NRM's J17

Is there a chance of this ever being returned to steam?

I think it should return to East Anglia, even if just as a static exhibit.

 

NNR or Mid Norfolk? Yes, I would like this retuned to steam too. And the E4 as well!

 

Would like to see in steam on the NNR, or at least on static display at Bressingham or the EARM.

 

Would be great to see one or both of these returned to steam and although not impossible it wouldn't be an easy job, the only reason for there survival was that they were the last survivors and their cosmetic restorations at Stratford involved a lot of faking, including some fittings being made of wood, but these may have been changed over the years. Restoration would enable exchange of information etc with both new build (F5 and CHLT) and NNR as owners of both the B12 and Y14 as well as EARM with the N7 (any-one have any information of current status of the N7?).

Is there any form of protocol to follow when approaching bodies like the NRM with such proposals?

 

Yes. Make sure you have a shed load of cash to offer to back up your proposal.

Keith

 

Out of ticket since 2015, currently on static display at EARM: https://flic.kr/p/SaxoUG
Have read that a return to steam wouldn't come cheap, not sure if there are any plans to do so any time soon.

I agree it would be fantastic to see any more ex-GER locomotives in steam, though I am already very grateful that we have the Y14 & B12 thanks to the folks at the M&GNRS.

 

Wonder if the NNR would make an offer to overhaul the N7 in return for its use for a few years, like it did back in 2005.

Imagine a B12, J15, J17 and N7 lined up at Weybourne, in steam.

 

I have a bit of a thing for the E4, to see that piloting the Y14 out of Sheringham past the golf course would a rather wonderful sight.

 

Having surveyed the E4 a couple of years ago when researching the retro-changes for the Y14 I can squash the often repeated myth of wooden parts on the loco. In 1960 Stratford Works went to a lot of trouble to overhaul the loco to its original condition and make or find the right fittings, right down to replacing the later boiler with one with the correct raised safety valve plinth for the Ramsbottom safety valves which are present and correct inside the metal safety valve cover. The chimney is even the correct pattern rolled steel riveted to the base casting.

Steve

 

So in theory then...

 

That is good to know. But where did the rumour of wooden mock-up fittings come from?

 

Surely 2 GER 0-6-0s means the NRM will be looking to de-accession one...ahem! I'm not entirely sure I like the idea of assets preserved by future generations being removed from the national collection in order to free up space for more cafes etc at York or overseas locos or modern boxes (but then I am a steam nerd)...but, we are very lucky in that we have a large number of very professional trustworthy custodians and I would love to see this run so I am sure my reservations would soon evaporate

 

The NRM has two GER 0-6-0s? I think one 0-6-0, one 2-4-0 and one 0-6-0T - all very different beasts.

Barry

 

I have thought for some time that the j17 is a bit of an odd locomotive not-to-have at York?

I believe that it represents a type of locomotive that isn't currently displayed at York- the workaday 0-6-0 tender locomotive.
I know the Q1 is there, but it represents the final development of the 0-6-0 in the UK and also the war effort and cannot really be described as 'typical'.

Previously 'Maude' from the SRPS was displayed to show this type of loco, and I guess the other NRM representative of this type would be 44027- but she is at the Vale of Berkeley under restoration.

Chris

 

Agreed - it seems to feature in so many photos taken on the Hitchin - Bedford line, usually at Henlow.

 

Speaking of the E4 this may be of interest. Played 'hooky' from school on April 29th, 1957 to visit Hitchin shed (34D). Dumped at the back was 62785 rather looking like the next candidate for the scrap heap. Surprisingly, it was transferred to Cambridge (31A), and re-activated. Even more surprisingly it survived to later become part of the NRM collection!

The photo was taken using a 1930s Ensign Midget camera, f/6.3 lens and fastest shutter speed 1/100 th of a second. It used Ensign E10 roll film 1-3/8" wide on spools only 5/8" diameter giving eight exposures 1-1/4" x 1-5/8".

 

Hit the wrong button accidentally, so:-


A bit more to this visit was that I came close to 'buying it' as the saying goes. Waiting for the train at Hatfield to get to Hitchin I was unaware that platelayers were working on the Down Main south of the platform and had inadvertently left a 'heel & toe' jack by the rail as a Down express headed by a V2 came past. The jack got caught up with the loco and was spat out towards the north end of the platform narrowly missing me and rebounded off the building at the far end to then strike the first coach. My train came in and on the way near Knebworth (on the Down Main) the V2 and train were seen stopped on the Slow. It later came into Hitchin where the first coach was removed before it continued on its journey.

 

Returning the E4 to traffic, romantically speaking, would be wonderful, not just for lines like the NNR and MNR, but also to represent those class members that were put to use on the Stainmore route. However, the practical head in me is wondering just how useful an E4 would be - surely it would be a little underpowered for something like a high season train on the MNR? Does the J15 at Sheringham have load limitations at all or are they just happy to send it up Kelling Heath Bank with as many coaches hanging behind the tender as need moving?

 

I was under the impression that since it's last overhaul the NNR J15/Y14 did have a load limitation imposed to about 4 carriages, but could still act as a back up for high season 5 coach and a van trains if needed.

 

The Ahem! was meant to indicate my tongue was slightly in my cheek and I knew I was stirring a little. I know they are very different but my comment was in response to the recent disposal of the T3 to the Swanage Railway on the grounds that there are other similar locos in the collection and that they don't have the space or resources to do it justice. The NRM do hold half of all extant GER design locos (sorry if my maths is wonky but it is 3/6, isn't it?) so on balance I think I would like to see at least one let out to steam