Lakeside & Haverthwaite - Fairburn Tank Engines/Class 20

[Iskra]

Does anyone know when the Lakeside and Haverthwaite railway runs its Fairburn Steam tank engines and if this is advertised anywhere please? All recent photos online seem to be of the industrial steam locomotives and I can't see a loco roster on their website.

If one was to visit this weekend, is there an alternative chance of a Class 20 due to fire risk, or does the watery Cumbrian location provide increased fire protection not neccesitating this measure?

I'm considering a brief visit this weekend and I'll call by if it's a mainline locomotive but I'm not massively interested in the more industrial locomotives as I've done the line before behind these.

 

[alexl92]

I can’t find any up-to-date info but only 42073 is/was in ticket - 42085 is under overhaul. However I believe 42073‘s current boiler ticket began in 2014 so it may have already been withdrawn - I don’t know for sure. Truthfully the Fairburns are wasted there as Class 4 locos.

 

[Iskra]

I can’t find any up-to-date info but only 42073 is/was in ticket - 42085 is under overhaul. However I believe 42073‘s current boiler ticket began in 2014 so it may have already been withdrawn - I don’t know for sure. Truthfully the Fairburns are wasted there as Class 4 locos.

Thank you. Yes, I agree about your last point

 

[Falcon1200]

I was at the L&HR on Wednesday 16th August and it was indeed an industrial tank (Bagnall 2996) working the trains. The public are allowed into the shed at Haverthwaite which contained 42073, 42085, and the Ivatt 2-6-0 46441, however none of them looked likely to be in steam any time soon.

 

[Iskra]

I was at the L&HR on Wednesday 16th August and it was indeed an industrial tank (Bagnall 2996) working the trains. The public are allowed into the shed at Haverthwaite which contained 42073, 42085, and the Ivatt 2-6-0 46441, however none of them looked likely to be in steam any time soon.

Thank you for an answer as definitive as I’m likely to get

 

[12C]

The ‘newsletters’ section on the L&HR website is worth a read, the September one has just been released and gives a good update of the current status of the loco fleet.

Newsletters - The Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway

Behind The Scenes…

Find out what’s been going on at the railway with our monthly newsletter…

 

[Iskra]

The ‘newsletters’ section on the L&HR website is worth a read, the September one has just been released and gives a good update of the current status of the loco fleet.

Newsletters - The Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway

Excellent, thank you. Good timing from the railway too

 

[D Williams]

A very well run railway. Not encumbered with too many miles of track.

 

[Iskra]

A very well run railway. Not encumbered with too many miles of track.

Let’s be honest, it’s as simple an operation as you’re going to get, in a tourist honeypot location- it would be difficult to go too far wrong. There’s also an argument that having all of the possible mainline ‘star’ steam locomotives out of action at the same time, isn’t effective management.

It was ‘Repulse,’ the Austerity steam locomotive in steam yesterday, I saw it in the yard in steam on the way home from a hike I did.

 

[LWB]

Let’s be honest, it’s as simple an operation as you’re going to get, in a tourist honeypot location- it would be difficult to go too far wrong. There’s also an argument that having all of the possible mainline ‘star’ steam locomotives out of action at the same time, isn’t effective management.o

The Lakeside & Haverthwaite is a very well managed railway. Its objectives are staying solvent and not having to seek donations or crippling loans. The L@HR have always been aware that ‘normals’ (the term used on this forum I believe) are the guarantors of fininancial security not ‘enthusiasts’ who actually contribute very little. That they are blessed with the Beatrix Potter effect drawing huge numbers from Japan and China has served them well till now. It was ‘effective management’ that milked those cash cows in the past. As is the case for businesses the world over things are changing. Effective management at this time means, amongst other things, not committing to hugely expensive capital projects such as restoring large Locomotives.
I am a friend and supporter of the LHR but not a family member or shareholder.

 

[Iskra]

The Lakeside & Haverthwaite is a very well managed railway. Its objectives are staying solvent and not having to seek donations or crippling loans. The L@HR have always been aware that ‘normals’ (the term used on this forum I believe) are the guarantors of fininancial security not ‘enthusiasts’ who actually contribute very little. That they are blessed with the Beatrix Potter effect drawing huge numbers from Japan and China has served them well till now. It was ‘effective management’ that milked those cash cows in the past. As is the case for businesses the world over things are changing. Effective management at this time means, amongst other things, not committing to hugely expensive capital projects such as restoring large Locomotives.
I am a friend and supporter of the LHR but not a family member or shareholder.

I appreciate that, but appealing to as many revenue streams as possible is advisable so that if one or two fail, you’re still in a reasonable position, is usually wise. I’m not saying the railway is badly run at all, just saying it’s extremely lucky to be in an incredibly touristy area, which takes care of much revenue without really having to do much.

 

[LWB]

“As many revenue streams as possible” sounds all very plausible but in this day and age cutting costs is more important. Even if one or both Fairburns were available the cost of the staggeringly expensive, utterly crap coal needed to pound a class 4 backwards and forwards up a 1 in 73 gradient for a single day would swamp a year’s contribution from those who know what a class 4 is.

 

[Iskra]

“As many revenue streams as possible” sounds all very plausible but in this day and age cutting costs is more important. Even if one or both Fairburns were available the cost of the staggeringly expensive, utterly crap coal needed to pound a class 4 backwards and forwards up a 1 in 73 gradient for a single day would swamp a year’s contribution from those who know what a class 4 is.

Im sorry, but anyone who knows anything about business knows it’s about growing sales while controlling costs. There’s no point cutting costs to the detriment of your product because then you lose sales.

 

[12C]

Effective management at this time means, amongst other things, not committing to hugely expensive capital projects such as restoring large Locomotives.

Two of the largest locos there, Ivatt 46441 and Fairburn 42085 are actually progressing very well with their restorations at the moment. Both have had their boilers recently returned to Haverthwaite following overhaul at Carnforth.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Sep 2023 ==

“As many revenue streams as possible” sounds all very plausible but in this day and age cutting costs is more important. Even if one or both Fairburns were available the cost of the staggeringly expensive, utterly crap coal needed to pound a class 4 backwards and forwards up a 1 in 73 gradient for a single day would swamp a year’s contribution from those who know what a class 4 is.

As much as the L&HR values it’s industrial tanks, for the reasons you describe, they can struggle with the heavy 6 coach summer holiday trains. This is usually when the Fairburn comes out to play but unfortunately both have been out of traffic this summer. I think the plan was originally to have 42085 ready before 42073’s boiler ticket ran out but progress was unfortunately slowed down by Covid.

 

[Russel]

I've always wanted to try the class 110 but it doesn't look like it actually gets used.