5051

Sure I have read a few times from people in the know that she was to be done when 70000 was finished so we shall see...

 

I was hoping that something may be done by those nice Tyseley people, can we book tickets as yet!?!

 

5051 is my favorite engine too. (Strange how you can have favorite bits of metal, especially when the bits get shared round, but anyway...)

Unfortunatly I think it will be more like 20 - 25 years before you see her running again.

Didcots 4-6-0 plan is pretty formulated for the next 10-15 years with the King, followed by PD Castle, and then the Saint. At that point I'd expect the King or PD Castle to get a "sole and heel" overhaul for another ticket. Let's face it, none of them are likely to rack up significant mainline mileage. (Will the Saint even get out on the mainline, given her width and the increasingly tough loading guage?)

So it will be after that that I expect 5051 to get another turn. However, she is stored in the dry and visitors have access to her. Much better than some out-of-ticket locomotives.

As a "working museum" not a "preserved or heratige line" the policy at Didcot is slightly different to other places.

In answer to the other question, there is a notional overhaul queue for the static locos, but what happens is operational requirements cause a bit of a jiggle when there is workshop space. As do finances. As does the wider operational market. (For example: There is no point putting a ticket on the Manor right now. It wouldn't bring new visiors as anyone who want to see a Manor will go to the SVR. There is visitor value in a Saint or County.)

I'm a GWS member, but obviously I don't (don't!) speak for the GWS.

Thanks,

Neil.

 

As a long standing GWS member (armchair GWS but v active on other GW steam) it is rather alarming to realise just how old a lot of us will be if we are ever to be lucky enough to see quite a number of this collection run again.

Taking 7808 as an example - on the logic quoted above it is most unlikely then that this loco will ever run again then as it will very likely always be possible to see a working 78xx at either the SVR, WSR, P&DSR, or LR.

Similar logic could apply to other DID locos.

Can't help thinking that the current policy is not the best one possible to keep up interest in the collection.

 

What exactly are you asking of us?

Calling us "nice people" goes a long way to getting your tour put on!

 

I'm afraid you will need to ask Mr Waterman about Thornbury Castle. We sold it to him many years ago.

 

Surely it's up to us old 'uns to enthuse the kids of today and get them excited enough to put their PS3 or Wii to one side for a weekend now and again to preserve our heritage. And I don't mean just our railway or industrial heritage there's a lot of our history being lost due to the lack of volunteers.

 

You're refering to a special run at the end of GW steam, IIRC. I've read a couple of articles but it was a bit before my time. A mix of great achievements and embarrassing failures, I seem to remember. Some records set but one, or perhaps two, locos retired injured. The Hall, 6999, seemed to be the hero, rescuing more illustrious locos and saving the day.

Perhaps someone can provide a link to the full story?

 

I have got this, well worth buying.

http://www.mainlinesteam.net/9thMay1964.htm

A bit here.

http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/60s/640509ia.html

The points to remember as far as I know are, 4079's failure with collapsed firebars, replacement 6999's very spirited run between Westbury & Taunton - from a totally unprepared engine, 7029 put up some sort of record for steam between Plymouth & Bristol, 5054 not quite reaching the hoped for 100mph between Bristol & London.

 

It was a special put on by Ian Allan Railtours from Paddington to Plymouth in an attempt to get an official 100mph from a Castle. Six were hand picked for the job. Four for the actual attempt and two on standby. 4079's mishap has already been mentioned and 7029 still holds the record for steam from Plymouth to Bristol I think it's the fastest start to stop.
Unfortunately the magic 100mph wasn't reached but as far as I can remember the top speed reached was 98mph by one of the locos.

 

That's right, in order to decide the six they'd run trials to find the best of the best. 5054 'Earl of Ducie' was supposed to be the pick of the bunch but didn't quite hit the 'ton'.

Be interested to know what the six were, if anyone has the info, and I find it quite romantic that GWR management sanctioned high speed trials in the run up to the special in a last hurrah for Great Western steam.

 

I think it was the 3 used, 4079,7029 & 5054, plus the 3 standbys 7025,7008 & 7032. 7022 was on Swindon shed at the time but not sure if it was on standby or not. 5091 & 5096 were also considered but "discarded" early. A lot of info is on the dvd I previously linked to. It was stated that strong cross winds prevented 5054 from doing the "ton" & that a double chimney 4 row superheater Castle might of achieved it.

 

Whilst I take your point, increasingly there will be people like myself who have seen, ridden behind and photographed in steam eight out of the nine preserved Manors. What will bring in new visitors is being able to see, ride behind and photograph in steam the one which will complete the set.

 

I take your point, but how many people are there like you? I'd wager a handfull? What Didcot has to do is balance the "mass" market who provide most of the money but don't care what they ride behind, with the enthusiast market. I'd still say that more enthusiasts will visist to see eg the Saint than to tick off the last Manor. (Don't forget that the Manor has run in preservation, so many people have already copped it.")

Sorry!

Neil.

 

Ten castles were considered 5091,5096,7022, 5054, 7023,7025,7029,7032, 4079 & 7008.

Eight of them were rated in the following order 5054,4079,7029,7023, 7008, 7032, 7022 & 7025.

Info from " The Great Days of the GWR - David St John Thomas & Patrick Whitehouse"

 

It is most unfortunate (understatement!) that whilst purporting to be the flagship organisation for GW preservation, the GWS seems now to confine its activities only to Didcot making the assumption that dead out of ticket status confined within a rail locked site is the best way of displaying and furthering interest in its important collection.
(long time GWS member wondering whether its worth renewing in 2011)

 

To be fair, they have lent out some of their out of ticket engines in the last year, 5051 to the Glos Warks for their GWR 175 bash being an example.

 

Just a thought, if the likes of 7808, 5900 and 6998 are unlikely to be restored by Didcot in the short or even medium term, would it not be an idea to loan them out to Railways who can return them to steam in return for a period of operation on their line ?, Didcot would get to play with them sometimes and Railway X gains a usefull 5MT to use and people get to see such loco's operating within their lifetime.

One thing i've never been keen on is so many out of ticket loco's standing idle while certain Railway struggle with motive power shortages, though i appreciate workshop and volunteer constraints can restrict such things.

 

Sounds great in principal - and the loco I'd love to see extracted under such a proposal would be 6106. Railways would, in theory, be queueing up to hire that one.