, thanks to the Late, Great, Chris Bitton, after my near fatal M/C accident in North Wales, in 1977, and now I am treated for, Depression, High BP, Arthritis, and Parkinsons, + 3 young kids who I bring up on my own.

I've put up with a lot, and as I get older, my health is going downhill, but the fire from the early days of the MHR is burning strong inside of me, and that, more than anything, keeps me going. What is wrong with trying to help? Sometimes it feels like a crime. All I want to do is help, and be part of something, and all of the above, is one big anchor, stopping me.

After selling the Jinty, and the Ol49 in Maldegem, all I have left in my Wickham. and that's in the hands of the NDRT, who refuse to return it to me. What am I supposed to be? HAPPY??

A group of the old Shillingstone lads, are trying to buy a small steamer, which if we get it, will be rebuilt into a 0458 class, Ironside. AS none of them have any steam experience I'm going to walk them though the overhaul, and hopefully do 90% of the work themselves, Old School.

I don't expect anyone to understand me, but I do get the hump, when people who don't know me, or anything about me, other than, hearsay, comment about me. Mainly, because what's posted is either a lie, or half truth. But, there seems little point correcting the record, as here, everyone has a different opinion.

Hence, Early Mid-Hants Memories, which started here, but the bad blood still lingering in the present MHR, surfaced here. So, we went behind closed doors, and we have 300 members and well over 1000 pictures posted.

I could posts loads of facts, which would illustrate what I mean, but your Admin loves to shut me down, as anyone who has followed my posts, will know.

Carry on having fun.

 

I'm sorry that you feel that way. I certainly wasn't having fun at your expense and didn't read anyone else's posts which suggested that either. In fact a couple of posters actually spoke up for you.
Ray.

 

I cannot see that anyone has been having fun at your expense, so I to am sorry that you feel that you have been made fun of. You have made an important point about the sheer number of supposedly preserved coaches that have been scrapped.
Must admit that I am guilty of cutting up one of the coaches on that list

 

That will be you off his christmas card list Gary,
Polsteam has highlighted a problem, that in the past we, all of us made mistakes, but back then, these coaches were seen as disposable at a time when they were still available in large numbers, why repair one if you can buy a replacement cheaper than the cost of repairing the one you have ? but you can not turn back time, how much you may want to. i have not seen anyone poking fun either, Most coaches and engines that are sat on a linear scrap yard are there because the owner, or the railway can not afford to overhaul them just yet,or have more pressing needs
Time flys very quickly, especially as we are mostly now ourselves running out of time , and in many cases we will be relying on others to finish what we wanted to start, and there in is the biggest problem, Because i would say any privately owned item of rolling stock is at risk of being sold for scrap by the owners family once they have gone. as in many cases there will be no agreement in place .and some railways may wish to clear out the no hopers .

 

Yes we have all made mistakes, I cut up a Mk1 but I did manage to save a Period 1 LMS Brake composite from being scrapped. We have become more and more aware of the fact that the pool of vehicle is finite, extra coaches do not just miraculously appear. The only way that the IOWSR has been able to increase its stock of coaches is by resurrecting grounded bodies, eight of them at the latest count.

 

Very true, pre grouping SECR and LBSCR bogie coaches are not exactly ten a penny, and the IOWSR has been a trend setter in recent years rescuing grounded bodies on the island and Southeast England, its forunate that so many bodies were sold off as challets and not put to the torch, its a pity that the stock Scrapped at Newport could not be saved as if the bodies had been sold on, they would now be a viable future addition to the railways bogie stock .

 

Ah, at last some open eyes!

I made the point about the finite numbers of rolling stock, some time ago. Even the totally horrible Mk2's are now a valuable resource!

If your railway has, like the MHR, a SR Mansell brake van, which to my knowledge, has been untouched for at least 20 years, An Ironclad BTK rotting since the late 80's, and a LMS Obo, tarpped over, which makes wood rot even faster, then please do something, before it is too late.

In the old days these were all considered just rubbish, but they are all priceless, but sitting on them, and hoping someone is going to reward a owner, by buying these wrecks. This is simply not a option. Why should an owner be rewarded for doing nothing? The value of a wreck is nothing! Unless you scrap it, but then why preserve it in the first place?

 

With any luck the Maunsell brake van and iron clad will at some stage enter the carriage shed once the Bulleid coaches are done to hopefully make a 1950's rake The LMS Oppo was restored , but found to be in need of major attention if my memory is right, but back then, the carriage works did not exist ,so if anything, hopefully a new MD with a eye to the future will put more attention to these historic vehicles

 

There was nothing wrong with scrapping a rotten mark 1 and replacing it with a better example at the time they they were plentiful, if you consider that the better example would have been scrapped in the rotten examples place had it not been purchased as a replacement. Except that fewer early build carriages now exist.

Sawdust.

 

Sawdust, I could point to a Mk1 SK coach, which was going to be chopped by the Swanage Rly, but gave it to Shillingstone for nothing. The good guys at the NDRT chopped out the rot, and now it is in use again. Many lines have sidings full of OOU Stock, and only the Bluebell, to my knowledge, has a dedicated carriage shed, to keep stock in.

Like you Martin. I hope the next GM has a bit more go in him, ans gets the Mid-Hants off life support, and injects some life into the place! The place needs a big project to get it going again, before it dies of boredom. BB And Sawanage have reached their targets, and.................... Well say no more. That is another subject.

 

I was speaking historically. Those times have long gone.

I have run out of fingers and toes on which to count the carriages which I've had a hand in saving, many of them unique and of historical importance.
I have no intention of stopping doing so anytime soon.

Sawdust.

 

So what is that large building just outside Kidderminster SVR station with up to 40 coaches inside it?? - there are others too.

 

1472. The last time I went to the SVR was more then 20 years a ago, before I went to live in Poland, and these days money, kids and Parkinsons, keep me firmly in my local area.

Glad to hear some lines are taking the problem more seriously.

One coach which made my heart break, was the KESR 6w bogie Pullman, Anyone know what happened to it?

 

Regarding dedicated carriage sheds we have at Havenstreet a 5 road Carriage shed which houses the 2 service sets, the wagons that form the Heritage goods train, 2 out of service SECR bodies where both underframes have being subjected to very expensive and extensive metal repairs, 5 grounded bodies, a Ryde pier tram and various other wagons that are mostly LBSCR.

Other Carriage sheds that I am aware of are at the KVWR, SVR, KESR, GCR, SRPS, Strathspey plus many others. There are very few narrow gauge lines that don't have Carriage sheds.Carriage sheds are an absolute necessity not only for service sets but also for the storage of out of service coaches that are awaiting works time, grounded bodies and goods stock.

 

Have you tried looking on the vct database?

Sawdust.

 

A heap of mixed up info Sawdust, and not easy to find a specific vehicle, unless you know exactly what your looking for.

A case in point. I've been trying to find out what happened to our old GCR van, which we sold in the 1990's for £250, and vanished!

 

Is it this one? - https://www.flickr.com/photos/21602076@N05/3115904704?ytcheck=1&new_session=1 - if so, then bad news, I'm afraid, as you'll see - destroyed in an arson attack.

Yet another reason for secure storage...

Steve B

 

Yep that was the one.

What about it's partner? A TK. Not sure, but I think it was SECR or LSWR, and was an old service coach, painted Brown and Cream?

 

Because they WANT it John. they will likely do nothing with it as they know sweet fa how to do this and no funds either .

Chris

 

Indeed and lets not forget BY 653 that is well on it,s way to completion by the wagon group and will join that Bulleid rake.

Chris