What really happened to steam? A new project is launched.

Since the end of steam on BR, there have been many books produced listing the disposal details for thousands of steam locos - which scrapyard they were cut up and when.

This information has been taken as FACT, never questioned. Until now.

After several years of painstaking independent and verifiable research, The Railway Magazine can exclusively reveal that around 40% of the disposal detail previously published is completely wrong. These errors have been perpetuated by a succession of authors in published books.

The discovery of the errors has led to the creation of a new project together with a new website devoted to the project, encouraging enthusiasts to review the notes they may have taken during shed visits and to scrapyards to help confirm the final resting place of the hundreds of steam locos in question. There are some locos where their demise was never recorded.

In the November-dated Special BR souvenir issue of The Railway Magazine, out on October 7, there is an exclusive six-page feature that tells the background to the research, who has been involved, what has been discovered. The feature also includes a comment about the project by Peter Hands, on whose ‘What Happened to Steam’ books on which many authors based their subsequent disposal lists. The issue also includes the first part of a special feature on BR under its various Chairman covering from 1948-1971. Price of this souvenir issue is £3.95.


Please feel free to use this thread to add your own comments as to what information you have as regards the mis-reported disposal of locos which will be passed to the project leaders, but please be aware that I do not plan to enter into a lengthy debate about the project, it’s rights or wrongs. We are just the messengers and helping to correct history.

What I would welcome is that any information you may have about steam loco disposals, what you saw and when, with pictures if possible, is emailed to The Railway Magazine at: railway@ipcmedia.com


The new website, www.wrhts.co.uk, will be live by Wendesday to coincide with the publication of the feature. Please visit it and find out more - and thanks for taking the time to read this.

 

Oh goody! Plenty of opportunities for more "Strategic Reserve" stories!
Cheers
Alan

 

sounds interesting, looking forwards to Wednesday morning

 

That was my first thought when I read the posting!

 

Do you really WANT such knowledge to be lost forever?

........

 

Personally I rememebr those events of 1968 where I was present with amazing clarity.

They were halcyon days of growing up mixed with finalities that had no place in teenage years.

For my own concerns, and no doubt those of others who were there I applaud Chris's attempt to at least factually log one part of the record, and will draw a veil of silence over the unfortunate response of one individual who calls himself an editor, who having yet again published a complete fiction, had the audacity to respond in deprecating terms to an attempt to corret the record.

You either have it or you don't. I think that all things taken into account Chris does.

 

:rip:

 

Don't know who you mean ... honest guv!!

deleted

 

Hope we'll see no more of this

mine deleted too