Statfold

Did any one go and see what was there, a friend went and said that these a new arrival

 

Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST ‘Kanaka’, built in 1914 for the Lautoka sugar mill on Fiji. I'll be putting a picture of it on my Narrow Gauge World blog but as I've just returned from a very wet day's firing on the Welshpool I'll be writing said blog tomorrow morning! Will post a link when it's up.
Cheers
Andrew C
Editor - Narrow Gauge World

 

Ah I was told this loco was in the UK a few months ago by some friends from Australia, I should have known it would end up at Statford, which means another visit later this year to see it, well done guys for saving another one.

 

My blog is now up with some pictures from the day including the new arrival - you can find it here;

How many locomotives? | Atlantic Publishing

Cheers

Andrew C
Editor
Narrow Gauge World
Narrow Gauge World | Atlantic Publishing

 

One slight correction Andrew, the Corpet-Louvet is a 2ft 0-6-0 not a 2ft 6in 0-4-0.
You are right about some of the photographers, even when I wear 'correct' footplate attire I was getting dirty looks, next time I will wear Hi Viz!
by the way, I hope your wife enjoyed the burger....

 

I've always liked the Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0s that were amongst the last locos in use on the Australian sugar cane systems. I hope that, one day, one of these might make it home! They were used in Fiji as well so there's probably more chance of getting one of these.

 

I thought it was 2ft but someone tried to convince me otherwise and I hadn't looked closely enough! Shame, would love to see that at Llanfair!

My wife did enjoy the burger, thank you!

 

The grapevine is saying that there is one of the six coupled tender jobbies in the uk as well.......

 

Well that's interesting, it must have arrived fairly recently as I don't think the ASRM site lists any over here, and I think it covers both Aus and Fiji - admittedly, it's a while since I looked. If there is it probably came from either Fiji or perhaps is the one that's been in the USA in New England, as export regs seem to have just about killed off repatriations from Aus.

Edit: The 0-4-0St at Statfold was plinthed at Lautoka Mill, and there was a derelict 0-6-0 T +T listed there as well - presumably if the Mill owners were prepared to sel the 0-4-0 the 0-6-0 might have been available as well.

 

For an idea of whats on (or was on) Fiji take a look at

Vanishing Fijian Steam Locomotives...

"You are right about some of the photographers, even when I wear 'correct' footplate attire I was getting dirty looks, next time I will wear Hi Viz!"


Tis a worrying trend these days as the enthusiast fraternity gets older and get more and more grumpier and to be quite frank some are darn right rude - I tend to keep away from most enthusiast events these days because of these prats.

 

Thanks for this useful link, don't know when it was updated but it shows HC 972 (an 0.6.0) as exported to the UK. I wonder where this will turn up?

Regards

JP

 

Glad it was an enjoyable day for everyone.

Just a couple of corrections.

Its just a Corpet , it predates Corpet Louvet.

The Hudswell Clarke didnt have an official name, it was No 19 in the mill fleet. "Kanaka" was the class name although there were only 2 in the class!

Henry

SBR

 

I wonder where the HC 0-6-0 is in that case. I rckon it would make a very useful engine at somewhere like the South Tynedale. From the photos in the article quoted it looks lie there may be a few more candidates for repatriation - they don't look particularly appreciated where they are!

 

As to the 0-6-0 in the UK, I am told it was rebuilt with a diesel engine in the tender, so it would not have been a true steam loco. It will however need a new boiler to start with.

So look out for a railway that only has a steam outline locomotive. It was only shipped over last year, so somebody must know where it has gone. Collection X possibly?

To answer some of these questions about these locos, I do know of two others which are for sale. But I am awaiting the details of them both. what I will do with that information I have not yet decided but if enough people on this site want to form a locomotive owning group then I will pass it on or get involved with it.

Also as it has already been pointed out to obtain something from Australia, you have to make sure all the paper work is correct and the loco is not subjected to a protection order.

Someone said it would be great to have one of the 0-6-0 locos in the UK, one of the locos I know to be for sale happens to be one of these 0-6-2t locos, You would also be looking at £20,000 transport costs alone from Australia per locomotive, plus the purchase and restoration costs as well over time.

We have all seen that there are many locos which are coming to the UK and I do wonder where they are all going to go, we only have so many railways that they can run on, so unless a new railway like Statfold is built some where, do we need to keep importing locos from around the world so they just rust away in a quiet field in the UK?

regards

Colin Rainsbury

 

There aren't that many NG locos rusting away in the UK with nothing happening to them (apart from collection X of course, and I think they are mostly under cover) so as long as there's a demand for them I'd say keep bringing them. Most of the ones from Mozambique a few years back are now under restoration, for example. The L & B could probably make good use of a couple of the H/C 0-6-0s or Fowler 0-6-2T+Ts for the next phase of its growth, for example and so could the extended South Tynedale. I'd have thought one would be a good candidate for the NRM as well as an example of a typical product for an export market dominated by British builders in Australia.

 

I'll chip in!

 

I do wonder whether the L&B would actually be actively interested in such locos. While it is has Axe and Sid, and I believe would consider hosting other locos owned by supporters, I believe that (like the Corris) the L&B itself would only be interested in new build versions of its original locos.

Having said that, I'm all in favour of bringing in more steam locos!!

 

You may be right, but most ng engines are more like traction engines in terms of affordability and the scale of engineering required and there are hundreds traction engines and steamrollers. If the locos were in the UK and available to be bought I could see them finding homes. It might be argued that whoever bought the five Luttermollers has caught a financial cold but these are rather larger machines that few lines could accommodate, whereas most of the Fijian engines are small and more akin to what is here already.

 

You are right, the long term aim of the L&BR is to have everything as it was in 1935, but also with up to date tourist stock on top. Whether this can be achieved over the next few year depends on having the support to do so.

I would add the comment that once the line has been rebuilt what next? I know I may not be here to see a project which I have support for the best part of 30 year now, and how it is being done, is I suspect the only way it can be.

I would add that setting up a museum collection on the lines of collection X could also be a goal with-in itself and one that does have its own appeal, it may be that this is the road to take while these locos are still about, but unlike collection X you could have three or four open days a year like Statfold where people can go and visit the collection.

The locos don't have to belong to any one railway, since the whole point would be to have them go to different railways and do tours once they have been restored, just like the Statfold Barn Mallett

 

Well, Colin. If you can get details of the loco you mentioned on the ExmoorNg forum, I'm sure there'd be many people interested in helping bring her home and get her running again!