60009 Osprey

dforrest · Post by **dforrest** » Sat May 28, 2005 12:15 am

BATS have a new reskin of A4 60009 named "Osprey". Was 60009 ever named "Osprey" or perhaps is it a preservation thing? My records show that 60009 has always been "Union of South Africa" and that 60003 was originally named "Osprey" changed to "Andrew K. McCosh" in 1942 (well before BR).

ianmacmillan · Post by **ianmacmillan** » Sat May 28, 2005 1:10 am

I think it was named in an outbreak of political correctness which infected the owner.

As soon as it was renamed they freed Nelson Mandela and the nasty goverment suddenly became nice customers....sorry....non-racists and everyone lived happily ever after and bought petrol from Denis Thatcher without the hastle of sanction busting.

JonathonAG · Post by **JonathonAG** » Sat May 28, 2005 7:16 am

I think it was 150 years, can't remember how long, but it was the Forth Rail Bridge """ years celebration, and at that time 60009 was pulling a load or railtours in celebration, and it wasn't Union Of South Africa, it was Osprey at that time. I have a video of it, i'll try and get a picture up later of it

Deltic9000 · Post by **Deltic9000** » Sat May 28, 2005 11:04 am

LNER 4488 originally was named Osprey before becoming Union of South Africa. She was renumbered by Thompson to 9, and then by BR to 60009.

The Osprey name was then allocated to 4494, which was renumbered 3 by Thompson, renamed Andrew K McCosh then renumbered 60003 by BR.

60009 did carriy the name Osprey in preservation before the end of apartheid and the freeing of Nelson Mandela; I was on a railtour behind her in Scotland in the early 1990s when she carried the Osprey nameplates.

ianmacmillan · Post by **ianmacmillan** » Sat May 28, 2005 11:14 am

Deltic9000 wrote:60009 did carriy the name Osprey in preservation before the end of apartheid and the freeing of Nelson Mandela; I was on a railtour behind her in Scotland in the early 1990s when she carried the Osprey nameplates.

and I was the guard!

eddief · Post by **eddief** » Sat May 28, 2005 8:00 pm

Deltic9000 wrote:LNER 4488 originally was named Osprey before becoming Union of South Africa.

She never actually carried he Osprey name, it was allocated to her but never fitted as they wanted the Commonwealth names fitted. Sheel sponsored the overhaul in the early 1990's and as such did not want the name Union of South Africa, so the Osprey name seemed a logical choice given that the engine nearly became Osprey

.

lateagain · Post by **lateagain** » Sat May 28, 2005 9:59 pm

ianmacmillan wrote:I think it was named in an outbreak of political correctness which infected the owner.

As soon as it was renamed they freed Nelson Mandela and the nasty government suddenly became nice customers....sorry....non-racists and everyone lived happily ever after and bought petrol from Denis Thatcher without the hastle of sanction busting.

....oh my mistake! It was only petrol they sold then? I thought they sold all of our assets to anyone whoâ€™d give â€˜em a buck? â€¦and without such niceties as bothering to find out if they were theirs to sell?

I donâ€™t remember receiving a penny for the nationalised industries that I and millions of other tax payers owned when they were sold off to the highest bidder? I certainly donâ€™t remember being asked if it was all right by me? Then there was the little issue of Coalite, the Falklands and "oh let me see, that's Thatcher on the board again isn't it????"

Iâ€™m just off to calm down. You seem to have hit a button!!!!

I must check out the reskins. That name leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.