82045 The way ahead?

Spoiler Alert. - In answer to the picture quiz featuring 82044, presumably the loco was booster fitted ?

 

I think 82044 was the only one that didn’t have its number on the bunker, I believe it was the only one that had its number at some point applied on its cab side.

 

And the Class 4 rating ?

 

"When I grow up I want to be an 80000!"

 

The deed was done in April 1963. I know not where.

 

Bugger! Didn’t notice that one Sheff, my tail is well and truly between my legs!

 

Ex Crewe Works 26/4/63 according to RCTS.
Ray.

 

Thanks so much for that, 30854. We try hard to keep folks posted, so the monthly update has become a sort of ritual. We're dead lucky to have a brilliant webmaster in Paul Bennett, as I have the IT nous of a wombat and I don't think Tony Massau is much better.

 

April update; http://www.82045.org.uk/news/82045_news-apr21.html

 

Good to see things happenning. I wonder who's front runner in "next newbuild to steam"

 

Grange.

 

Double Fairlie (Blodge always seems to go suspiciously quiet just before a first firelighting)

82045's pony trucks are really beginning to look the part. Great update, as always, thanks once again.

 

Not likely until late this year or early next. No requirement for it at the moment, so no point starting the boiler ticket and then have it sat around doing nothing.

Tim

 

TBH, I was expecting a first public appearance around the time of the rescheduled 'Farlie Eventful' bash, next year .... it's just that the months of suspicious silence from Blodge concerning JS2 has been positively deafening!

C'mon Tim, even NG15 No.134 has made a guest appearance on "Moving Pictures" recently. Up to now, I've been diving into the loco's own website's "Working Party Reports" and Barrie's 'isengard' site for my news fix. 134 looks to be coming together extremely nicely indeed and in view of what I've read about the performance of the 'Kalaharis' in SA, can't wait to see this impressive design attacking the RhE gradients.

Mind you, equally quiet has anything from SP on 2mt 84030, but with Beachy Head now approaching completion, we can hope for something positive from that general direction quite soon.

 

Who cares?! But I do think we’re going to see a few a few new builds follow each other in rapid succession between now and 2023/24. I’m rather looking forward to the new build gala (albeit at a location and time to be arranged)

 

Now that would be a gala with a difference. What would really make it, would be some matching new build appropriate rolling stock too. Rather than the regular mundane British Railways Mk1 fleet......

 

Blimey! ..... that'd set some sort of record for the youngest average fleet age for steam locos on a line since ....... ¿RH&D, when it first opened? Even the Bure Valley had RH&D locos to skew any average, when it opened. On standard gauge, the only contendor I can think of would be the short-lived BW&A!

 

Still early days but as you might expect some exciting possibilities have already been kicked around. Ideas for something special always welcome.

One thing is certain. The first official train hauled by 82045 will be an 82045 trust 'special' to thank members for their faith, belief and trust in the project.

 

Spot on, gios. We must also do something worthy of the increasing number of folks who will, very sadly, not be around to see the results of their love (because love is what it is, and anyone who forgets this does so at his/her peril) and support. I have been thinking about a suitable headboard for the train: thought of 'Absent Friends' or 'Friends Remembered', but if anyone has any better ideas, gios and I would be pleased to hear from you.

On a different note, would Robin from Stourbridge please get in touch with me (Chris Proudfoot): you left a message on our crappy old answering machine and a vital single digit was indecipherable! So I'm not being rude, mate - give me a ring, and thanks for the kind words about 82045.

 

What else would you think more apt to hang behind a Clan or a Standard 3 tank?
(for a Hawksworth County and Tornado, I'd say that Mk1s are pretty much the right thing for almost entirely the working life of them)