7027 Thornbury Castle

Which does makes me wonder that if one of 4700-8 had survived the scrap man, then what decision would have been made for that loco?

If it is a gauging issue…

 

The whole saga gets stranger by the day, So are we to believe Mr Gregory sold 7027, on the proviso that it in effect be reduced to spare parts, or did he only sell the boiler to the GWS? If it's a way to put two fingers up to the GCR, then why not just sell it to the scrapman, and be done with,
so has anyone actually purchased it, or are they in the process of buying it, and Richard Croucher has jumped the gun?

 

Is this the letter which seems to have been, peculiarly, sent to some GWS members but not others?

One would assume this new front has been opened as 'she was a hulk and was never going to be restored by the previous owner' angle has been shown to be total rubbish.

Did anyone make it to the GWS AGM the other week, one would assume it was mentioned then?

 

I'm puzzled that Mr. Croucher's justification for using the No.8 boiler is to bring 4709 within the NR loading gauge when I understood that the GWS had publicly stated that it no longer had any mainline aspirations.
Ray.

 

I think one thing we have learned from this sorry saga is that what the GWS say and what the 47xx group say is rarely aligned in any meaningful way.

 

As Consumers / Customers, how are people feeling towards GWS - more or less inclined to contribute in the future?
Personally, I am less concerned that I might disagree with decisions that organisations make but if those organisations show themselves to be be deceitful or less than transparent, then my choices are more readily made to channel support elsewhere.

 

And when a clearly biased narrative is used by the HR media then personally speaking, I am simply less inclined to buy.

 

All I know is that a copy was addressed to me personally.

 

The 4709 group are certainly not using a current GWS mailing list, because I didn't receive this letter. Suggest it's either it's a list dating before 2015, or one of people who have in some way interacted with the project.

The postmark on the letter might be interesting.

 

I see said letter (a copy of which not all GWS members have received so I suspect its to those who have contributed to the 47xx project alone), which came with an added leaflet appealing for money to complete the 47xx chassis, is now getting some discussion on Facebook, including said extract.

Its not clear what transaction is being paused, have the 47xx group not actually bought it yet, so is Mr Gregory still her owner, is a firebox alone really over £500k?



It is noted within the discussion that the letter is on 4709 Project headed paper, with the address Didcot Railway Centre. Once again its leading to the CEO from the GWS having to come on Facebook to defend it, I hope the GWS are invoicing the 47xx group for the time their paid CEO is having to spend fighting their self inflicted fire!

 

If a firebox is £500k, then for the use of 7027's firebox to represent a £500k saving, they would need to have paid £0 for it (or at best, scrap value of the other bits which they would weigh in afterwards).
Separately, a much larger figure has been touted about for the complete loco, should another group wish to take it on to restore it. Something doesn't add up.

 

But just a figure someone made up so far as I can tell. I've seen no figures mentioned by anyone who was in a position to know.

 

Lots of heat and light about a Castle, in the meantime several indistrial steam locos have either been scrapped or given their parts ofor others or even rebuilt out of all recognition and no one bats an eyelid excpet the industrisl fns who get told to get back in their box, becuase its only a braclay/peckett or whatever. If we really care about steam engines, what's the difference? Just curious, not seeking to stir the pot.

 

I feel there's a tendency to regard anything built abroad the same way. Much as I love the GER/LNER C53/J70 tram locos (and yes, I would love to see one ..... on the Middy would suit), the notion of hacking a Cockerill loco to produce 'something resembling the W&U machines' horrifies me.

 

Do you have a verifiable source for any of that, or is it rumour?

 

Because generally locos that have been dismantled or scrapped have been unrestored no-hopers, not one that is a fair way into a very extensive restoration with a bucket load of new components.

 

Good point. I consider the rebuilding of Cunarder into a faux Fowler dock tank as an act of vandalism.

 

Like the Avonside that had restoration started by the guys who bought it form Nene Valley, similar amonut of progress to 7027, then recycled at Elsecar? Yu could argue that 7027 until taken on by some of the more recent owners was an unrestored "no-hoper'...