Strategic Reserve

\/ very good...

 

Turning it around can you prove it ?, given most secrets from WWII have been made public, if there ever was a Strategic Reserve why has no information of it come to light so many years after the event ?.

 

And why would there have been any need to keep it secret in the first place?

 

You would need about 50 locos for a strategic reserve for this country to cover all possible workings. There would be no point in just locking away a few locos that wouldn’t make sense. One other thing comes to mind what about coaching stock and wagons. Most coaches and wagons built after the end of steam are air brake only. Not much good when almost all steam locos are vacuum brake only.

 

dont forget most MOD loco's were air braked aswell

 

my my we are easily led
next youll be telling me you beleive all the propaganda the government and the bbc put out about global warming

 

up until the late seventies no mod bases were shown on os maps
these dissisions were made in differant times then today

 

whats that supposed to mean

 

But they are not secrets any more. Many other cold-war secrets such as the government nuclear bunkers were de-classified and sold when they became obsolete. So were the 'secret' emergency control trains. Nobody thought it was necessary to hide them any more. In the 1950s a batch of Austerity tanks was built as 'War Reserve' stock and stored unused for some years before gradually entering Army service and eventually being sold with very low mileages. Again it was no secret. Similarly if the government had kept a secret store of steam locos there would have been no need to keep it secret after the end of the cold war. Selling them would have raised a few bob for a cash strapped treasury, perhaps if I'm wrong Gordon Brown will announce this next week!

 

Aplolgies if any of these points have already been covered, but a strategic reserve as some folks imagine it would be almost useless in the early 21st century for a variety of reasons:
Lack of trained footplate staff
Shortage of staff with appropriate maintenance skills
No of infrastructure for steam operation water supplies coal dumps
After a nuclear strike (cold war scenario) no effective communications system to say they were wanted. Signalling systems and phones would be knocked out by a nuclear attack. Therefore steam locos would be no more use than any working diesel loco.
Nowadays nearly every message is via electronic systems which would be wrecked over a large area.
After a cold war style nuclear attack, probably not much workable hardware left anyway - and not many people fit to work what is left!
Gauge clearance, axle loading restrictions and many other problems met every week running charters on the national network.

Of course the first two could be overcome by consripting every railway preservationist with steam skills to use locos from preserved railways ......

Sorry, but in my view a strategic steam loco reserve is in the same category as little green men getting out of UFOs and talking to us. Perhaps the little green men are more likely. ( I've watched too many X-Files repeats - mainly looking for locations around Vancouver where it was filmed.)

Regards, Neil

 

Well i like to believe it.
Wouldn,t it be great,
as for trained footplate staff there are quite a few on here are there not.
my grandson believes inthe tooth fairy and father christmas and why not,it happens,
as for the strategic reserve it does exist,there are depots and staff,and they sre in secret locations, with codenames like NYMR,SVR,RHDR,TR,FR,KWVR,YRK,TY,CF,etc.
if the country needed them the country would have them,
So in my mind a strategic reserve of rail and road steam does exist in the UK but it is not in the control of HMG until the need arises.

The Melter
(Reserve footplateman)

 

I've been to Kineton too. Seen the stuff. Now got some at work - and YES there was a steam loco there for a time





6024



Nothing now. Sorry.

 

I can assure everybody that this does exist. I was told the truth by the bloke that looks after it; a charming American named Elvis.

Meic

 

The same one that works down the chip shop? 8-[

 

Sorry, but that's as much a fantasy as a tunnel full of Granges somewhere in the South West!
Working on a preserved railway does not equip you to function as a driver in a mainline environment - I do both, and was working on a preserved line long before I made the railway my career. Believe me, I had a heck of a lot to learn when I did. Similarly, money is a constricting factor on loco rebuilds, and many are done to a more than satisfactory standard for the work expected of them in their new homes. That does not mean that they would stand the hammer of mainline work, day in day out.

Romsey has pretty much listed all the practical problems with steam. He's right to point out infrastructure. I did above, and received a sarcastic reply about mainline steam specials. These specials are just that. They require a massive amount of planning with regard to water, etc. You can manage that with one loco, not several dozen running services over a whole area. Also, no mention has been made of access to pits for disposal & oiling.

Miff mentions austerity tanks being sold off to industry, after being built as War Reserve. That is what I waould have expected a "strategic reserve" to be, and it sounds like it was disposed of as soon as BR started running steam down.

As for X files repeats - Gillian Anderson would certainly be a more interesting way to spend a cold winter's evening than talking about steam engines!

 

I heard in the 1960's there was a secret location in south wales which recieved 200+ steam locomotives in the event of a national emergency, however when I went there I found an old depot with 6 or so rusted wrecks all owned by the council. Can't think how the other 200 dissapeared without trace or record.

Hold on.. I saw two in London working last week numbers 5043 and 34067... how can this be ?

 

if you want a conspiracy for you, here's something to think about. how come so many railways have survived for so many years with barely any passengers but loads of grants from all the different organisations? simple, the government realised that with so many people wanting to buy steam engines, it was effectively outsourcing the strategic reserve and making a few quid at the same time.

i think we all know of engines that have survived on bailouts, and lines that should have closed years ago due to numerous altercations with the law and no passengers. without realising it, we are the strategic reserve!

 

Can you imagine it - you hear a series of loud explosions and turn on the TV to find newsreader saying "The State of XXXXXX has declared war on Britain and as a result of the nuclear weapons used, it is feared that very little life still exists in this country. The Government are in control of the situation from an underground bunker in a secret location. However, all steam locomotive owners should report to their nearest police station to advise of their type of locomotive and its location. Owners will receive a free box of matches, kindling wood and coal vouchers, and should hold themselves on standby to await further instructions. This is a recorded announcement, recorded announcement, recorded announcement........ "

 

Yes but...

I've been imagining the amusing replies to 'phone calls to Boston Lodge & Pendre requesting power for trains on the Cambrian! And, of course, Romney would be delighted by requests to operate Channel Tunnel \/
Anyway, I'd like to hear more about this strategic reserve of tons of boiled sweets that was mentioned earlier...