Wednesday 22 May 2013

Two Steam Locomotives to move to the GWR

I am pleased to announce that the GWR has signed steam locomotive 7820 'Dinmore Manor' on a 10 year operating agreement. This is the outcome of several months of positive negotiations with the owners, Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited.  http://www.dinmoremanor.co.uk/ The loco is currently nearing the end of an overhaul and arrival at Toddington is planned for early September. The addition of 7820 to the resident steam fleet will strengthen the GWR's ability to turn out operational steam locomotives for our core services in the coming years.



The second locomotive, which will arrive in October, is 2874, also owned by Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited. This loco is a restoration project. Further information on how volunteers can get involved with this project will be available in due course.

I am sure that that you will agree with me that this is a significant and very positive development for the GWR and one that we will all enjoy in the years to come. I look forward to welcoming the working members of Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited as new volunteers when their loco's arrive and to them integrating with our own steam loco department to strengthen our railway.

Richard Drewitt
T&RS Director


The following is the press release published today by Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited:


News from Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited  

Some exciting developments regarding the future of two of our locomotives.
We are pleased to be able to tell you what has been  planned once our flagship locomotive “Dinmore Manor” returns to steam this summer .   We can announce that we plan to be at the West Somerset Railway’s 2013 Autumn Gala, running for a strictly limited number of days around the event.  The date of this year’s WSR Gala is 3rd/6th October and the engine should fit in beautifully with the autumn colours and the Cambrian theme.
The Hire Team from DMLL has been talking to a number of heritage railways with the aim of securing the best combination of long term security and maximising income whist trying to present the option of attractive, varied running turns for “Dinmore Manor”.
We are delighted to announce that we have now reached an agreement with the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (GWR) to operate on their line running north from Cheltenham through Toddington towards Broadway once ‘Dinmore Manor’ returns to steam.
The agreement offers many potential benefits for both organisations, because we shall have the opportunity to run in territory that is new to ‘Dinmore Manor’, near to the tourist ‘hotspots’ of England’s Cotswolds and Stratford Upon Avon -as well as being able to operate 7820 elsewhere during the ‘closed season’ and for agreed periods during the main GWR operating season. It is through this spirit of flexibility that we shall be able to operate at the WSR’s Autumn Gala and at other times if we are requested.
What makes the next 2 years even more interesting is that we plan to commemorate 7820’s journey from a scrapyard wreck to restored glory by taking ‘Dinmore Manor’ back to the railway that first secured the locomotive by bringing it out of Barry in 1980. Next year (2014), the Gwili plan to complete the extension of their operating line south from Bronwydd Arms towards Carmarthen and we have agreed in principle that ‘Dinmore Manor’ can return to the ‘Cambrian Coast’ line to join their celebrations. We anticipate that this will provide mutually beneficial publicity and welcome income for both organisations.
Our updated 12-month programme now includes:
·         Assembling the chassis for early June
·         Refitting the boiler to 7820 in July
·         Dinmore Manor appearing as a static exhibit the Tyseley ‘Open Day’ on 22nd June
·         7820 entering service on the GWR – probably now in September
·         Appearance at the WSR Autumn Gala in October
·         Visit to Gwilli Railway in early 2014
Longer Term Plans
We have always stated that we will develop plans to deliver the company strategy that was part of the ‘New Horizons’ Plan. Our 2 other locomotives which are in unrestored condition and waiting for the overhaul of ‘Dinmore Manor’ to be completed will each need long and expensive restoration programmes to return them to operation. During the overhaul of 7820, we have been limited by both the absence of covered accommodation and the number of volunteers, so we have sought out ways to broaden our support and provide a base better suited to the work that will be required.  We are, therefore, delighted to report that we have concluded a second, independent agreement with the GWR to support the restoration of 2874 at their Toddington base.
2874 Restoration
Although plans for this locomotive cannot yet be fully developed, we believe that the agreement to move this locomotive to Toddington will be mutually beneficial for both the GWR and ourselves.  The GWR have a young team of enthusiastic volunteers who are both experienced in restoration and very keen to be involved with another. We happen to have just what they need.
This means that work can start on 2874 later this year at Toddington. The facilities there ensure that the work can be carried out under cover when required, so not to be weather dependent, and includes the use of their extensive machine shop, which will bring with it a significant cost saving as restoration progresses.  Initially the work will involve the stripping down of the components of the engine and cataloguing all the work required to make each piece ready for reassembly in the future. 2874 is the preferred choice for our third engine because of its original build. No other 28xx with inside steam pipes is likely to steam in the future.

11 comments:

  1. Whilst the arrival of another restoration project loco is good news in a way, and by the sound of it the DMLL boys seem to be "can do" people, by contrast what is going to happen to another loco that the GWR hosts, namely 76077 ?

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    1. 76077 is not at active project at the moment, it is stored pending a decision from the owner on the way forward. The arrival of 2874 will not impact upon the future restoration of 76077 at the GWR.

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  2. This is absolutely fantastic news for the railway as a whole, the steam department operating crews and those interested in undertaking a viable restoration project. Congratulations to all involved in reaching this agreement.

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    1. A very poor outcome indeed for 7820 compared to its return to where it belongs on the WSR.

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    2. Let's try to keep things positive. Another steam loco coming back into service is a good thing. Just because 7820 will be based at the GWR doesn't mean that she won't be able to visit other railways. Quite the opposite in fact. The GWR are happy to work with other railways to enable release of locomotives for events and to help cover motive power shortfalls.

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  3. Well done, guys! Sounds like an economical loco too.
    Which steam loco will now have the honour of hauling the first train into Broadway?
    Suggestion: A 14xx with auto trailer :)

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  4. I agree good news but that would be 2874 moving ahead of owsden hall and 76077 nevermind the gossip re a scrap contidion black 5 arriving!

    Although to review
    formarke nearly at end of boiler certificate
    2807 and 8f mid term ish
    P&O & is it 4274 nearly there
    7820 arriving with 10 year on the boiler
    2874 to be restored
    4f about 18 months away from running?
    owsden and 76077 in store
    5542 one year into boiler certiicate

    Actually its rather well balanced but I'd suggest work may need to start sooner than later on owsden and 76077 if they are ever going to be used.

    Graham

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    1. Thanks for that summary Graham. It's 4270 and we hope that she will be completed in the next few months. Good progress is being made.
      Owsden Hall has not been a viable project for a few years now and the loco is due to leave the GWR very soon.
      At the moment, it is impossible to say what the timescale may be for 76077 to be completed as the project is not active.

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    2. Richard,

      Thank you for your reply, it is as always with these replies, very helpful in helping me and other to understand what is happening.

      Thank you for the correct in on 4270 I was trying to do names and numbers from memory.

      If Owsden is leaving the decision on 2874 is a very good one so well done.

      I really do hope to see 76077 run one day.

      Graham

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  5. Toddington Ted22 May 2013 at 22:10

    I am not a member of the Dinmore Manor Loco Group, so have no vested interest so to speak but, in my opinion, they seem to be a very professional organisation and worthy custodians of some wonderful GWR locos. Some excellent news as "Manors" were not uncommon on the original Honeybourne Line and 28xxs were "bread and butter" to what is now the GWSR of course. It will also be most interesting to see 2807 and 2874 together again but this time in steam! An interesting quirk of fate that 2807 was "modernised" and the younger 2874 wasn't. (There are a few people at Toddington of course who know just how much fun it is to restore a 28xx!) Regarding BR Standard 4 No 76077, this is, I believe, privately owned, as is Owsden Hall, so I guess their restoration (or commencement of it in the case of the BR Standard Mogul) is very much dependent upon the owner's ability to fund these expensive beasts, see the progress being made on GWR 2-8-0T 4253 at the K&ESR being very quickly restored after years at Blaenavon and now being rebuilt to working order by a well funded and experienced team. Anyway, we have 35006 and 4270 to see running very soon!

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  6. Toddington Ted23 May 2013 at 20:35

    I really do hope to see 76077 run one day.

    Graham

    Seconded! Although never allocated to the Western Region, these Standard 4 2-6-0s were not unknown to our railway and were generally well-liked by their crews. Only 4 survive from over 100 built and all thanks to Barry Scrapyard. One is fast approaching restoration on the North Norfolk Railway (76084)whilst another awaits its second overhaul on the Mid-Hants (76017). Meanwhile a 3rd, the "pocket rocket" No 76079 of mainline railtour fame, is now on the NYMR for overhaul. BR Standards aren't to everyone's taste but they were a natural development for a nationalised railway and could be very fetching to look at - witness 80072 the 2-6-4T currently at the GWSR for the Gala!

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