The South Devon Railway Thread

He owns 30% of the shares of the DSR, so it might make sense for him to send the loco there.

 

Because 4270 is what they love, a GWR 2-8-0 tank.

 

Well no, cause no 9F has operated on the line since it became a private operation, yet two 2-8-0 tanks have and a third is due along with a tender version.

 

Ah right. Because "Hoskings owns it" means exactly the same as "it's a type of engine they've already got loads of". Of course. How silly of me not to realise that they are completely interchangeable and when you said one I should have read it as the other.

 

"along with a tender version." Did not know there was such a thing ?

 

And 70000, 46100, 45231 etc etc….

 

Well, I didn't list those because they are clearly part of the LSL operation and will run on the main line, I was thinking in terms of his locos that are based on heritage railways and cannot run on the main line, so I guess 6960 should have been on the list too, given the decreasing route availability of the type.

 

Aren't all of these loco's too big for the South Devon line.
Shouldn't they actually be on the Paignton Kingswear line. Or is it a nasty attack of thread drift.

 

Yes - it's very much thread drift. South Devon is focusing on locos more suited to branch lines - keeping their panniers, prairies and Collett goods 0-6-0 in operation. You won't see any of the LSL fleet there.

 

Unless things like A4’s show up for things like tyre turning

 

Returning to the SDR, I'm rather hoping that the sale of the 2-8-0s and the Hall will mean that there might be scope for 3205 getting overhauled, if agreement can be reached with its owners .

 

It will be good for south Devon to get one the engines from didcot as the have lots they can’t use and then they could make it run. Or get the great western from peak railway as they don’t really fit in there

 

Yes please. Beautiful engine so well suited to the line. My toddler daughter refers to 3205 as "the poorly engine who's asleep" as it's been in pretty much the same spot on all her visits. We talked to one of the volunteers cleaning it on a visit before the line reopened last spring and he said that although on paper the work 3205 needed looked huge, it was all well within the Buckfastleigh workshop's regular capabilities if the funding was there.

 

Carriage 9044 from Bodmin has arrived for some work to be carried out and use over the summer.
https://www.southdevonrailway.co.uk/news/clerestory-carriage-visit-2022

 

As 3205 is the sole survivor of a class that in many ways epitomised the Great Western branch and secondary lines, it would be great to see her woken from her slumbers.

 

Very irresponsible on the part of the BWR and the SDR to expose an historic vehicle, that should be in a museum, to use and abuse by the general public after hundreds of hours and thousands of pounds have been expended on its restoration.

 

You could make the same argument about a lot of stock and locos on heritage railways and pretty much close them down. Is that your preferred option?
At the end of the day, it's the BWR's money and they obviously want to see the carriage run, get use and appreciation from the public and maybe even enjoy the fruits of their labour?

 

I have personally given hundreds of hours and thousands of pounds to see a historic vehicle returned to public use and abuse. There are lots of us out there who believe that restoration would be pointless if a vehicle were to remain in a museum... I'd go as far as to say the preserved railway movement is almost built on that preference?

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