Loco 60009 Union of South Africa

[Ryewolf]

Taken over the weekend .... It retires this year so probably the last time I'll see it steam....

Leaving Irwell Vale

Arriving at Townsend Fold

Arriving at Ramsbottom from Rawtenstall

[Denis]

That is a great looking locomotive Geoff, any idea why it has to retire?

 

[JamesT]

2 hours ago, Denis said:

That is a great looking locomotive Geoff, any idea why it has to retire?

 

It's 10 year boiler ticket is about to expire, so it will need a full overhaul to be steamed again. I don't know if that's planned for 60009, but even if it is it's likely to take about 10 years.

Are there any other A4's in steam? I've never seen one (messed up the dates when 60009 visited Didcot).

[Denis]

Ah, many thanks James.

 

[Ryewolf]

1 hour ago, JamesT said:

It's 10 year boiler ticket is about to expire, so it will need a full overhaul to be steamed again. I don't know if that's planned for 60009

It's mainline boiler ticket expired in 2020 and it's heritage boiler ticket expires end of 2020, if I remember correctly it was given a years extension, according to what I can find out her boiler ticket expires April 2022. The owner John Cameron wants to retire as a static display.

4 hours ago, Denis said:

That is a great looking locomotive Geoff, any idea why it has to retire?

Thanks Denis.

2 hours ago, JamesT said:

Are there any other A4's in steam?

Not at the moment:

60019 Bittern is in storage
60022 Mallard static display at the National Railway Museum
60010 Dominion of Canada static display in Canada
60008 Dwight D Eisenhower static display in USA
60007 Sir Nigel Gresley undergoing overhaul at the National Railway Museum

The only one in steam is 60009, according to the ELR website they are raffeling a footplate ride on 60009, it's also listed as being at the ELR's Steam Gala 15th, 16th, 17th October 2021.

[JamesT]

12 hours ago, Ryewolf said:

Not at the moment:

Thanks Geoff, looks like I'll have to wait for Sir Nigel Gresley to be overhauled.

[Kobione]

Glad you got to see it before it retired Rye - nice set, as usual.

[Ryewolf]

On 05/06/2021 at 08:17, JamesT said:

Thanks Geoff, looks like I'll have to wait for Sir Nigel Gresley to be overhauled.

You might want to check out this page on the ELR website of all the dates it is running:

http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/events-activities/2021/7/union-of-south-africa-farewell.aspx

[Ryewolf]

12 hours ago, Kobione said:

Glad you got to see it before it retired Rye - nice set, as usual.

Thanks Kobione

[JamesT]

On 13/06/2021 at 19:47, Ryewolf said:

You might want to check out this page on the ELR website of all the dates it is running:

http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/events-activities/2021/7/union-of-south-africa-farewell.aspx

Thanks Geoff, unfortunately that has the same problems as you have with Didcot. It's on the opposite side of both Birmingham & Manchester from me.