SVR Loco Newsy News / discussions

I don't disagree however I crack a smile at what would have happened had 60043 been saved rather than 60532 Then there's 60539 that could have been quite the Trump-esque head-turner!

 

But they were probably naive to think they could hide a large 93 ton locomotive.

 

The original appeal for funds to overhaul 532 was started on the TV programme, I don’t think anyone asked why it wasn’t Blue. It depends how far down the route of historic accuracy you want to go, neither 60007 or Bittern are accurate in blue.
It would be unfortunate if a modeller of the early BR period bought a model of a 532 in blue on the assumption that it was correct for the period.

 

This maybe a controversial view, but I guess it all depends on when you feel a locomotive's 'history' starts and ends. Given my only experience of steam is post 1968, for me a working steam locomotive continues to create its own history, even now! I am therefore quite comfortable for locos to try new clothes occasionally, I didn't object to a purple Taw Valley and I am also quite at ease for 2 of the Fifty Funds locos to carry GBrf livery for instance, these locos are still working and creating their own story. At some point in 50 years time someone might wish to recreate the loco as it was in 2024 and these are all important aspects of a loco's existence, so it will be 'authentic'.
A locomotive that is registered for the mainline continues to 'work', it will have modifications to allow that and it is up to the current owner what it looks like. It isn't a museum piece and doesn't need to be a tribute to BR steam, unless that is the owner's perogative. I still fully expect Carnforth to outshop a loco in West Coast maroon one day! It may cause an uproar, but it would be authentic for the loco in 2024, just as its class 47 fleet is (nobody argues these should be in Green or Blue, but all are heritage!).
If I go to the NRM though I do expect a high level of authenticity as that is the story the museum exists to tell.

 

I think that a generation thing. When a locomotive is withdrawn from service and sold into preservation it becomes a museum piece, thankfully most are working museum pieces preserving what it looked like in normal service. No one would think of repainting the BBMF Lancaster red and saying it’s now all part of its history.
Attitudes do change, those of us who were around in the 60s didn’t want to remember the last rundown years of BR steam so locos like Scotsman, Bahamas, Blue Peter and SNG went into inaccurate pre 48 liveries, now there is a nostalgia for the BR period. That could be changing as I see 5025 on the Strathspey and the Stanier Mogul being carefully restored to as built condition, it’s good to have variety.

 

813 is an 0-6-0 again. Well, an 0-4-2 as yet but getting there.

 

Fantastic to see 813 coming back together!!

For what it’s worth, I’ve watched someone mistake an O gauge model of a prairie tank for Flying Scotsman, and to the untrained eye Scotsman, Tornado and Blue Peter do look very similar, so I think it’s a great move.

 

It just needs to be fitted for Auto train working now…

 

However, none of them are without precedent. And the people who care that you're running a wrongly numbered loco on your model railway aren't worth worrying over anyway.

 

Depends how historically accurate you want to be, neither of the A4s were blue with a Kylchap exhaust and no A2 was ever blue.

 

I've only ever seen a blue A2 once:

 

No A1s were ever fitted with LED lights and plug sockets in the cab but…

To me the Blue Peter livery choice is a good business decision to keep it in line with SNG and as such the BR Blue second tender. Keeps it uniform and means both locos can enjoy longer distance runs, and the tender not look out of place.

Perhaps rather than viewing it as inaccurate to history, we should be looking at this as a development of our past. And advancement. It stems had continued for 20/30 more years, I’m almost certain we’d have had those advances

 

No, a Dean 2500gallon Tender.....

 

The details on Tornado you have highlighted have no visual impact, to the observer it’s an A1, it has air brake pipes on display but that’s necessary to let it run. I think the second tender is in Garter Blue unless they have repainted it. I think blue was possibly chosen to distinguish it from Tornado that is really an A2 with big wheels. It could have been BR Green. It’s their engine they can do what they like with it but it’s disappointing to the purists

 

TBF my family and I saw Blue Peter running at the NYMR three years in a row during holidays in Pickering from 2000-2002, and the question we always had (as a family of 4 with 1 steam-mad under 10 and little further knowledge) was "If its called Blue Peter, why is it not painted blue?!". While historically inaccurate, I'm sure many initiated would see a loco called Blue Peter painted Blue and think "Yes, that seems right"!

 

Second tender going BR Blue the last I saw/heard

 

I'm not sure whether the SVR thread is the right place to ask but ... are we now expecting some LSL locos to run with two tenders? Or are we talking about a spare tender?

 

It’s the water carrier tender, that went with bittern. I think to be used on selected runs to extend range if the run is quite long.

 

Or USB sockets in the cab…