BR STANDARD STEAM LOCO FOR SALE

Hi

Traction ads are advertising the above for sale, full working order.

Does anyone know which engine it is and its condition / estimations of its value?

And why are owners so cagey about advertising full details of the sale and what price they are wanting for locos?

 

92203 Black Prince has been advertised for sale by David Shepherd.

 

Reading Heritage Railway Mag today. There is an exclusive interview with David Shepherd about the sale 0f 92203. I wonder who would consider buying this loco? The loco has still got 18 months remaining on its boiler ticket according to David Shepherd.

 

It will be a sad day for David Shepherd when he does finally part with her. I met him many years ago at the ESR and he said 92203 was like a member of his family. He does get very emotional about Black Prince.

I wonder who will be able to afford her at the moment? Are there any railways with the money in reserve to buy her and pay for the overhaul?

 

Besides having money in reserve (or some rich supporters), it would also have to be a railway that could offer a machine like a 9f a reasonably long run and/or some decent gradients. It would also be a line looking to expand its fleet. That does rather cut the options down, but who knows? A year ago, I doubt if many people would have anticipated that the SVR would add a second Bulleid pacific to its fleet. Black Prince may likewise end up being sold to someone quite unexpected.

I also believe that David Shepherd wanted to see his engine work over the Bluebell Line when they reached East Grinstead (He sold his beautiful house at Hascombe in Surrey and now lives near East Grinstead, so I read somewhere) It would be sad from his point of view if this doesn't happen now, but with 92212 on hire for most of 2013, I would be very surprised if the powers that be at the Bluebell want to bring in a second 9F. Still, that's only speculation on my part. Stranger things have happened.

 

The Bluebell already have a 9f that they don't want to/have time to/have money to, (pick your reason) rebuild - which is why they hire in 92212. I doubt they would want another one, albeit working, if it doesn't have a new ticket.

Pity the MHR can't afford it - 92212 will be missed whilst it's away.

 

The Bluebell's motive power problem is that we can't restore the engines we have, not that we don't have enough engines. We also don't have enough under cover storage for our existing fleet, without extending that problem by another 65 feet...

So very difficult to imagine that, on a purely commercial basis, that 92203 near the end of its ticket would be an attractive proposition to purchase outright. (18 months of hire might be an attractive proposition and would allow David Shepherd to see her running into EG as well as tiding us over a critical lean time in motive power terms when we first start running on the extension - but that is whimsical speculation on my part, not based on any inside knowledge, so please don't read anything into it. I am not the rolling stock director!)

Tom

 

It will be interesting to see how quickly 92203 sells. Buyers didn't seem to be thick on the groud when 92214 was for sale, and that had longer on its ticket. There are very few railways with the length, gradients and weight of trains to be able to make sensible use of one of these engines and most of them already have one!

 

Having traveled to the excellent West Somerset Railway specifically to travel behind 92203, I think this would be an excellent place for it to be based. The longest heritage railway in the UK, with turning facilities at both ends.

 

92214 was never put up for sale. It went on a visit to the NYMR, a question was asked and an offer made. The rest, as they say, is history.

 

So what's the going rate for a 9F with 18 months ticket still remaining on the boiler?

 

And - until its looming heavy overhaul, one of the most complete ex BR locomotives going.... wonderful machines.

Just going on about the WSR and its triangle, whats the plan for normal services. its something like a 7 mile round trip from from Bishops Lydeard to Norton and back - I did it on Kinlet Hall at the recent Autumn gala and its like half an hour. Cant see this happening every trip on the low season timetable, does anyone know?

 

No plans to turn locos on a regular basis on normal service days - there just isn't time.

Steve
WSR :: West Somerset Railway :: Pictures and News

 

Not sure that this is quite true. Whilst it was never formally offered for sale, I believe that, whilst it was on hire to the NYMR, the owning group made it known that they were wanting to sell the loco. I certainly had heard this long before the present owners entered negotiations to buy.

I'd think that the NYMR could make good use of 92203 but there certainly isn't the funding available to buy it. Unless a benefactor steps in, that is. Any offers? (I'm not speaking for the NYMR, BTW!)

 

I have a soft spot for 92203 as she was the pride of Birkenhead Mollington Street shed and was the engine they always turned out for the various end of steam specials and events in the Wirral (last John Summers Iron Ore Train, the last Paddington to Birkenhead special etc) - that said, I hope whoever buys her will keep the "Black Prince" name - it always seemed very appropriate.

 

As a Birkenhead lad & frequent visitor to Mollington Street in the last years of steam I can well remember 92203 & her 55 sisters at the shed. I would not keep the phoney name if it was up to me. The only 'named' 9F we ever saw was 92102, which somebody had christened 'Flying Dustbin' in chalk on the smoke deflectors.

I also watched 92203 on the last Summers iron ore train courtesy of a railway enthusiast sports teacher ,who let us do a cross country run to Storeton , which was a mile each way more than normal.

Bob.

 

Maybe Llangollen could be a good home for it ?, though a 9f at north staffs could also be a good place.

 

Perhaps it is more important that the locomotive is going to an appropriate home with the resources to overhaul the loco rather than just achieving a good sale price. A serious buyer would already have an idea of the locomotive value, would have an independent survey the locomotive condition undertaken and then have sufficient reasons to convince the owner that his proposal would give the locomotive the best future.

Having read his railway autobiography "A Brush With Steam" I can't see David Shepherd selling "Black Prince" without being reassured first that it will not be going to be put into the care an idiot.

 

I agree with Steve, that isn't how I remember it - after it had been running at the NYMR for a few weeks we heard that it was for sale and I think that the railway management encouraged the present owners to take it on, knowing that they wanted a loco, albeit not of this type. However, I think that they'd been n it enough by then to be impressed!

I'd also agree with Steve that it would be great to see 92203 added to the NYMR fleet as its perhaps the main railway (at the moment) where it's potential is even close to being used

 

Did we all jump to the wrong conclusion in assuming that this was 92203. Could it actually have been 80078? Either way, it seems 92203 is for sale and 80078 has been sold!