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5668 to follow 4253 to KESR

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Austerity, Jan 23, 2013.

  1. nanstallon

    nanstallon Part of the furniture

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    If you had ridden the West Somerset in the days of the ex-Longbridge Bagnall saddle tanks, you could cope with anything in the way of lively rides! But I do miss them.
     
  2. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    I had a brief ride on the footplate when it was first steamed at Llangollen. It didn't get much above jogging speed. Didn't seem too lively at that!
     
  3. Austerity

    Austerity Member

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    Fireline-my opinion and that only- I would say that there is a possibility that DS 238 will be out ahead of No 25. There could well be a period which sees all 3 Hunslets out of ticket - for a while anyhow.
     
  4. Fireline

    Fireline Well-Known Member

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    Right. Now the big question. Any chance of the class 25 beating either of them...................?
     
  5. Miff

    Miff Part of the furniture Friend

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    What about 68078? Is that still destined for the KESR?
     
  6. Austerity

    Austerity Member

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    There is no agreement or projection as far as is aware.
     
  7. Austerity

    Austerity Member

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    Now come on Fireline- you know it works-it did for Gervase!
     
  8. Seagull

    Seagull Member

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    The "if Colonel Stephens was alive he would have..........." is always barking up the wrong tree. There's no way there'd be a single steam loco left on the line. I think he would most likely have purchased a couple of Hastings DEMUs at £1 a pop and supplemented with a few industrial cast off diesels. He was a businessman doing the job in the cheapest way possible, never an enthusiast or operator of a tourist railway. He wouldn't undertake expensive overhauls on old steam locos, take No 5 Rolvenden as an example! If he was alive today he'd be carting the steam locos off for scrap, pocketing most of the cash and buying the cheapest available stock he could get his hands on.
     
  9. Unlikely

    Unlikely New Member

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    Don't want to see the steam fleet binned obviously, but love the idea of a DEMU or two on the KESR! Was great having the Hastings unit there in the early 1990s, sounded stunning up Tenterden bank.
     
  10. kesbobby

    kesbobby Member

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    Yet the Hastings set was not popular with many visitors, apparently due it being too like main line stock at that time. Hey ho!
     
  11. David-Haggar

    David-Haggar Member

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    Yes I remember during the gala many passengers refused to board the DEMU sat in the station at Northiam and opted to stand in the pouring down rain for about 20 minutes for the next steam hauled service to arrive.
     
  12. martin butler

    martin butler Part of the furniture

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    Post deleated
     
  13. Fireline

    Fireline Well-Known Member

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    Almost. 5668 herself is NOT a source of spares. There is a large collection of parts included that can be used to keep the other engines going, or get them going.
     
  14. Bramblewick

    Bramblewick Member

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    It was mentioned upthread that the Norwegian loco is nearly ready. Are there any photos online of the overhaul?
     
  15. Fireline

    Fireline Well-Known Member

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    I think there are no photos of the overhaul, full stop. In order to get into Rolvenden shed these days, even as a KESR volunteer, you need written permission in triplicate from the head of MI5. Anyone entering without permission is likely to be taken out and sold 4253 shares.
     
  16. Rumpole

    Rumpole Part of the furniture

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    So that's how you're getting people into all these GWR engines; conscription! :lol:
     
  17. martin butler

    martin butler Part of the furniture

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  18. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Hey, that's a novel fundraising strategy. The Directors deliberately propose something they know will be so unpopular that the membership rise up in revolt and lavishly fund the complete opposite, which of course was what the Directors secretly wanted all along. I wonder if the SVR Directors have been taking notes... (Ducks and runs for cover!)

    Tom
     
  19. 3855

    3855 Member

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    Has any thought been given to converting the austerities from tank to tender engines perhaps a more tasteful version of the Maureen to Douglas one done at the mid hants many years ago? Whilst not everyones cup of tea it would solve the coal and water capacity issues a tank engine has on an extended line whilst keeping a rugged and relatively simple loco.
     
  20. Respite

    Respite Member

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    So would you advocate doing this to the KESR's USA tank 65 which doesn't hold enough coal for a days running at Embsay? I think not.

    The length of the wheelbase on an austerity will always make it look an odd tender loco. The Maureen conversion as you say was a real tacky looking job, a decent chimney could have helped it a lot. If you loose adhesion weight and then add it to the hauled weight by way of a tender you must be looseing at least one mark 1 from the train length such a loco can haul. Since when has water and coal capacity on an Austerity been an issue? The NYMR ran Antwerp on 6 coach trains over 18 miles day in and day out don't forget.
     

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