Hunslet "King George"

Anybody know why the Hunslet saddletank "King George" has moved from Toddington to Didcot?

 

I've heard a nasty rumour that it is going to be converted to a Thomas. Why couldn't they have used a pannier instead? Less of a rarety than Hunslet 15" 0-6-0ST's

 

That's a shame, if it proves to be true. It's one thing to paint a Jinty as Thomas, it can always be reverted to its proper livery, but it's nothing short of vandalism to convert an engine to something it never was.

 

It is the Glos Warks itself that owns the loco or someone else ?, if its the former perhaps the sums with their financial position made it something they could not refuse.

Personally i'd rather some of the anonimous and out of service 0-6-0 Industrial side tanks were used as Thomas clones than converting Saddle Tanks or B*****dising Jinties.

 

Correction - was owned by the PLC. All rumours are true. Sold to GWS DIdcot for supposed conversion to Thomas. As mentioned above saddle tanks etc can be stored for un-rebuilding in the future. The chassis went last week with the boiler leaving for another location shortly. With the slip appeal funds at a critical stage, the didcot offer was too good to refuse. Although the bottom end had been been more or less finished there was some boiler work needed and without financial input from the PLC there were a dwindling number of volunteers working on KG. With the working fleet at winchcombe it has been difficult to organise work over two sites. The sooner we get back to toddington the better.

 

Real shame they're doing this to King George, a 15" hunslet would be a bloody useful loco for some smaller lines. Didcot could have kept the Stephensons Pannier in blue and used that! :dance:

 

Well i better put my hand up and say its all my fault. It is a loverly loco but will not be 'butchered' in anyway what so ever. The loco will be made to look like 'Thomas' comprising of new fabricated side tanks and also bottom lower corner front cab sections in order to keep and store the old, so at any time in the future the loco could be turned back to original saddle tank condition like 'Jessie'.

Currently it costs Didcot Railway a rough £25k a year to hire in a 'Thomas' due to movement fees accross the mainline plus the usuall fees incurred. This also doesnt include having to do axle tests.
We had real trouble this year trying to get a loco and on 2 instances almost had to cancel our 'Thomas' events which is a good proportion of our income like many other railways. (we were helped out by a society close by in the end but the only other choice 'Thomas' was in Scotland doubling our haulage fees)

The £25k that we save by having our own loco (and also added income if any other society wishes to hire it) will go towards helping restore all the other loco's that we currently have sat in our shed.

As for using a pannier i'm sure Brian Thompson and the other 3650 team wouldnt have been to happy with turning there loco into 'Thomas'

so i have given my confession and i shall say my 10 'hale marys' and hope you can all forgive me and see what benefit it will be for us at Didcot.

 

Who said it is only a temporary measure? All that was said is that the parts that are being replaced are being retained so it could be returned to original condiiton -there's no suggestion that it will be. It's a shame that this particular engine was chosen when. I'd rather have seen another Austerity converted as there are a lot more of them around.

 

View attachment 3780 View attachment 3780 The Didcot offer was the most attractive to the PLC and unfortunatley this will mean the loco assuming Thomas guise for a period. I see that the thomas brand has changed hands again (SR) and with some railways seeing dwindling returns, how long will it go on?. That said Didcot do have a very usefull income from Thomas and very welcome it is too. If things change in future the railoway can always unrebuild and sell on the loco, which with an in-current ticket is quite a desirable tool.

On another vein, here is a picture from yesterdays footplate turn on 7903 of the new Gotherington passing loop in use. Much waving from all as the two santa trains pass.

 

Excellent shot there Andy B; 2 great locomotives! I remember "King George" arriving at Toddington in 1980 or 1981 and will always associate it with the GWSR. However, time moves on and at least it won't be irreversably converted into a LBSC 0-6-0T lookalike. I know only a few of these Billinton locomotives were built but their "Thomas Prototype" looks make them ideal new builds in my view!

 

I contacted around 20 railways asking for any locomotive they wouldn't mind parting with for didcot to purchase and not one wanted to part with there locomotives. Around 50 locos were inquired about ranging from scrap condition to running locos, even a polish tkh.
Locos that were in scrap condition that most railways wouldn't have the funds to do anything with for at least 20 years, i was still told "sorry these loco's are still not for sale"

Who knows in 10 years time if we could get more for the loco being hired out as 'King George' it might be an idea. but currently it is more viable for us to "tart it up" to look like a 'thomas'. Nothing that is going to be done to the loco will stop it being reversed back later on in life if desired.

 

So does this mean that the removed parts will be looked after ? Or dumped out of sight out of mind , to rust into oblivion .

 

I think this is a sensible move by the PLC they need the money to cover cost of engineering works to various landslips and i doubt they were ever going to restore the loco.
So now they have money in the bank extra space bit like a old car you eventually have to say goodbye when you no longer need it.

 

Had the engine not been sold what would have been the outcome? the GWR would not be able to fund its overhaul ,so it would have stayed in limbo, plus what real use would it have been to the railway given once the landslip is repaired and they run further on the extension it might well have not been suitable for future needs , so by selling the engine to didcot, they not only obtain extra badly needed funds, but at a later date, ,could find a friendship with didcot to their advantage as they have some larger engines that would benifit from using the GWR as running in prior to mainline use should didcot decide to allow engines away from didcot on loan

 

have you an idea of the selling price??
regards
noel

 

Agree - they need cash now and it wasn't much use there anyway - for the length of the line, proper locos are needed.