NEW-BUILD ROUND-UP: PART 6
Replica BR Standards go under the microscope in our penultimate analysis
Robert Riddles’ ‘Clan’ 4-6-2s were the penultimate new design of ‘Pacific’ in Britain, and were arguably the least successful of all the Standard locomotives. Only ten were built, all of which were confined to the Scottish Region – far from the nationwide remit the Standards were supposed to fulfil. Five of a further batch of 15 ‘Clans’ were initially ordered for the Southern Region, and even had names and numbers provisionally allocated before the order was cancelled in 1954, supposedly owing to the Bulleid ‘Pacific’ rebuilding programme.
The 11th ‘Clan’ is to carry the name and number of the first of those ill-fated Southern Region-allocated ‘6MTs’ –
No. 72010 Hengist – and will incorporate the modifications to the original design that would have been made to those locomotives, had they been built.
Now 23 years old, this scheme is one of the oldest active new-build projects. Until recently, progress on building No. 72010 has been slow, and the project has suffered a number of setbacks over the years – not least having to scrap its first set of frames – so the ‘Clan’ has been overtaken by other new-build schemes. Nevertheless, it seems to have turned a corner recently with the move to CTL Seal of Sheffield, where the frame assembly is steadily coming together.
Once the frames are complete, the plan is to marry them with the previously completed smokebox and cab, giving an impression of what the Standard Steam Locomotive Company Ltd hopes will become reality in 2026, to mark the 70th anniversary of the scrapping of the last ‘Clans’. But, says ‘Clan’ project Commercial Director Bob Ife: “achieving this is dependent upon the level of donations and other income.”
Bob estimates that Hengist will cost in the region of £3-5 million – which is comparable to other completely scratchbuilt locomotives of similar size and scope, such as Tornado and Prince of Wales – “though as for exactly what the final total will be, only the future will tell.
“Pricing changes all the time, depending on inflation, steel prices, inspection and certification costs and so on, and everything has to be produced to very exacting standards to meet modern insurance criteria, especially for main line running.”
With a mean income for the last five years of £58,800, and assuming that trend is perpetuated, it will take between 43 and 77 years to raise the extra £2½-4½ million needed to complete Hengist. That said, when Steam Railway carried out a similar survey in 2002/3, we concluded that the ‘Clan’ would take 240 years to complete against what was then a £1.5m budget, so the project has improved its financial standing considerably since then.
However, Hengist remains another project that must raise its game if it is to prevent supporters losing interest or faith – things which are hard to regain once they have been relinquished – but the group is capitalising upon its recent successes, as is evident by how much has been achieved since the move to Sheffield.
Bob says: “Over the next 12 months, it is intended that work will concentrate on the cylinders – the pattern for which is currently under construction – the front bogie and the trailing truck.
“In the medium term, over the next three years, we intend to complete the driving wheels and motion. The pattern for the driving wheels is already being discussed. The five-year goal is to start work on the boiler, the largest single item required for the locomotive.”
Having a permanent construction base at a reputable engineering firm with the necessary facilities is a big boon, and the upturn in the rate of progress in recent years suggests that the ‘Clan’ is starting to gain momentum.
It has been mooted that one of the project’s biggest stumbling blocks was the class’ less-than-admirable reputation in BR days, but Bob says: “It depends who you speak to. Polmadie crews did not like the wide firebox, being more used to the long, narrow box of a ‘Jubilee’.
“Kingmoor crews, on the other hand, loved them, and found them more than adequate for the task when put to diagrams on the ‘Port Road’ to Stranraer. In fact, when the Polmadie locomotives were withdrawn, the shedmaster at Kingmoor asked that they be overhauled and reallocated to them, such was the liking of the class by the crews.”
Much like unique BR ‘8P’ Duke of Gloucester before it, there is opportunity for No. 72010 to prove what a Standard ‘6MT’ is capable of in preservation and change people’s perception of the class.
People’s understanding of the project are also changing, from that of a scheme lingering in the doldrums to one that is finally moving in the right direction.
There are caveats however – the project really needs to ramp up its fund-raising. The more money it has, the more metal it can cut and assemble – and the more metal it can show off as completed components, the more money and support it will attract.
Success begets success, and if the ‘Clan’ can capitalise and build upon the increased momentum it is currently enjoying,
No. 72010 Hengist stands more of a chance of steaming sooner rather than later.
It hasn’t passed the credibility threshold yet, but that day is getting closer, albeit slowly.
‘3MT’ 2‑6‑2T No. 82045
‘3MT’ No. 82045 defies all logic. A project to resurrect a fairly nondescript design that shares little of the glamour or appeal of, say, an original ‘P2’ or a ‘Patriot’ should not be successful. And yet it is!
In fact, the Riddles Class 3 tank has not only passed the credibility threshold with flying colours, but it’s going to be one of the few new-build locomotives coming on stream within the next few years, alongside the likes of the aforementioned ‘Patriot’ and ‘P2’. That it is in such illustrious company shows how credible No. 82045 has become.
The bottom end is well advanced, the tanks have been built and the cab, bunker and smokebox have already been fitted; construction of the boiler will begin at the locomotive’s Bridgnorth base once the boiler from Stanier ‘Mogul’ No. 13268 is overhauled. Critical mass has been well and truly achieved.
One of the primary reasons for that success is arguably because the ethos behind No. 82045 is far removed from most other new-build projects. The vast majority of schemes aim to replicate late and much lamented designs that were either well-loved by enthusiasts, or present significant missing links from our preserved fleet.
The BR 2-6-2T is different. It was born out of practicality rather than pure nostalgia because its founder, South Devon Railway fireman John Besley – during a nationwide motive power shortage in the late 1990s – identified the need for an easy-to-maintain and operate steam locomotive that could run equally well in either direction on the majority of preserved railways. Although what became No. 82045 started out as a ‘clean sheet’ idea, John realised his specifications were almost identical to those for a BR ‘3MT’ tank, so why not build one of those instead?
It’s this philosophy that separates No. 82045 from the majority of its contemporaries. As vintage locomotives become progressively older, and overhauls more expensive and extensive, the need for a steam locomotive with the ‘3MT’s’ attributes becomes greater.
The 82045 Steam Locomotive Trust’s Publicity Officer and Assistant Treasurer Chris Proudfoot puts it succinctly: “It’s not the most glamorous locomotive out there, but it’s simple and practical and ideal for use on preserved lines.”
Writing in Steam Railway in September 2017 (SR471), Chris admitted: “We’ve always known that our engine would never be the ‘belle of the ball’… I don’t even think that the ‘82000’ class is anyone’s particular favourite. The ethos of the project has always been about practicality, and our efforts have been driven by the knowledge that existing locomotives – bearing in mind that the youngest BR Standards are now 60 years old – cannot be expected to continue in intensive service, day in, day out, indefinitely.”
Critiquing a project as well advanced as the ‘3MT’ is somewhat superfluous, but it proves that you don’t need a headlinegrabbing express passenger locomotive to make headway; what’s more important is a robust fund-raising strategy and marketing campaign, strong links with a preserved railway and/or engineering base, and good project management.
Let’s not count our chickens before they’ve hatched – the boiler has not yet been built and there’s still a long way to go before No. 82045 enters service – but the ‘3MT’ is odds-on to steam on or close to its target completion date.
There has been talk that it could be joined by other Class 3 tanks in time, as its useful nature makes the ‘3MT’ the ideal candidate for series production. The trust hopes that No. 82045’s success will inspire other groups to build more ‘82XXXs’, primarily because the 2-6-2T is the ideal design for the majority of preserved railways. If that dream ever became reality, then No. 82045 would, more than any other new-build, prove how new steam locomotives can be the future for preservation.
It will never set the world alight, but it was never meant to. It will be a practical and useful workhorse for the 21st century – the fact that it also replicates a lost class is a happy coincidence.
The ‘3MT’ is in exclusive company: a credible new-build project that will steam in the near future. Many projects could learn a lot from No. 82045.
‘2MT’ 2-6-2T No. 84030
Group: The Bluebell Railway Standard Class 2 Project Project formed: 1983/1998 (see text) Project cost: Unknown
Raised to date: Declined to say
No. of supporters: Approx. 200 Estimated completion date: 2029 Location: Bluebell Railway
To run: Preserved lines only
In many ways, BR Standard ‘2MT’ 2-6-2T No. 84030 isn’t a new build at all. Arguably, this scheme to resurrect BR’s smallest tank design is actually more of a restoration, given that the finished product will use the frames, boiler, wheels and cylinders – in fact almost all the major components – from BR Class 2 ‘Mogul’ No. 78059.
It was the last of four ‘78XXXs’ to leave Barry, in May 1983. As it had no tender, and because the ‘84XXX’ 2-6-2Ts were tank versions of the ‘Moguls’, it was decided to convert No. 78059 into the 31st ‘Standard 2’ tank, none of which were preserved.
Project spokesman Tony Sullivan says: “The decision to convert No. 78059 into the tank version was taken when it was originally purchased from Barry. The acquisition of missing fittings started immediately, and the wheelsets were sent to Swindon for profiling about a year later. Regular working parties started in 1998.”
The other factor in the Bluebell Railway Standard Class 2 Project’s decision was that ‘84XXXs’ worked over Southern Region metals in steam days, whereas the ‘78XXXs’ did not (apart from one enthusiast railtour).
How far No. 84030 can be considered a new build when it will contain very little new metal – only the extended frames to accommodate the new rear pony truck, the bunker, modified cab and side tanks – is up for debate, but ultimately it is resurrecting a lost design and creating a new member of an extinct class.
Progress on building No. 84030/restoring No. 78059 has been slow compared to many contemporary projects, but it reached its latest milestone on July 26 last year when the frames were permanently placed on the six driving wheels (SR483).
Given the issues surrounding any restoration, “the group currently has no set idea how much it will ultimately cost,” says Tony. “The boiler will need a lot of work and has yet to be inspected in detail. We would not be surprised if the cost exceeded £100k.
“Other major expenditure, such as the bunker, side tanks and motion, could add another £50k. It must also be remembered that costs could have increased at the time we get to certain points in the project. A major fund-raising exercise will be needed for the boiler.”
Given that only ten volunteers work regularly on the project every week, and that funding is coming from a relatively limited pool, the group’s efforts to date should be applauded.
The 31st ‘2MT’ tank will undoubtedly emerge at some point; with all the major components already in hand, it has certainly reached critical mass, and its almostidentical LMS-design Ivatt counterparts have proved useful machines on the likes of the Isle of Wight, Keighley & Worth Valley and Mid-Hants railways, so doubtless No. 84030 will perform a similarly useful role on the Bluebell.