Swanage

25244 · Post by **25244** » Sun Apr 20, 2003 1:56 pm

Does anyone here have any connections with the railway preservation group at Swanage in Dorset? I'm trying to track down what happened to a loco I used to work on that we ended up selling back to them...

Shapstormer · Post by **Shapstormer** » Sun Apr 20, 2003 2:06 pm

I have no connections, but i might be able to find out what happened to the loco...what number/name?
Shapstormer

25244 · Post by **25244** » Sun Apr 20, 2003 2:51 pm

Only anumber - 25244

Class 25/1 originally built at Derby AFAIK. Was bought from scrap by Swanage, went to NVR for a while (where I worked on her) and thenm went back to Swanage. Dunno what happned to her after that.

Ying Tong Idle Eye Po

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Sun Apr 20, 2003 3:22 pm

I can tell you a little bit about her past - back in 1987 when I was organising the Basingstoke Railshow, I struck up a friendship with someone who worked on the Swanage Railway and had just purchased 25244 from BR. I arranged a deal to have the loco exhibited at Basingstoke which meant that the loco could be transferred from the Midlands to the Southern free of charge as we tagged it onto one of three loco movements from Toton. However, disaster struck at Banbury which resulted in a phone call to me from WR Control telling me that the loco had been involved in a collision there whilst en route. I phoned said Swanage persons wife who passed on the message and he drove to Basingstoke to get more information. The movement continued to Basingstoke without the 25. We later found out that the battery boxes had slid open approaching the station and had struck the platform edge. Damage wasn't too bad so we sent D200 (40122) with 3 post office TPO vehicles to Banbury to collect her. She arrived late the night before the show and we shunted the 25 into the North Yard car park so that the Swanage crew could paint one side of her overnight, by the light of car headlights! We then shunted her into position on the saturday morning before the show - ex works on one side and scrap yard condition on the other. After the show, a move was arranged to Eastleigh Depot and then on to Swanage...

25244 · Post by **25244** » Sun Apr 20, 2003 3:39 pm

LOL. I knew it was painted on one side and not on the other, but at the time I didn't understand quite why, other than it had been at some show or something. Now I know I'm all the more tickled

As a little more depth I can add that we (my dad, my brother and me and the then owner at NVR) spent a summer repairing the body and things. I was mostly painting (evil Red Oxide Primer) as I was a mere sprog at the time. She was in a very sorry state. She had suffered an internal fire (I think it was the turbo unit) and Swanage had taken great gusto to the wiring and stripped it out almost totally, unfortunately cutting all BR's wiring tags off in the process!! The owner moved to Lincoln and, as well as his commitments at Rutland Railway, he didn't have the time to put into the project, or the money. She was sold back to the Swanage crew and left NVR in the Mid-90s. Never seen breath about her since.

25244 · Post by **25244** » Mon Apr 21, 2003 8:17 pm

Well I've found her, but it's not good news. She's stabled at Kent & East Sussex Railway and is in a very sorry state. Hopefully somone will take pitty on here and rescue her. I don't think she's really been touched since we worked on her at NVR, she;s just gathered dust, moss, lichen and

Grafitti

in this siding.

http://www.preserved-diesels.co.uk/engi ... /index.htm

Shame.

DrkAngel · Post by **DrkAngel** » Mon Apr 21, 2003 10:07 pm

Yes it would of been nice if it had stayed in our care

she was in a sorry state when she arrived on the NVR and what little work we did on her wasn't even the tip of the iceberg

If I had the money (and most would be the same I bet

) I would of loved to have taken it on, and spent the next 10 years getting it back in one piece

I can but dream

Grudz · Post by **Grudz** » Mon Apr 21, 2003 10:13 pm

Out of interest, What would it take to get her up and running again?

DrkAngel · Post by **DrkAngel** » Mon Apr 21, 2003 10:44 pm

Well,
Lets see, bearing in mind this is from what state she was in several years ago....
Both cab floors rotten though, most of the bodywork in a bad state of condition, engine was siezed with a possible crack (spare engine scorced from an ethel) engine room totally striped out (everything was spead over the whole section so no idea on what had gone missing) wiring cut to ribbons and missing their tags, bogies needed a full overhaul ( removal and total stripdown) cabs were stripped bare and auxiliary equipment was in an unknown condition.
From what I know and the convisations within the group it would need a full restoration from the ground upwards ( no easy task as others that are experienced in this will tell you) but it is possible none the less!

Now who has an open checkbook?