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Swindon & Cricklade Railway Fire

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GlosRail

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Sounds like their Class 207 have been burnt out.

From http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/14507832.Blaze_destroys_vintage_train/

A TRAIN valued at more than £100,000 was completely destroyed by fire at Blunsdon this evening.

The vintage diesel Thumper unit owned by Swindon and Cricklade Railway was parked up near the Hayes Knoll end on the main line when the fire was discovered late in the afternoon.

“It is completely beyond repair,” said a heartbroken trustee Dave Peacey.”

He said he was returning to the railway between late this afternoon he was told what had happened. “We don’t know when the fire started. I would imagine it has been burning most of the day so how nobody spotted it I don’t know.”


“As far as I’m aware there are only three of these left in the country. It is a very rare train.”

The most depressing thing, he said, was that volunteers had spent January and February completely refurbishing it.

“We are all devastated to say the least,” he said.

Three box wagons containing electrical equipment were also destroyed. Mr Peacey said it appeared the blaze may have started in the wagons and spread to the two-car unit.

He added that the railway volunteers would have to find an alternative engine and crew if it was to run a service over the weekend.

A spokesman for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire service said the alarm was raised just before 6pm.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.
 
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XCTurbostar

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Very sad to see this happen. Especially considering that it had recently been refurbished.

Thanks,
Ross
 

Harbornite

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If there are any culprits that is. I think it goes without saying, so don't get so picky about things.
 

BestWestern

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If there are any culprits that is. I think it goes without saying, so don't get so picky about things.

The suggestion appears to be that some vans (of the wagon variety) stabled alongside were being used for storing 'electrical equipment' and that the fire started there, and sadly spread to the adjacent DMU. Some images on Facebook show one carriage is utterly destroyed, however the second vehicle appears to still.be wearing its green paint so perhaps that may at least be salavageable; though of course it is of limited use on its own.

Only recently I was admiring a freshly painted blue Thumper on the West Somerset; what a sad loss.
 

Harbornite

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The suggestion appears to be that some vans (of the wagon variety) stabled alongside were being used for storing 'electrical equipment' and that the fire started there, and sadly spread to the adjacent DMU. Some images on Facebook show one carriage is utterly destroyed, however the second vehicle appears to still.be wearing its green paint so perhaps that may at least be salavageable; though of course it is of limited use on its own.

Only recently I was admiring a freshly painted blue Thumper on the West Somerset; what a sad loss.

Indeed it is, I also hope that at least some components can be salvaged.
 

colchesterken

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Are they correct to say there only 3 thumpers
I don't know how many there were at the end of slam door ,but I thought they were all sold to preservation
 

richa2002

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Are they correct to say there only 3 thumpers
I don't know how many there were at the end of slam door ,but I thought they were all sold to preservation
Only 3 of these class 207s. There are of course many more 205s preserved.
 

yorksrob

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It was probably one of the ones that I would have caught on many occasions on the Marshlink.

Must be heart braking for everyone who's put their time and effort into restoring it. Profound sympathies to everyone involved.

Very great shame indeed.
 

Johnnyp88

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A very sad story. Kept trying to get there from Surrey to take a ride on the unit having been on them a number of times between London, Oxted and Uckfield.
 

cactustwirly

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Hypothetically, how easy would it be to convert an EBP into a 205?

I actually meant a 207
 
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yorksrob

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Hypothetically, how easy would it be to convert an EBP into a 205?

If you've got the engine and the expertise, I should imagine it would have been something that BR could have managed had they needed to. The thumpers were designed to have as much mechanically in common with the electrics as possible.

(I believe the 205's were designed with half a view to being converted into 2HAP's should the need have arisen).
 

bramling

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Only 3 of these class 207s. There are of course many more 205s preserved.

There is one other class 207 vehicle, which if I remember rightly is the motor car from 207013. Not sure what sort of operational state it's in, but it would create a partly authentic 2-car unit paired with the remaining motor car from 207203 - depending of course on whether the fire affected the second car which isn't fully clear from the pictures seen so far. Anything is better than nothing.
 

yorksrob

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i believe Hastings Diesels restored a 205 driving trailer which found its way to the Lavender line. Would be a bit of a mis-match with a 207 power car, but then again is the sort of thing the Southern Region would have done anyway !
 

BestWestern

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Has anybody actually conclusively deemed that the fire was indeed arson? Considering it happened in broad daylight, and there was apparently 'electrical equipment' stored in the adjacent wagons - where I thought the seat of the fire was suspected to have been? - I was under the impression that it was viewed more likely to have been an accident?
 

judethegreat

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A general thought - I'm really not suggesting they should or not but do preserved railways ever take out insurance? (I'm personally not into the whole insurance thing - just take things as they come..)
 

DarloRich

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A general thought - I'm really not suggesting they should or not but do preserved railways ever take out insurance? (I'm personally not into the whole insurance thing - just take things as they come..)

I would assume so surely. Although the payout wont help recover a total loss.
 

trash80

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Also all the insurance in the world can't exactly buy you a new one with rare preserved stock.
 

GlosRail

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I think I read (maybe in Swindon Adver) that the fire had burnt for too long for the fire service to work out where or how it started.
 

A0wen

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Has anybody actually conclusively deemed that the fire was indeed arson? Considering it happened in broad daylight, and there was apparently 'electrical equipment' stored in the adjacent wagons - where I thought the seat of the fire was suspected to have been? - I was under the impression that it was viewed more likely to have been an accident?

I visited the S & C today and was chatting to one of the volunteers about the fire and he mentioned the police had arrested 3 or 4 people in connection with the fire - which suggests the authorities are treating it as arson.

Also mentioned in another conversation was the team which look after the Thumper were looking at a trailer which is currently stored.

The fire has hit them quite hard, not least having to source people to drive the replacement trains (today's power was the line's class 03) because they have fewer drivers passed out on it than they did on the Thumper. So if you're in the area or looking for a day out, do drop in on them - they really do need the custom & support at the moment.
 

BestWestern

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I visited the S & C today and was chatting to one of the volunteers about the fire and he mentioned the police had arrested 3 or 4 people in connection with the fire - which suggests the authorities are treating it as arson.

Also mentioned in another conversation was the team which look after the Thumper were looking at a trailer which is currently stored.

The fire has hit them quite hard, not least having to source people to drive the replacement trains (today's power was the line's class 03) because they have fewer drivers passed out on it than they did on the Thumper. So if you're in the area or looking for a day out, do drop in on them - they really do need the custom & support at the moment.

That's really very sad. What on earth motivates these deeply dysfunctional individuals to do these things I'll never understand; I sincerely hope they are punished severely.
 

Techniquest

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Very glad to hear it's salvagable, I want to get down there as soon as possible to cover the line, but it does appear to be a giant pain in the face to get to if you don't drive. I'll have another look of course, I have a hunch they won't be running on Mondays though when I'm free to do a trip.
 
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