Tyseley Locomotive Works and VT Matters

I have no news about the Bloomer but I surmise that Tyseley have several higher priority concerns at present. They did however mutter about having it ready for the beanfeast when HS2 arrives in Brum.

If they haven't finished it before I die, they will get a small dollop of cash from my estate towards it.

 

According to an interview with Michael Whitehouse in Trackside they have a full order book on contract works(6880, 71000, Kinlet Hall) until 2024, and an essential programme of carriage upgrades - retention tanks and central locking. So no works on anything else at present.

 

Responding to the post in the Vintage Trains 2024 thread:

From the Editor's notes accompanying the press release on de-accessioning Kolhopur:

"We are de-accessioning Kolhopur as she is non-standard with the rest of the collection. Furthermore, the estimate to return her to main line operation is around £750,000. However, 4965 can be returned to traffic quickly for around £100,000 in her current configuration. For approximately one third of the cost of returning Kolhopur to service, we consider that (at 2024 prices) we will be able to return 4965 to traffic. We will approach this work in stages. Funds are available for her ten-year boiler overhaul and this work will commence in March. Subsequently (subject to funding) we will modify her cylinders to fit almost anywhere within the Network Rail loading gauge and, furthermore, convert her to burn liquid fuel, based on the GWR oil firing system. When all this work is all funded and completed, 4965 will be as useful and gauge friendly as 5593 would have been."

So as I read it, £100k for a quick return to service and another £150k for modified cylinders and oil firing, subject to funding.

 

I would be curious to know what that cylinder modification would be - reducing their diameter or repositioning the existing ones so they are tucked in a bit more?

 

Make it into a proper 4-6-0



https://www.nnrailway.co.uk/portfolio-items/lner-b12-8572/

 

One would assume similar to the amendments to 6024's cylinders, same bore but the wider structure redesigned to facilitate less width. Albeit not sure we will see 6024 using those cylinders in the near/medium future?

 

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You’ll give those at Didcot ideas!