If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Locomotives that NEARLY made it

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Hicks19862, Apr 22, 2020.

  1. tony51

    tony51 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2010
    Messages:
    146
    Likes Received:
    327
    Bowaters until 1969.
     
  2. nine elms fan

    nine elms fan Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2012
    Messages:
    2,439
    Likes Received:
    855
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Wessex
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Romney Hythe & Dymchurch railway.
     
    andrewshimmin and paullad1984 like this.
  3. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2017
    Messages:
    12,172
    Likes Received:
    11,493
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Brighton&Hove
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    BICC (Belvedere, N Kent) had a 3'-6" gauge line, which certainly historically used steam locos. Whether or not they made it to closure in 1968, I don't know. This line ran alongside a neighbouring SG route, over a level crossing, down which road ran an electrified tram route!

    Parts of the 18" gauge Woolwich Arsenal system lingered into the mid 60's, though as far as I can tell, the last NG steam seems to have finished around 61/62

    I know we class the RH&D, Fairbourne and La'al Ratty as NG nowadays, but before regauging during the Ellerton era on Penrhyn Point and the Wells & Walsingham set up shop, they tended to be more commonly referred to as 'miniature railways' ... even though all ran to a fixed timetable.
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2020
    andrewshimmin likes this.
  4. Gareth

    Gareth New Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2013
    Messages:
    89
    Likes Received:
    65
    Gender:
    Male
    Reading the latest Steam magazine, John Cameron mentioned that he could have bought any 1 of 5 A4's. Knowing that 60024 (Kingfisher) and 60034 (Lord Farringdon) were two of the locos based at Ferryhill at the time so we could have easily seen either loco preserved if they'd have been in better condition (or 60009 in worse) at the time.
     
  5. clinker

    clinker Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2016
    Messages:
    569
    Likes Received:
    348
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    romford
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer



    The two 3'-6" guage Bagnalls (Sir Tom and Woto) were bought by an East London car dealer (He was also an enthusiast, one time driver at Sammy Williams) They were kept in a yard in Romford probably into the 1980's when they were sold on, I believe that one has been re-guaged to 2'.
     
  6. tony51

    tony51 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2010
    Messages:
    146
    Likes Received:
    327
    Both are now 2’ gauge.

    https://flic.kr/p/QtehM7
     
    andrewshimmin and paullad1984 like this.
  7. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2015
    Messages:
    9,186
    Likes Received:
    7,226
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Thorn in my managers side
    Location:
    72
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Given their size it seems suprising that the line wasnt built as 2 foot rather than 3'6
     
  8. Paulthehitch

    Paulthehitch Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2020
    Messages:
    1,090
    Likes Received:
    1,093
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Hayling Island
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Probably to do with the cable drums they had to shunt around for which special wagonry was devised.
     
    30854 likes this.
  9. clinker

    clinker Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2016
    Messages:
    569
    Likes Received:
    348
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    romford
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer


    There were some small wagons, much like bogies stored in the yard with them, both loco's were oil fired and had a tank about 3' x 3 'x 1' mounted in the l.h.s. of the cab just under the roof
     
  10. tony51

    tony51 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2010
    Messages:
    146
    Likes Received:
    327
    as shown here
    https://flic.kr/p/FN3B5f
     
    30854, Martin Perry, ghost and 2 others like this.
  11. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2015
    Messages:
    9,186
    Likes Received:
    7,226
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Thorn in my managers side
    Location:
    72
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
  12. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    May 29, 2006
    Messages:
    3,967
    Likes Received:
    5,064
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    N.Ireland
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    A submission from this side of the Irish Sea!
    These 2 beasties worked at the Courtaulds factory in Carrickfergus (about 10 miles outside Belfast). They were Peckett W7 0-4-0ST locos 2088 of 1948 "Patricia" and 2113 of 1950 "Wilfred"

    [​IMG]
    Photo from Belfast Telegraph
    (https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/incoming/03f0e/29148474.ece/AUTOCROP/w1000/STEAM 12.jpg) Note the loco name is incorrectly captioned on the BT website.

    It is believed that they were held in the scrapyard for a while, in the hope that they would be saved (particularly since they were only 20 years old), however nothing came of this and they were both scrapped.

    Keith
     
    andrewshimmin and ragl like this.
  13. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2017
    Messages:
    12,172
    Likes Received:
    11,493
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Brighton&Hove
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    A very sad loss, though those which really grate are the fates of the last SG2 and the last UG .... both handsome designs and fine examples of the humble 'bog standard' 0-6-0s which served the GNRI so faithfully, for so long. Neither deserved extinction.
     
    andrewshimmin and ghost like this.
  14. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2006
    Messages:
    11,930
    Likes Received:
    10,088
    Occupation:
    Gentleman of leisure, nowadays
    Location:
    Near Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    An object lesson in how NOT to sling a steam locomotive. fortunately, only the handrail seems to be suffering on this side.
     
    marshall5, LMS2968 and jnc like this.
  15. GWR4707

    GWR4707 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    May 12, 2006
    Messages:
    18,046
    Likes Received:
    15,736
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cumbria
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I have only ever heard of the access problem (geometry and topography) being the cause of her return to Swindon for scrapping
     
    William Fletcher likes this.
  16. William Fletcher

    William Fletcher Member

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2016
    Messages:
    219
    Likes Received:
    237
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Lincoln
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Yes, same story I have heard.

    Back to locos nearly making it, North Staffs 0-6-2T being bought for Lakeside from the NCB but cut up before collection c.1969
    Kerr Stuart "Vitcory" class at Aberaman colliery set aside for preservation and the building it was stored in demlished around it, late 60s
    Then a number of locos preserved, but then cut up, like the two Avonsides at Middleton, wans't one of tem a Mumbles loco?
     
    MattA likes this.
  17. marshall5

    marshall5 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2010
    Messages:
    2,376
    Likes Received:
    3,981
    Location:
    i.o.m
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    It was, an Avonside B3 called 'Swansea'. The other B3 was MD&HB No 21 the original idea was to make one 'good' one out of the two. IIRC Middleton sold one of them to the inimitable Keith Rose who then scrapped it.
    Ray.
     
  18. William Fletcher

    William Fletcher Member

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2016
    Messages:
    219
    Likes Received:
    237
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Lincoln
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Sounds like theres a story to this Keith Rose chap, a bit like the Ttanic Steamship Co and theur locos...

    Many years a go I saw a frenieds Industral Loco Society magazine with an article on scrapped preserved industrials in it, including two Pecketts and firelesses cut up at Chasewater in the 70s too.
     
  19. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2017
    Messages:
    12,172
    Likes Received:
    11,493
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Brighton&Hove
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    One I thought a particularly sad loss, being just so unusual, was Std Gauge Kent Cement Works No.2 Elephant (Brush Electrical 0-4-0st of 1898 and a sometime shedmate of surviving MW L Class 0-6-0st Arthur*). Lasting until 1960, it looked as if someone had put Peckett Triassic's cab on TR No.3 Sir Haydn, whipped off the trailing truck, stuck heavy square dumb buffers on it, then given the result a heavy dose of steroids.


    *Now at the Middleton Railway and named Matthew Murray
     
    andrewshimmin and Richard Roper like this.
  20. marshall5

    marshall5 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2010
    Messages:
    2,376
    Likes Received:
    3,981
    Location:
    i.o.m
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    One of the Pecketts was ex Whitecross Wire in Warrington (maybe P1038?). Its older and pretty derelict sister from Whitecross went to Jim Morris at Lytham who traded it, along with a Sentinel, to a scrap merchant in exchange for ex Preston Docks Bagnall 'Princess'. I believe some major parts of ex L&Y Simplex loco (Service No1?) were lost/stolen at Chasewater possibly rendering it unrestorable. Unfortunately, in the 60's early 70's, industrial locos were sometimes seen as disposable/unrestorable if they required expensive work doing to them. Several locos passed through Keith Rose's hands including Barclay 0-4-0ST 'Chemicals' which returned to industrial service at Shipley and was renamed 'Harry' - latterly at the P&BR . He also had a Bagnall 0-4-0ST which, IIRC, came from an Oxfordshire quarry/cement works but had originally been built for India and had a double cab roof to help combat the heat. The loco was never steamed at Embsay as it required new crown stays so was sold for scrap in the early 70's. He also had an unusual Yorkshire 0-4-0ST on the YDR which carried the name City Link - something to do with a courier company (possibly a sponsorship deal?). Keith was certainly a 'character'.
    Ray.
     
    Cartman likes this.

Share This Page