61306

An interesting denial in this months Steam Railway that 61306 has been sold to Jeremy Hosking - has anyone heard whether the loco is for sale? It doesn't seem to be getting any use at the moment - has it run this year?

Edit: Sorry, misposted here, should have been under steam traction of course - mods, please move.

 

But that was 2 years ago.

 

Think that's probably down to owners choice than any lack of offers or budget etc, 61306 is well pampered.

 

And is your last sentence the significant element? If it requires more effort than available to put it out maybe cashing in is a possibility.
Having said that it wouldn't really fit with the lsl stable. 75mph yes but no air and limited capacity. Would be more use to CRRES but chances to buy LNER locos very rare. Maybe Mr Cameron would be interested too.

 

Not really, maybe the owner want to run it periodically and keep it in good nick than rack up thousands of miles and rack up a huge overhaul bill when one is due, just a thought..., Tyseley go with a similar mentality, which resulted in a relatively quick and cheap (by steam loco standards) turnaround for 4965 at it's last overhaul.

 

True but it's not a quick or cheap job to accomplish particularly as it would be the first of class. Given the Braunton protracted fitting this may be a job to do at its next heavy gen. That said Tyseley and Carnforth locos do very well without, it would just be anomalous in the lsl fleet.

 

Seems odd to me to spend a small fortune on an overhaul and then run it only rarely in spite of the stated main line aspirations. Owner's choice of course.

 

Maybe the owners preferences are incompatible with what actually happens so Hobson's choice.

 

From what I understand we may see more of 61306 once BARS gets its steam charter paperwork. Mr Boden is very particular about who is on the regulator/power handle of his beasties ie only himself, somthing I believe gets written into the hire contracts of his locos visiting railways.

 

So he would not trust someone like a Ray Churchill or Gordon Hodgson?

 

His Toy... His rules from what Im to understand

 

If I spent £1mn on a luxury car I'd be a bit fussy about who drives it too..
As afterwards it's me that has to fix the thing again.

so no objection to his policy from me.

 

You aren't required to sign for Route Knowledge with a Luxury Car though...

 

I sort of agree with his policy but if it means 61306 is locked away out of sight I think we all miss out a bit.

 

Never said you did.
If the driver doesn't know the route.. I guess it doesn't go there then.

True, but who's toy is it anyway.

There's not many engines in preservation that have a same family private owner going back to the days of it's purchase from BR.. thats a bit different to a group of preservationists getting one from the scrap yard and bringing it back to life. There's probably a huge amount of family and emotional ties to that locomotive, which is different to being a member of a group restoring one.
The pride excelled into it's up keep is testament to that.

Hence why it should be respected.

 

I may be wrong but I'm not sure that Gerald Boden purchased the loco from BR but I'm sure someone will correct me if I have got the wrong end of the stick.