6100 Royal Scot

Or West Coast, given they already have one working, and 2 Jubilees in their care that aren't that different.

 

Still no light at the end of the tunnel for this mess ?

Joking aside, a gauge friendly class 7 75MPH rated would be rather welcome on the network currently.

 

Quite, considering the amount of Lottery, ergo public, money thrown at it.
There seems to be a pattern where public cash is thrown at an engine with scottish connections.

 

Didn't Jeremy Hosking set up a new Trust to take care of the loco?

 

I would imagine it's a lot more complicated then that.. the engine swallowed a lot of cash from several causes (Bressingham, RBS (loan)..remember that plate that was attached to it, National Lottery all of which was over £1mn for a non-runner even after that pot was spent. Add to that the inspections post Llangollen, the time (and presumably storage costs at Crewe), the admin time being spent between various parties...

It's now into year 6 (almost to the week) of it's first steam test.. and I'm sure there's 6 years worth of weather it's been exposed to, which will need to be repaired.

If the aim of JH's trust is to make a self-sustaining fleet.. 2013 wasn't that year with 70000 out of major repairs and 4464 sitting in York most of the summer.

My guess is this will be a $4472mn sized project by the time it does finally run and deep pockets will be needed to do it.

 

Wasn't suggesting that JH was simply going to chuck money at it willy-nilly but if he is at the helm of a new trust, it's in good hands in the long term.

 

Rename it Queens Westminster Rifleman, it'll go like stabbed rat then.

 

6152 "The Kings Dragoon Guardsman" might be more appropriate.

 

Hmm, last time I stabbed a rat - bashed it with a garden spade actually - it died.

 

.

 

I think the main line reliability record of the two stables is out there for all to see.

 

No allegiance or affiliation with Riley's whatsoever. ELR supporter yes but the two bodies are quite separate as we all know. Not that either fact matters in relation to the issue of whether Riley's would be ideal custodians. Sheffs point hits the nail on the head with regard to proven quality.

 

It's not exactly a state secret that Carnforth reliability wasn't the best in 2013.

 

But a slight difference between restoring a locomotive that has been in bits for a number of decades and maintaining / operating a locomotive that has seen continual use over the same period.

 

Care to be more specific Fred? Not sure exactly the point you are making.

 

The point I'm making is that you are not comparing like with like. Many WCRC locomotives have been restored from long term storage prior to restoration whilst Ian Riley's fleet has seen continual use over the last decade therefore are in better condition to start with.

It is easier to maintain and operate a locomotive that is already working than one which has just been restored from virtual scrap hence the difference between IR locomotives which have always been working locomotives and WCRC locomotives which have been stored in pieces for decades.

 

So in essence the comparative reliability of R&S with WCR is largely attributable to the inherited condition of their respective locos? Apologies if I am grossly over simplifying your point Fred.
Locos such as 5043, 4965, 9466, 6024, 61264, 60019 have all spent long periods derelict before returning to very reliable service on the network. While these are not Riley locos it suggests the inherited condition can be overcome.

 

Not sure that holds water Fred, it's been some years since 44932 was originally restored at Butterley, 46115 must be at least halfway through it's ticket by now, and 34067 is in it's second ticket, only 48151 seems to buck the trend, 5972 doesn't see enough use to make a comparison.