45212 goes mainline

No I think it's more of a case of what will enter works next 41241 or 78022 possibly going straight in or into storage? I never thought the 5 going on loan was a great idea but maybe they don't have any intention of overhauling it themselves or maybe they do I hope it's the later personally

 

90733 not far off ..awaiting its overhauled boiler from IRE.
Mainline gubbins has been gradually removed from 45212 in recent weeks .

 

It doesnt look like it will be active for the 60th anniversary of its final BR passenger turn, the 20.50 Preston - Blackpool on 3/8/68. This was the penultimate scheduled steam passenger working - and I was on it. What a pity.

Peter

 

And here it is leaving Preston that night. I was on the very last one - to Liverpool with 45318.

 

So was I.

Bob.

 

Did they decide to flip one 5 for another, or did they decide they could use 4, and then change their mind due to there being less work available due to other factors (WCRC, etc.)?
We also don't know (and aren't likely to know) what level of commitment beyond the next overhaul the two owning groups were able to agree to; my point is that the relative condition of each loco may have very little to do with it.

 

You could well be right in that the downturn of demand came on unexpectedly because at the time 5212 was withdrawn 12 months or so ago the noises were that it would be turned around immediately for use 2026 onwards. Clearly the projection [for 4 fives] changed some time between last autumn and this summer so 5212 was deemed surplus.
As Riley's rarely take more than 6 months for a heavy general of a black 5 obviously the short term expenditure on 5212 couldn't be justified when 5163 is in progress and maybe only a further 2 years off?

 

You'd think with the current wcr situation there might be work for 4 air braked 5s but if that changes and the vac braked locos can be used then there wouldnt be enough work for all 4.

 

The timing is probably the nub of it. Clearly WC expects to be able to resume vac braked train operation which will mean both its own loco fleet and the K1 will be back in the mix. Although at the time the 5163 deal for a fourth 5 was struck, the CDL issue was yet to emerge, wasn't it? So perhaps the case for the four black 5s was never really there and the recent difficulties have brought that into sharper relief.