Surprised nobody has spotted this - Steam engine being scrapped in 2012

Well there is a strong rumour out there that you don't like Pecketts, perhaps theres a link!

 

Dont think we should go there!

As for Lord Camrose, someone, somewhere is telling porkies. It appears Lord Camrose was scrapped by the NCB. How it ended up on lists as being preserved, I dont know?

I should think there have been other steam locos scrapped between the 1980's and now? Didn't the NRM break up an Austerity to make Iron Duke?

 

Shame really, looking at the photo it's a pretty beefy engine so it would have done a good job at some where like Elscar. Woudn't have been as bad I think if it was used for spares as it will make other engines live longer but scrapping it is a waste really

 

We dont know the details of the deal perhaps the amount of money they were offerred was larger for scrap then offerred for it as spare parts.

 

There are three Fox-Walkers in preservation. When was the last time one steamed? I used to be a regular visitor to the NCB system at Mountain Ash and in 1978, "Lord Camrose" looked to be in a poor state and in six years of visiting, it was always dead at the back of the shed. The Fox-Walker that went to Radstock from Mt Ash and is now at Bitton actually worked (so the NCB crews told me) the day before leaving for preservation.

 

I think you owe Elsecar Railway an apology.
As I understand it, five years ago a kit of parts were sourced to repair AE1917, and the two parts actually scrapped and not set aside for reuse appear in the picture below. Both in a bad bad way. Perhaps a donation from whingers in the order of £500 each towards the cost of restoring AE1917 is in order? But then again, whinging costs nothing, and being on your back in the freezing cold working on a steam locomotive as some Elsecar volunteers were last week is not going to get a mention on this forum is it?

 

The last time I visited, i heard that all the salvagable parts had been kept and stored, only the unsalvagables have been scrapped, there was only a boiler in quite bad condition and the old rusty framework. The money has gone to a good cause.

 

As a volunteer at elsecar i think it it was ONLY fit for scrap!!!!
The railway bought it for spare parts but after looking at the parts at elsecar most volunteers said SOME of the parts were fit for scrap! and some could but used as spare parts or sold on. the parts that have gone for scrap was: saddle tank, cab, boiler and frames. the parts that have been sold are the con rods.
The reasons for SOME OF IT being scrap was:
Saddle tank: it was paper thin in places and had holes in it, so that would mean it could not be used!
Cab: all the metal turned to rust and could not be used!
Boiler: it was bought to use the boiler! BUT the boiler barel was heavly pitted and was to thin to use! the front tube plate was cut with a gas axe! the outer fire box was bent to werid shape and the inner firebox it was copper and it must of had a fusible plug droped cos the top of the box was bent! and there are about 12 cracks you can SEE! as for the stays they werent there the had roted!
Frames: they were twisted and out of line! the hornblocks on them were out of line and was worn from the enviroment it was in!
BUT the parts that have been saved to sell or use are:
saftey values
pistions and rods
slide values
some of the brass are still there!
and lots MORE
so it was not a waste of an engine!
so please shut up moaning at the end of a day its a steam train!
thanks jon

 

Locomotive

 

At the end of the day Jon, it's an emotive subject as we well know and some people feel it is morally wrong to dispose of anything however tired it is. After all we are looking at complete new builds now so you could argue there's no such thing as an unrestorable item, just an item without enough finances available at present. I do know that a previous owner of the loco It has to be said that none of the items you've listed above are irrepairable, including the boiler and firebox - new inner and outer fireboxes are a matter of course now, and it has to be asked was the loco was offered for sale prior to the decision that the major components would be scrapped? Yes it's all very noble to say that some items have been re-used on other engines, but could they then have been replaced with either overhauled items off the other locos or with new components. The loco I am involved with is also a major restoration project very much along the same lines as 1945 would have been and we haven't given up with it yet. It just needs time, money and the will not to give up!

 

Thanks Jon for the update. I will not dipute the fact that you or the railway considered it scrap. Indeed it was mentioned when I visited back in 2008. What I will say is, it would have been nice if someone had contacted the Industrial Railway Society first. That way they could have offered it round to others either for spares or as a very long restoration (unlikely). If you look through this thread you will see just some of the parts that I have listed as known to be of help to other groups. Some of these I see may still available, or you are retaining them for 1917. Best of luck with your extension and I look forward to returning one day when 1917 steams again!

Mark