7027 Thornbury Castle

People were sad when Woolworths shut and their pick and mix was gone. I don't think there would be any sadness if the same thing happened at Didcot.

 

All this might affect the "in the know folk" but most people are not in that category. Judging by the large number of people attending the recent "Castles" event I don't think it would make any difference in fact it may well increase membership.

 

The impression I had was that GWS management and on site at Didcot were *not* strongly behind it, but had been presented with a fair accompli by the 4709 people.

A question that maybe should be asked is what would have happened if the 4709 group had not put up the money. The previous owner appears to have wanted shot of the whole project for whatever reason. I cannot imagine that he/they would have been happy to pay storage fees for it to rot away in a headshunt. No, it would have gone somewhere, and if no-one else was going to put up the money... The days of lines being happy to host linear scrapyards for free are pretty much gone.

 

I don't think this will go down as a high point in the history of the railway preservation movement.

As their aims apropos preservation seem to be directly opposite to mine, I don't see that I can justify giving Didcot anything in way of support. I think you'll struggle to find anybody sufficiently altruistic to throw money, time and effort at an organisation whose aims and ethos they don't sympathise with.

 

The heritage movement has been littered with good intentions over the last fifty years or so. At least this one has a future which more than some schemes did.

 

As with all new builds the number of people who remember certain classes of steam locos is dwindling all the time the 47xx class were withdrawn in the 60s so the pool of donors is getting smaller with each passing year i cannot see the general public contributing much to new builds will be interesting to see how many more make it into steam i would say 82045,6880, and the two county classes will steam but have my doubts about any more after them having a boiler for the 47xx gives them a chance of success plus Beachy Head

 

But Beachy heads boiler was not still part of an restorable engine , and the bluebell are completely behind it, just imagine if instead of obtaining an boiler out of industry, that was sold off years ago, the trust had purchased another engine, with a similar boiler to what the Brighton atlantics used, with the intention to short cut the rebuild by years, but it would not even be the correct boiler, but one of similar type, at least the Marsh boiler appears to be identical to the GNR type.

 

Immature attempt at humour, grow up.

 

Possibly.

 

Rather poignant given centenary celebrations at Didcot, Tyseley and on the mainline that there's no room for another Castle in preservation. Recreation is seemingly more achievable and enticing than preserving an historic artefact - but that's enough of my sentiments as they matter not very much. I'm glad though that Bulleid pacific restoration isn't over yet and there's still an appetite to restore those few that have remained sidelined for so many years. SLL at Herston are meeting my long-standing ideal of railway preservation.

There are three aspects to successful projects, People, Finance and Time. Wearing my project management hat for a moment, a few throw-away thoughts and then I'll say no more :

People : I feel some degree of sadness for those who have given their time most recently at GCR on the basis that they they wanted 7027 to be restored, most especially volunteers who without them we wouldn't have a HR movement at all. Lose them at our peril! As to what current or future members of GWS or 4709 group will determine longer term, will be interesting to see. I hope that GWS can secure the support it needs to fulfil it's ambitions although on a personal note, I really like New Builds but I like Historic Artefacts so much more if this makes sense?

Finance : There's never enough money to do the things we all want and in the timeframes we might like. No money, no project, simples! My specific regret with 7027 however is that as an individual, I haven't been able to make any positive contribution simply because I can't buy the beast outright or don't have the experience nor confidence to rally enough support to personally lead a fundraising exercise to do so either. Since 7027 left Woodhams, I'm still not aware of any HR or Preservation Group that has been there to receive any monetary contribution I might have been able to make?

Time : 4700s haven't graced our national railways for nigh-on Sixty years and I'm concerned that by the time 4709 is completed, there won't be too many of us still alive to see this project to it's conclusion who know what a 4700 is or was. Given the time taken for other new builds such as 72010, 82045, 32424, 6880 and 1014, I still believe that 4709 won't see completion before 2040. How many 'enthusiasts' amongst those reading this post expect to be there for the launch event? My hope was that one of our larger HRs could have brought 7027 to life in shorter timescales. At the expense of what, I'm not sure?

 

Not humour.

 

Perhaps the donations for 2007 and 3403 should have been directed to the existing 7027 restoration from a heritage perspective ? Arguable a Castle is a more important loco.

 

All sorts of arguments are possible but I don't think many would agree with that one, at least for Thurnbury Castle in particular when several others exist in working order and several more merely awaiting their turns.

 

You can’t tell people how to spend their money though Garth,

 

Why would the A1 Trust want to save a Castle? If anything, they would want to buy 61994 rather than construct 3403, which I doubt they do!

 

While ideally we would all like to see 7027 restored, at the end of this six month window nobody has come forward to restore the loco in it's own right, and that's the end of it.

 

Only because the GWS placed barriers in the way of prospective purchasers.
How many locos would've been saved from Barry if Dai Woodham had said you have to have the purchase price, plus the full cost of restoration before you can buy it?

 

Well turning it into an A1 would be as historically correct as turning it into a 47xx....

 

The loco has been out of said scrapyard for over 50 years and nobody has returned it to action. 5553 was the last to leave and is now in its second ticket!

 

And it's been in private hands for those 50 years-not a lot anyone but the owner could've done to return it to steam