35025 Brocklebank Line

You get all that for only £200k and you got yourself a real bargin. I doubt that you could register a coach alone for that price.

Peter

 

If the SLL was ever really serious about taking one of their locomotives mainline, I would say the best option would be to perhaps sign up an agreement with an existing mainline steam operator company like West Coast, Tyseley or Locomotive Services Limited. Similar to the path several other locomotive groups have gone, like with Duke of Gloucester, Betton Grange and Sir Nigel Gresley.

An increasing number of groups out there are facing ever harder time to manage taking their engines out onto the mainline, even when their locomotives are still more then capable of doing so, it's just the the question of logistics and cost involved. So many are finding it a better option now to essentially place their locomotives under the care of people that pretty much do nothing but mainline affairs, so long as of course they have agreements in place such as spending so much time visiting heritage railways.

In that respect such an arrangement could well work for the SLL IF they had any desire of taking their locomotives mainline, especially for an engine such as Brocklebank Line.

 

You cannot take an engine out on the main line on your own just like that. You have to do it through a recognised TOC so you do not have any option but to "sign up" as you put it with one or more of the established operators. But looking at the current state of 35025 it will be many years before it is ready to go anywhere under its own steam so such speculation is a bit premature. Lets face it we haven't even had the Nat Pres livery debate yet - that surely come first doesn't it?

Peter

 

I’ll go for BR Green Early Crest

 

I recognize you you need it to be signed with a recognized TOC yes, though I was more referring to the agreements like what Sir Nigel Gresley has, in the sense that the TOC takes on much of the work in maintaining and operating the loco on a day by day basis. Essentially caring for the locomotive like it is their own, and therefore covering for a lot of the cost pro-typically the owners of the engine itself have to, in return of course for the locomotive essentially being there's for a set period of time (usually 10 years to cover the engine's boiler ticket).

But yes you are right it is premature to talk about such things seriously, I was more speculating on future possibilities though, a favorite pastime of mine. As I'm sure it is for many others.

I think you'll find they'll be little to debate about when it comes to livery though, as the rebuilt Merchant Navies only ever carried one!

So tough luck everyone! You'll have to wait for General Steam Navigation's restoration to original form before you can have a proper debate over what livery a Merchant Navy should carry.

 

You've reminded me that one Christmas railway quiz I was sent had the question "what was the only BR steam loco to have steam in its name" and of course it is General Steam Navigation - I didn't get it

Dave

 

I had a very pleasant e mail yesterday from SLL to say that the value of my shareholding in the initial Brocklebank scheme has been effectively transferred into SLL shares. This is a very good start to 2021 and the eventual restoration to steam of 35025. I have said before, that am very impressed with the SLL operation, this has confirmed my impression.

 

Does this indicate that ownership has now passed to SLL? The initial agreement for 35025 was for 'custodianship'.

 

Hi Ghost
The e mail does say that 35025 has joined SLL. Their next major project will be "Sidmouth" but I suspect/hope that 35025 will get an increasing amount of work done.

 

...Go on....

 

Hi Aron
Welcome to this thread but your, somewhat cryptic post, has probably lost its meaning crossing the Atlantic. Do you like what is finally now happening to Brocklebank?

 

I am aware of what’s happening to 35025. I’ve been following news on the locomotive.

 

Brocklebank is to be moved onto a new length of track at Sellinge, so that it can be completely stripped down to a bare frame during 2021. (according to latest SLL update).

 

SLL website has been updated and the news of Brocklebank is that they hope to lift the frames in April/May. Hopefully somebody will be able to post a couple of pictures when it happens?

 

Brocklebank's frames have been lifted and the axles/axleboxes freed. The hornguides are said to "look good". Grit blasting of the frames is to happen soon and an enclosure is to be built to keep the - soon to be, refurbished frames in good condition. (Picture, with thanks, from S Troy SLL).

 

thanks for sharing Phil.
When 25 was at the GCR Loughborough, I was of the impression that good progress was made to the bottom half of the locomotive within the cocoon behind the main shed? I acknowledge that I'm probably overlooking the number of years that have passed since that time however is the consensus from the team at Selinge that any deterioration has been superficial or is much rework necessary do we know?

 

Hi Misspentyouth
I thought it was 92212 that was in the cocoon as my pictures of '25 have it out in the open.
Anyway, the news from Sellinge is that the boiler is basically in very good condition apart from where water has "pooled" against the front tube plate. The axleboxes and journals seem to be in fair condition. A pleasing amount of parts have been stored/acquired and so the restoration is looking increasingly ...... viable? ...not too expensive?? ... achievable in a shorter timeframe???
Anyway it is great that the SLL are working on the locomotive and the team at Sellinge is growing in numbers.

 

Phil, 35025 went into the 'cocoon' (it was a shed really, the framework I think was old boiler tubes) when 92212 vacated it. A few years later they dismantled it, hoping the loco would go into the main shed. That never happened, so the loco sat in the open and progress stalled.

 

I do recall 92212 being cocooned and from my notes, I have records from around 1984?
35025 appears in my notes for GCR around 1990 and then from April 1994, I note that 92212 has been moved to the main running shed whilst 35025 has moved to its cocoon.

Here's hoping that the work undertaken at Loughborough will give SLL a strong baseline to work from.

 

I took this photograph in a shed that was not in Loughborough. I think it was at Rothley.