5972

She's been out of railway preservation as soon as she was passed in to WCRC's hands. WCRC is a Freight Operating Company, and their purchase and restoration for steam engines isn't made on a preservation case, but on a business case. The steam railtour market is a huge one, and so for them to own locomotives which they could use along with being the actual providers of crew and rolling stock is purely a business case. If WCRC were preservationist's, you'd see Carnforth opened up to volunteers and most likely be treated very similar to any other heritage railway. You'd see applications to HRA for grants to help aid in the restoration of vehicles for preservation. I'm not trying to offend WCRC when I say this, indeed I bet some up in the company would agree with me, they are a FOC business first.
Yes, ideally any sale of No. 5972 would have been lovely to a heritage railway. But the money may not have been available for any heritage railway to match the rate WB's may have been offering ( which allows the expansion of business for WCRC )

It's in the same case that DRS, Colas or whoever purchase Class 37's and such from preservation schemes, and put them back on the mainline for running of their own business.

 

At least it's remaining in one piece, and not being dismantled for parts for another Frankenstein engine.

 

Does make me wonder why they did not attempt to buy up one of the other halls that are sat about unrestored and have a cosmetic job done on it, probably cheaper- that way another loco would have ended up safe, undercover, and Olton Hall could potentially have gone on to further use. If indeed this is all confirmed- is it known that has been sold and is not simply going on display until such a time as WCRC are ready to overhaul it?

Assuming it has been sold hopefully it will be 'mothballed' properly and when Warners get bored, it will be able to come back into preservation and would require a relatively straightforward overhaul- after all if it spends 15 years out of traffic thats 15 years less wear and tear!

Chris

 

Indeed. The future of 5972 looks rather more secure than one or two other GWR engines. In any case, I'd predict that with ten or twenty years, interest in Harry Potter will have faded sufficiently that Warner Bros will wish to redevelop the park and the loco will be back on the market**. Maybe someone will have a plan to back-convert it to a Court...

** assuming that is that WCRC have actually sold it, rather than putting it on long-term loan and charging an annual hire fee, which is also possible.

Tom

 

I wouldn't be surprised when Harry Potter town goes the way of Luton, that WB look to sell it again, probably on the condition it's never painted red with the name Hogwarts Castle… who knows they may even try to protect the number 5972 too !

 

Absolutely how much work did 4953 do.. until it went to Epping.. not much anywhere.

4936 is a bit of a "C list celebrity" when it comes to mainline work, pity really a Hall from London would be nice.. just limited by what it can pull and how fast.

 

It would be interesting to know whether 5972 outings were limited by its film guise or whether it wasn't deemed suited to some of the regular wcr turns like the Fellsman that a black 5 has routinely worked.

 

Wasn't this more to do with the owners decision not to run her as much?

 

That's what I heard.

 

What are you saying? I hope you are not besmirching the name of my home?????

 

I think Marsh Farm and Lewsey Farm estates do a good enough job of that sadly enough.

 

Not really, 90% of WCRC's work is charter with the occasional spot hire work that occasionally includes freight, opposite business model to DBS, so can't really throw them in with DRS, GBRF who despite occasionally playing trains, are primarily freight companies.

 

As far as I remember, WCRC is registered as a FOC. And as a business, are very similar to DRS.
Tesco want a freight flow from Mossend to Inverness, they approach DRS who in turn work with Network Rail to construct timings within the customers needs. DRS as the FOC provide the crew and rolling stock, and run the train. Sound familiar?

RYTC want a set of charters running over the WCML and S&C in winter, the approach WCRC who in turn work with NR to construct timings and a path suitable to the customers needs. WCRC as the FOC then provide the crew and rolling stock ( be it they may hire in from outside their company, based on what RYTC has asked for ). WCRC operate the train.

Both the businesses above use aged, almost heritage in some cases, locomotives. But they don't do it for preservation, but because it's the stock that's available to them to suit their business needs. They both have the aim of operating for profit, and so if selling ( or renting ) No. 5972 off their books is a sensible business decision which allows the expansion of work or assets, they are completely in their right to do so.

Edit : Okay, the FOC part is more confusing than I had believed. WCRC have four registries with the ORR. As a FOC/Charter/Jacobite & Limited services : http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.221

 

Amusing how traditional the company names are, with some resurrected from the 19thC and some others that never existed but could have done (London and South Eastern Railway!)

 

I see where your coming from, but without a regular freight flow, I think calling WCRC a FOC is a bit misleading, even if that's what it says on the paper, DRS probably find it more economic to use 20's and 37's on short flask trains and hold the 66's back for the heavy freightliner stuff where they are actually needed.

 

Don't know about besmirching, but Luton certainly isn't Cambridge or Oxford.

 

They did plan on doing this, in 2011?, but she was out of gauge.