the future of A2 Blue Peter ???

Interesting to compare the £600k cost of overhauling 60532 against the £800k cost of completing 34053 from a scrap stripped of parts and no tender.

 

Actually that's not true. It just got shunted to the digital childrens' channel CBBC because audience figures are so low on BBC.

 

Im sure I read that ALL BBC Childrens programmes were being shunted to the digital channel now so Blue Peter is far from alone there, I don't know whether it's just me getting old but Kids TV now seems so PC Correct and dumbed down from the late 80's early 90's I remember.

 

Correct.

 

The issues concerning these engines have little or nothing to with the locomotives themselves. They are very much about people, money and resources.
If you own a car and fail to attend to the oil level in the engine or the requirement for a cambelt change and the vehicle suffers a catastrophic failure as a result, the fault is yours, not that of the car.

 

And 5972 Olton Hall (albeit as Hogwarts Castle).

I would also like to see 60532 back and teamed up with 60163 and have an A1, A2, A3 and A4 all in steam. Didn't Blue Peter the TV show go down to Barrow Hill a few years ago to do something about 60532 around the time when it was suggested that she would be overhauled.

 

Correct, I think it was their 2007 gala wekend at Barrow hill, J15 was there, I filmed on the turn table after the Blue peter amatures had spent all their time filming the saddle tank on the turn table, also with the decials in the backdrop, while I had positionend myself with all steam, therir was only me and them around the turn table as I got in just before they turned up and everyone else was held back. Must say it worked out perfect for me.

 

And in the 70s or 80s, the programme viewers donated cash to get BP in steam again and Donny Works open daywas innundated with viewers come to see "their" loco.

 

I remember seeing in clips of that from somewhere

 

I've dug out an pld Blue Peter annual. The event was at Doncaster in November 1970 and Donny Works was filled with thousands of people.
Interesting to read that BR realised many people would be travelling to the event, so ran extra trains to meet the expected demand. Compare that with ATTOC admitting they didn't realise so manypeople would want to travel to London for the Jubilee weekend and companies operating a Sunday service.

 

I don't think they donated cash. From what I can remember Blue Peter has never asked Children for cash, rather items such as milk bottle tops, used postage stamps etc., which were then turned into cash for the project concerned. (I can remember, as a child, the collections for Lifeboats).

 

Although there was tv coverage and free publicity I don't think the loco has ever benefitted from an official Blue Peter TV Appeal. I'm open to challenge on this but I believe Blue Peter appeals have always been for charitable causes and the loco would therefore not qualify since it is privately owned.

 

There was a Blue Peter reservation Society (nothing to do with the BBC) that kids could join, but Brian Hollingsworth, who was a part owner of the engine at the time, maintained that it cost the owners more to run than it brought in.

Another thread on here records the falling out of some of the 5029 support crew with Jeremy Hosking's manager, I think it is perhaps indicative of problems that might arise when too many locomotives are concentrated in a single collection so I for one hope that an alternative path to getting 60532 running again can be found.

 

Hasn't Blue Peter been fairly recently cosmetically restored- I have seen some reasonably recent pictures of it and it doesn't exactly look shabby?

I have no idea of its mechanical condition but it certainly is a loco I would love to see running again, saw it at the East Lancs a good few years ago running and it was magnificent.

Chris

 

I had 3 runs behind her on the 'big railway' - the Waverley in March 1993, her first return trip after the Durham disaster, and her final run in 2001. A truly great locomotive. AFAIK there's doubt about her middle cylinder - a new one is probably needed, although of course, thanks to the A1 gang, that wouldn't be insurmountable these days. However, as ever it comes down to money. I did hear that between £500k and £750k would be needed.

Mark

 

Mods, plse would you move all posts regarding some loco with cylinders >3 to .... http://railways.national-preservation.com/steam-traction/16632-46235-city-birmingham.html

Ta

 

Pic here of 60532 at Barrow Hill last October may be of interest:

Barrow Hill steam, 2012 - andrewstransport's Photos | SmugMug

Cheers

Andrew N