LB&SCR Class E1

LB&SCR Class E1 at East Somerset Railway has recently been cosmetically restored as BR No. 32110. Obviously this is totally false as the loco was sold by SR in 1927 to Cannock & Rugeley Collieries. I know the purists will not like it but can always be repainted if and when it is restored to full working order.

 

I saw an image in Heritage Railway of her like this (and with burning wood in the smokebox to simulate steam). While not accurate as you say she does look nice.

Now just to get her back in steam.

 

Purists will always be unhappy with something, in just seeing the locmotive via the attached photo for the first time I believe something positive has been done whilst restoration is awaiting

 

Here's an image of her in CRC days

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60790501@N04/5685047270/in/faves-owen-edwards/

 

I'm a BR livery fan but also a purist and whilst I don't actually agree with a loco being painted in an un-authentic livery what this repaint has done is given the loco some much needed publicity. Hopefully this will now raise much more attention to the E1 and get monies raised to restore her back to working order.

 

Its bloody disgraceful, how dare you, perverting the course of history, may there be a curse on all your houses etc...

:wink: :lol: arty:

Some people say I'm sarcastic...

 

Charming!

 

This would look nice on the Isle of Wight!

 

look better at Chasewater....

 

It's ok, note the smileys and the small print; I thought I'd pre-empt the inevitable comments with a dose of sarcasm. I happen to think it looks very smart, even if not accurate for that particular loco.

 

She looks great, but I'd go further - keep the BR livery and add some trailing wheels to make an EIr - as on the Torrington to Halwill branch in the 50s, in my native Devon.

Another cause for affection is that my train set when I was a lad had a Trix Twin E1 as motive power - I still have the engine.

 

Iwonder, would she stand a better chance of being restored if she was transfered to Havenstreet , no disrepect to Cranmore, but i would imagine that there would be more interest and a desire to get her done from with in the IOWSR than any where else because of the classes connection with the island
I believe she currently has a bagnal boiler? that needs either complete renewing or a new firebox, lets hope that this time she gets fitted with a boiler that is the same type as the Stroudley pattern that she would have had

 

Martin is correct that she is currently fitted with Bagnal boiler that needs heavy repairs/replacement.

 

So far as loco liveries are concerned I'm ok with anything as long as it's like the class looked in BR, (SR), days in the early to mid 1960s. Even if a specific example didn't make it to the 1960s on the Super Railway.

But you start giving me main line SR schedules with trains being looped all over the place and on schedules way longer than the 1960s, then there will be all hell to pay. Not that anyone here would have ever noticed that. LOL!

Anyway. Lovely to see that loco in that condition. One step from running again. Dream on Yeti........

 

There's a short article in Steam Railway about the East Somerset launching an appeal for £20,000 to buy the E1 from its current owners. There will be subsequent fundraising efforts to return her to steam.

 

She looks pretty nice in BR black, and has certainly been out of the news for a good decade (I completely forgot about it, to be honest!). She would have had this BR number had she not been sold, and is an example of why the BR(S) numbering system had gaps within classes where some examples had been withdrawn/sold on before or just after Nationalisation.

 

Hope they manage to buy her. She will be an ideal "flagship" loco for the ESR. I will happily donate some cash to the appeal.

 

Does anyone know how the appeal to buy her is going?