9016 Gordon Highlander - looking for a new owner?

[A0]

http://royalscotsgrey.com/0/2016/12/19/gordon-highlander-update/

...At the end of the day, it’s not exactly money that is causing an issue with the time being taken on Gordon’s bodywork, I feel that it has probably come time for someone else to take over custodianship/ownership soon. Personally, it’s a shame that so many negative comments were made on the internet regarding my lack of care for Gordon’s bodywork, which resulted in the loco being taken out of operational service. As mentioned at the time, in my opinion, the loco was fine to operate on preserved railways and should have been left alone to continue doing just that and putting smiles on genuine fans faces!! Fingers crossed, someone will step forward with the necessary resources to ensure that this will happen well in to the future….....

Picked up this following an article in the newest edition of Heritage Railway - looks like 9016 might be on the market.

 

[Cowley]

It's a big job to take on for someone, I think it needs a lot of money spending on it. Does anybody have a phone number for Jeremy Hosking?

 

[sprinterguy]

That's a sobering account of the practical hardships of heritage diesel preservation. Just the sheer scale and complexity of maintaining and restoring as hefty a piece of kit as a Deltic seems incredibly daunting to me, without even considering the problems of finance and covered storage once the work is complete.

Astonishing that there has been such a vast discrepancy between donations received and costs incurred...

The 2017 ‘Felix the Huddersfield Station Cat’s’ calendar sold 500 copies in 8 hours and sold out the same day, bless him. We have sold 46 copies up till now of our 2017 Deltic Calendar and the money raised from that will go a small way towards the £1,083.60 invoice just paid out today for 2 train brake valves to be serviced for 55 022.

...Perhaps the best course of action would be to invest in a cat as mascot for 'Gordon Highlander' to bring the donations rolling in.

 

[37038]

It needs 100k just for the bodywork and with two knackered engines in it, he'll be needing much much more than what's already being spent to do those. Loco preservation is a bottomless pit of money, deltic preservation is bordering on the costs of kettle preservation but the public don't have the same inclination to help out.

I'm not entirely certain he'll sell it but I can fully see it becoming more of a spares bin to keep 22 on the mainline

 

[Cowley]

I wonder if we'll see the first scrapping of a Deltic since the early 80s? As 37038 says it just doesn't garner the same level of public or enthusiast love that a steam locomotive does when it comes to donations.
If it is scrapped or just stripped out and stored somewhere I'd be surprised if it was the last large diesel to go that way and that's not to mention some of the no hopers like 25244, 45015 and others.

 

[sprinterguy]

I wonder if we'll see the first scrapping of a Deltic since the early 80s?

I don't think so: Martin Walker's own "Royal Scots Grey" was reckoned to be in pretty dire straits a few years ago, when it was laid up for sale in a poor state of repair before he stepped up to the plate; it'll find a buyer (even if they paint it purple and put UIC standard headlights on it...again ). I agree that we're likely to see some consolidation of preserved diesel loco numbers as the years advance, but I do not reckon that 55016's time is nigh just yet.

 

[fgwrich]

I don't think so: Martin Walker's own "Royal Scots Grey" was reckoned to be in pretty dire straits a few years ago, when it was laid up for sale in a poor state of repair before he stepped up to the plate; it'll find a buyer (even if they paint it purple and put UIC standard headlights on it...again ). I agree that we're likely to see some consolidation of preserved diesel loco numbers as the years advance, but I do not reckon that 55016's time is nigh just yet.

Perhaps it may be worth effectively 'stuffing and mounting' it for a few years? Have the bodywork fixed, then store it - does the NRM have any spare space? (They could fix their Western or bring the 87 out for a play! Or lose the Bullet). It's not a cheap solution either, but if it's bad mechanically, then storing it for a few further years could allow him to build the funds back up a bit.

 

[sprinterguy]

Perhaps it may be worth effectively 'stuffing and mounting' it for a few years? Have the bodywork fixed, then store it - does the NRM have any spare space?

The latter would depend if the NRM wanted it on their premises: It worked for 55002 for a number of years, but 55016 isn't their loco.

Cosmetic restoration, "stuffing and mounting" is a sensible and no doubt cheaper option, though would be dependent on finding suitable under cover display or storage room; one of Martin's concerns in the original text.

 

[Ianigsy]

Bo'ness might be a better place for a static loan and my guess is that there would probably be fair support for a Scottish-based Deltic about an hour away from Edinburgh.

The last time 9016 was up for sale, another idea which was floated was mating the bodyshell with the inside of one of the partially-restored Class 50s to create an approximation to DP2.

 

[Cowley]

Bo'ness might be a better place for a static loan and my guess is that there would probably be fair support for a Scottish-based Deltic about an hour away from Edinburgh.

The last time 9016 was up for sale, another idea which was floated was mating the bodyshell with the inside of one of the partially-restored Class 50s to create an approximation to DP2.

Bo'ness would be a good place for D9016, if they had the room/money/inclination etc.
As far as turning it into DP2 or an approximation of. I think, although I'm not sure that DP2 may have been built slightly differently from the Deltics in order to carry the heavier weight of the single EE engine. Perhaps someone else might know if this was the case?

 

[alexl92]

Perhaps it may be worth effectively 'stuffing and mounting' it for a few years? Have the bodywork fixed, then store it - does the NRM have any spare space?

Every time I've been in the past 2-3 years, the diesel tent out in the South Yard has been almost empty. I know they use it for restorations and stuff from time to time but surely they could store it in there for a bit?

Also is the NRM 55 still running on one engine or has it been repaired?

 

[swanhill41]

Ribble Steam Railway had the original Deltic there for a short period ,as was built on Strand Preston...How about this one...Would be inside

 

[37038]

Every time I've been in the past 2-3 years, the diesel tent out in the South Yard has been almost empty. I know they use it for restorations and stuff from time to time but surely they could store it in there for a bit?

Also is the NRM 55 still running on one engine or has it been repaired?

One engine with a plan for repair. 449 had a knackered liner, they've bought a block from the DPS and plan to transfer fittings between blocks and drop the new one back into 2

 

[TrainBoy98]

Maybe the forum should consider putting a bid in?

If we went for an franchise too, why not stick it on the front of something?!