Salvaging important historical locomotive parts from abroad

And there lies the problem. Its only worth bringing them back to the UK if someone genuinely wants one. We already have a few 8Fs and S160 in preservation - which is why Didcot have chopped up an 8F to recreate something that never made its way into preservation.

Moreover most Heritage railways already have a queue of locos awaiting overhaul , or in some cases still in ex Barry condition that steam fans could chip in to support rather than buying more hulks from abroad.

While the desire to 'save' things is a noble idea, it must always be tempered by a bit of realism. The situation prevailing in the current decade is very different from the 1960s - where it could be argued that saving ANY steam loco was essential and where the availability top purchase locos most from Barry Scrapyard was not forseen.

 

A lot of parts for vacuum brakes, perhaps injectors too, have come back to the UK from South Africa for use in Barry restorations, which is perhaps not widely appreciated.

 

To say nothing of the fact that two of the three WD 2-10-0s in the UK have not turned a wheel in donkey's years.

 

Perhaps I should add "and can afford to buy it, repatriate and restore it." I can't speak for all the smaller lines in the UK, but I could well imagine there may be one or two which would love an 8F but don't have the resources.