City of Wells for sale - now purchased by the ELR

I'm guessing that one of the main reasons will be that Richard Greenwood and Jock Adams are both feeling their ages a bit more these days...
I don't know Graham Bentley, but last time I saw Richard Greenwood in the shop at Haworth, his mobility was suffering.
Whatever the reason for 34092 leaving the KWVR permanently, and changing ownership, all credit must go to the 3 current owners for their superb workmanship on restoring and maintaining a top-class locomotive... What Jock Adams doesn't know about setting up Bulleid valvegear probably isn't worth knowing.
I'll certainly miss it on the KWVR, that's for sure. The end of an era.

Richard.

 

Don't worry, John. The website quoted by the OP states "Negotiations with the owners have seen an agreement reached for the ELR to purchase 34092", so @martin1656's wibble about IR and Mr Hosking is just that - so long as the ELR can raise the money they need.

As for the 76xxx - yes, an ideal loco for a line like the ELR, but is it for sale? Besides, a long-term running agreement might be a better bet than purchase. Most lines aim for a mix of owned and hired locos, to spread the risks around.

 

https://www.preservationforgenerations.co.uk/a-home-for-wells

My reading of the link is that £340,920 is an amount towards the purchase price, not the agreed price.

 

Yes the article confirms the fund raising is a contribution to the overall agreed price, remaining funds coming from the ELR who wish to be more self sufficient for locomotives.
As for suitability: the ELR have had a couple of seasons to assess that and the loco has proven popular enough to invest significantly in.
Personally I am glad it is staying in the north, it must have spent more time up there than it did pre-preservation now surely?

 

Is 34073 for sale still?

 

Thats in part why a shared option between Ian Riley and the ELR may be an answer, the loco remains ELR based, but is managed and maintained for ML use by IR,
That way everyone wins, the ELR get use of the engine when its not on the main line, and ian has a 7p that should based on past knowledge is a good strong engine .that already is in ticket

 

Seems as though there are quite a few folk keen to spend IR and JH's money. Are they even in the market for something like C of Wells ?

 

Given her previous base was the shorter and steeper KWVR, I'm not sure why the ELR is so unsuitable.

 

Another reason for this locos suitability for main line working is that it is probably still more 8P than 7P, as was demonstrated during it's tenure on the main line in the 1980s.

Cheers,

Alan

 

Am I right in saying the ELR already owns the ‘Crab’, a Jinty, and an unrestored GWR 2-8-0T?

 

Mr. Hoskin was most definitely after a Flat Top about eight years ago.

 

No. They own the Crab, the other two you mention are privately owned.
The other locos owned by the railway are a small saddle tank, (Barclay I think but not sure) , and ex Manchester Ship Canal 0-6-0T 32 Gothenburg.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

Among others, but only the Crab's in working order. EDIT: seen the post above, they only own the Crab.

80097 and 92134 should be in steam in the next year or two, apparently.

Given the cost of overhauls and restorations, if it's a choice between spending half a million (or thereabouts) and getting a working loco with several years in ticket or spending half a million (or thereabouts) and getting a working loco in several years time, which would you go for?

 

His fleet has expanded somewhat more since then though, and there's the small matter of setting up his TOC...

 

It's a big engine with a hefty appetite for coal and maintenance on a line that needs little more than an Austerity to work it efficiently - the classic example of PaulH's "bigchufferitis"

 

From my vague recollections and happy to be corrected, didn't she go to the ELR for a gala or something, and in being moved with the boiler full cause some damage to a bridge on leaving Keighley which for a while precluded anything coming to or leaving the railway by road. However as I think that the weight issue is now solved I am not altogether sure why she didn't go back to the KWVR.

As for all this talk of her being taken mainline was the overhaul undertaken to 'main line standard' or would loads of additional works bar the usual electrical stuff be needed, in terms of IoS taking her on, whilst she might fill a gap as they seem to have a huge amount out of ticket at the moment, although alternatively would the work needed for mainline get in the way of clearing their present backlog of works to the existing fleet.

 

As I recall it was when she came to the GWSR for our 2015 gala, first trip away from KWVR since her overhaul as well IIRC. There were all sorts of shenanigans on the way down, not only the bridge but somehow I think it ended up in a compound overnight or something. It definitely raised the blood pressure of the gala committee somewhat, I recall it only arrived late Friday to be in steam on the Saturday, and hasn't been back to the KWVR since. I may be wrong though!