Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway Updates

Some updates I've seen from the E&BASR social media recently -

• GWR 813 was the booked visiting loco for summer, replacing Jessie & Welsh Guardsman. However as we know, 813 failed at the SVR gala so will no longer be visiting. Anyone know what might be hired in instead?
  
• YDR 15, a BG, has gone away for a contract rebuild - apparently major steelwork replacement will be undertaken before it returns to the railway for a repaint.
• BR Class 03 03078 is joining on loan for 6 months from the North Tyneside Railway, to assist with shunting, reduce fire risk and act as a thunderbird.
• 08773's repaint is making strong progress - looks fantastic from pics
  
• Hudswell Clarke Illingworth/Mitchell has been renamed as Nightingale/Seacole, continuing the loco's tradition of carring different names under each of its owners.

 

With fake jets, a nose cone and a bit of yellow paint an 03 would look a bit more like thunderbird 4

 

Haha! Google 'Yellow class 04' and it's not far off as it is!

 

Noticed on Facebook over the weekend it was announced the A Class will be on a visit for a couple of months, presumably to replace 813. Also, noticed on a post that Illingworth was having its paint touched up before a 'holiday'. Not yet announced where Illingworth is going though.

 

I also picked up on this. Trying to work out which railway would have use for a lower-powered industrial loco like Illingworth (generally limited to 3 or 4 coaches at Embsay I believe)... I like this game!

Did anyone notice that the Embsay social media posted a photo of Austerity 'Douglas' dressed up as 52322? Andy Booth must have been killing himself laughing.

 

Well I can think of a railway that has been asking about a loco, on a different thread of this group!

 

I thought that but I'd imagine that they wouldn't still be asking if they had something arranged, and clearly Nightingale-Seacole is spoken for this summer!

 

Duplicate post submitted in error deleted.

 

An appeal recently went out for volunteers to help to clean Illingworth, prior to it leaving the railway in the none too distant future for its summer visit to the LWR. It is down on HOPS to run this weekend though, along with Beatrice. Spot revarnishing was done on the bunker back, due to some recent damage occurring to the finish whilst it was parked in the shed. I spent most of yesterday in Beatrice’s cab catching up with the deep cleaning, as I’ve been busy doing some repainting on her owner’s (John Beesley) GWR Toad brake van, and I didn’t get the time to clean the cab to the standard we’d normally expect it to be last week. The crews don’t really have the time to spend a lot of time cleaning the interior, so John and I normally sort that out between us, to help them out a bit.

I had a look, and most of the services over the next few weeks seem to be a mix of Beatrice and Andy Booth’s visiting loco. The Autocar will also be running on various days, and no doubt the 03. I don’t know the exact dates when Illingworth leaves and the “A Class” arrives, but the loco manager mentioned it to me about the forthcoming cleaning parties, as I tend to get involved with deep cleaning the arriving/departing locos, as well as for specials, such as filming/weddings.


Sorry, I had some images of the interior of the Oyster taken during repainting, and an exterior shot taken a few days ago next to by boss’s GRW Toad, but I can’t seem to find a way of posting them on here.

 

LWR? Leiston Works Railway? EDIT: I presume it’s actually Lincolnshire Wolds Railway?

Also, why did they pair the 03 with the vintage set a few weeks ago? Surely if you’re coming to ride a vintage train of 100 year old wooden bodied coaches, you don’t want a 1960s diesel up top?

 

Apparantly 52322 arrived this afternoon, subject to ftr and steam test running this weekend

 

Yes Lincs Wolds – there are photos on Facebook of it arriving there! No, I didn’t clean it, I was busy elsewhere and wasn’t at the railway. Although I’m outside “the inner circle” at Embsay, I can think of a few reasons for pairing the 03 with the vintage stock, from what I’ve been told. It was substituting for Illingworth for one, as that loco had been setting a number of lineside fires in the tinder-dry conditions. The 03 is very suitable to haul 3 or 4 coach trains during 2-train service days, much like Illingworth. Rather than spend huge amounts of money running a larger steam loco, pulling around fresh air and heavy Mk1 coaches, the vintage set was used with the 03, as that was more suitable for the expected loadings. Beatrice was also in use on those days, pulling the Dining set. Cumbria has also had several tube issues of late, and until the replacements were in stock (they had a long lead time) it hasn’t been in service as much, purely as a precaution. I understand it’s also had a recent hotbox. Not sure what will be happening as regards getting the repairs sorted out, as that will be up to the FRT and our Loco Manager. The 03 is also substituting for the 08, which has been receiving a repaint and repair job during the past six months by the Diesel Department. The only other “in service” steam loco is Beatrice and she can’t run all the time, we do need to do washouts and general maintenance, so the 03 also provides cover for 2705 as well. I look at it this way, it’s better having the contingency plan of the 03, even if it runs with 100y+ old coaches, rather than having to cancel the service altogether! It’s also quite a nice bit of kit as well!

 

Just watched a video from today's charter involving 52322, taken from a brake van.
After leaving Embsay, on the right there is a line of locomotives, mainly diesels but also two steam locos - a pale blue one which looks like it's waiting its place in the restoration queue, and a green saddle tank which looks fairly freshly painted albeit incomplete. Can anyone tell me which locos these are? Thanks!

Edit... Also, can anyone provide any updates on the rest of the steam fleet currently under or awaiting overhaul? I understand Barclay No.22 is due into service this year, and I know they're appealing for funds to overhaul Wheldale.

From what I remember they have a fair few Hunslets 0-6-0STs of various sizes... some owned by the railway, some not.

I believe that Primrose is dismantled in Embsay shed, Airedale is stored outside sheeted over, and privately owned but Embsay-based Warspite and Revenge/Spitfire (Hunslet 50550s - the predecessors to Austerities) are both under overhaul at a firm in Bolton. So does anyone know where each of these is at in terms of their overhaul, and what their timeframe is likely to be. Are any others currently under overhaul?

Thanks in advance!

 

Pleased to read the following in the latest Embsay newsletter.
"We've recently replaced the cladding at the cafe end of Bolton Abbey Station"

 

How does one get hold of this newsletter?

 

https://www.embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk/contact-us/e-mail-newsletter

Sent from my SM-J610FN using Tapatalk

 

Update - Primrose No.2 is currently offsite being overhauled. It is expected that it will return to Embsay once finished.
The two or three under overhaul in Bolton appear to have stalled based on some photos on facebook (which I can't now find) but aren't expected back at the E&BASR once completed.

 

I think these are the photos you are referring to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/163976490369879/permalink/5753302648103874/
I believe one of the locos is Norman which belongs to Southern Locomotives Limited and will be returning to Herston for the completion of its overhaul

 

Yep. I knew about Norman, but really hoping ‘Harry’ has a a secure future, likewise the 50550s of which there are currently none serviceable in preservation!

 

The Austerity 'Harry' and the Avonside 0-6-0ST 'Robert' were previously at Jose K Holt & Gordon's scrapyard in Chequerbent. AIUI they were both purchased by Bryn Engineering and moved to their premises as referred to in the above FB page. The first photo below shows AE1600 Robert surrounded by scrap in Feb.1970 and HC1776 Harry in Apr.1977 shortly after installation as 'Gate Guardian'. I doubt that the ensuing 40 odd years have improved their condition!
Ray.