SVR Loco Newsy News / discussions

That will be good. I note that 2026 is 813's 125th.

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I hope it can finally make its postponed visit to Embsay at some point.

 

2999 will be visiting for the summer and the ASG. First use will be the 40s weekends.

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GWR 813's saddle tank is on holiday at Boston Lodge North Wales.
Photo: Liam Treveil.

 

2999 has arrived for its summer visit.

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2999 will be on the GW set tomorrow while 4930 has it on Sunday.

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I presume that it is expected to see minimal use or the hire fee is fairly low as other wise it would seem odd to hire out out 7812 and then hire in a replacement.

From a personal perspective I would much prefer to see 7812 running on the SVR as whilst I can recognise and applaud the achievement in completing any new build or conversion they don't have the same attraction to me. I would not avoid but if I had a choice I would just prefer something else as part of the attraction of steam and railway preservation to me is the history and that something historic is preserved.

 

I’ve copied and pasted the below from a comment I posted on Facebook so it may or entirely answer your question, but it should assist with the theory behind it all.

It’s not that there isn’t work for 7812, but there isn’t sufficient work to meet the needs of the group. The EMF need a certain number of steamings per year to make their side of things viable, otherwise when it comes to overhauling 7812 there would not be enough cash in the pot to do so.

The SVR cannot offer that amount of work required by the EMF for 7812 in 2024, nor could they in 2023, as such the EMF have sought alternative arrangement.

2999 has been brought in to cover for the odd days work that is available, whilst also being used at the Gala. This therefore is viable for both the SVR and Didcot, whilst the “odd days” would not have been viable for 7812.

Or to put it another way, by all means 7812 can do a few days a year on the SVR, but it won’t have the cash to be overhauled again then.

 

As somebody with a foot in all 3 camps I can assure you that the decision to use 7812 on the WSR this summer was one agreed between EMF(owning group), SVR & WSR. That decision was based on the amount of paid work available for the loco this summer. The recent hire of 2999 is for a much smaller amount of work in comparison. OK you might not like that personally and there was opportunity to see 7812 at work on the SVR in the early part of this season.
Did you take advantage of that?
As EMF we do our darnest to ensure that our locos (7812,7802,5164) will have an active future. That means that our locos have to earn much of the cost of their next overhaul with other volunteer arranged fund raising making up the difference. Keeping to that only ever gets harder and we are fortunate in having a small fleet of locos such that it will be possible for two to be out working (& earning) whilst the other has funding ploughed into its overhaul.
Keeping all this going is not easy & is a lifestyle for those involved.
We plan to finish 7802 this year and are in discussion re season 2025 for both locos.

 

Harry you crossed with my post re this. It is worth pointing out that each forward year is looked at on its merits. What happens in 2025 is yet to be decided.

 

Apologies if my initial post came across as criticising the EMF. It was not intended at all and I would always back any owning group choosing where they wish to run their loco and what criteria they choose when deciding where to run. I was just trying to understand if it was down to a difference in hire rates or to how much each loco was expected to be used as it seemed a bit odd 7812 going out on hire if there was plenty of work for it on the SVR. I also wondered if maybe having agreed to 7812 being hired out because they had plenty of cover something had arisen and that was no longer the case so the SVR needed to hire something in as cover. Harry and you have answered my curiosity. Good luck with finishing 7802 and as I say I must prefer your locos to 2999, 6880, 60163 etc

 

Is this your loco?

 

7714 back in service today. Looks like 2999 has failed with 13268 covering its diagram and 7714 covering the Mogul

 

another photo of 813's tank at Boston Lodge.
Photo: R Herrington

 

813 today, 18 July 2024.

 

Oh good! A new build GWR '517' class!

 

A couple of videos from the SVR earlier today, featuring 4930 'Hagley Hall' & BR Standard 4MT No. 75069.

 

75069 sadly was failed at KR in the afternoon. 13268 in use tomorrow.

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Any news as to why 75069 has failed? Just interested that's all.