Pannier 9629 - Restoration Update

All,

An update on the restoration of GWR Pannier 9629 has just been posted on the Pontypool and Blaenavon Locomotive Group Website (http://pablg.pontypool-and-blaenavon.co.uk) which details some of the work that has been carried out on this locomotive over the last month of two.

For those who are not aware, this was the Pannier that used to sit outside the Holiday Inn in Cardiff up until 1995.

Regards

Matt

 

All,

The August update has been added to the group website: Home of the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway Loco Group.

Regards

Matt

 

Have you been able to purchase the original boiler, as mentioned in one of your updates?

Is your "Dean Goods" boiler likely to go to one of the so-called "new-build" projects?

Thanks.

 

From what I gather, its to be used for 9629.

Where 9629's original boiler is is anyone's guess.

 

Where 9629's original boiler is is anyone's guess.

Didcot is the answer I was given when I asked the question earlier in the thread. Presumably 9629 lost its boiler when it was cosmetically restored for Holiday Inns and Didcot acquired it. The Dean goods boiler is being sold to fund its purchase, so the its more a question of where that will end up is anyone's guess.

 

Regarding the Boiler, I have asked the question to one of the groups members and will report the response once I receive it (I'm not a member of the group you see, just the administrator of their website (it piggybacks on top of the main Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway website) so I'm not across what is going on)0

Regards

Matt

 

By original boiler, it's an original Pannier boiler, not 9629s specific original boiler. As opposed to a Dean Goods boiler which has some detail differences. I believe they were interchanged in GWR days however, so it would not be without precedent if the sale of the Didcot boiler falls through.

 

Said Dean Goods boiler came from Didcot. They bought it. Why on Earth would they buy a boiler from The Great Western Society just to sell it back to them? ^__^

I think it was the society who advised the Blaenavon group they could convert the Deans Good boiler into a Pannier boiler thanks to the GWR's marvellous standardisation.

But no, the question was what happened to its original boiler. Having done some research 9629 never went to the railway centre as you say. However, there's a photo showing markings "Reserved for Plym Valley Railway" and elsewhere on the tank showing "Do not remove parts". I can only assume it was either a failed restoration attempt or they salvaged its for its boiler.

Who knows?

 

I have had a response regarding the query regarding the Dean's Goods boiler, I have been advised that this is still up for sale to any interested party, for the right price of course. Anyone interested in purchasing said boiler is welcome to email the group using this email address: pandblocomotivegroupATgooglemail.com (replace AT with @).

Regards

Matt

 

I just read this and HR, and now I'm getting confused.

Its actually for sale now? They're abandoning the plan of converting it to a Pannier boiler?

Didcot are buying back what they sold off in the first place? Did the GWS not consider a rebuild of a Dean Goods worthwhile at the time?

Where did they get the Pannier boiler from?

And, why don't P&BR and GWS just do a quick exchange? Wouldn't this be an easier transaction for both parties involved?

 

You are getting rather confused!

This is the story as I understand it:

9629 had its' boiler removed at some point in the past before it went on display at the Holiday Inn. The boiler from this loco was bought by Didcot as a spare.

The loco was then transferred to the P&BR group who then bought a spare Deans goods boiler from Didcot to adapt for use on the pannier loco.

Didcot have now declared that the spare pannier boiler (from 9629) isn't needed and have offered to sell it to the P&BR group.

In order to raise the money to buy the 'proper' boiler from Didcot, the P&BR group are offering the Deans boiler to anyone who wants it for a newbuild or conversion project - Didcot may or may not be interested, they haven't publicly said anything. Therefore a simple swap is not on the cards at the minute and would also not take account of the condition of either boiler.

Hope that helps to clear things up!

Keith

 

yes, I personally don't recall anybody announcing a Dean Goods replica (but then again I'm not on Facebook lol)
the idea has been promoted by HR mag among others but there is no official project as far as I know.
Nice to see good progress on 9629, starting to look like a pannier again.

 

Thanks Keith!

The Pannier's making progress thanks to the extension of the loco shed. I couldn't have seen you make any realistic attempt without it, not with those winds!

With a bit of luck, hard effort and of course, money, South Wales may have a resident GWR loco again. I imagine 5668 would follow straight after that as well?

 

Although this thread is about 9629, I was going to ask if any wrok is being done on 5668. I would have thought that the sale of 4253, 2874, 3855 and 5967 would help provide funds to kick-start the restoration of this loco.

 

Hello Folks,

I was heavily involved with 9629 (and still so, only on the edges). 9629 left Woodhams, to Carnforth. There, its boiler was removed, but not all of the smokebox. The loco was then cosmetically restored (minus boiler) and plinthed at Holiday Inn, Cardiff.

When it arrived at Blaenavon, our first task was to locate a boiler. You would not believe the amount of whinging & moaning we took, even from our own members! So, boiler first.... Luckily for us, our friends at K&WVR had a spare 'Dean Goods' (my description) boiler, ostensibly purchased for 5775. They were quite happy to part with said boiler, so the deal was struck. At the time, the original 9629 boiler (by now at Didcot) was not available, so we had to do something!

I'm heavily grateful to K&WVR; They allowed the project to move on, and this enabled us to shut down the dissenters, who were very happy to talk down a project, even on their 'home' railway. The P&BR was going thro' a dark period at the time, which we have long since moved through.

Times move on, and Didcot & P&BR Loco Group have now agreed to terms about the boiler. (Don't ask terms:- I don't know it all!). As & when the 'Didcot' boiler is obtained, then I understand the 'Dean Goods' boiler will be re-considered, with a view to disposal, etc. In the meantime, if interested parties contact P&BR loco group, with a solid & viable view to accquiring the nominally 'spare' boiler, then I'm pretty sure my colleagues will respond in a positive fashion.

On an even greater positive note, the locomotive frames have gone into the extended 'top shed'. Many years of accumulated grime & rust have been shotblasted off, and lo & behold.... It's looking good! Many parts, long since rotted away, have been re-made, and the bunker is starting to take shape, all in new steel. I should add that the bunker is nearest the kettle, hence the interest. Plans are afoot to move the kettle further down the shop, sometime around Christmas. 2013 will probably see the front of the loco looking good as well!

I hope & trust this helps clear things up.

Kind regards,
Ian

Original P&BR Loco Group founder.

 

Hello John,

5668 is privately owned. Restoration is currently down to the owner.

Kind regards,
Ian

 

A couple of pictures in "Holiday Inn" condition.

GWR 9629 Holiday Inn Cardiff circa 1986 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

GWR 9629 - Blaenavon | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

Fantastic news!

I wouldn't have worried if any parts had crumbled away, its to be expected. The team seems to be doing fine. With the notable exception of GWR 4073 Caerphilly Castle, NONE of the locomotives around in the UK today are "original" in any sense of the word. Like my old man used to say "I've had this shovel for years. I've replaced the handle and blade many times but its still my old shovel!" ^^

Still I can't help but wonder why the hell they took out the Pannier's original boiler. Seems asinine to me, but oh well.

 

Weight? Be a sight easier to get to and on the plinth I suspect.

 

The removal of the boiler effectively made the locomotive a 'project impossible'. In reality, the locomotive we craned out from Holiday Inn was a motley collection of wheels, frames, and cab & tank parts. Had the loco kept its boiler, I suggest a far greater amount of interest would have been generated.

The late Robert Adley was the key; As a director of Holiday Inn, he would have the loco 'touched up' whenever it looked rough. After his demise, no-one wanted the responsibility, and quite frankly, Holiday Inn appeared relieved that someone would take on the project.

Weight? Oh yes! The grounds around the hotel had been landscaped. This meant using a 250 tonne crane, to lift a nominal 18 ton load.... Put the boiler back in, and we would have needed earth moving equipment. We did a 'risk assesment'. The job was indeed termed 'risky'......

Regards,
Ian