WSR Odney Manor renamed

[SDtrains]

WSR's Odney Manor has been renamed in honour of a local Royal Marine battalion. Odney now goes by the name of 'Norton Manor 40 Commando' , get full story here:

http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/ ... ce68d29f47

regards

[casperdog]

Only one response. Sacrilege.

Clive

[ashgray]

It's only a temporary re-name

Ash

[alexnick]

I cannot say that I exactly approve of it.

I'd prefer it if they'd renamed an originally unnamed loco. Still, I don't imagine it'll be for too long.

AN

[ianmacmillan]

Just as well it wasn't a BR loco.

It would stay on the WSR for less than a week before they re-allocated it to Inverness.

[kieranhardy]

Shouldn't this be in real railway discussion as it isn't msts related?

And i may be wrong but i do remember seeing something about Manor names, i think in the latest steam railway or heritage railway it states the names the Manors were going to get but for whatever reasons these were changed. Whether or not 7828 was intended to be Norton i do not know.

I am for it as it's for a good reason.

[kieranhardy]

I found out that the name Norton Manor wasn't just made up, apparently had there been a 7830, she would have been called that. But she was never built so it was never carried.

[ashgray]

Keiran - apologies if you already know this, but the loco was re-named in honour of 40 Commando, who are based at Norton Manor Camp, near Norton Fitzwarren at the south Eastern end of the WSR. The fact that the name might have been used if another Manor had been built could just be one of those very very odd co-incidences....

Ash

[kieranhardy]

I did know previously (well only since 2 weeks ago!) but whether or not part of the reason was also due to the planned names for other members we don't know. Pity it hasn't been renumbered to 7830 as a bit of a 'what could have been'.

[alexnick]

It may interest you to know that the GWR was planning more Manors. The evidence for it is in the naming policy - all the Manors have names high in the alphabet so that if there had been more than 30 as once intended, there would have been an even spread, as there was more of with other classes.

AN

[kieranhardy]

It may interest you to know that the GWR was planning more Manors.

I believe the GWR wanted to build a further 20 but war put a stop to this.

It is quite ironic though that 20 Manors were not allowed, yet the Merchant Navy pacific was allowed purely because Bulleid convinced management it was mixed traffic when it was clearly an express passenger locomotive. I'm not complaining though, the MN is my favourite class.

[alexnick]

Ah, well I would complain as the Manors are amongst my favourite UK locos.

Fortunately they've had a high survival rate in preservation (rather like Bulleid pacifics, for that matter), presumably as Manors are a convenient size for heritage operations.

AN

[kieranhardy]

Fortunately they've had a high survival rate in preservation (rather like Bulleid pacifics, for that matter), presumably as Manors are a convenient size for heritage operations.

Manors are indeed very useful for todays heritage railway operations and will do anything asked of them. All 9 of them have also steamed at somepoint in preservation with 3 having ventured onto the mainline (7802, 7808 & 7819) though i think the days of seeing a Manor on the mainline are likely to be well and truely over.

[oldrocker]

3 having ventured onto the mainline (7802, 7808 & 7819) though i think the days of seeing a Manor on the mainline are likely to be well and truly over.

Indeed. I was on 7802's return home from Bristol as they aren't allowed to go out and play because of clearances (I think).

Funnily enough we didn't bang into anything on the way home!

[oldrocker]

Anyway, if that's OK, I want 'that green thing that's currently black' renamed Dudley Castle !