WEST SOMERSET ‘7F’ 53808 MOVES TO MID-HANTS UNTIL WITHDRAWAL
Somerset & Dorset ‘7F’
No. 53808 is to move from the West Somerset Railway to the Mid-Hants Railway for the final two years of its boiler certificate.
The Fowler 2-8-0 is owned by the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust at Washford, and was on hire to the WSR plc under an agreement expiring in May 2030, requiring the WSR to carry out its next overhaul.
However, in light of the plc’s statement that it is not in a financial position to fund the work (SR506), the two parties have reached agreement to suspend the current hire contract, allowing the engine to go on hire to the ‘Watercress Line’ and earn hire fees towards the overhaul.
A joint statement read: “The plc has indicated to the SDRT that it wishes to discuss the return of the locomotive to the WSR and to discuss funding options which would enable the overhaul, due in 2023, to be carried out as planned. The SDRT has agreed that a timely discussion would be appropriate.”
A provision of £118,537 was set aside in the plc’s latest accounts for the overhaul of No. 53808, although this had been reduced from £441,000 for both the ‘7F’ and ‘4F’ No. 44422 in 2017 (SR506). Asked whether this sum would be kept against the proposed 2023 overhaul, plc chairman Jonathan Jones-Pratt said: “The plc has always made a provision for the loco, but the reality is that the WSR is managing its finances, as you will see from the challenges we have on the track side of life [see story above]. The reality is we can’t do it all, and nearly two years in from
the initial insolvency, we now battle with Covid-19.
“The plc reluctantly agreed to allow 53808 to go as we needed to respect the owners, and
I placed myself in their shoes; the past pot of money for the overhaul provision was spent over two years ago, but we are now in difficult times and they have an opportunity to earn some money to protect the loco’s interests.
“Did we want to see this happen? Not really, but the reality is we scraped through on the last set of accounts and we would have been in a different position if we were trading normally now.
“With all the issues coming in we are out of options in some cases, which has meant the need to make the unpopular choices; for me though this is in the interests of 53808 and the trust, something we needed to respect.
“The WSR plc is working hard to ensure the engine is fully working when she leaves to the MHR, to maintain our reputation as a solid steam railway operator.”
The engine’s boiler certificate is due to expire in November 2022 (not 2023 as stated in SR506). SDRT trustee Roger Hardingham said: “The tyre flanges on the trailing wheels are getting close to limits but are OK for up to about another 10,000 miles, which might affect things in a year or two, but we are trusting they will last out. The firebox has had some repairs and because it was all newly constructed by Pridhams in 2005, it should last well apart from re-tubing of course in late 2022.”
The ‘7F’ will move to Ropley as soon as maintenance work has been completed at the WSR, and as this issue went to press, it was hoped that this would be done in time for the engine to run at the MHR during the August bank holiday weekend. The ‘Watercress Line’ also plans to hold an S&Dthemed gala on October 16-18.
The WSR plc has given the S&D Trust notice to quit its Washford site by February 10 next year, but negotiations between the two parties on this subject are ongoing, as well as between the trust and several other possible new sites.