Manchester United team donates parts to ‘B17’ 61673
ONE OF two groups seeking to build a new LNER ‘B17’ has voted to halt its project and donate its components to the other organisation.
The Engine 61662 Appeal, part of the North British Locomotive Preservation Group, had been constructing a static replica of No. 61662 Manchester United at the Mizens Railway near Woking, with the ultimate aim of making a working ‘B17’.
But, in September, a vote among its 58 members found 79% in favour of donating its original LNER tender and other serviceable parts to the B17 Steam Locomotive Trust, builders of No. 61673 Spirit of Sandringham; 19% voted to sell the items for scrap to recoup costs, and only 2% for trying to find new volunteers to continue fundraising and construction.
A formal offer has been made to the B17SLT, which is expected to accept the items at its next committee meeting, and has agreed in principle for No. 61673 to haul a commemorative special train in the guise of Manchester United when completed. 61662 project members will also be offered a year’s B17SLT membership at a reduced rate.
In a letter to members in October, 61662 project leader Ken Livermore said: “We have to face the reality of the situation. The site has been in lockdown for most of 2020 and, with no volunteers to work on maintenance or construction, things have started to deteriorate rapidly.
“Many of the parts we saved will have a secure future with the trust and hopefully we should see No. 61662 running again one day.
“I deeply regret not being able to continue, but the B17 Trust is in far better shape than ourselves to carry on the work.”
£11,000 had been raised, but most of this was spent on the purchase of the tender and construction of the static replica so far, leaving only around £100 in the project’s bank account. Its estimated total cost would have been £1.8 million.
The news coincided with the arrival of No. 61673 at its new Sheffield home, having moved out of its previous construction base of the Llangollen Railway with the closure of that line’s contract engineering business (SR508). The frames of the
Gresley 4-6-0 were transported to CTL Seal of Sheffield on October 19/20.
It is the second new-build project to be housed at the engineering firm, the other being BR Standard ‘Clan’ 4-6-2 No. 72010 Hengist
(see story below).
The B17SLT aims to complete No. 61673 in 2029, the centenary of the class. With the wheeling of its frames being the next target, its axlebox horn blocks are expected to be cast in November, with the wooden patterns being made at William Cook’s, also of Sheffield.