1466 - GWS first loco

It's taken a lot longer than originally planned but a fire has been lit in 1466's boiler under going overhaul at the WSR. Hopefully the loco will be back in steam at Didcot in the not too distant future.

 

Quite a long time since it was on the quay at Totnes!

 

And 54 years since running on the Wallingford line just before BR banned steam from the mainline...



Taken by a rather young Steve B on a Brownie 127! Taken at Cholsey and Moulsford (as it was then).

 

Video of 1466's first moves after overhaul has been shared on Didcot Railway Centre's Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HqgqHUpUQ/

Sent from my SM-A166B using Tapatalk

 

1466 arrived at Didcot West yard on Friday. Hopefully it's moving to DRC today.

 

My Dad and I visited Didcot for the first day of the relaunch event for 1466 on Saturday 23rd August.
I wasn't going to miss this event as the 14xx's are one of my favourite Classes of loco.
We had several rides during the day on both lines behind both of the 14xx tanks.
The event was very good and fairly busy but most of the visitors had left by 16.00 even though the event was operating till 17.00. We stayed right to the end when the two trains on the branch line and demo line were both running without passengers.

Congratulations to all involved with the latest overhaul of 1466. She looks and sounds superb. Below are a selection of shots from a most enjoyable day at the railway centre.














Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk

 

Posted on the DRC Facebook page this morning....

Since the launch back into traffic of 1466, some technical issues have come to light between our insurance company and the contractors employed in the overhaul of the engine’s boiler. Whilst these matters are being resolved, unfortunately this means we have been asked not to steam the engine.
As you can imagine, this is quite a blow to the Great Western Society and the team managing the restoration of the engine. After several lengthy delays in the engine’s overhaul, we were confident we had her back in service for the years to come.
Despite this, we have decided to press on with the proposed gala and there will still be an opportunity to see both 1466 and 1450 together at the front of the engine shed posing for photographs. Other highlights over the course of the weekend will include 1450 running an ‘Autocoach sandwich’ on our branch line. Our other visiting engine, SECR 01 No65 will run both a freight train and passenger rides with two of our Victorian bogie coaches.
In addition, our very own Pendennis Castle and Trojan will also both be in steam. This will be your last chance to travel behind Pendennis with the 3,500 gallon tender. Again the Castle will be operating with the two Victorian coaches, 1340 Trojan will also be in steam providing rides and shunting round the site.
We are really sorry that we have had to make this decision, which hasn't been taken lightly. We know that you were all looking forward to seeing it this weekend and sincerely apologise that we aren't able to deliver on this occasion.
We are confident however, that with two visiting engines and Pendennis and Trojan providing extra steam power that it will still be a great weekend regardless.

 

Who were the contractors?

 

It was done at Williton on WSR.

 

I wonder what they mean by " insurance company"? Are they referring to the inspection body or those who provide indemnity.

 

Indeed, it had a strangely nomadic overhaul for some reason....

 

All insurers provide an (limited and larded with caveats) indemnity, it's what they do. The question is which insurance and whom are they indemnifying.

I read it as (one of) GWS's insurers have said they aren't happy. It could be as simple as there is a missing bit of paperwork, or as complicated and serious as there is a missing bit of paperwork as the person who provides that piece of paperwork has refused to provide it.

The fact they've been asked to not run it suggests it's important, not that remediation is automatically expensive or serious

 

It is a bit intriguing. A significant number of loco owners and railways now use independent boiler inspectors and all insurance companies are bothered about is that the boiler is maintained and inspected in compliance with the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000. I've not known our insurance company to request any associated paperwork. I wonder if the person putting out the notice is not actually au fait with things and, for insurance company, read boiler inspector. Pure conjecture on my behalf, though.

 

Experience shows ( Tornado?) that if remedial work on a boiler is required then it's expensive. If all the ticks aren't in the right box then out it comes. Whatever the outcome and hopefully it will be due to a piece of paper lost in a filing cabinet, it does demonstrate the need for painstaking project management.

 

That's boiler only isn't it?
My assumption is that other insurances are taken out too

https://www.aicinsure.co.uk/why-cho...e-steam-trains-even-when-carrying-passengers/

There will also be insurance by the railway of it's assets and liabilities.

I would assume that boiler issues are the most likely, but uncertified brakes, defective wheel profiles could give rise to damage that the insurers don't want to pay for.

Maybe the driver hasn't provided their no claims details...

 

Desperately sad news. Hopefully he got to see the loco back in steam.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DpPCHAfJn/

We are sad to report the death of Jon Barlow at the age of 80, one of the original four 16-year-old schoolboys who in 1961 started the process which became the Great Western Society and Didcot Railway Centre.

Jon wrote the letter to The Railway Magazine proposing preservation of a 14XX class locomotive, which was published in August 1961. Jon was the only one of the four who owned a typewriter so he was given the honour of launching the organisation. Together with his three co-conspirators – Graham Perry, Mike Peart and Angus Davis – they formed a committee and launched the Great Western Society. They were soon joined by thousands of other like-minded Great Western Railway enthusiasts to achieve great things.

Jon’s contribution to railway heritage was enormous. He volunteered consistently for over 60 years for the Great Western Society and Didcot Railway Centre. His many capacities included steam train driver until he retired from that role in 2018. This photograph shows Jon on this last turn as a driver, on locomotive 4144.

After the management structure of the Great Western Society was reorganised in 2018, Jon joined the Board of Directors until 2022.

Jon was married to Val and in retirement they lived on a narrow boat to cruise the rivers and canals of England and Wales. They finally settled in North Wales where Jon also volunteered on the Ffestiniog Railway.

 

Sad news. I was his fireman quite a few times. RIP Jon.