48624

48624 Steamy Special - May 1st & 2nd 2010
An intensive passenger service on both days featuring the only Southern built 8F locomotive left in preservation. On Saturday evening enthusiasts will be treated to the opportunity to photograph this magnificent engine pulling a selection of LMS freight.
This event will also see our recently restored turntable in use for the very first time at Rowsley South Station. Special timetable and fares apply to this event. For further information please telephone 01629 580381.

 

LMS freight I'm not so sure of, we do have a selection of restored freight vehicles and it will be good to see them behind the 8F.

Any supporters of Peak Rail in their right minds must be disappointed that the engine is going. Apart from anything else Peak Rail plc have spent over ten years building a large shed to house mainline locos such as this, at a huge cost. If the railway cannot provide enough work for even one loco, what was the point?

Tim

 

Perhaps the railway assumed that by the time 48624 was done (it was a long-term project after all) they'd have a longer running line than they do at present? Either way she'll be back from time to time, right? And who knows - perhaps in five or six years they'll have extended at least some distance out of Rowsley and it will be viable to have the 8F back for good.

 

GWSR has come on in leaps and bounds compared to Peak Rail, not just locos though, Peak Rail has a huge wage bill for such a small line, the GWSR has none as it is completely volunteer run.

Lordy

 

One of the posts has made reference to extending to Bakewell - there has been numerous threads on this subject - i am a member of PR and i am disappointed that 48624 is leaving (i was the company secretary when she first moved to Darley Dale) but the sad reality is that her boiler ticket would have expired many times over before PR get to Bakewell. The loco needs to earn her keep and this is probably the best solution for the group / company to ensure that they have the funds to maintain her.

 

According to the latest Heritage Railway the loco is going to be repainted into BR black (with 'British Railways' written across the tender) before moving to the CVR. Sad to hear that.

 

Only if a member/benefactor hits the euro-millions jackpot an donates the lot to design and install the A6 bridge - assuming they get all the necessary permissions along the way, then the missing bridge in Rowsley and sweet talks the Duke of Rutland, then with the small change re-lays the few miles of track etc etc etc. Excuse my cynicism, but I've been a member since 1976 and one time volunteer too. I'd love to see it happen, but doubt it will be in my lifetime, and I should be good for another 20 odd years. Unless of course National Rail etc decide to do the job!

 

I read with interest the continuing debate over 48624. As a former Peak Rail managing director, senior engineer and a railway enthusiast I've had a leg in both camps so to speak. It was obvious to me that Peak Rail couldn't afford to pay steaming fees of that magnitude given the small profit margin it makes each year (read the accounts). It was also obvious to me that the effort put into 48624 by the owning group deserve better. Running a preserved railway too much like a business throws up these issues where everything is profit led. On the other hand running one like an enthusiasts free for all spells equal disaster. The mix between the one and other is a fine line that Peak Rail managment seem unable to find- hence no progrees for 13 years. For myself I would have found a compromise solution for the lads who put in so much hard work. Trouble is compromise doesn't seem to exist in the Peak Rail dictionary.

 

Heritage Railway has again got it completeley wrong.No firm decision has yet been made on the livery but I can catagorically state that the livery with "British Railways" across the tender is one that is not even in the running.It would be nice to see an article on 48624 where the railway press journalists have actually spoken to the group and could for once base their articles on fact rather than just making it up.

 

I did suspect that might be the case given that nobody on here had mentioned anything. Good result for the meantime, I'm just hoping it stays in red until I can get a chance to see it in action.

 

As she was built at Ashford by the Southern during the war, how about a spell in Southern green with sunshine yellow lining and lettering, or even a WD livery ?? :behindsofa:

 

What livery would it have carried when built? I presume being an LMS design albeit built at a Southern works the locomotive would have carried an LMS number but my presumption is just that. Can anyone shed any light on this? Some LNER 0-6-0s were borrowed by the GWR during WW2 and some worked on what is now the Glos Warks Railway but they carried LNER livery throughout. Of course, they weren't built at Swindon so it might be different for the Southern 8F.

 

48624 (8624) carried LMS normal plain black livery when built. Its first shed was 1A Willesden. It was not a loco built for the War Department. The building order for that batch of 2-8-0s was put out by the Railway Executive Committee.

 

Thank you very much for a very swift reply!

 

One can't help but think re: the lack of progress and difficulty of expansion at Peak Rail that they might be better off if the government bought them off and extended the Derwent Valley Line to Rowsley, with Peak Rail taking its money and volunteers and merging with the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway; the merged Ecclesbourne Valley & Peak Railway might then be in a much better position.

 

How many paid staff do PR actually have, if you don't mind me asking?

I'm sure all of those who have given blood, sweat and tears in re-opening PR even to its present stage would love that suggestion.

 

Mr. May seems to have a penchant for controversial posts, this and his one suggesting that the LNER teaks on the SVR would be better on the GCR probably will not have endeared him to many readers. In his latest utterance on the teaks, I think he's now suggesting they should be in BR livery!

 

I think it's about 6 or 7 with a wage bill of around £90k

Lordy

 

Best to ignore such people thereby denying them the attention they so desperately crave.