Brecon Mountain Railway

I was wondering if anyone has had any up to date infomation from the railway since Tony Hill's death.

I understand that his family intend to carry on with the railway, but I was wondering if anyone has any news on the locomotive front and those new builds.

I do hope they are not put on long term hold, but they find some way of making some progress with them all.

Colin

 

I've been to the bmr several times in the 2 years and progress is being made the rebuild of the 2-6-2 baldwin as well as the new forney. New boilers and under construction and there seems to be plenty going on.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

 

Michael Hills is/has been very active on one of the narrow gauge groups on Facebook, where he has responded to queries and share photos.

 

Hi do you know which one?

 

He has posted on the 'narrow gauge enthusiasts group', search for 'brecon' etc: https://www.facebook.com/groups/385672148111486/

 

Thanks Christopher for the link, it is looking very good up there.

 

There are some great photos of the BMR's Baldwin No. 1 "Santa Teresa" on the railway's Facebook page, looking very impressive with herfreshly painted cab and boiler fittings in place: https://m.facebook.com/BreconMountainRailway/

I don't think the BMR has enough coaches to run two trains at once at the moment, does it? But I'd love to see their two Baldwins in action together.

 

Yes nice work on the second Baldwin.

 

Exciting times at Pant. What with the other plans being laid (Forney tank etc.), the BMR is certainly ploughing a unique furrow and developing a fascinating character in the process. Can't help wondering if 0-6-2t+t "Graf Schwerin-Löwitz" (allegedly not butch enough for taxing Torpantau services) has much of a future as the odd man out on a line with a distinctly transatlantic theme? Pure speculation this, but I could easily imagine it fitting in well at Alston.

 

Agreed, Graf Schwerin-Lowitx would sit well next to their Henschels and Viennese carriages.

Also, I don't want to hassle the BMR, but I've just been looking at this 28 Days Later exploration of Torpantau / Beacons Tunnel - https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/torpantau-tunnel-brecon-beacons-november-2012.t75874 - and I would give my right arm to see their Baldwins working through there, massive headlamps and all.

 

Tempting thought .... if it would give access to a worthwhile destination. Given it's location, it looks a remarkably dry environment (certainly when compared with Sharpthorne on the Bluebell). I believe any extension through the tunnel has been all but ruled out, though if it is as dry as it looks, it might at least be an ideal site for secure undercover storage of rolling stock.

 

Does anyone know if the Santa Specials run the full length of the line? Tempted to pop along with the family, but only if we get a ride on the extension.

 

If my memory services me correctly then there are 4 of her sisters on Java which I am not sure are still required,it might be an idea to follow up if you are interested.

 

When Statfold bought Trangkil No.4 from it's Javanese owner, the loco had to be made (more or less) fit to steam. This was to comply with an Indonesian law prohibiting the export of scrap metals. Officially at least, it was exported as a working loco, albeit one in need of complete restoration on it's return to Blighty. Assuming said legislation is still current, it adds an 'interesting' hurdle for any potential rescuer to cross. If there are four identical locos still in existence, I wonder if one or more could gain an export licence as 'spare parts' if shipped with 'working' locos?

 

I had wondered something like that myself, a few years go I looked in to the possibility of brings some of them back to the UK, it was just after Statfold had acquired a number of the locos from there, at the time they where very reasonable prices, even with the added hassle of making sure they could steam before leaving, I have been told that most of the locos out there only need to get to about 80psi to pass the test, so it should not be a major problem if you want to go down that road, I would not like to run one in Java condition in the UK mind you, I think it might be wise to have a full rebuild before that happen.

Oh well another lottery win dream dashed.

 

Reading between the lines, the Statfold experience suggests that when Indonesian authorities are convinced of the bona fides of restorationists, their approach is sympathetic. The return of Trangkil No.4 to full health won't have damaged future rescue projects one jot.

I recall my late father drawing my attention to an article, with accompanying photo in his torygraph, when Hunslet turned out No.4 as "the last commercially built UK NG loco" all those years ago.

 

I think I was told that they had a lot of interest from so called railway enthusiasts but it turned out they they where only interested in the locos for scrap, back in the later 1980's they did sell a couple of locos to a so called preservationist, but they found out to late that he was only interested in the metal and it put a stop to any more exports until Graham Lee came on the scene.

The other story I have heard was that there where some people who where doing very expensive steam trips to Java and they kept asking for the locos to stay at the mills what ever the cost. I recall a couple of guys from Buzzard going out there to try and buy some spares for the O&K's they have but no one was interested in selling any of the spares that they had in the store's at the time (I have been told that a load of these spares went for scrap not long after this effort).

 

There was a bad example of that sort of thinking much closer to home in the early 60's, related to my by Robert Hendry. On closure of the West Clare system (on 1st Feb 1961), the three redundant F class B-B diesel locos attractracted the attention of the Isle of Man Railway's management. The CIÉ rejected the IMR offer as inadequate and went on to realise the bare scrap metal price of all three. Perhaps from one perspective, the survival of so much of the steam fleet is owed to that decision. As an aside, I'm unaware any such IMR interest was shown in the WCR railcars, virtually identical to the ex-CDR examples purchased at auction a year or so earlier.

Back to Java, if restoration was a viable proposition, I've little doubt the relevant authorities would 'play ball', especially if the Statfold team felt sufficiently confident in the proposed scheme to lend their weight to any export. Perhaps the folks at the Bredgar & Wormshill Rly (with a similar successful track record of importing and restoring waifs and strays found across the globe) might be interested in a joint project.

 

If I recall correctly one of these 0-6-2T a sister of Graf Schwerin-Lowitz was considered by a group of L&BR supporters a few years ago as a short term loco for the L&BR, sadly my current financial position does not allow me to go and obtain one at present, But I am sure it could haul three or four L&BR coaches without much problem.

 

If there are any of these engines still available I would have thought the South Tynedale in particular ought to be interested in them given their extension plans.