LMS Hughes Crab 42859

Many thanks for your information Hermod!

 

It changed hands from THAT owner to one who can and will do something with it, but I understand it is going to have to wait it's turn in a queue....

 

Thanks for that information ,

 

That's good news, although presumably unless the wheels have been returned as well there's not a whole lot you can do with it?

 

It all depends on the depth of the owner's pockets. When all is said and done, we have the technology to build a new one from scratch, so whatever is missing can be replaced. The more challenging question revolves round finding a million or two to throw at her.

Being realistic, if it was a GWR Manor, no one would be bothering - it's only because it's something rare and special that there is any hope whatsoever she might one day steam again. I hope she does.

 

Galatea and King Edward II disagree with you

 

The lack of a boiler will be a major hurdle, Yes new boilers can be made, but at what cost ? , and then the only one making large boilers is in Germany, its not like you can buy a Crab pattern boiler off the shelf, it will have to be designed, to meet the modern specs, then you have steel vs copper for the inner firebox, its not going to be cheap i just hope the new owner does indeed have very deep pockets

 

Perhaps an opportunity to design one that doesnt need coal...

 

Not to mention the new Patriot boiler being built in the UK with a copper box.
https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/ea.../:/cr=t:0%,l:0%,w:100%,h:100%/rs=w:1300,h:800

 

Isnt it using an ex 8f firebox, though? I agree with whats been said about 82045, Yes, i forgot, about that one, but its a smaller boiler,
didn't the A1 people go to Germany because no one in the UK, had at the time, the necessary heavy presses and experience needed to press the components needed to build a large firebox from scratch ? and it was only in Germany they found a loco works that could build a boiler with in a reasonable time span ?

 

We could have built the A1 boiler in the UK in Newark form memroty, but the funding model woulf have needed to be different

 

The 8F boiler was purloined for the Hawksworth County project; the Baby Scots' boilers and fireboxes were very different to an 8F's.

 

General question, if I may: How suitable / useful is Mr.Hughes' highly distinctive design for today's heritage operations? Of modern outline for their era and designed for powerful, lower speed plodding and with their readily accessible valve gear, they always strike me as comparable with the S15. Would that be a fair comparison?

 

Building a traditional boiler from scratch in a UK context isn't that big a deal - some of the heavy repairs done regularly now are just as involved as anything required to build new.

The A1 lot didn't want a traditional boiler, they wanted a modern welded one - so they went to an outfit that specialised in such things.

 

Yes it would, but while people think of the Crabs as goods engines which did the occasional passenger turn, when first introduced the LMS regarded them as secondary passenger engines similar to the role the later Baby Scots and Stanier's 5Xs would play, hence the first hundred appearing in red livery. But they were also good at low speed, heavy slogging, witness their use on the Ayrshire coal traffic.

 

Also, the Crab boiler is a parallel one, so slightly less costly, and there's a good pattern housed nearby in the shape of 42765.

Richard.

 

au contraire - Manors are in demand as they are blue RA locos (in GW terms), economical, named, nicely gilded, sound purposeful, are liked by crews, use standard GW fittings and parts and can do most things heritage lines require. It is no coincidence that all 9 are in good hands with most having an active future (coal supplies and ongoing public interest in steam travel permitting). Near one offs on the other hand.....

 

Don't tell Tom and others but I rather like the Manors. Streets ahead of any other GW locos even if they still have the stupid GW controls.

 

I don't dispute the good qualities of a Manor - they are ideal for a lot of heritage lines.

My point (and I'm fairly sure I'm right) is that if there was pretty much just the frames and cylinders of Manor left, it's vanishingly unlikely it would ever steam again - there are enough similar GWR locos that are far better prospects it would just be expensive madness.

Because the Crab is almost unique, and also quite useful, the prospect of someone putting the money in to rebuild her despite 2/3rds having gone missing is not so totally far fetched as to be impossible.

Sadly I don't have the required sort of amount of small change kicking about in my wallet, but if I did I think she would perhaps feel a more worthy cause than many.