Engines Being Scrapped?

Currently we have the space at Sellindge and the Finnish examples in our care bring in a little rent-so everyone's happy.

 

So still no-one interested in the 2 Tkh tanks, could be testing the owners resolve as the end of the month is near....

 

Anything been sent for recycling yet?

 

Why has the word scrapping all of sudden become recycling... is it supposed to sound more bearable?

Stan

 

I sent an email on to the EOR railway - they were kind enough to pass it on. I've had no contact from the other chap with regards the Finnish mikado.

I suspect whatever little I could have stumped up in any event would have required a lot more people with an interest to join in to save the locomotive. C'est la vie.

I don't think many of us coming into their twenties now can fully realize or understand the role of preservationists in the 50s and 60s. At least, this is the mindset I am slowly coming round to. When you see some of the things that have been achieved by preserved railways up and down the country, and what you'd have to do today and spend to achieve something similar, their work becomes all the more remarkable.

 

It is if one can think in terms of the cash realised, rather than the actual metal, being put into a project like the newbuild Patriot, or the Atlantic or the Saint or the Grange or even a humble industrial tank, in fact anything that is relevant to UK railway heritage rather than an unusable foreign artifact.

 

No, but at least it is better than 'scraped', which also seems to be in widespread misuse.

 

I understand there will be a fundraising appeal in the next copy of Steam Railway to help save the Finnish loco at Ongar.

Stan

 

With the fate of the Finnish loco hanging in the balance, it makes one appreciate how privileged we are in this country. Imagine a an ex-BR engine being exported to Finland and threatened with scrapping. Someone would organise a fund to repatriate it. Three 8Fs have been repatriated from Turkey, Repton, M7 No. 53 and three quarry Hunslets from the USA and Pendennis Castle from Australia. We would have had a Caley 0-6-0 lookalike back from Belgium had some idiotic Belgian not sent it off to a scrapman. If ever 60008 or 60010 were available for permanent repatriation, they would be snapped up, even in the current economic climate. It's a pity that there is no Finnish equivalent to Jeremy Hosking.

 

The North British Locomotive Preservation Group has emerged as the possible saviour of the Finnish Loco, with efforts being made to raise £40,000 to buy and transport the locomotive to the Mizens Miniature Railway for static display, where the NBLPG already have a repatriated NB loco from Africa.

Motivation appears to be twofold - a friendship between a member of the NBLPG committee and the (deceased) original importer of the Finnish Locos, and a belief that any steam locomotive that makes it to 2012 deserves to be preserved.

This all in the latest SR.

Fair play to them. I know I've tended toward the 'if it's of no use and no-one wants it then scrap it and plough the money into other projects' side of the discussion, but now someone has come forward who does want it, and I wish them the very best of luck.

 

Wow, the NBLPG seem to be buying up alot of locos. Whilst it isn't my business I'd much prefer that they got on with their own importations of British built locos which they have been doing so well before they save locos like these.

 

I've just read the article again and what isn't clear is how 'official' this is - whether this is the Committee member's move with the Group's support or whether it is a group move at the member's suggestion.

 

My thoughts entirely. Can't see the attraction of a loco not wanted in it's own country [because as I understand it there are other examples still extant] and which will only be a static exhibit. As far as I am aware there are many more deserving and relevant projects. Even if one discounts the new build and conversions needing funds there are overseas locos deserving of preservation,. These would include further locos from South Africa and AFAIK there still exist a 2' 6'' gauge Kitson pacific and 0-6-2 tender tank plus a Hudswell 0-6-0t+t at a sugar plantation in India plus, probably,other forgotten gems. If you want a 2-8-2 why not try for one of the Turkish Robert Stephenson locos, at least it would be of the right gauge.The jam is being spread too thinly at a time when cash is short.

 

Whilst, as I have said, I have advocated the scrapping of this loco if an interested party can't be found, now that one has been found I wish them the best of luck - it's their money!

 

Good luck to them for trying to save it, preservationists can be put into two camps, the we must save everything regardless, and the pragmatic who says whilst it would be nice to, we cant save everything but less save the best of what we can, im of the later type, ok one has been saved ,
but what about the 2 polish tanks, whats the situation there? Iknow where i would like to see them ,on the Kesr, we need more powerfull engines and as long as they are the same tractive effort as 65 they would be ok, but at the moment we have other pressing needs

 

£40k seems quite a lot for purchasing it ?, at scrap value anyway, is scrap steel really £350 a ton ?

it is still possible to buy pkp steam locos in Poland, restorable and mechanically complete, of similar size for £20k... Pkp has an ol49 for sale right now...there's a smaller tkt also possible for under £15k.
OK transport is involved, but if we're talking true scrap value, it should be just that... Not " for sale for scrap unless you buy at my scrap + premium" at least it seems like that to my simple brain.

 

NBLPG splashing out 40k for something totally irrelevant to their stated core objectives? Is this the same group that triumphantly announced they were building TWO B17s???

Dont notice any Gresely 4-6-0s puffing around anywhere at the mo....

 

Fair play to them indeed. I will drop them a donation once I've read the article in Steam Railway. Thanks for the update Jamie, much appreciated.

 

The problem in the next 20 years is going to be hanging on to what we've got - we haven't really got the Mikado, as it has never really been 'preserved'. Even if I had £40,000 (I do have the space) I wouldn't spend it on buying this and transporting it up here - there's another Mikado not too far away needs some funds. You have to wonder what other opportunities exist for the £40,000 other than hanging on to something because it 'musn't be scrapped' - while other things are deteriorating to the point where scrapping is the only alternative (a certain Crab, for example). ...

Further edit - got a bit further on in my reading and found things seem to be looking up for the Crab too - Oh well, maybe the 28XX's and the Bullied's will be all right as well (I would buy a 28xx if I had the money not just to buy but restore it as well - proper honest locos them!). Perhaps I was being too pessimistic having read through this lot.

 

Which one? There's not many in Britain!

Personally I'm inclined to agree. However, those who want to save the engine now have the chance to put their money where their mouths are: if enough people want to save the engine then they will prevail.

As I've said before, an awful lot of things in "preservation" ultimately boil down to market forces. One could argue: why spend £3 million pounds building Tornado when the almost-identical Blue Peter is preserved? For that money one could probably have built a "Jenny Lind" and some 1840s coaches to go with her, which would arguably have filled a much bigger gap. However, the fact that £3 million was successfully raised for Tornado, whereas a "Jenny Lind" fund has not yet been started, proves that enthusiasts simply wanted the A1 more!