Time for a new train line through the south west - train related news

[Oldsmobile-88]

Think there may be real progress in getting a couple of new stations in the South West, Wellington and Cullompton. DfT announcement earlier today.

Still waiting for the one at Marsh Barton to be built.
It should have been up & running by 2018.

 

[Stuffy]

6023 has been on hire there since the end of May, and was due to return home to Didcot this week, (although that could possibly be extended due to serious motion repairs needed to their own Lydham Manor.

During Michael Portillo's latest televised visit to the Dartmouth Steam Railway I noticed what appears to be a massive 50s/60s American/Canadian steam locomotive. Can you add any info about it.

 

[Grecian2K]

That would be the Baldwin-built USTAC S160 2-8-0 No. 2253 "Omaha" that first came to the UK in 1943 for loan to the LNER, working out of Leeds Neville Hill.
After D Day it went to France before being sold to the Polish state railways.
After withdrawal it was purchased by the North York Moors Railway where it worked for 10 years until a boiler renewal was needed. There was a long spell on display at the NRM's Sheldon location before restoration was carried out. After running in on the NYMR and a brief spell on the Churnet Valley line it went to Dartmouth in Feb 2020.

 

[Colesman Ballz]

During Michael Portillo's latest televised visit to the Dartmouth Steam Railway I noticed what appears to be a massive 50s/60s American/Canadian steam locomotive. Can you add any info about it.

It was a WW2 vintage USA Transportation Corps S160 class as supplied to various European countries and was on hire for a season. There are I believe 3 operational in this country, all obtained from elsewhere. Certainly at least 2, are now based at the Churnet Valley Railway, and the third visited or was due to visit for a gala, and may even be also become a resident. The big question is how many of the preserved lines will manage to survive this crisis, some are in pretty dire straits, and like footy will be one of the last things to come out of lockdown .

 

[Stuffy]

That would be the Baldwin-built USTAC S160 2-8-0 No. 2253 "Omaha" that first came to the UK in 1943 for loan to the LNER, working out of Leeds Neville Hill.
After D Day it went to France before being sold to the Polish state railways.
After withdrawal it was purchased by the North York Moors Railway where it worked for 10 years until a boiler renewal was needed. There was a long spell on display at the NRM's Sheldon location before restoration was carried out. After running in on the NYMR and a brief spell on the Churnet Valley line it went to Dartmouth in Feb 2020.

That was a quick reply 2K. Last time I was in Paignton they had the beautifully looking King Edward 2nd on loan from Didcot and a pristine looking 75014 Braveheart.

Do the DSR actually own any of their own Locomotives? Nearby to where I live, the Blunsdon Steam Railway regularly borrow engines although they do own a Polish built pannier tank (check site) painted in dark maroon. Talking to the station master, they bought Polish because the cost of British built engines is way out of their price range.

 

[Colesman Ballz]

That was a quick reply 2K. Last time I was in Paignton they had the beautifully looking King Edward 2nd on loan from Didcot and a pristine looking 75014 Braveheart.

Do the DSR actually own any of their own Locomotives? Nearby to where I live, the Blunsdon Steam Railway regularly borrow engines although they do own a Polish built pannier tank (check site) painted in dark maroon. Talking to the station master, they bought Polish because the cost of British built engines is way out of their price range.

They certainly own a number, from their early days at Buckfastleigh there are still GWR small prairie 4555 7827 Lydham Manor, and 2-8-0 tank 5239. Standard 75014 was a later addition. Last autumn they purchased GWR large prairie 4110 from the West Somerset , and this has been sent out for contract overhaul. 4555 is really a bit small for their loadings, and has been loaned out.

 

[Stuffy]

My son recently showed me a DVD highlighting the growth of Swindon from a small town on a hill to it's eventual growth after the arrival of the railway in the fields below. It then went on to explain that housing, church and chapel had to be hurridly built for the skilled workers arriving in droves to fill the jobs in burgeoning workshops. Interestingly, it said that the GWR helped build a hospital and that the workers paid a small weekly amount from their wages for its use. Aneurin Bevan openly admitted that the National Health Service was copied from Swindon's rail workshop plan.

When the Swindon-built GWR No 6000 King George V was shipped to the USA for some locomotive shows it was found that while being much smaller than it's U.S. counterparts it outperformed them in both pulling power and speed. BR Standard Class 9F 92220 Evening Star was the last steam locomotive built in Swindon. Finally, the very first mainline diesel-hydraulic Locomotive emerged from the Swindon plant.

 

[Greyhound]

Have you been to the GWR "Steam" museum, Stuffers?

 

[Stuffy]

Have you been to the GWR "Steam" museum, Stuffers?

Early last year along with my four year old grandson. Naturally enough I had one eye on the exhibits and one eye on Leo as he rushed around at breakneck speed. I did manage to get him to pose next to the Caerphilly Castle and some of the older locomotives and carriages. There was one exhibit that didn't ring true and that was a long wooden double sided bench with Dawlish Warren written on the back support. Such a bench would only be of use if the platform had a rail line either side of it and therefore unsuitable for the Warren's narrow platforms.

The museum is next door the "Outlet Village" as the locals call it and therefore you could have the use of one of its three large car parks should you wish to make a visit. I've added a link that shows the shopping mall within a fair sized chunk of the old workshops. In one photo outside the 'food hall' you will see a Hall Class engine although such exhibits change from time to time.

mcarthur glen swindon - Google Search

www.google.com

 

[Greyhound]

Thanks for posting that. I saw Caerphilly Castle once when it was in the Science Museum. I remember seeing King George V from a train in London. My father got excited about that, as well! I also travelled to see KGV on its "Royal Sunset" retirement tour in 1987.