John Bunch's Southern Moguls

Yep unfortunately it is. Still it's been improved with moss and rust additions.

 

Yes, the photo 2 posts above yours is 31625 from Saturday 12th July.

 

Hopefully the insipid Red livery will be a thing of the past, once the locos move to Swanage. It served it's purpose at the time and obviously helped the MHR coffers, but the main draw at a Thomas event will always be Thomas itself and I for one certainly don't want to see the "N" prostituted in this way again, it's too historically significant.

 

Since the topic of livery has come up. Olive green please.

 

I remember the gasps when this appeared for the first time at a Thomas event. I was cooking on the Watercress Belle that day and the other Chef was ill, so I had to cook the meal on my own. I'd just popped up to Alresford station from the headshunt when this big red engine with a face arrived! The kids loved it. I also had 31625 in red hauling the Belle when I had my 40th birthday party on said train, so I quite like the livery!

 

And you still don't look a day over forty Steve.

 

Did they carry malachite?

 

I don't think so - black with sunshine lettering would have been the Bulleid livery.

Tom

 

And that is a fine livery. 506 looked good in that too.

 

Since all three moguls should be in action together in three years, it will get a bit boring if they are all BR black.

Now if they could get some of their maunsell coaches restored to go with an olive green U!

And cue the livery police .....

 

Indeed, if they'd wanted 'em black, they'd have called themselves the Riddles Society

At least that is the case in operational condition. When 1618's tender went to the MHR on hire a few years back, the MHR painted it in lined black. When it came back, 1618 was painted black so the reunited combination didn't look too incongruous, though she still has a painted number 1618 on the buffer beam - as well as 31618 as a smokebox number!

Still, right now, if you want to see an olive green U hauling matching Maunsell stock, you know where to come! Get it while it lasts (1638 is well into her ninth year in traffic).

Tom

 

I wonder when 1618s time will come again. I have a very vague memory of it working when I was a nipper and we visited the bluebell- I think that C1 was out the same day too!

Chris

 

After Stowe.

 

I would be betting that the N will be coming into traffic as 31874. For one thing, think of all the photo charter work its going to get after that long out of traffic and in the right livery on the right railway. It will be a little pot of gold!

Swanage Railway is a BR(s) era line and it would look a bit odd to see it in olive green, however these locos are on 25 year, full control agreements so I suppose anything is possible.

As for 41312, its privately owned. Owners are custodians of these locomotives until they decide to pass them on, either to sell them, donate them or pass them through their families. Look at 80078, no one thought it would ever leave Swanage and look what happened. This could happen to any loco not in tight agreements. So who's to say that 41312 wouldn't come to Swanage one day, but as pointed out, I expect an agreement is nicely sown up for the next ten years at least and we should all be happy the little ivatt is returning to traffic.

 

If 41312 was ever to leave the MHR it could always go to another railway apart from going to Swanage. I would think there would be quite a few other railways that would want 41312 apart from Swanage.

 

I'm sure the bluebell would love to have 41312 too, given it's efforts on the East Grinstead extension.
It's home is the Mid Hants though, and long may it remain thus.

 

I think I'm right in thinking that from a purists point of view 31625,31806 and 31874 can only ever authentically carry BR livery because they all received new front ends by BR. However you won't find this particular forum member disappointed if the rules are bent a it.

 

The press release on the Swanage railway website says that 31625 is the only surviving U class with a BR modified front end.

So let's have 31625 in BR black, 31806 repainted to olive green, and 31874 retaining its current SR black please!

 

The Swanage Railway press report is wrong though. All three have the BR mods. Compare pictures of 31806 with (3)1638...