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35025 Brocklebank Line

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Flying Phil, Apr 2, 2020.

  1. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

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    Although 76084 has made the very occasional foray further afield since its move to the NNR it is really more of an NNR based engine used on services to Cromer, rather like the NYMR engines running to Whitby.
     
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  2. 73129

    73129 Part of the furniture

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    One question that hasn’t been asked. Is there enough main line work out there for another loco. Isn’t there a possibility 34007 will also be joining the ranks of main line locos and also not forgetting 34067 should also be returning to the main line.


    If your adding 35009 to the list what about 35011. Isn’t 35011 also going main line?
     
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  3. JMJR1000

    JMJR1000 Member

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    I'd say the LNER Class 21 springs to mind, and though I can't think of many other significant grants to other locomotives, I speak of grant funding in a broad sense. There a good many kinds of granting funding available to heritage railways and preservation groups if they so choose to pursue them, most perhaps that wouldn't be able to grant them money to fund most of the work required, but can certainly help to go some way in aiding it.

    Ultimately when it comes to funding appealing to the general public is the biggest money maker for most in this sector, and one certainly cannot argue that the more glamorous and grand the loco, the better chance it's got of drawing in grants and public donations alike better. Big and named locos more often then not fit this bill, and the MNs fit this category.

    I would agree with you there over the issue of the fireboxes in Bulleid pacifics being a big issue, no doubt it has been the cause for sidelining a good number of the class at this point. Your own Sir Archibald Sinclair being a prime example of falling to this problem, Boscastle I believe is another, only ran once in preservation but suffered major problem in it's boiler and now years later is only now getting the attention to solve these problems. Indeed as you have said yourself Tom, so wide spread this problem is that a good number of owners of Bulleids have had to come together in commissioning various fireboxes in bulk order essentially! Whether or not such an arrangement can be done for the Merchant Navies I'm not too sure.

    One benefit however I'm sure we can agree, is that while expensive a job to replace yes, I would suspect replacing a steel firebox is much cheaper and simpler a task then replacing a copper one wouldn't it? A clear advantage there.

    On the matter of 350006 - I certainly was not presuming you were decrying their efforts Tom, never would. And I can concede yes that Merchant Navies on heritage lines have not had the best track record. Though I would argue that is down to bad luck generally, along with various other factors. Case in point CanPac had more so been waiting in the overhaul queue as any other engine would, which naturally can take time. Port Line could have been turned around in good time if the SLL had kept ownership of it I suspect, but at the time they had various other Bulleids requiring their attention as well being primarily based at the Swanage Railway which was not ideal for a Merchant Navy. Then it got sold Jeremy Hosking who I suspect could have turned it around in good time too but then various other engines came into his care and they got the higher priority. So yes on paper it seems their records are patchy yes, but I'd say that's more down to other factors then necessarily the locos themselves.

    As for P&O on the GWSR? We can only hope factors don't go against that engine as has happened to it's classmates, but it seems to be in good care on a railway that has by all accounts grown rather fond of it. So it's got itself a good home and support for it's future. All being well we can say the same in due time for the others of it's class too, certainly with CanPac as I get the impression the MHR want to take real good care of it going forward with all the funding and work their putting into it.

    Going back to the topic that is 35025, it's ironic to be sure that for a group that originally sold another of the same class on the grounds it didn't fit into their plans going forward, they now have another. Though of course times have changed now, specifically with the fact their no longer bound exclusively to Swanage so their options are more flexible now.

    I look forward for sure to the day they restore 35025 to steam to be sure, though perhaps more so looking forward to Sidmouth's return for the moment, that engine's been at the sidelines in the SLL's ranks for long enough.
     
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  4. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    There's a lot in that, but I do recall SLL shareholder communications at the time the MNs were sold suggesting a problem with finding railways able to sustain an MN. As I recall (it was a good few years ago now!), the factors included those mentioned in this thread, but also size and weight on a preserved railway's infrastructure.
     
  5. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Certainly Sidmouth will be the SLL priority but, with the move of SKP to the Spa Valley and Brocklebank at Sellinge, there seems to be a resurgence of SLL activity in Kent!
     
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  6. JMJR1000

    JMJR1000 Member

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    Curious then why it is they have changed their mindset on this now, perhaps they've come round to thinking that a MN could be sustainable to operate after all? Certainly there seems to be a lot of interest around it's restoration from what I gather, with a lot of folks donating to the SLL specifically for 35025.

    Oh yes I am aware there has been quite a stir with the SLL somewhat spreading it's wings now, creating a second base at Spa Valley by the looks of things, how likely is that Manston could join Sir Keith Park in Kent I wonder? Seems increasingly likely to me. With 257 Squadron and Eddystone staying at Swanage. The odd ones out in these plans though is Brocklebank and Sidmouth. Brocklebank I don't reckon you need to think about for a good while yet, but Sidmouth certainly is one to think on as to where it'll go.
     
  7. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    What goes around comes around, and the sale was for a variety of reasons of which that was just one.
     
  8. jnc

    jnc Well-Known Member

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    A lot (not all, or even most, I cheerfully concede) of vintage lines now seem to have pretty tip-top permanent way, so although this may still be a factor, I reckon it's less than it used to be.

    Noel
     
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  9. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

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    If here is one thing the WSR debacle should have taught observers it is that not all "Premier Division" lines are necessarily on top of their PWay standards.
     
  10. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    Every Premier Division has its Sheffield United.
     
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  11. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    The loco didn't cost SLL anything, so I imagine that as preservationists they were quite happy to play their part in ensuring the loco has a happier future. They haven't committed to restoring it to operational condition (yet), so any thoughts of where it might run are very very premature!!

    I doubt that Sidmouth's base will be an issue, as some of the other locos will most likely be out of ticket when it enters traffic.

    It's not the condition of the pw that would be the primary issue. The axle weight limit for bridges, embankments etc would be a bigger issue.

    Keith
     
  12. jnc

    jnc Well-Known Member

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    I did mean to include those under my use of the term "p/way", but I guess technically that only includes the rail, sleepers and ballast. Bridges and embankments fall, I guess, under 'civil engineering' - but that also includes drains! Is there a single term for all the stuff that holds trains up?

    Noel
     
  13. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Infrastructure? But that includes everything from track to buildings.
     
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  14. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    Taking a side track, whats SLL's funding arrangement, for instance, does the steaming fees from the in traffic engines go towards that engine? or is it a combined funding, for instance, are the fees from the working engines, also helping to overhaul/ restore the engines being worked on at present to provide the cash flow as well as the donations that are earmarked to that one engine, and those engines once back in traffic, go on to support the next ones being worked on as there is an income stream from the working fleet. The most expensive part normally is the boiler work and much of that currently is out sourced does the SLL have any plans to bring as much of this as it has the skilled staff for in house at some point ?
     
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  15. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    If the engine does end up being Swanage based, its quite likely that if its intended to operate her beyond the boundary, to include Wareham, she is going to need all of that any way,
     
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2021
  16. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Sob who is going to fund that? SLL, who don't really need it on their loco or SR, who do but probably don't need the loco?
     
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  17. twr12

    twr12 Well-Known Member

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    £200k for TPWS, OTMR, GSMR, certification and support coach.
    That’s an expensive support coach!
     
  18. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

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    Re the funding question;- I think the SLL have a very sensible policy so that people can choose to put their donations, or share purchase, to a specific locomotive or into a general SLL fund. I suspect that locomotive running fees are put into a fund for that locomotive's future overhaul.
     
  19. ruddingtonrsh56

    ruddingtonrsh56 Member

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    I believe the A1SLT spent £250k on theirs so it could be worse!
     
  20. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Nothing comes cheap as far as running on the main line is concerned!
     

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