NRM J17 at Bressingham

No, make em go!

 

The E4 is a remarkable survivor and would be lovely running back here in East Anglia - NNR, MNR, EARM - or even MSLR - would be good homes. But it's the NRM's call, of course.

 

The thing is, Stratford restored it (the E4) to its original external condition, even down to genuine ex GER blue paint. It was amazing what you could find in odd corners of the old Stratford.

But that it ran was not at the time a consideration - I've even heard it suggested certain vital parts are in wood.

It would probably be no more expensive to build a replica. In fact if you did that you could build a batch of vintage looking engines for small to medium preserved lines, maybe even with an option of tank (F3) or tender (E4). If you'd like to sponsor my Euromillions ticket I'll schedule it right after the Aspinall Atlantic.

The J17 could be a reasonable candidate to steam again, it might be in a better condition (from the steaming point of view) because it was painted in the earliest period it would be accurate for, not, as it were, 'backdated'.