Shildon A4s - 8, 9 & 10

Whilst the magic line up is being organised by Sidmouth and his team, this weekend (20th & 21st October) will still enable visitors to Shildon to enjoy the three BR liveried A4s on site together.

Nos 8 & 10 will be positioned outside the museum either on the sidings or on the museum apron, and for a small charge, you will be able to ride behind No.9 on the museum's demonstration line as far as the coal drops.

Please note that the museum closes at 4pm on both days and admission is free.

Oh yes, as of today, all the gaffer tape is off and from now on the locos will both normally be on display indoors.

 

Anthony: the P2 isn't ready yet....! :cool1:

 

Shildon A4s - 8, 9 & 10

Slightly sad question, but is this the first time in preservation that three numerically-consecutive locomotives have been in the same place?

The only other classes I can think it possible is the Merchant Navy class where 9/10/11 or 27/28/29 hasn't happened (yet!), or standard 4 tanks where 78/79/80 hasn't happened (again yet!).

 

You can do four in sequence with Manors - 7819, 7820, 7821 and 7822. The WSR did a triple headed Manor run at a gala a while ago, using 20, 21 and 28.

 

The RTC's "Weardale Railway" charter train is giving passengers an opporunity to see the A4's at Shildon on saturday as an alternative to to going on to Stanhope and a stop has been arranged at Shidon to let passengers off. Booked arrival at Shildon is 1528. However if "Locomotion" is closing at 1600 this doesn't give passengers very long to look around. If the museum people are aware these people are coming why is the museum still closing at1600.

 

Although amusingly there is 12 years difference in build date between 7819 and 7820!

 

It's winter opening hours as of 1st October every year and RTC as far as I'm aware haven't spoken to the museum to request any longer times. Also the slight matter of there being a photo charter on after hours this Saturday too.

 

Rumpole, depends if you're including those great little trains of Wales? I'm sure the 7 consequtively numbered Talyllyn loco's have been lined up together on several occasions.

 

Hmm, well surely you can do four in sequence with A4s too? And, indeed, with class 03, 07 & 14 diesels.

But if it's preserved consecutively-numbered steam engines in the same place you want, I think you should go to the Snowdon Mountain Railway. (Nos. 2-8) (Add the diesels and you can add nos. 9-12 too!)

 

That would be rather difficult to do at the present time because Nos. 7 and 8 have been dismantled for many years, having been effectively replaced by the introduction of the diesels. Sadly, there are little prospect of them returning to steam in the forseeable future.
This being the case, I think it would be nice to see them at least cosmetically restored for static display; perhaps one could go on a plinth at Llanberis and the other sent somewhere else as an ambassador for the SMR?
Also, one can debate whether the SMR locos really count as "preserved", given that the railway has not yet been taken over by volunteers! A similar debate could be had for the Isle of Man Railway (nos. 8 - 16).
Surely, though, the "record" must be held by the Romney, Hythe, and Dymchurch Railway, which can field the complete set of nos. 1 - 11...

 

The Museum will be "closing " at 16:00 because Martin Creese has organised a photo session between 16:00 - 22:00 for which participants have paid a lotta money to arrange the availability of 60009. Sorry - but after 16:00 the museum will be open to paying guests only. In fairness if you have paid for a special event - and travelled many miles to be there - how would you like to be "gatecrashed" by those who have made no contribution to the event and are most unlikely to.

 

[RE: Snowdon Mountain Railway]

Very true, but nobody said they had to be complete locos. Anyway, I have a photo of one of the pair in steam which I took in about 1991 or 1992, and I've only been there once since, so at this rate maybe things will have changed again when I next visit!

Out of interest (but with apologies for going off topic!), is No.5 actually being overhauled, or just sitting there doing nothing in particular?

 

Presumably it's not beyond the wit of man to clobber some of the bods on the tour for some cash if they wanted to stay beyond 4pm?

More people, more money innit.

Simon

 

Got that wrong haven't you Fred. The museum is closing at 4pm because it is now on Winter opening hours. This was announced on this forum by Anthony Coulls before the 60009 move had been organised.

 

Question of interpretation ! Yes Anthony had previously noted the closure at 16:00 is normal winter hours BUT the unasked question by 6.05Special was "Why couldn't the Museum stay open later given that the tour train would stop to detrain at 15:35 and return to pick up at 18:35". You will note that my comment had "closing" in quote marks because - as one of the charter participants - I was aware that the Museum had already agreed specific arrangements that effectively closed the museum to all but charter participants after 16:00.

Your pedantry is noted but does not change the situation that the museum is unable to cater for the tour participants after 16:00 and that if they choose to visit the museum they will be unable to stay beyond that time and need to find an alternative activity until the tour returns at 18:58 - or nearly 3 hours waiting time.

 

I take it that this tour was organised long before it was known that the two A4s would be going to Shildon. Therefore, if a visit to Shildon was planned, then it is down to the organisers to be aware that Shildon would be shut after 4.00pm. It seems to me that the people on the tour are, unfortunately, victims of circumstance.