35005 Canadian Pacific launch Gala: 20th-23rd March 2025

That does heap yet more cost on, and appeals to a smaller section of the population and carries a much greater risk of not making a profit as a result.

 

Especially as we had such a significant gathering of Bulleid Pacifics (including 2 Merchants) less than a year ago!

 

35006 & 35018 were in use together at Swanage for the Strictly Bulleid Gala.

 

Sure is! Other hand, at least the Watercress Line won't need to hire a Bulleid from Southern Locomotives Limited.
Saves them money in the long run.

 

You could also argue (although it may be a somewhat flimsy argument) that Swanage had 5 types of locos,
Unrebuilt West Country
Unrebuilt BB
Rebuilt West Country
Rebuilt BB
MN

Whereas four MN's are all the same and that makes Can Pac just another one and hence not that special.

 

It’s a bit of a tough sell to say that a (un)rebuilt BB is a different type to a (un)rebuilt WC - particularly given that right now there is a rebuilt WC running round the country that identifies as a rebuilt BB!

Tom

 

You have lost me with the last part of that Tom. I can only think of Braunton that has done that.
I did say it was a flimsy argument.

 

And which rebuilt WC would that be? ‘46 has stopped pretending to be ‘52 and I can’t think of another example.

 

It was 46 pretending to be 52 I had in mind.

Tom

 

I don't begrudge anyone making a big deal of a locomotive returning to service and getting some attention, and to my mind there's no such thing as "just another Bulleid" but this claim feels like it's overdoing it a bit. There's 11 of them, one of the best-represented in preservation and over a third of the (admittedly fairly small) class. Technically true of course, but it's hardly like it's a lone survivor.

 

Agreed, but I think the MHR decided decades ago that they had no interest in using their main-line connection (other than for the odd incoming working)?
Conversely, highly encouraging that WC Eddystone on the Swanage is being fitted with the required main line gubbins.

 

To add further, of the eleven surviving Bulleid MNs, less than half (5) have run in preservation in nearly 60 years and one of those (35027) is but a 'kit of parts" stored somewhere around Crewe as I understand. I would say given the successful preservation of many other well represented classes, the Merchant Navy hasn't done as well as most.

35005 returning in 2025 at MHR
35006 Operational G&WSR
35009 Ian Riley, prognoses for return unknown
35010 Colne Valley unrestored
35011 Blunsden - disassembled for un-rebuilding and a long-term prospect IMHO
35018 Operational at Carnforth
35022 LSL kit of unrestored parts Crewe
35025 under restoration at Sellinge
35027 LSL kit of once-restored parts Crewe
35028 Operational - Stewarts Lane
35029 exhibit at NRM York

 

I wish the Watercress line the best of luck with the £350.05 deal, although I wouldn't dream of signing up to it even I lived in Hampshire and not deepest Cornwall. But there are people who have that sort of money and don't mind spending it. Their partaking in such events helps to keep the hobby going for paupers such as myself, so many thanks!

 

If you consider the MN as the SR's flagship class, then 4 operational out of 11 are numbers that supporters of the other big 4 could only dream of. Currently operational, the LNER A4 has 1 out of 6, the LMS Coronation 1(?) out of 3 and the GWR King 0/3. What you might call the second tier is much the same. LNER A3 is 1/1, LMS Princess Royal is 0/2 and GWR Castle 2/8. Compare with the equivalent SR WC/BoB numbers - I don't know the exact numbers preserved / in ticket but it's well ahead of those. Further down the tree, I agree that things change - Black 5, Hall, Manor and so on. All numbers E&OE.

I'm happy to see 35005 back and I'm sure I'll catch up with it at some point, but I don't see that it's launch commands a high premium price on its rarity value alone.

 

Me too and I'm mindful that there will be some younger 'enthusiasts' than me who won't have enjoyed 35005 until now. For the eleven (minus 28) MNs, we have Dai Woodham to thank and how I wish I could have similar savings from ex LMS and LNER pacifics than were saved. I like those too!

 

I know I'm in deepest WIBN-land but if the MHR ever want to set CanPac apart from the sea of other Bulleids, well there's always this...



or even this!!



(don't take this too seriously by the way, lol)

 

Of course with the right software you can produce whatever you want...
http://www.25kv.uk/FictitiousLiveries/fl_06_2006liveries1/S_WC_Sthn.jpg
http://www.25kv.uk/FictitiousLiveries/fl_01_2008liveries/60163_IC.jpg

Cheers, Neil

 

The BR blue really suited her. I don't usually buy Hornby models but I snapped up one of 35005 in blue when it was released. Perhaps at the end of her ticket she could appear in blue again as it is part of her history?
I have a wonderful memory of 35005 in blue storming past us at Norton Fitzwarren in the early 2000's. We were on a Daylight Rail tour which had visited the WSR. 35005 was on a Vintage trains excursion IIRC.

Edit;
Here are the two excursions captured at Cogload Junction, 9th September 2000:


Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk

 

Real shame this one, to have a fully restored locomotive being basically disassembled and hidden away, especially by an organisation like LSL