Barber

Does anyone know the current state of play with barber from armley mills that was going to the south tyndale railway for restoration i visited armley and didnt see the engine the boiler is round the back squirrled away but dosent seem to have been touched its allso next to a std guage loco chassis thats unidentifyd any ideas folks
thanks

 

Try this.....

http://www.strps.org.uk/str/stocklist/s ... -index.htm

Double click the Blue Header for Barber for more info

 

You're more likely to have seen Hodbarrow Jud, that fits with your description, as the link shows, most of Barber is at STR.

 

Ah. The sad tale of Hodbarrow..... How not to treat a loco. It was once coming to Middleton (I'd even arranged the transport) but those at Armley Mills pulled a few strings at a higher level behind our back and it was spirited away before our very eyes! I'm sure that it would have been running by now, if it had. Certainly not hacked into many peices then abandoned.

 

Who owns 'Hodbarrow'? I was always under the impression that she was a National Collection engine, but I gather that this is not the case.

 

Wasn't she acquired by the ("old") Hunslet Co after they just missed out on preserving their works no. 1?

 

Hunslet acquired Hodbarrow from the Millom Haematite Ore Co in the late 1960's as it was then the oldest surviving Hunslet. It was cosmetically restored by their apprentices and kept at their works for a number of years. It eventually found its way to the NRM who, I think, thought that it had been donated. In about 1980 it was offered on loan to the Middleton Railway by the NRM. I had arranged the transport when I discovered that it had turned up at Armley Mills. I phoned the NRM and an embarrassed NRM official told me that Hunslet had asked for it back. When I enquired with Hunslet it turned out that Armley Mills had been in negotiations with Hunslet and had acquired it. I do not know the terms of the deal between Hunslet and Armley Mills and who is the legitimate owner. The Armley Mills people had great sway with Hunslet, which is why many of the drawings and other things ended up there.

 

armley seems to be a black hole when it comes to helping with archvie material ive asked on a number occasions and allways been told they will be in touch however they have not been in contact have been its quite frustrating really.

 

Have they said they'll be in touch, or have they said they will be in touch never? I find the last half of the scentence very confusing.

 

BARBER is now being restored to 1940's appearance by Alan Keef and Co, with the boiler at SVR Bridgnorth for remedial works. Armley Mills Museum - BARBER's home until 2004 - have been supportive and helpful, but despite a 9-year mission almost all of BARBER's non-ferrous fixtures and fittings are still missing.
Investigations are continuing, but any constructive assistance to discover the whereabouts of any of the missing items is now vital to BARBER's restoration programme.