LSWR T3 4-4-0 going to Canada to appear in Railway Children.

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

Thanks for that Stephen, thats some tent!

Please remember to give 563 a nice hot water bottle at night... shes not used to the cold.

Summer comes soonest in the South

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

Good morning all, just a quick update.

563 has arrived at the CN yards in Concord Ontario. She will be delivered to the John Street Roundhouse today and prepared overnight for a press launch tomorrow, Thursday April 7th at the Roundhouse. I will be down tonight to check in on her and get my own first glimpse of the preparations (i can't stay all night to clean her as i have to work at my day job Thursday after the press event, and that's tough on no sleep!!), and will be at the press event in the morning, so pictures of her safely bedded down at the John Street Roundhouse and of her big introduction to the press will be forthcoming sometime on Thursday.

Information below is from the Productions Website regarding the presser and 563:

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

I'm sure that's going to be a big crowd puller............

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

Is it?!

I don't recall seeing any nameplates on it, I can't see any plates on any of the photos taken of it at Shildon, and the NRM collection entry doesn't seem to suggest it has a name either!

Or is it yet another example of the "...all steam engines MUST have a name" attitude?! :frusty:

Lol.

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

Yes Ian, thats why yours is called Stormin' Norman. LOL

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

I thought young James had already beaten you to it by christened it "Rusty"



Of course what I'm inclined to call the 'eff thing can't be repeated in polite company!
...and I bet it'd trigger auto-censors on here as well! Lol

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

LOL, but it isn't recorded as 'Rusty' in the RLS list..........

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

Delete the railfan attitude, and look at it from the producers point of view. Railway museums and railfanning do not have nearly the footprint in Canada as they do in the UK. We have to work a lot harder to get any attention in any press. "Naming" 563 helps to build traction with the media and in the minds of children/general public in Canada for the show as it is easier for them to build a connection to a locomotive with a name than with just a large piece of equipment with a number.

The Centrepiece of our collection CNR 6213 has no name, we're not likely to give it one, and sometimes its hard to communicate with the general public about the locomotive and its significance beyond its size. Our little 7.5inch gauge steam locomotive No.3 doesn't even carry its name, but we all refer to her as "Sweet Creek" as that's the model name of the kit it was built from, and the public understand that when we refer to her.

The quote from the production was presented as is, if you read the website, 563 is a runner as well, so please, don't confuse those of us from the Museum who know, with those from the theatre industry who are trying to make sure their production is a success (though we at the museum share that hope as it benefits us all to have the show be a smash hit in Toronto at our park!!). Anything i post here is with the knowledge that those reading it are railfans who can make those distinctions!!!

Besides, they'll confuse everyone anyways when the star of the show Vicky takes on her role as The Green Dragon!!!

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

Lol
Nah, they'd call it derelict!

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

When she comes back, how about a return to steam?!

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

now that WOULD be nice. how long is she away for?

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

lol, Oh if only! I would dearly love to see her in steam, i live right next to the west of england mainline, so i have an affinity with all things lswr and Southern. Is it known what kind of mechanical condition she is in?

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

Ok, but tired boiler. The firebox would not pass another go.

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

No. 563 is safely bedded down in Stall 15 of the John Street Roundhouse and is in the care of Toronto Railway Historical Association volunteers, who have been given their marching orders on the cleanup and prep work post Atlantic voyage from our guest Charlie Bird of the NRM.



More pics and such in the morning, but its almost 1am and i have to be down at the museum in 6.5 hours to take over from the night crew cleaning and prepping 563 for the press conference!!

Cheers,

Stephen

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

Depends on which boiler inspector sees it. hwell:
...I'm sure I could recommend one whose guide dog would give it a ticket:laugh:

Nice piccy.

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

Nice to see she's got there safely. Watch that paintwork!

Anthony: Thanks for the info regarding 563's condition. You mentioned a while ago that you were writing an article trying to define the NRM's policy to overhauls and static display, is it available yet? I recall that with the T9 the defining point that allowed for a return to steam was the ability to stitch the cylinder block rather than replace it - was this for financial or conservational reasons (and if both, what was the split - 50/50, 60/40)?

Regarding the T3, would the replacement of the firebox be a problem from a conservational perspective (and also, perhaps, the needs for a repaint - if I remember correctly it is the original 1948 Waterloo centenary job)?

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

A little bit of magic? Actually, we dropped a coupler out of TRHC No.1, built buffers out of some very large timbers, and hooked on to the hook on the tender with a very large lifting strap. For the show, a set of buffers and hook for our flat car which will be acting as a barrier vehicle to get the required distance for the staging have been acquired and will be installed, much like how locomotives built in London Ontario at EMD are shipped to port using barrier flats with buckeyes at one end and hook/loop at the other.

I am just leaving now for the museum, from the sounds of the overnight crew, the cleaning was a success and she should be putting her best face forward for the media in a bit over three hours time!

 

Re: LSWR T3 4-4-0 exported to Canada

Press Event was a big success today. Pictures and Videos to come, but i have uploaded the full set i took last night when the cleaning crew was starting their work on No. 563.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55976115@N00/archives/date-taken/2011/04/06/

-Stephen