Llangollen Railway

There has been a long standing appeal for money for the Corwen station and there was a very specific appeal for funds towards the bridge repairs last November. These are therefore almost certainly restricted for these purposes and could not be used towards anything else like buying stock/track.

I think it has been pretty well confirmed elsewhere that 7754 is not going to be sold. It would be an incredibly unpopular decision with the volunteers who have carried out most of the work on it, not to mention the membership and other donors as shown above.

Jennifer and Austin 1 are a different matter (as has already been written). Neither are appropriate to run full time at LR, and so have spent almost all of their operational years on other lines recently. This sort of thing is very likely to have been losing the plc/trust money. I would therefore think if the price is right, selling them may be the best option for all involved. If not, hiring/using them in the short term will continue, but when it comes to future overhauls does anyone really think this is likely to be the best use of the Trust’s money?

 

I agree if a large enough offer comes in they will sell if its a choice between plant and equipment needed to maintain the railway and a loco they may not be able to use for a good time and at present assuming the overhaul was nearly complete its value is as high as its going to be.

 

I'm not disagreeing with what you say, but there seems to be an assumption that the PLC going into Administration/Receivership came as a bolt out of the blue. In fact, a new board was formed at the end of last year and it must have been apparent at that time how things would likely turn out. It would therefore be very disappointing if the Trust Board had not recognised the likelihood that it would need all the various posts filling and a new SMS being put in place and begun the process well before it became necessary. The writing was there on the wall for all to see. The Trust could and should therefore be well into the process by now and it may therefore take less time to complete than some expect.

 

"Jennifer and Austin 1 are a different matter (as has already been written). Neither are appropriate to run full time at LR, and so have spent almost all of their operational years on other lines recently. This sort of thing is very likely to have been losing the plc/trust money. I would therefore think if the price is right, selling them may be the best option for all involved. If not, hiring/using them in the short term will continue, but when it comes to future overhauls does anyone really think this is likely to be the best use of the Trust’s money?"

Jennifer in particular was originally bought for use on the NYMR, its then-owner arguing it was a Class 4 tank and ought to be just as useful as 80135.... Of course he seemed to overlook the fact that it was designed as a shunting engine to produce short bursts of power, but I believe it did have some successful runs with 4-5 coach trains. When it comes to gradients the LR is mot the NYMR, though, and I have a feeling the (leaving aside industrial v ex-BR snobbishness) it could probably do all that would be required to maintain the normal daily service. IIRC it was originally donated to the LR on the grounds that is is virtually identical to locos built for one of the S. Wales lines do it would be nice to see it return to the Gwilli Railway for its "forever home".

 

Interesting, so what is on the list? How many Mk1s?

 

Surely E4472 should be the subject of a national appeal, be sold for about 10 times its real value and then become part of the national collection?

Just saying...

 

That still leaves enough coaches at the railway for the Trust to run services then, which is good.

Does this list include the coaches with the disputed ownership?

 

M34584 isn't a Mk3 but a Mk1 BSK converted into an exhibition coach and later into a "hospitality" carriage on LR. http://www.cs.rhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=2448
Having gone through the VCT database it looks as if the serviceable Mk1 corridor stock remaining consists of TSO's 4243/3950 CK 15674 SK 25417 aka 18417 FK 13340 BSK's 34357/35188/35340. I presume that included in this number is a privately owned Mk1 which I read had been removed. Nevertheless, along with the Suburbans, these should be more than enough for 2 loco hauled train sets.
Ray.

 

I hope no children were eaten..................

 

Are Jennifer and Austin No.1 Operable? If so I'd guess in the short term at least there would be an inclination to keep them if at all possible, after all, a couple of less than ideal locos to complement 7754 is probably preferable to no backup at all. Besides, as Jennifer has done visits to lines like Peak Rail and Wensleydale she's evidently proved capable of doing the kind of length round trip that would be asked of her at LR. Not so sure about Austin 1...

 

I just had a look at the photos I took on my first visit to Llangollen back in 1986 and had forgotten that Austin No.1 was running as "Burtonwood Brewer" back then.....




At the time, I didn't know much about the line and what they were running, but we were amused to see its name as I had just driven there for the day with my Mother and her Parents - from Burtonwood !!

 

"Jennifer" was in action on service trains last September. Quite what condition she is in now, I have no idea.

 

Jennifer managed maybe one round trip at Wensleydale and then returned to Llangollen as not fit for purpose from memory .Peak Rail top and tail with D8 so a steam heating VT ?

 

Jennifer is a very capable machine however it's unbalanced and is good at low. Speed but you'd not want to be on it at above 15mph for a long length of line

 

I totally agree with Jordan Leeds, Jennifer is a powerful engine but designed for low speeds and not really suited to the Llangollen Railway. Jennifer was not returned from the Wensleydale Railway as not fit for purpose. I was a passenger on it’s one and only round trip on the Wensleydale Railway. She hauled a 4 coach train and was hammered there and back, running at 25-30 mph for most of the journey. I remember thinking it was madness running an industrial engine at those speeds. What a surprise, when I got off at Leeming Bar they were inspecting her axle boxes and hey presto, she had run a hot box and was returned to Llangollen. If finances force her sale, I hope she finds a suitable home as it was a memorable, exciting run for such a small loco !!! Best wishes to the Llangollen Railway Trust and I hope they are in a position to secure the future of the Llangollen Railway in the near future.

 

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/no...administrators-advanced-negotiations-20385960