Best presented engines in preservation

Colin McAndrew

The melter

 

You'll go a long way before you can match the turnout of Ffestiniog or Talyllyn locos (or carriages come to that). Before anyone says "it's easier for them - they are much smaller", don't forget that, unlike most standard gauge locos, they work much harder now than they were originally designed to and are in regular, timetabled use.
My vote for the standard gauge must be Tyseleys "Earl of Mount Edgecumbe" - an exhibition finish on a frequent "main line" engine.

 

If you're looking for something clean enough to eat your dinner off it, "Clan Line" would have to be my vote. I'm too young to know what's "authentic" and what's not, but I certainly prefer something which is just clean rather than pristine. Maintaining an ex-works paint finish doesn't look right somehow.

Richard

 

I agree there both railways locos are always very well turned out the Talyllyn especial shine in the sun hours must be spent keeping them to that very high standard

 

Most GWR engines turned out of Tyseley seem to maintain a high standard, both in paintwork and cleanliness.

Henners

 

Any other have said - anything working off 84E.

 

B1 (6)1306 for my money.

 

My vote goes to the Austerity 'Mech Navvies' at Pontypool & Blaenavon.

Regards,
Ian

 

P&DSR locos are always very clean too.

 

4953 Pitchford Hall is always cleaned immaculately at the GCR, She is cleaned everytime before she goes out on a service train whether it be the brass, but the frames, wheels, brake rigging, cab pipework, and the external paintwork such as the boiler cladding tender etc it is all tended too.

But 1306 Mayflower for me is always virtually spotless.

 

Cleaned with paint brushes, so they say ;-)

 

I think there should almost be seperate catagories, one for narrow gauge, one for main line and one for basically engines that are the daily work horses of their preserved lines. Narrow gauge have the advantage of sign and geneally will have had brasswork, motion, paintwork and cab cleaned each day they are used. I expect Mainline locos get a similar treatment between runs.

I have not worked on a standard gauge prserved railway but I doubt if there is time to give the full treatment to loco's that are intensively used and for that reason the loco that I would give the award to is Hinton Manor when in ran in Black on the SVR. 1980s? I remember it as always being imaculate

 

I think thats fair. There's a case with "mainline" locos too that they are generally operated on fewer occasions and perhaps stored in better conditions when not in service. I love the condition Tyseley manage to keep their fleet in and I take my hat off, but I wonder if they could be kept in such a condition if they were on a heritage line in day to day operation.

I can vouch for that! Working at Bridgnorth, depending on the timetable and number of cleaners around of a weekend you might get to polish paintwork & cladding, brasso and brass/copper bits and attend to the "rods". Thats a good day. On occasions you're in a position where you have to focus on the "shiny bits" because there isn't time/enough hands/favourable conditions/the paintwork is too far gone to do anything more thorough.

Still, I think the "workstained but cared for" look is rather nice, personally!

Cheers,
Andy

 

Only one engine that springs to mind immediately....

Black Hat Railway Pictures | Gala Shildon 2007 | Photo 51