Fire at Boat of Garten

There has been a major fire at the plant workshop this afternoon

 

Looks fairly serious but I don’t think any rolling stock is involved

https://www.strathspey-herald.co.uk...boat-of-gartens-steam-railway-station-180413/

 

Fingers crossed no persons or stock were affected.

P.S. please can someone sort the thread title.

Sent from my SM-J330FN using Tapatalk

 

It is possible that the collection of Ballast Packers or Jackapakas has been destroyed in the fire.
I believe that the machines involved are :-
BPoo1 prototype and formerly on the NYMR until 2012
BPoo5 / 74071 and formerly on the NYMR until 2012
BP013 / 74008
BPo30 / 74023

Not all the machines were operational, some being used as parts donors.
No idea if any of the rest of the railways plant machines are affected, but could be serious if the 12t Plasser GPC crane is involved.

 

Anyone familiar with the place can guess what was involved from this report.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-49003390

 

That would be terrible. I await a detailed report, to accurately find out the consequences; I do hope one will come out, and in a timely way.

My sympathies to all the people at the Strathspey; this has to have a negative effect on their work. I'll have to send in a donation.

Noel

 

Visited today and trains already running past the site. Shed being torn down before it collapses completely. Looks like a lot of tools were lost in the fire, along with some permanent way stuff. Fortunately no one injured and that’s the main thing.

 

On a happier note I found a 1977 film on BBC iPlayer about the genesis of the preserved Strathspey Railway, search for 'With a Fine Feeling for Steam'. The early founding member Ted Watkinson (who was a farmer from Malvern) whose trust now owns the Black 5 and LMS coaches is interviewed and there are scenes including the freshly restored HR luggage van, LMS Stove R and Porthole Brake. It will bring back memories of all preserved lines and their struggles when starting out. As a bonus there is well shot film of a special organised by Ted Watkinson from Edinburgh Waverley to Aviemore hauled by 60009 Union of South Africa with a young John Cameron on the footplate.
Cheers
Dave

 

This post should probably be in the 'thing that wind me up' section, but am I the only one who finds it odd (and frustrating) that a serious incident that made the national media doesn't get a mention on that organisations own News (aka Facebook) pages.
I know we all like to present things in a positive way, but so many railways have a 'news' page that is only ever used to promote events etc and never has any real news (good or bad) about what's happening on the railway out of the public gaze.

 

Is this the one?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01204m3

 

It is, of course, a very sad event and I do hope that the Railway can quickly recover from it. One thing that I do hope emerges is why and how the fire started. Every organisation dreads such an event but I would suggest that most adopt a 'head in the sand ' approach and don't appreciate how easily and quickly these things can happen. We all need to learn from others.

 

If you read the Incident Commanders report it will be noticed that it was considered serious - probably propane, acetylene (quite dangerous when heated) and other items - enough to warrant evacuation of local homes.
Hopefully the Strathspey has insurance to cover their loss and reconstruction, but if not they might make an appeal for financial help.
Strathspey in a long way from where the majority of NP Members live, I believe, and the BBC report will have brought it to their notice. Should an appeal be made at least many here will now be aware with what happened and many might feel the need to contribute - railway aficionados seem to have deep pockets - many of them anyway!