HYPOTHETICAL - Deltic preservation

[SteveM70]

A hypothetical question for you.

Lets assume all 22 Deltics are still operational, and none have what you might call a terminal illness - doubtless some will be in better health than others, but all have two working engines and no major known faults

It’s decided that they will all be withdrawn at the end of June because a micro-fleet is more hassle than it’s worth

In this day and age, how many would end up being preserved?

 

[43096]

A hypothetical question for you.

Lets assume all 22 Deltics are still operational, and none have what you might call a terminal illness - doubtless some will be in better health than others, but all have two working engines and no major known faults

It’s decided that they will all be withdrawn at the end of June because a micro-fleet is more hassle than it’s worth

In this day and age, how many would end up being preserved?

Too many...

 

[Cowley]

Too many...

A hypothetical question for you.

Lets assume all 22 Deltics are still operational, and none have what you might call a terminal illness - doubtless some will be in better health than others, but all have two working engines and no major known faults

It’s decided that they will all be withdrawn at the end of June because a micro-fleet is more hassle than it’s worth

In this day and age, how many would end up being preserved?

Do you know what, I’ve got a feeling that they all would.
I could imagine some being re-engined with something modern for further use with one of the companies out there and the rest going into preservation maybe?

 

[Trackman]

I would be more intrigued to know what they were up to for the last 20 years.

 

[Cowley]

I would be more intrigued to know what they were up to for the last 20 years.

Top and tail ten coach ex southern mk3 based EMU open access services between Kings Cross and Hull.
Of that we can be (almost) certain.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I would be more intrigued to know what they were up to for the last 20 years.

Dragging 442s for TPE?

 

[ExRes]

I would be more intrigued to know what they were up to for the last 20 years.

Permanent RHTT services, it would save any aggro over liveries if nothing else

 

[47827]

LSL would buy the lot no doubt!!

 

[alexl92]

LSL would buy the lot no doubt!!

Nah, LSL would buy 2 and WCRC would buy the rest and strip half of them for parts

 

[Towers]

Had they been in service all this time, they would of course be held in significantly lower regard than they are now - they'd essentially be akin to Class 37s I'd imagine, historic, popular, but not seen as anything like the cult locomotives that the 55s are!

 

[reddragon]

The Deltic engines were the Achilles heal of the Deltic. Some 60? were built for 22 pairs in locos and these spares were eroded as they progressively put a leg out of bed.

At the end, enough usable power units was an issue and realistically by 1990 the fleet would have need power plant replacements.

 

[randyrippley]

Too many...

Someone's been listening

 

[Irascible]

I would be more intrigued to know what they were up to for the last 20 years.

And the other 20 years too.

There'd be as mzny as people have cash for, it's nobody else's business what they spend it on. In 10 years time how many are left mught be a better question.

 

[Alanko]

In this day and age, how many would end up being preserved?

Initially a lot, but a substantial cohort will never run again. I'm thinking of the McRat 26s and 27s that still survive. Every preservation outfit going will find the money to drag a Deltic on a low loader one onto their local heritage line.

Some places will have two and eventually use the best parts of one to keep the other running. This will lead to outcry as the 'wrong' one will be the parts donor, regardless of which is picked.

At least one will rot away in full public view and become a tedious meme around the spotting community.

Two or three will be kept on by LSL at an impeccable standard that allows them to run Railtours on the mainline, but at least one will soil itself embarrassingly requiring a costly repair. Do you strip parts from another Deltic doing nothing on a heritage line or give the underdog Deltic a chance to shine on the mainline instead? Cue walls of text on niche, obscure internet fora.

Some eccentric group will try and build a replica of DP2, because Deltics are ten a penny and chopping the centre out of one isn't a big problem. It will then sit under a tarp at Barrow Hill for years.

Another group will recreate DP1 but get the shade of blue slightly wrong which will lead to a 200 page thread on RMWeb.

 

[plarailfan]

I expect by now, some Deltics would have been re-engined, with the same type of unit that the class 68 locomotives have installed in them

 

[reddragon]

I expect by now, some Deltics would have been re-engined, with the same type of unit that the class 68 locomotives have installed in them

Not possible due to weight & power unit locations

 

[paul1609]

Not possible due to weight & power unit locations

The class 68 engine is OTT for a deltic.
The MTU 8V 4000 engine as used in the class 73/9 is the same rating as and smaller than the 18 cyl deltic used in the Class 55.

 

[Trackman]

Some eccentric group will try and build a replica of DP2, because Deltics are ten a penny and chopping the centre out of one isn't a big problem. It will then sit under a tarp at Barrow Hill for years.

Non-starter. The underframe would buckle under the weight - as per post #16.

 

[Alanko]

Non-starter. The underframe would buckle under the weight - as per post #16.

That's why it ends up under a tarp for years.

 

[Trackman]

That's why it ends up under a tarp for years.

Oh, I see what you mean.