FR & WHR & WHHR News

Welsh Pony has been repaired however it still needs it's annual boiler exam before it can enter service again.

Blanche is stopped now pending a bottom end overhaul.

James Spooner is now in the works having stay repairs. Likely to be back out in the autumn.

Mountaineers overhaul is continuing.

LT, EofM, Princess remain withdrawn.

Everything else is in service.

As for loco crew instructions at galas. Very detailed instructions for loco crew are issued at special events and an enormous amount of work goes into sorting that out. They don't just wing it. Unfortunately sometimes things happen that aren't planned and the knock on effects can take a lot of sorting out.

 

L-T is indeed in dry storage, as you call it, in Yorkshire in the Main Hall of the NRM where it has been for the best part of the last 40 years. There doesn't seem to be any call by the FR for its return so it may stay for another 40 years.

Peter

 

The NRM is visited by 650,000 people every year which is more than double the passenger numbers of the biggest preserved railways. LT is much better being there than at home.

It has returned for a brief stay in the past. Getting it out is quite an elaborate exercise though so not something you can do very often.

 

Isn't it a collection of very worn out parts?

 

Yes the boiler and tanks are toast but an interesting museum piece . The bogies are an incomplete set of worn out bits.

 

Quite remarkable statement really given the size of the FR's fleet, only 3 locos are in long term storage, everything else is either active or under repair. I remember reading something that it is current policy to keep locos operational, as that is deemed the most appropriate way to demonstrate them - last weekend was a good example of that.
Princess will likely never steam again, EofM has a popular following - so you never know.
Regards LT, NRM is the right place for it given the uniqueness and importance of the design.

Let us not forget that the fleet continues to expand, with 134 added and 2 battery electric locos in the last couple of years and the C2 to come.

 

At one time (I hope it has been changed since), the "interpretation board" displayed with LT mentions that Fairlies were used in New Zealand, Mexico, USA, etc, and that LT was used on the FR but nowhere did it mention that the FR is in Wales.

 

I believe the question related to whether Welsh Pony/James Spooner would be running by mid-August.

Given that the recently completed repair work on Welsh Pony was to cure a hot box problem rather than anything to do with the boiler, I would hope that a visit from the boiler inspector can be arranged before mid-August, so that the loco should be available for traffic by then. I wouldn't put any money on James Spooner being in traffic by mid-August.

 

Thanks very much for this. It would be lovely to see Welsh Pony running. Shame about the Fairlie, but hopefully I can visit again to see it in a few years.

 

Interesting. There is a persistent rumour that Gladstone’s chimney is a wooden replacement, but making an exhibit out of toast is a new one on me

Tom