6880 Betton Grange

You won’t get John to understand logic like that!

As you say I think it’s good that it follows a Western tradition of recycling parts for use on new engines.

 

My concern isn’t about recycled parts. It is that when you have set entirely new frames up from scratch, only running in will show if everything is perfectly aligned. That happens even to an extent on an overhaul if you have dropped the wheels and refurbished the axle boxes / horns; but the stakes seem higher if you are also dealing with entirely new alignment of frames, stretchers and cylinders that has never turned a wheel.

Still, those on the ground seem confident so they must have grounds for that confidence.

Tom

 

A Grange built of new parts would be thoroughly unauthentic.

 

Even BR used to run steam locos in. In my youth I would regularly catch a particular stopping train from Leeds to Doncaster rather than a slightly later fast train; the reason being that the stopper was always used as a running in from the Doncaster Plant and would generally have a pacific on it, even though it was slow and only about five coaches.

 

I guess from the SVRs perspective there's quite a few options;

1- It turns up and performs flawlessly straight out of the box- tea and medals all round.

2- It turns up, with known issues that confine it to appearing in light steam or moving round a minimal amount.

3- It turns up, and the decision is made to use it on light duties, on locals or as a pilot for double headed services

5- it doesn't make it, and something else covers it's duties.

In most cases, I'm sure folk will still be pleased to see it even if it's usage is more minimal than originally planned, I can well imagine that people might be a bit miffed if it doesn't even appear at some point.

A turn out where it just drags a brake van about on a running in turn would still likely go down better than not I'd have thought.

Chris

 

It was an observation not a criticism

 

Be honest you’d criticise the GWR whatever the situation!

 

Item 3 Weight limit on Victoria Bridge. No double heading.

 

Duly noted, still gives other options or coming off before the bridge?

Chris

 

Well no doubleheading of 2 large locos….

Doesn’t necessarily stop a large/small pairing

 

I think part of the concern in some quarters stems from the fact a lot of the work was done at Llangollen. Ask the Patriot group what they thought of the work carried out there on their new build. Or the boiler overhaul of Morayshire, where they couldn't even get the tubes to line up with the holes in the tubeplate properly.

The website doesn't inspire much confidence either. The "about us" section states they're aiming to have the loco ready for 2018! The Bluebell Atlantic group's approach of "it'll be ready when it's ready" is much more convincing, rather than continually setting and completely missing advertised completion dates.

 

You need to get your facts right about who carried out the work before spouting s**t - stirring drivel like this.

Bob.

 

I personally cannot understand the urgency to include engines for galas when they have not even turned a wheel, your just inviting trouble, either the owners have to back out at the 11th hour, leaving you an engine short, with very little time to find a replacement, or it turns up and is not. fit to run without help, to me it would make more sense if the Grange was static, possibly in steam, then after the gala, that's when it could be run in, shaken down, get the miles in, and then put into service with a themed gala later in the year.

 

A

A similar situation arose with the Class 58 a year ago. If the SVR is willing to accept the loco before it's even turned a wheel in anger, that's their choice. Everyone must be quietly confident, if not with fingers crossed.

 

Surely you must understand that there is some urgency to attract the first public running of 6880, particularly as we at the SVR are the first of thr big Western Region railways events of the season. If it went WSR or GWSR before us we’ve lost that attraction.

And the above is why this gamble is worth it. It has a lot of potential to attract several extra punters (the gala sales are already doing very well), and we can only expect tickets to increase when 6880 arrives.

As for hosting a gala later in the year for the loco, firstly the above reason of getting it before the other big gala players is key, secondly our Autumn event is pretty set already.

 

Ho, hum, let me think. Locomotive owners sent their pride and joy to Llangollen to be fixed. ( note that the engineering business and the railway were one and the same hence the failure of both). Locos are returned, recovered , removed ( take your choice) by the owners and all have significant defects. Now, how could that have happened?

 

Which bits are wrong Bob? The frames of 5551 have had to be completely stripped down to component parts and significant errors have been found. The photos of the flue tubes from 62712 are still online if anyone wants to see them. Yes, Llangollen Engineering did some great work - 60007's boiler has had no significant faults with it since overhaul there - but there are a lot of horror stories that have come out.

 

Where the errors found on 5551 done by Llangollen or other contractors?

 

I'm not putting anything on this forum , but when I retire from the railway all will be revealed regarding who was to blame. That's it !

Bob.

 

So, what you are saying, it's really about the money, it might generate, I can understand that, on owners, and hirers pints of view, the owner, having spent a lot of money wants to start getting some back, often in disagreement with the people who overhauled the loco, who might want to ensure its ready, I blame the owner, more than the hirer, they are the ones who have the say, but often the pot is empty and it needs to be refilled as soon as possible, so the temptation is always there to say yes, and hope your overhaul team have done a good job, and the engine does not come back broken,