Hanson & Hall

[ExRes]

Thank you for that - a group of four of us from the forum were on the train, the others being more determined than I was since they started and finished at Huddersfield whereas I got on/off at Wilmslow, it was a good day out.

Glad you enjoyed the day out, hopefully you didn't get too overexcited with the many and varied joys of Paignton



50008 returned 67028 today on 1112 0Z50 Knottingley TMD to Belmont Down Yard returning solo on 1531 0Z51

 

[ExRes]

50008 working 0925 0D50 Knottingley TMD to Belmont Down Yard and 1159 5M50 to Chaddesden via Humberstone Road with the ECS for this weekends BLS charters to Skegness and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway



** Updated Thursday 22nd June **


50008 on 1337 0E50 Chaddesden to Knottingley TMD and 1856 0Z50 return



** Updated Saturday 24th June **


50008 worked TnT with 37418 on 'The Jolly Vacman' Skegness tour, 0730 5Z50 Chaddesden Sidings to Derby ECS 54 late due to fitters attendance, 0752 1Z50 to Skegness which was terminated at Sleaford 66 late, 1128 1Z51 to Peterborough, 1410 1Z52 to Skegness, 1745 1Z53 to Derby and 2153 5Z53 to Chaddesden Sidings ECS



** Updated Sunday 25th June **


50008 worked TnT with 37418 on 'The Eyre Valley Explorer' Keighley & Worth Valley Railway gala day tour, 0715 5Z54 Chaddesden Sidings to Derby and 0733 1Z54 to K&WVR where it also worked at least one trip hauling the LSL 'Scottish set' then 1825 1Z55 to Derby and 2222 5Z55 to Chaddesden Sidings

 

[ExRes]

50008 on 1010 0E50 Chaddesden Sidings to Knottingley TMD

 

[ExRes]

The following announcement has been made by H&H via the Branch Line Society website

"Last orders at the lubrication station. Hanson & Hall would like to thank everyone who has booked on The Merry Wherry. As any charter promoter will tell you that the current cost of living issues and ever increasing operating costs are making it extremely challenging to continue with running enthusiast charters. You will have seen charters cancelled in recent months, as even covering costs becomes more tenuous. With every charter it is more challenging. And as maintenance and operating costs increase, booking levels are not at the levels wished for, no matter how unusual the destination or the track we traverse. This is not something that can be sustained. So reluctantly this will be the last Hanson & Hall for the foreseeable future using 50008. There are no plans for 50008 to be used on any other mainline passenger services after 15th July, so this could very well be your last chance. Join us for a last run to a never visited before destination for a Class 50, via some unusual and rare track on the way. Hanson & Hall would like to thank the Branch Line Society for all their help and support in operating our charter programme"

Quite what this means for the future of 50008 remains to be seen along with the long term restoration to the mainline of 31106



50008 worked 1016 0M50 Knottingley TMD to Chaddesden today to join the ECS in advance of Saturdays charter and the arrival of 50007 on Friday

 

[Jacob Porrett]

The following announcement has been made by H&H via the Branch Line Society website

"Last orders at the lubrication station. Hanson & Hall would like to thank everyone who has booked on The Merry Wherry. As any charter promoter will tell you that the current cost of living issues and ever increasing operating costs are making it extremely challenging to continue with running enthusiast charters. You will have seen charters cancelled in recent months, as even covering costs becomes more tenuous. With every charter it is more challenging. And as maintenance and operating costs increase, booking levels are not at the levels wished for, no matter how unusual the destination or the track we traverse. This is not something that can be sustained. So reluctantly this will be the last Hanson & Hall for the foreseeable future using 50008. There are no plans for 50008 to be used on any other mainline passenger services after 15th July, so this could very well be your last chance. Join us for a last run to a never visited before destination for a Class 50, via some unusual and rare track on the way. Hanson & Hall would like to thank the Branch Line Society for all their help and support in operating our charter programme"

Quite what this means for the future of 50008 remains to be seen along with the long term restoration to the mainline of 31106



50008 worked 1016 0M50 Knottingley TMD to Chaddesden today to join the ECS in advance of Saturdays charter and the arrival of 50007 on Friday

Will the loco be used for freight duties at all for example unit drags?

 

[ExRes]

Will the loco be used for freight duties at all for example unit drags?

Always possible I guess, 50008 was used by DBC for route learning a few weeks back but Hanson & Hall aren't overly forthcoming on the social media front so it's simply going to be a matter of wait and see what transpires


50008 worked todays 1335 0E50 Chaddesden to Knottingley TMD and 1735 0M50 return joining up with 50007 which had arrived on 1010 0Z07 from Kidderminster SVR ahead of tomorrows 'The Merry Wherry' East Anglian charter



** Updated Saturday 15th July **


50008 worked top and tail with 50007 and 6 Mk3s on todays 'The Merry Wherry' charter

0630 5Z70 Chaddesden Sidings to Derby ECS

0648 1Z70 to Lowestoft, 1432 1Z72 to Norwich, 1526 1Z74 to Great Yarmouth, 1612 1Z76 to Lowestoft, 1725 1Z77 to Derby

2248 5Z77 to Chaddesden Sidings ECS



** Updated Sunday 16th July **


50008 & 50007 worked 0732 0E50 Chaddesden Sidings to Knottingley TMD

 

[ExRes]

Seems like the end of the road for 31106, various sources have pictures of it on an Allelys lorry reportedly en route to EMR Kingsbury, strangely it still carries its 'Spalding Town' nameplates and looks in fairly good nick, perhaps this means H&H have received better offers for scrap than from anyone in the industry, we shall see if the torch really is its fate in due course

Meanwhile 50008 doesn't seem to have moved from Knottingley since its arrival on 16th July

 

[njlfifty]

I have been asked many times today what the future of 31106 is. I owned the locomotive for over 20 years, but sold it some time ago (in running order with a return to the main line in mind), and have no involvement with it.

 

[m79900]

I have been asked many times today what the future of 31106 is. I owned the locomotive for over 20 years, but sold it some time ago (in running order with a return to the main line in mind), and have no involvement with it.

That must feel awful, if it is to be scrapped.

 

[DarloRich]

I was quite surprised to see 31106 on a lorry apparently heading off for scrap. I had thought this was a loco in good nick ( if not in operation for a while)

 

[ExRes]

Todays rumour, from more then one source, is that 31106 is to supply parts to the A1A Group before scrapping

 

[fgwrich]

Todays rumour, from more then one source, is that 31106 is to supply parts to the A1A Group before scrapping

I can fully understand if that is the case - I believe the condition of the wheelsets are one of the biggest cost factors in 106s demise, as 31 wheelsets, being A1A, are more costly to replace than a standard arrangement.

Further to this, if anyone is serious about saving a 31 - an ad for 31210, 235 and various bits and pieces and spares has just appeared on Facebook.

 

[Towers]

It’d be rather a bad month if three of them ended up at the cutter’s! I wonder what’s led to all this sudden movement. Sad times.

 

[The_Train]

Has 106 now been confirmed to have arrived at EMR? There was another rumour knocking about that it may turn up at a heritage line somewhere (can't remember which one now)

 

[aem7ac]

If 31106 is indeed at EMR Kingsbury, I'd worry about the possibility of losing a preserved Hoover to the cutter's torch. Fingers crossed 50008 and 31106 have a future that isn't as razor blades.

 

[Towers]

If 31106 is indeed at EMR Kingsbury, I'd worry about the possibility of losing a preserved Hoover to the cutter's torch. Fingers crossed 50008 and 31106 have a future that isn't as razor blades.

Do H&H actually own 008?

 

[aem7ac]

Do H&H actually own 008?

Fair question. I would assume they do, but maybe someone else can elaborate otherwise.

 

[The_Train]

Has 106 now been confirmed to have arrived at EMR? There was another rumour knocking about that it may turn up at a heritage line somewhere (can't remember which one now)

It has been suggested that EMR was indeed the destination but still awaiting confirmation that it actually arrived

 

[ExRes]

Fair question. I would assume they do, but maybe someone else can elaborate otherwise.

Oddly enough a schedule has appeared on RTT today for 4th (Monday) 0901 0M91 Knottingley TMD to Chaddesden Sidings, presumably 50008

 

[TrainTrackJack]

It has been suggested that EMR was indeed the destination but still awaiting confirmation that it actually arrived

Not my image but I'm pretty sure this dispels all rumours.
Shows 31106 at Kingsbury.

 

[Towers]

Not my image but I'm pretty sure this dispels all rumours.
Shows 31106 at Kingsbury.

Well that’s one hell of a shame.

 

[JonathanH]

Well that’s one hell of a shame.

Unfortunately very few people are in a position to do anything about it, shame or not.

 

[cj_1985]

Do H&H actually own 008?

last I heard 50008 was/is owned by Garcia Hanson

 

[fgwrich]

Not my image but I'm pretty sure this dispels all rumours.
Shows 31106 at Kingsbury.

Correct, original image is by Rob Mcrorie

31106 and 66207 at Kingsbury

6E54 Kingsbury - Humber tanks back out, snaking across the junction, while 31106 sits in the scrap yard, looking far too good to be there. Thanks to gen providers for the 31106 info.

www.flickr.com

31106 and 66006 at Kingsbury

6V51 Burton - Cardiff empty steel, and 31106 on its own waiting the cutting torch.

www.flickr.com

 

[Towers]

Any more info on the earlier suggestion that component recovery may be a possibility? Is that something that might happen inside the EMR facility, or is it straight to razorblades?

 

[The_Train]

Not my image but I'm pretty sure this dispels all rumours.
Shows 31106 at Kingsbury.

There goes that bit of hope then. I wish I was financially better off to be able to help with some of this preservation but alas, there are very few with that sort of clout and less and less who are willing to invest in locomotives it seems. Probably an early sign of the future of preservation

 

[12LDA28C]

There goes that bit of hope then. I wish I was financially better off to be able to help with some of this preservation but alas, there are very few with that sort of clout and less and less who are willing to invest in locomotives it seems. Probably an early sign of the future of preservation

Plenty of locos have been scrapped from preservation, this is nothing new.

 

[The_Train]

Plenty of locos have been scrapped from preservation, this is nothing new.

Of course, but this loco seemed to have a future. Feels a bit different to those locos that are just left to rot on a heritage line in the middle of nowhere

 

[ExRes]

50008 worked 0901 0M91 Knottingley TMD to Chaddesden

 

[Wyrleybart]

Of course, but this loco seemed to have a future. Feels a bit different to those locos that are just left to rot on a heritage line in the middle of nowhere

""Seemed" is a good word.
Truth is it is 107 tons of various metals - an asset or an encumberance.

I remember Harry Needle posting on a forum about the achilies heel of the class 31 is the cannon tubes in the suspension, as well as the centre axle having wheels 4 inches less in diameter than the powered axles.

Class 31s will be off to the scrapyards and only the fittest, and owners with deeper pockets will remain.

Sad fact of locomotive preservation #236