60008 & 60010 at Shildon 12/10/12

Hi Guys

I made the long trek up to Shildon today to phot the A4's in the sun and a few other assorted items in and around the Locomotion building: A4's at Shildon, National Railway Museum - a set on Flickr

 

60008 & 60010 at Shildon 12/10/12

I too made the trek up (400 mile round trip). Such a shame we can't have No10 back permanently and leave her as she is - it's as near as some of us will ever get to a proper 1960s end of steam express loco as they were. Seriously tho, both No 8 and No 10 have a care worn patina that few of 'our' restored locos can convey.

 

Some real blasts from the past there.

I'm planning on heading down to Shildon in the next few days to see them. I've never seen 60008 and my last sight of 60010 was when it stood on the deadline at Darlington about 1965 (sans-chimney before being shipped out to Canada). It spent some weeks there and we often saw it that year. 60124 Foxhunter was on steam as spare engine at the station end of the shed at that time and one day we got lucky for our trip back to Newcastle when we were hauled by Foxhunter. The day got better because rather then entering Newcastle by the King Edward Bridge we went through Gateshead shed, where 60131 Osprey was on shed. A 'cop' for me.

As luck would have it, a couple of weeks later we were back at Darlington and same train back to Newcastle was hauled by Osprey!

65033 is another memory. I was down at Darlington one Saturday that same year (maybe the same day as one of those above) and we got through a gap in the fence at North Road works to see what was there. We came across 65033 and 65099 parked next to each other and we honestly didn't have a clue what they were. They'd been withdrawn from service some years before and our Ian Allan combine didn't even hint as to the existence of J21s.

 

Re: 60008 & 60010 at Shildon 12/10/12

I'm afraid that I don't agree. No. 10's condition is a disgrace to the care given in Canada which is odd as I've been there and their museums in general are very good. Whatever the external condition, I must say that I find "stuffed" locos rather sad. If they can't be steamed, could one say that the trip was worth it?

 

No 10 isn't half as bad as everyone seems to think it is. I will explain more tomorrow when not typing on a phone.

 

For an engine unpainted for nearly 50 years it's exceptionally good.
try looking at some of tthe UK's examples that have steamed in preservation look far worse...for less than 10 years.

 

Well I made it this morning.

While it seems that No10 is a bit short of paint, the same can't be said for No8.

Old Dwight D seems to be suffering a surfeit of the stuff.

 

I found myself actually agreeing with something in SR the other day - 60008 looks like a big airfix kit! Painting of motion is pretty common in the US I believe, and I suppose if you can't be assured you'll have the manpower to keep the rust off it makes sense. It'll come off easily enough I imagine.

John S - perhaps we should get our own glass house in order before we start throwing stones across the pond. Currently there is a very real danger that a number of European locomotives in this country will be scrapped. The need for a lick of paint by comparison is very, very minor.

I visited Exporail back in 2005. 60010 was stored in a large steel shed - think Bridgnorth works for comparison - along with Waddon and a SNCF 0-6-0 - ex-German, part of post-WWI reparations payments. It was dry, it was cool, it was sheltered. You could walk through the tender, have a look in the cab (and have a look at the middle cylinder connecting rod in the tender - is it still there Anthony?), it was accessible, adequately lit and in the dry. As I recall the whole loco was in good nick, greased mechanical parts, complete cab fittings. Not dissimilar to the recently repatriated NG locos.

I think all this criticism of Exporail - which is not a national museum and does not get funding - is very unfair.