Locomotives bricked-up inside of tunnels.

[martian boy]

Strategic Steam Reserve. Very hush hush.

Wasn't this blown apart back in the 1980s. It may well have been in The Railway Magazine or Steam Railway. I can't remember what the number of supposed locomotives came to, but I believe it came to over fifty. In the end, all except about three locomotives were actually accounted for.

The problem arose because of the number of steam locomotives being scrapped. Many were supposedly being sold to certain scrap yards, but then not turning up. It seemed that some locomotives were sold elsewhere at the last minute. This was possibly due to the scrapyard being full to capacity.

Another problem was scrapyards not keeping complete records, and records being destroyed when scrapyards closed.

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Wasn't this blown apart back in the 1980s. It may well have been in The Railway Magazine or Steam Railway. I can't remember what the number of supposed locomotives came to, but I believe it came to over fifty. In the end, all except about three locomotives were actually accounted for.

Yes, I remember an article - I think it was in Steam Railway - and it dealt with a rumour that arose because a number of 'Grange' 4-6-0s were alleged to be unaccounted for.

 

[Cowley]

Yes, I remember an article - I think it was in Steam Railway - and it dealt with a rumour that arose because a number of 'Grange' 4-6-0s were alleged to be unaccounted for.

I remember that.
Didn’t it turn out partly to be due to an overenthusiastic enthusiast (who could imagine such a thing?) publishing data that had erroneous facts in it that ended up being passed onto later books and records? And when SR looked into it properly there were lots of errors etc?

But on top of that record keeping in scrapyards at the time was not exactly perfect either.

Of course this is what They wanted me to believe, so it’s difficult to be certain...

 

[Flying Phil]

I remember that.
Didn’t it turn out partly to be due to an overenthusiastic enthusiast (who could imagine such a thing?) publishing data that had erroneous facts in it that ended up being passed onto later books and records? And when SR looked into it properly there were lots of errors etc?

But on top of that record keeping in scrapyards at the time was not exactly perfect either.

Of course this is what They wanted me to believe, so it’s difficult to be certain...

Oooh be careful Cowley... be very careful. "They" know where Devon is!

 

[Merthyr Imp]

I remember that.
Didn’t it turn out partly to be due to an overenthusiastic enthusiast (who could imagine such a thing?) publishing data that had erroneous facts in it that ended up being passed onto later books and records? And when SR looked into it properly there were lots of errors etc?

Well, that was the 'What Happened to Steam' books. It was the Railway Magazine a few years ago that found they had errors in them, but whether those errors contributed to the supposed lack of records about the disposal of 'Granges' I don't know.

https://www.whatreallyhappenedtosteam.co.uk/what-really-happened-to-steam-article-november-2009

 

[Highlandspring]

I also heard or read a claim once that a couple of the Mk.2 coaches involved in the accident with 47208 at Invergowrie were buried by or in the river as they couldn't be retrieved, but other (more likely) reports suggest they were scrapped on site.

The coaches involved in the Invergowrie accident which ended up in the River Tay (a couple of mk1s) were cut up on site. The confusion has probably arisen because at least one bogie was left in situ for many years until the reclamation of land for construction of Riverside Avenue; the road bridge is directly over the spot where the impact happened.

 

[Eyersey468]

I thought all the Granges were accounted for

 

[Merthyr Imp]

I thought all the Granges were accounted for

They probably are now, but thirty+ years ago some people thought they weren't.

 

[silverfoxcc]

I was told by my wifes' uncle, who was born about 1890 or so, that he saw the original Edinburgh cable cars plus some old buses being taken to a pit in Southern Edinburgh and dumped after it converted to Electric traction and covered in It is now a grassed area, nothing,as far as i know has ever been built on it
The Wembley Stadium contractors engine was never found
Ginger Marks is holding up a bit of the elevated M4 in London
I am sure that there is a site that lists locos underwater etc that are in the USA
The Claud (D16) was never located when Stratford works was razed to the ground
Someone in the RM? once claimed that there was a B17 holed up on a farm in Leicestershire

All great stories,

 

[delt1c]

Lets replace B with P

 

[4141]

Lets replace B with P

"A load of pollocks" then?

 

[Moodster020]

There's an 0-6-0 austerity & coal wagons buried in Wigan.

 

[zn1]

It is my understanding someone else did the original illustrators but Rev Awdury wasn't happy as they didn't look accurate enough for a steam engine, so he had them redone. If I've misremembered this, do correct me. Not got the biography to hand, as I'm on a train no less!

The originals are worth a lot as they have never been republished.

Rev Awdury started charging preserved railways to use his characters in the 80s as he felt they were making money off it. He then sold the stories on to a company After that he regretted it, as he felt it all went to commercial.

Thomas was popular in this books but his stories were the Railway Series and not Thomas the Tank Engine and friends.

Rev Awdury stopped at book 26 and had intended to title the next one Really Useful Engines. When his son Christopher took over, he did title it that, apparently unaware that it was the title his father had been thinking of using. The original book was stories Rev Awdury made up to tell his son when he was ill. Someone suggested he have them published. Well done that person.

If anyone can find them second hand, that is the 1960s audio recordings of the stories read by Jonny Morris and later William Rushton, they are worth getting hold of. I think they stop at book 14. At one stage DECCA issued them on LP. Buy I have some 7"s issued by another label.

Not aware of them having been reissued on CD. I'm guessing the current owners aren't interested and the original owners don't have rights to do so.

Thomas the tank engine now has been ruined...if its not broken dont fix it...i saw 30 seconds this am of the tv show, as a kid i loved the rev awdrys stories the family should never have sold out...as the whole world of sodor has been ruined by the PC brigade. the 1st film ruined it by making it too american....

 

[krus_aragon]

Thomas the tank engine now has been ruined...if its not broken dont fix it...i saw 30 seconds this am of the tv show, as a kid i loved the rev awdrys stories the family should never have sold out...as the whole world of sodor has been ruined by the PC brigade. the 1st film ruined it by making it too american....

The early TV series were only allowed to adapt stories from the existing books. We've got the first seven or so series (in English) on a local streaming box in our house, and I'm quite happy to put them on for our kids, and watch them again myself.

We only watch the new CGI ones on S4C: Channel 5's Milkshake isn't on our viewing list. (The older series were only available in Welsh on VHS, and weren't re-released on DVD, so the picture quality of the copies available online is pants.) The kids enjoy them, but I find the modern stories really pale in comparison to the originals: every plot is pretty much "character X doesn't listen or do as they're told, messes up, acknowledges that everything is their fault, then rush around doing everything right instead". There's no variety or depth to them at all.

 

[Spartacus]

They probably are now, but thirty+ years ago some people thought they weren't.

I wouldn't be all that surprised if a backhander or two didn't result in the odd extra engine finding it's way into a convoy bound for a scrapyard, especially if it was a short move during the dark, I'd be amazed if it never happened with wagons.

 

[infobleep]

The early TV series were only allowed to adapt stories from the existing books. We've got the first seven or so series (in English) on a local streaming box in our house, and I'm quite happy to put them on for our kids, and watch them again myself.

We only watch the new CGI ones on S4C: Channel 5's Milkshake isn't on our viewing list. (The older series were only available in Welsh on VHS, and weren't re-released on DVD, so the picture quality of the copies available online is pants.) The kids enjoy them, but I find the modern stories really pale in comparison to the originals: every plot is pretty much "character X doesn't listen or do as they're told, messes up, acknowledges that everything is their fault, then rush around doing everything right instead". There's no variety or depth to them at all.

Not seen the newer CGI series and just couldn't. The original is OK to a point but nothing beats Johnny Morris reading it. Ringo your a great drummer but you don't beat Johnny Morris when it comes to the Railway stories.

 

[Clip]

Thomas the tank engine now has been ruined...if its not broken dont fix it...i saw 30 seconds this am of the tv show, as a kid i loved the rev awdrys stories the family should never have sold out...as the whole world of sodor has been ruined by the PC brigade. the 1st film ruined it by making it too american....

He only wrote so many stories - you cant keep regurgitating them over and over without them becoming boring.

 

[furnessvale]

Yes, I remember an article - I think it was in Steam Railway - and it dealt with a rumour that arose because a number of 'Grange' 4-6-0s were alleged to be unaccounted for.

A large number of wagons were also unaccounted for.

I know of one scrapyard where wagons were shunted in, to be loaded with scrap metal, only for some of those wagons to be illegally cut up and become the scrap being loaded into the remaining intact wagons!

 

[infobleep]

He only wrote so many stories - you cant keep regurgitating them over and over without them becoming boring.

But you could write stories that are true to his works.

So if a train stops in the forest, ensure some of the train crew go back to inform the signalman. Apparently that didn't happen in one of the Thomas the Thank engine series, as they were interviewed about it on the BBC documentary about Rev Awdry.

I appricate other train stories, such as Ivor the Engine, might not a adhere to technical details but the Rev Awdry was keen on that point so I think it should be respected.

 

[gord]

I reckon the Pacer under Manchester Victoria could inspire a modern day Railway Series story.

 

[krus_aragon]

I reckon the Pacer under Manchester Victoria could inspire a modern day Railway Series story.

Possibly along the two-parter Granpuff and Sleeping Beauty?

 

[krus_aragon]

But you could write stories that are true to his works.

So if a train stops in the forest, ensure some of the train crew go back to inform the signalman. Apparently that didn't happen in one of the Thomas the Thank engine series, as they were interviewed about it on the BBC documentary about Rev Awdry.

I appricate other train stories, such as Ivor the Engine, might not a adhere to technical details but the Rev Awdry was keen on that point so I think it should be respected.

One thing that helped the live-action series keep reasonably true to real life was the fact that the model railway was operated in an analogue (non-DCC) manner. As a result, engines were either on separate lines or coupled together. The CGI series frequently has trains speeding along a short distance behind each other without a care in the world about block sections etc.

 

[sprinterguy]

Possibly along the two-parter Granpuff and Sleeping Beauty?

Given that it was only a partially cut up cab front from 142059 that was under Manchester Victoria, I suspect that the discovery of the shorn off "face" of a long "dead" train in the dark catacombs beneath a railway station would result in a slightly more gruesome tale!

 

[delt1c]

"A load of pollocks" then?

Keeping PC as dont want to lose my licence

 

[Cowley]

Given that it was only a partially cut up cab front from 142059 that was under Manchester Victoria, I suspect that the discovery of the shorn off "face" of a long "dead" train in the dark catacombs beneath a railway station would result in a slightly more gruesome tale!

Definitely. I keep thinking of titles that I’d probably best not post.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

A large number of wagons were also unaccounted for.

I know of one scrapyard where wagons were shunted in, to be loaded with scrap metal, only for some of those wagons to be illegally cut up and become the scrap being loaded into the remaining intact wagons!

That certainly happened in a place "somewhere in East London" .....proper TOPS reporting saved the day in that case. Some of the negotiations with the local scrap merchants could have done with a Bob Hoskins type character to reach an agreement....

A better story is of a place somewhere in Central England where scrap LT trains were sent to , and in their enthusiasm at the yard , one is led to believe that the accompanying barrier vehicles were also (inadvertently) scrapped. Property of BR ......others had to be converted to replace them.

 

[Bensonby]

There’s a loco in the ground near Barrow in Furness: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindal_Railway_Incident

 

[robin quance]

It would take 2 black 5s to compete with an A1!

And two A1's to deputise for a Duchess?.

 

[yorksrob]

That certainly happened in a place "somewhere in East London" .....proper TOPS reporting saved the day in that case. Some of the negotiations with the local scrap merchants could have done with a Bob Hoskins type character to reach an agreement....

"It's good to talk" afterall

 

[krus_aragon]

We only watch the new CGI ones on S4C: Channel 5's Milkshake isn't on our viewing list. (The older series were only available in Welsh on VHS, and weren't re-released on DVD, so the picture quality of the copies available online is pants.) The kids enjoy them, but I find the modern stories really pale in comparison to the originals.

Oh dear me.

I've just happened to watch one of the 2018 CGI editions on Channel 5, one of the "big world, big adventures" series.

Oh. Dear. Me.

As earlier posters suggested, the makers seem to have taken a running leap off credulity pier. I won't be putting one of those on the box again for the little ones.

(The S4C dubs I mentioned earlier turn out to be repeats from the beginning of the CGI era, so aren't as comparable with the current production as I'd assumed.)