NBL Group February 2008 newsletter

[John Ashworth]

NORTH BRITISH LOCOMOTIVE PRESERVATION GROUP

HON. PRESIDENT SIR HUGH REID

FEBRUARY 2008 NEWSLETTER

Hello All,

It’s been a month of ‘mixed traffic’ with some excellent news regarding our Dubs Tank, a totally new project to report on and a couple of setbacks in the plan to repatriate our Class 24. Can we also remind Members to check out the Steam In action website : http://www.steam-in-action.com please register your support if you have not already done so. In the meantime, we’ll start with the good news on the Dubs so please read on….

DUBS TANK PROGRESS
We are delighted to say that discussions are now taking place with the Mizens Railway with a view to providing a UK home for the Dubs Tank at their headquarters near Woking . The Mizens Railway, operated by the Woking Miniature Railway Society, own and operate an extensive minature railway and have already preserved several full sized items including the last slam door driver’s coach that ran on Southern metals. Sufficient space is available on site to display the Dubs in an appropriate setting. Further details of their activities can be found on their website : http://www.mizensrailway.co.uk
Mizen's Chairman Mike Smith (who is also an NBLPG Shareholder), visited Masons Mill in January to inspect the loco first hand and was very pleased with progress. Here is an extract from Mike's report :
Dear Ken,
I am pleased to report a successful trip to see the Dubs Tank during my recent holiday in South Africa . Even my wife and South African friends seemed to enjoy the visit to Masons Mill Depot, Petermaritzberg. It is a very impressive set-up with lots of space and several tracks under cover in the long sheds. Most British preservation groups and railways would be very envious.
Thanks to Andy Anderson we were expected and greeted by a very smiley, very South African chap by the name of Bruce. He showed us round with great pride, especially the Dubs. I am not sure if he did all the work but he seemed to know exactly what has been done. Apart from cleaning it down, it has received a galvanized primer, an undercoat and two top coats of black. This has been done by spraying so the paint does not look as thick as if brushed. However, with two more coats of “ Natal green” it should be ready to take on the British climate. I saw a loco painted in Natal green in the museum at George and very attractive it looked. I was asked what colour we required the smokebox to be painted. Bruce advised that the S.A. custom is silver so we need to advise them of our choice.

(2)
Overall, the loco looks in good condition. The smokebox looked clean and its last fire has been dropped on the shed floor. It was an interesting sight to see the remains of this last fire that must have been sitting in the firebox for some twenty years. All the cab fittings are missing which Bruce suggested had disappeared many years ago. Possibly some items could be obtained from one of the “dumped locos” to at least give the appearance of a cab. The cab floor is also missing but I doubt that will be too much of a problem.
All in all a most interesting and encouraging visit. I look forward to working with you to repatriate this impressive loco. I enclose some photos that I took.
Mike Smith, February 2008

NBL 8F’s IN TURKEY
I’m sure many people will have seen the report by Richard Foster in last month’s ‘Steam Railway’ regarding the recent discovery of two LMS 8F 2-8-0’s in a locomotive dump in Turkey. The engines, TCDD nos. 45168 and 45170, are survivors of 20 WD locomotives sent to Turkey during the 2nd World War and were built by NBL in 1940 and 1942 respectively. TCDD No. 45165 (LMS 8279) is seen at Cankiri in 1974 (Robin Lush)



North British constructed no less than 208 of the 8F’s making them one of the largest single classes of steam locomotive ever to have been built by the Company. It is hoped to return a large mainline standard gauge steam locomotive to Scotland to tie in with the Homecoming Scotland celebrations in 2009 and, given the Turkish loco’s obvious credentials, there is a fair chance
that one of them will be a serious contender for this honour.

More news on this project will follow in due course.



(3)

CLASS 24 NEWS

Unfortunately the hopes that our Class 24 at Germiston would find a home in Scotland seem to have faded for the present time although we are continuing to search for alternatives. At the same time, we have received news from the Reefsteamers Preservation Group that they have now taken a lease on the shed where No. 3647 is stored and are have asked us to contribute towards the greatly enhanced security cover that they are providing.

Whilst we support this initiative in principle, given that we will need some time to find a UK home for the engine, it is perhaps time to review our plans for No. 3647 and decide what is best for her in the medium to longer term.

We have discussed the possibility of moving her to an alternative location with groups in South Africa and we appear to have three or four choices open to us. We are therefore asking the 17 current Shareholders in No. 3647 to let us know which of the following options they would prefer.

1) Remain at Germiston for the next 6 months or so whilst we look for a new UK home. This could result in Security charges of up to £1,800 (although we are trying to negotiate)

2) Move the loco to the Umgeni Steam Railway at Masons Mill to join our Dubs Tank. Movement costs would probably be in the order of £6,000 to £7,000 but at least the loco would be about 400 Kms nearer to the Port of Durban.

3) Move the loco to the Elgin Valley Railway near Cape Town. This is an embryo scheme as reported previously. At the moment they have no working steam and they would be prepared to restore the engine and lease / lend it from us for the length of the boiler certificate. However, the journey to Elgin would still need to be funded and No. 3647 would be tied up for the next 10 years or so.

4) The final Option that has been suggested would be to sell no. 3647 and plough the money raised into one of our other projects. We’d find it very difficult to get another class 24 though.


Please let me know your thoughts on the above as soon as possible, by post e:mail or by telephone. Time is short and we will need to make a decision as quickly as possible.

RETURN OF THE PHOENIX

As also reported in Steam Railway, we had an amazing response to our comments about new-build NBL steam locos. The LNER ‘Sandringham’ topped the poll with ‘Ben Alder’ and the North British Atlantic close behind. Interestingly, there were also a number of votes for an LNER ‘K3’ and the good additional suggestion of a Raven NER Atlantic.

Another contender that cropped up was a Great Northern Gresley ‘K2’ 2-6-0. NBL built 20 of the class in 1918 – including No. 61764 ‘Loch Arkaig’ which was based at Eastfield and ran on the Mallaig line ...............does anyone know where we can get a GNR tender from ????



(4)
MEMBERSHIP & INFORMATION

If you would like to comment on our preservation activities or would like further information on any of our projects, please contact me or our Webmaster Steve Knapman by letter, phone or e:mail. Photos and articles for the website should be sent to Steve at : steve knapman [steve.k@rubihorn.demon.co.uk]
New Members and Shareholders are always welcome and funds are urgently needed for all our projects. Please join us and help to preserve North British locomotives from around the World. Our Website Address is : http://www.nbloco.net

Remember, there is no annual Membership Fee, just a one-off joining fee of £10 which will give you regular news updates and the option to purchase ownership shares in any of our locomotives if required.
Please Address Correspondence to : Ken Livermore, Hon. Secretary, NBL Preservation Group, 4 Porchfield Close, Earley, Reading, Berks, RG6 5YZ.

Telephone : 01189 864 706 e:mail : ken.livermore@btinternet.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NORTH BRITISH LOCOMOTIVE PRESERVATION GROUP
HON. PRESIDENT SIR HUGH REID

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

NAME :
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDRESS :

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TELEPHONE NUMBER :
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E:MAIL ADDRESS :
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP JOINING FEE : £10
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DONATION TO DUBS ‘A’ CLASS SHIPPING FUND : £
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DONATION TO CLASS 24 RESTORATION FUND : £
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL ENCLOSED : £
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALL DONATIONS & MEMBERSHIP SUBS WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED. PLEASE FORWARD TO : THE HON. SECRETARY, NBL PRESERVATION GROUP, 4 PORCHFIELD CLOSE, EARLEY, READING, BERKS, RG6 5YZ.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT