Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway

I've sometimes wondered whether it would be possible to create a new railway alignment alongside the road? Sure, it would be expensive, but many projects that would have been considered "impossible" in the 1960s have since happened...

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I’ve said it before but the Fairburns would be far better used elsewhere.

 

Why ?

They suit the line and are the iconic feature of it. Accepted that the usual Austerities (identified as 4F by tractive effort) are capable of meeting the timetable but it's nice to have something unique to attract visitors. Many may remember that 42085 once visited the GCR in 2009 but that is the only time that I recall either Fairburn leaving the line.

 

All valid points, but given how useful the Standard 4s are on larger, longer heritage lines and the fact that industrials chugging along at 15MPH or class 2s are perfectly competent, it seems a waste. A bit like owning a Land Rover when all you ever do is drive your kids to school 2 streets away in a suburban estate...

 

I don’t have easy access to my notebooks today, but I definitely had a ride behind one of the Fairburns on the Bluebell Railway, maybe 20 ish years ago. I think they had undertaken some work on the loco.
This is not to disagree with the point you’re making, just the ramblings of a tired grandad….

 

Visited in early 2010 in connection with the Bluebell’s 50th anniversary year. I think that may have been the first visit by the loco to another line.

Tom

 

I think it comes down to the fact that the owners of the Fairburns want them to stay where they are. At the end of the day I’m grateful they were saved, and are on public display in the sheds when not in use.

out of interest does anyone know the number of steaming days the Fairburns have per year?

 

We've always been lucky when holidaying in the area and it has usually coincided with a Fairburn being out - I felt very privileged one year I'd bought one of the footplate passes and it happened to be on a day when one of the Fairburns was out!

I believe they generally run them bank holidays and in the school holidays, at a guess I wouldn't imagine they've tended to do too many more than 30 steaming's in a year?

 

None at the moment - 42073 is stored/on display, 42085 is being overhauled.

 

42085 also visited the NRM in 2011 I think.

I was doing some volunteering at the time and spent a couple of days helping to clean it for its visit.

The period I was able to go up when working locally the 42073 was out fairly regularly, 420825 less so as it was nearing the end of its ticket and was quite tired from memory.

Chris

 

I stand corrected re Fairburn visits BUT the main point re being the line's iconic feature still pertains. Where a line has a unique loco (e.g LHR with its Fairburns; CVR with its S160s; SR with LSWR 563; BWR with its 2-4-0WT locos) the loco is the attraction to the line. In my case the SAR Garrats on the WHR are the reason for my interest and support. Once a line has ascertained which loco is the one which best draws visitors it will obviously keep close watch on it and its usage hence the LHR preferring to keep its Fairburns on the line.