60009

I believe it had its Steam test in 2012, isn't that when the clock starts ticking?

 

I may be wrong but I think John Cameron's main concern is that he wants assurance that after his demise his two locos will not spend years rusting away in a siding awaiting funds to pay for an overhaul. Remembering how he thoroughly enjoyed himself on 61994 over the West Highland Line a few years ago I think he may be happy if they could be kept running but with assurances about where they spend the downtime between overhauls. So possibly a base on the SVR with a guarantee that out of ticket time would be spent in the Engine House.

 

John I think you will find that JC is also a proud Scot who wants his engines to be preserved as part of Scottish railway heritage. This suggests that he will not want them to have a home anywhere south of the border.

Peter

 

You are quite correct I didn't take that into consideration but the A4 has spent far more of its time south of the border than in Scotland. Ideally the K4 should spend every summer based at Fort William!

 

No offence to the above contributors, but it might be better if we avoid speculating about possible alternative futures for these two locos until something factual emerges. Nobody is sadder than I am about their withdrawal from service and we can always hope, but we owe it to John Cameron to respect his wishes.

 

Exactement!

 

Apart from its name, I think you may find No 9 has more English connections in that it was built here, Ran here and many thousands of Scots live and work here so being based south of the border may be quite appropriate. Otherwise export it to South Africa.

 

I think you forget that John Cameron has owned the loco for a majority of both it and his lives! Throughout that time, it has at least theoretically been based in Scotland, even if actually spending more time in England.

Steven

 

Where it has spent it's time is irrelevant, it's what the owner wants to do with it that counts

 

Not forgetting that we do have three A4s south of the border.

 

None of which are currently in working order.

 

True, but all being well, should be again. Some of them anyway.

 

60007 soon, 4464 sometine in the future, 4468 when pigs fly.

 

Was under the impression that South Africa had too many steam locos and was seeking their disposal.

 

Aberdeen Ferryhill would be perfect as my memories of the 710 an to Glasgow is always how I remember her. Up to JC of course

 

This one did 96mph!

 

Still think Sir Alan Peglar had the right idea - custodian, not owner, of a steam locomotive.

Rather disappointed by the anti-English attitude rearing it’s head yet again but hey ho! Huge amount of hypocrisy and ridiculousness regarding the engines being written.

Both engines were built by the LNER (London based railway company with works and offices throughout England and Scotland due to the companies amalgamated in 1923) one was built for high speed trains between the capitals, the other for a specific line in Scotland.

Both preserved, both south of the border for pretty much all of their careers (one on the SVR for most of its preservation life - hardly Scotland!) the other mainline. Both now owned by a Scot (who’s put a lot of money into both and for which we should be very grateful) and both have run in Scotland and England under his ownership.

Trying to claim one countrys ownership over another for these two engines is an absolute absurdity and I would hope that JCs motives are simply to represent the importance of the pair to Scottish railway history and not to completely eradicate their links and importance south of the border too.

We have enough petty back and forth between the Scots and the English regarding independence: cannot we not just once celebrate the fact we used to be very good at working well with one another and that these engines are examples of that?

 

It's nothing to do with Scots and English. The matter of where the engines are kept is for the owner to decide. Personally I would like to see some sort of agreement between Mr Cameron and a future custodian, may be a trust, for the locos to be kept running with a guaranteed secure home with public access where they could spend the downtime between overhauls. I'm sure most enthusiasts would want the same but we must accept that what John Cameron wants is what will happen

 

I happened to meet JC for the first time a few weeks ago, and in the course of a forty minute train journey, we talked about his plans, not only for the locomotives, but more widely for the farm as well. My sense - apart from thinking what a pleasant, unassuming man he was - was that he was motivated by the desire to do something worthwhile in a community he loved; but it was the community that struck, there seemed no sense of nationalism that I could detect.

Tom

 

Blimey - talk about making an issue where it does not exist! There is nothing anti-English about the owner's desire to have his engines preserved in Scotland. Both engines were Scottish based for their entire working lives and that may be why JC bought them in the first place. Its not as if there are not enough locos preserved south of the border because there are vastly more there than in Scotland. Why can people not just be thankful for the years of pleasure that JC has given all of us by operating his engines across mainland UK and allow him to retire them gracefully to where ever he so desires. He has spent a fortune to keep them operating over the years. Given that both are well worn now and it would need another fortune spending to keep them operational, he has decided not to spend that money on doing so.

Have you ever noticed how some on Nat Pres love to tell people what to do with their assets and how to spend their money. This is JC's choice - please respect that.

Peter

PS I had the opertunity to admire 61994 in the Museum at Bo'ness yesterday and have to say the she looked very smart indeed - nothing wrong with that sort of preservation. She is a credit to both her owner and the SRPS