6412/SDR

i had the good fortune at around that time to pop into Buuckfastleigh whilst on holiday aged 14 and witnessed the pannier and 4 auto coaches in service...I didnt even know they had started running so it must have been very near the start of operations....1420,1450,6412,6430,6435 and 4555 were all there at the time.7827 arrived soon after.The following year ( i think it was) I got a Merrymaker from Reading to Ashburton stem hauled from Totnes by 4555 I think it was. I think this was the last train to visit Ashburton...

 

The following note was posted on the WSRA website earlier today:-
'All WSRA members to be given the opportunity to comment on the offer, from the South Devon Railway, to purchase locomotive GWR 0-6-0PT no 6412 in its present unrestored state. Following a letter displayed at WSR stations and on various WSR websites, the WSRA Committee has received a healthy number of comments from members which helped to inform the Committee's discussion at its meeting on 5 September. The Committee concluded that same opportunity for comment should be extended to all members and to that end a version of the earlier letter of 11 August will be included with the WSR Journal due for publication next week. The time for comment is therefore extended to 9 October 2008, in advance of the next WSRA Committee Meeting which will take place on the morning of 11 October 2008.'

6 September 2008
Details from WSRA

 

I wonder what the outcome has been!

 

I understand that the final outcome is a decision to sell 6412 to the SDR.

 

Is that offical or has this come through via. Chinese Whispers? (Not that I trying to be rude or anything!)

 

I heard it via the WSR e-mail group. Numbers were apparently 284 for, 25 against and 7 don't know

 

Came from the lips of the WSRA Chairman when addressing a volunteers liason meeting at Bishops Lydeard Yesterday PM

 

Well you can't get much offical then that can you!!! Sorry I had doubts.

 

A clear mandate to sell, although I would guess that among the 284 "For's" were a good few who voted this way with somewhat of a heavy heart, for 6412 is a popular little engine. However, it's a measure of the WSR's success in recent years that it is moving on.

The SDR couldn't be a better home. Like others, I can remember the days when there were 3 64xx panniers at Buckfastleigh. Good that one will back there again.

 

Of course there is nothing to stop 6412 returning to the WSR for visits on Gala days.

On a lighter note how about a main line auto train operation between Totnes & Bodmin Road (sorry parkway) using 6412, 6435 & pairs of auto coaches, in a couple of years or so?

 

Confirmation of the purchase of 6412 by the South Devon Railway is on their website, but there is no news about the tender process started back in the summer for the sale of ex-GWR 2-8-0 3803.

Does anyone know of any progress with this potential sale?

46118

 

The SDR wanted two locos if 3803 was to be sold and therefore another one is needed before any sale of 3803 can be considered. In any event SDR needs four locos in traffic and would only have three if 3803 sold before 3205 emerges back into traffic sometime in 2009.
If you look at the SDR website when the offer for sale of 3803 was published it did say other opportunities have arisen which prompted the possible sale of 3803 but I think part of the opportunities referred to have fallen through.
So basically things have changed since the original offer to sell 3803.

 

Thanks for that Collett.

As a matter of interest do you know if any serious offers were actually received for 3803?

46118

 

All the SDR have done so far is invite people to apply for the tender documents and so there are no offers as such. In view of SDR getting one engine and not two they may not ask for offers by tender for the forseeable future if ever.

 

And she's off. Taken from the normal source. So the SDR have a new toy to play with. i wonder how much work is required to put her back into service and where the chimney has gone too/

A picture from http://www.wsr.org.uk © Geoff Evens

 

I assume it's in the container.

 

A lot of work will be required on the boiler. The outer firebox is almost totally dismantled with a good deal of it requiring replacement.

 

For anyone who was at the WSR's Autumn gala, the fairly extensively dismantled boiler was out the back of the shed at Williton.