1014 County of Glamorgan

Not forgetting Pendennis Castle

 

At the risk of getting some ire from a number of posters - but I think there's a fair amount of unfair criticism made the last couple of pages, not least some mudslinging that isn't entirely fair either.

Didcot IS a crown jewel in preservation's crown still. There is nowhere else you can see the sheer breadth and variety of GWR engines or rolling stock.

Where else can you regularly see a working restored steam railmotor and trailer?

I can't think of anywhere else in the country that still has its original shed, and most of its original buildings, whilst being main line connected, in the way Didcot is?

They've undertaken some truly amazing projects. The Saint is going to be stellar. They now have two broad gauge replicas on site, and the only stretch of working broad gauge line in the country. An original transfer shed too.

The King already IS stellar, despite not going mainline. Mine and others enjoyment of that locomotive has not been sullied by not going mainline. It has drawn crowds wherever it goes.

Hiring locomotives in is what everyone else does - how this is a criticism I have no idea? Everyone else does it, why should Didcot not?

So yes, there's questions about the County and to a lesser extent Night Owl. Fine. Debate that constructively, by all means.

But do not run down the GWS for the sake of it. We are privileged to enjoy all that they've saved - and for the Great Western Railway, they have done so much that we should remember that here. Their locomotive collection, it could be argued cogently, is only second to that in the NRM.

So please guys - by all means lets debate the individual projects. But the GWS and Didcot do not deserve such unpleasant ire.

 

Possibly not, although the fact that this issue comes up so regularly with the same people making the same comments over and over again does make one wonder. As I said before I am a fairly longstanding GWS member, although I have not set foot in the place for 10+ years due to geographical issues, however there are a number of issues which I think do affect the site and organisation;

The sudden rush for new projects was before my time as a member, however it seemed to be driven on the whole by a couple of people who I suspect sat down one evening after discussions with VGC and had an idea (I wonder if a pub was involved?) whether it was a good one depends on where you stand, yes things have got lost in this change of tack and it now seems to be going back the other way, hence the pause and realisation that the Churchward County would be better delivered outside the Didcot bubble, likewise the 47xx is standing alone and being delivered elsewhere? In that time there was also a huge amount of unforeseen issue with 6023 which has sucked up reserves, likewise the delays in 4079 and 2999 are strange but down to human resources as I cannot imagine for one minute the GWS management have directed volunteers away from them to work on the County.

Not sure how the existing collection has been neglected, from admittedly photos of others, all looks up together, clean, in the dry and displayed within an entirely correct setting? As for the hiring issue, they have admitted a ball was dropped (although I think there was an issue with restoring 1369?? (the Churchward saddle tank) which left an unexpected hole) and it is being addressed, again not helped by the issue with the branch which was addressed over the winter.

I don't have accounts to hand but from recollection the new builds at Didcot have their own funds (likewise with 1466 for instance) so depend on people donating to that specific fund and not on money from general reserves, in terms of human resources volunteers work om what they want to work on, people working on the County may not want to work on other things, this is a criticism leveled at many new build projects beyond Didcot but I have never seen any real evidence to support the suggest that new volunteers are that footloose?

Frankly the fact of the matter is that locos like the Halls, Manor etc are really not worth steaming on the DRC site and whilst they might be hire opportunities does that actually make sufficient cash especially with the ball ache of getting them in and out of Didcot (which I imagine is now even harder in terms of height due to the wires going up), plus they don't fit on the mainline anymore. If they steam them just to trundle around it would cost a fortune and just cause wear and decay, not saying I am happy with that but its the way of the world. I recall that they have now set up a dedicated small engines fund for loco's on the site which should address requirements on site going forward.

My main concern with the new builds now is the simple fact that by the time they are finished will they actually fit anywhere and if they cannot go mainline they seem to have limited merit for Didcot as they are unlikely to actually spend much time there?

Herein lies the kicker for Didcot, its a wonderful historical resource, it simply is one of the crown jewels, but what makes it thus also contributes to it being left behind. For people like you and I who have a real interest in the details of a running shed, and a fleet of engines its really interesting, however it just doesn't have the facilities to attract families for a day out. As I said I haven't been for ages but last time I did we didn't have our little one, we do now and I can say that if we took her (and she likes steam trains) she would be bored within a couple of hours, I have friends living down that way who have kids and take them to the GWSR for the simple fact in addition to the history, atmosphere and getting up close, you also get a decent ride on a train! Didcot cannot ever offer that and thus its always going to struggle to attract families, their educational stuff with schools is brilliant but again kids don't want that at weekends, now there are many ways you could possibly enhance facilities for normals, but its always going to erode the character of the site, sadly you cannot have it both ways.

As both the Patriot and Grange projects are entirely stand alone projects that merely use Llangollen as a base not sure how any parallels can be drawn?

I am not in anyway saying Didcot nor its management is perfect (frankly any volunteer group will never keep all members happy all the time) but it has a fairly unique set of circumstances within which it operates. If you look at similar sites, Tyseley operates an engineering function and Steamtown died a death in the 90's.

 

Neglected? There's not much of a linear scrapline at Didcot compared to many other lines. Its easy to point to a number of formerly preserved locomotives reverting to Barry status, but not many at Didcot. The main collection is kept in reasonable order, even if they aren't in steam. There's a non-operational locomotives team who are doing very good work on keeping the collection presentable. There's more of a pile of oddments behind the shed than one would like, but its trivial compared to anywhere else I've been.

 

if it's not worth steaming the bigger engines, they should bite the bullet and display them properly, and use the panniers and prairies for the live steam experience, and if they have to hire in a loco, try to find a GWR one. However, if it's not worth steaming the Halls and Manors, that same applies to the Castles and Kings and definitely to the Saints and Counties.

I don't know how your little one lasts a couple of hours before being bored, I was there for less than an hour on my last visit.

 

never mind the waiting list behind the shed, it's the sight from passing trains that should attract comment. Many of the vehicles parked in the prime site alongside the shed are not a good advert for the place.

 

Easier said than done. How many railways around the country right now have a spare, operational GWR loco? Nearly everywhere seems to be tight for motive power. This year they have had "Baxter" from the Bluebell; not much historic relevance to a large mainline GWR running shed in Oxfordshire, but its an interesting and historic loco (not too far removed from "Shannon" in age and size); kiddie-friendly and easily capable of taking a coach or two up and down the running line at low running cost. I'm struggling to think of an existing and available GWR loco that would have been available to do the same job: not least because - due to the way the GWR renewed and beefed up its fleet in the twentieth century - most "small" GWR locos aren't actually that small, and are therefore well suited to, and able to find remunerative work on, much larger railways.

Tom

 

why does it have to be a small loco?

 

I don't think you're appreciating it in quite the same way the rest of us do. I love walking round Didcot for hours on end!

 

So how many large GWR locos are currently available to hire?

Tom

 

First of all. The Grange, Patriot, B17 new builds at Llangollen are all private owning groups and pay for Llangollen engineering to do the work, along side volunteer led projects that are based at the railway. Didcot is very different. I don't think it has the same number of paid employees or is set up as a contract engineering base to get outside income. Maybe that's the problem? But then again due to the location and the difficulties in getting stock in and out it will just never happen, so you rely on volunteers predominantly or raise money to pay people. But there is another issue. I think I'm right in saying that the county project only raises £30,000 per year and with that income they can't afford to build a brand new boiler.

Going back to an earlier post about the 8F. Time and time again it will come back to the fact that NO ONE bought it. You can go on and on about how it should have been saved, but where were the people to do this when It happened. There wasn't any.

The boiler went to the County
The front Pony wheels went to the Patriot
The driving wheels went to 8624 group
The cylinders went to Ian Riley.
Not sure what else went where.

 

You're not alone there Simon. Yer actual 'linear scrapyards' have always held an endless fascination for me too, but ..... for better of worse, there are a lot more of 'them' than 'us' and it has to be admitted that nearly all of the subtle charms of stock awaiting it's turn for full restoration aren't what most of the wider public shell out to come and see ..... and since it's their patronage which is the difference between oodles of happy happy visitors and endlessly struggling to stay viable, I fear thee and me would be heavily outvoted on this one. Sad? Perhaps so, but true nonetheless.

 

6023?

 

[QUOTE="Gav106, post: 2200640, member: 8212"
Going back to an earlier post about the 8F. Time and time again it will come back to the fact that NO ONE bought it. You can go on and on about how it should have been saved, but where were the people to do this when It happened. There wasn't any.

The boiler went to the County
The front Pony wheels went to the Patriot
The driving wheels went to 8624 group
The cylinders went to Ian Riley.
Not sure what else went where.[/QUOTE]

It's accademic now but I think the first anyone realised the 8F might be available to a new owner was when it started to be broken up. Prior to that enquiries had received no encouragement whatsoever, similar with 44901 too. That is what some find a little irksome, it wasn't as simple as nobody wanted to buy it. Too late now.

 

That's pretty funny!

Serious now. When 6023 has been out and about of late, is she flying the flag for GWS in a noticeable way? The horrible phrase "value adding" springs to mind, or actively raising the profile of GWS?

 

It's accademic now but I think the first anyone realised the 8F might be available to a new owner was when it started to be broken up. Prior to that enquiries had received no encouragement whatsoever, similar with 44901 too. That is what some find a little irksome, it wasn't as simple as nobody wanted to buy it. Too late now.[/QUOTE]

Yes, if I remember correctly, I.R. enquired about 44901 when it was one of the Barry Ten, to no avail.

 

a good question. Surely it would be worthwhile to have a volunteer handing out leaflets to the train-minded passengers explaining where the loco comes from and perhaps offering a 10% discount on a Didcot visit. Bet they don't though

 

That is just the kind of the thing I was think of, but I have no idea what, if anything, happens like that around the traps??? (With me being 10000 miles away from the world's 2nd favourite blue engine...!)

 

Oh right, so it wasn't standing unwanted, rotting, in Barry scrapyard, for 25 years, available to anyone who came up with the cash?

 

Isn't this drift away from the County project just case in point that the beef for many is with the GWS and not this specific project and thus possibly should be moved to a new thread?

That would involve either finding a volunteer in south Devon or paying for someone to be down there handing out leaflets, if it isn't happening which actually no one seems to know anyway?