7822 'Foxcote Manor'

I think you'll find Tornado is different as A1's did carry Apple Green, BR Green & Blue so 60163 is a fairly accurate representation, a Blue Manor never existed at any point.

As for going on about inauthentic loco's to certain lines, I don't recall making that point ?, in any case there are only a limited number of sites you can take rolling stock, so in many ways that is not a choice at all, whether something looks like it did however is a choice that is within your control.

 

Surely the only thing Bala Lake is interpreting is a trundle on a small train beside a lake ?, I doubt it was their intention to try and display a cross country GWR route as it was ?.

 

The Gwili railway have a dining train in sponsored felinfoel brewery livery. Most would agree it looks fantastic, is it un authentic maybe? But it serves a purpose and sets off the dining train!

 

I wonder if welsh guardsman will go into the brewery's livery, seeing as they are sponsoring the overhaul. How authentic would that be?!!

 

The only people who would remember Austerities in their original livery would be coal miners or soldiers (not sure of its origin!) & it wouldn't matter to most enthusiasts as it's never been a main line loco.

Bob.

 

So your basically saying an austerity can be painted in any livery, and no one will care, but if you paint something built by BR in a different livery then it's very wrong.

I'd have thought a lot more people would remember industrial liveries, as these locos were working well into the seventies.

 

Bob is sadly right, when it comes to preservation in the UK, most support goes to exBR steam and can be very polarised.

I kind of relate it to a maturity / educational curve, (the general public dont care as long as it smokes), then we have most enthusiasts. set off liking all things ex-BR, then they specialise to a region (or class) and all things that region/ class. At that point a small percentage graduate to a wider interest, Be it narrow gauge, pre1923, industrial, international etc, and finally the top tier goto doctorate level and go for just about anything steam with an open mind.

 

Livery really is an emotive subject. Personally, I prefer the idea of 7822 being in blue for a short period to the fully lined out livery carried for many years by 7827 and currently 4277 and 5239 (with the added names of course) which to my mind is quite alien looking. But there we go, it's not something that everyone is ever going to agree on.

 

Well you would be really wrong there. I remember Austerities in their original liveries very well and I am not an ex miner or soldier. I suggest you check on some dates before posting that statement. The NCB were using them into the 1980s at several sites including the very public Mountain Ash. I for one get fed up with the anguish over BR locos being put into what enthusiasts think is a non standard livery yet they think austerities are fair game.

 

I'm fully aware of when industrial steam lasted until, having spent many hours visiting N.C.B. sites among others & at one time was involved with restoring industrial locos. While we restored ours to their original livery (and lining in one case) others were painted in the owners choice of livery , but nobody complained (to the best of my knowledge )as they were not ex B.R. locos.

Bob.

 

I dont think it will be painted in Felinfoel Livery although i would like to see that. I'd take TVR 28 in steam over anything BR personally. All locomotives however have their place in preservation and there are a number of manors so if one is painted in blue for a short period it may make for some variety which is a good thing! Thomas the tank engine livery is not correct however it attracts the public. Most preservation lines aim to do that, attract the public and bring a railway back to the community. There will always be 95% of locos in 'correct' livery for only the 5% that care..

 

Knowing a few Academic doctors I think it might be the other way round - the more specialist you become the less open minded!

As we're onto Industrial now I'll put in my two pennyworth as someone who likes to see a correct livery - if a member of the class carried it in non-preservation service, then it's fair game. That must give tens of options to Austerity owners. Obiously with other industrials that may be more limiting - the mega-Bagnalls for example to my knowledge only ever carried one or two liveries.

Regarding Thomas the Tank Engine I think that is a somewhat different situation. TTTE is fiction, and anyone beyond a six year old is going to be aware of this, and that any representations of TTTE will be based on fictional works. There is also the obvious financial benefit of TTTE events.

Whereas, say, a Blue Manor, rebuilt MN or Red 8F is not based on a fictional work, but a 'might have been' concept that could conceivably be mistaken as an effort to evoke the past. I realise that, a little like a TTTE impersonator, there is a financial benefit in 7822's case, and I and others have made clear that whilst we don't like the choice of the benefactor, the financial benefit in this instance makes it expedient. The same could not be said for 48624 or CanPac back in c.2000 however.

 

While not strictly an incorrect livery, I wasn't really a fan of Sir Nigel Gresley as 4498 in LNER Blue, it wasn't that the livery was incorrect, but an A4 in LNER guise without the valances over the wheels looks a bit naked, I know this condition is accurate for post war (though she was number 7 then), but I associate it with the BR condition of 60007 now and 60009, Bittern with the valances in LNER condition does look very nice, yes the double chimney is incorrect technically, but that's next to no visual impact.

 

There are rumours around that this planned repaint into Caledonian blue is not now going ahead. Is this true?

Regards

 

Just rumours I'd guess. Was speaking to one of the committee members last week, and he said the sooner the better.

 

So do you expect it will be completed before the SSG in April?

Regards

 

It was planned to keep it green so it would match 7812 for the spring gala, but now that isn't coming they were looking into getting it done prior to then. See what happens I'd say.

On a different note, the tender wheels have arrived back in Llan now, and were being painted last Sunday. All the tender brake gear, axelboxes and under keeps have been cleaned. It shouldn't be too long now before the tender is reassembled now.

 

No news yet as to a re-paint date? Very close to the SSG now! Is the Owning Group getting cold feet over this matter?

Regards

 

Not at all. There is still no wheels under the tender.

A paint job can be done in a couple of weeks, so there is still time if its to be done before the gala. It's still very much up in the air at the moment as to when it will be done. The original plan was for it to be done in October.

See what happens is all I can say. It will mostly depend on the wheels going back under the tender so it can be moved back inside the shed.