Q stock to run again?

I recall steam workings from High St Ken to somewhere west (Ealing Broadway?) being mooted for 2015, and then cancelled, So it would be great if they happened this year.

As for the Q stock, fantastic and yippee if it is a runner. I just ask that sticky tape be attached over the mouths of all passengers there is a request for no talking so that those of us who want to hear the sounds made by the train (rather than their incessant yapping) can do so. btw, I am too young to remember the Q stock. Did it sound like the CO stock?

Simon

I believe they need to source replacement parts like motors (which I believe they either took or where planning to take from C stock)

Don't take that as gospel just yet - there's still a lot that needs sorting out and a couple of quite big stumbling blocks for 2016's heritage. Until the programme is announced by the LTM don't put anything in the diary...

Are there still some cars at the Quainton Railway site?

It's up to the private owner of the 3-car OP Stock train at Quantion to decide weather it can be brought up to operational condition, from a technical level it would be possible. However, allowing such trains on LU metals once again, is another matter altogether.
Running costs are likely to be very high and the last time a non LTM privately owned train ran on it's own power on LU metals was over 12 years ago.
The F & R Stock are dead and buried although I see great potential for the OP & Q Stock.

Unfortunately it's that 'M' word that's in short supply!

They may not run under there own power but nothing to stop them running as trailers but I suppose a lot of modifications to make adhere to current standards are needed

The Q stock was gauged, so I imagine the plan is to still try run it.

Remember the Chesham stock was also scheduled to run from the Bluebell to Kings Cross (main line) along with the SECR C class for filming. This was changed to the C class, 4-wheel stock and Maunsell coaches. My son was fireman on the C class for the first day!

I don't have much faith considering...

-Less than 10 years ago there were double the number of standard stock cars that had been put aside for preservation

-Despite there still being operational and maintainable A stock on the network, there are no plans, nor even any interest, in putting a set aside for preservation.

Take one dead, stuffed car of everything, bung it in a warehouse, and don't let anyone touch it. And the tell people to be grateful. Anything above and beyond that is allowed to happen is, frankly, a miracle.

Yes the Bluebell set is or will undergo repairs. This sort of throws a spanner in the works for steam events this year, however, better this year instead of next year or 2018.

Could the 4TC be used on the HSK - Ealing Broadway run?

Simon

Ben

With regards to saving any stock, yesterday, today and into the future, can I please suggest your read THIS thread regarding sightings and meandering towards saving either of the the A stock RATs from October last year.

Space is the issue. The museum have 4 Q stock cars, one of which is in Covent Garden... the other 3 taking up space in the Acton store/depot/museum (whatever you wish to refer to it as being). Another road has 4 Standard stock cars, then there's the 4 cars of 38ts, alongside other units (86 experimental, R stock, C stock, 67TS etc. etc. etc.). The museum may wish to save other cars to represent stock into the future.... so given that storing them in depot's around the network is out of the picture (remember that TfL is now being forced to become a property investor of its unused land - bye bye Lillie Bridge for example - to maintain income into the future), where would you like LU and/or the LT Museum to store these cars/units.

Hard decisions need to be made... and not everyone will be happy, but remember that TfL/LU are operating a railway first and foremost and are not therefore to solely satisfy the (limited) enthusiast market - IMO alongside the LT Museum, they do a pretty good job.



Speaking personally, its better to have a stand alone example in a warehouse/museum, rather than no example at all. I'm sorry to say this... but from my POV, you have a unrealistic and pretty cynical approach to saving vehicles.

Preservation/restoration/conservation costs a great deal of money and there is little point in a museum holding onto duplicate examples of stocks, if it has few prospects of being able to turn, often rusty metal, into an exhibit... or maybe even operational exhibits in the case of the 38ts and hopefully in the mid-long term, the Q and Standard stocks. Also I'm not aware of anyone having been told to be grateful, or even the culture of conservation of the museum implying that enthusiasts should feel grateful. The best way to form an understanding of the pressures, is to get involved.

Having said all this, if anyone does have available land and a pretty deep pocket to fund storage, repairs, maintenance, transportation costs etc. etc. for former stocks (A and in the future 92, 73 & 72 - the order in which they are likely to disappear from LU in the coming 15 years), I'm sure there will be lots of members very willing to redirect them to senior people at the museum so additional options can be considered.

Kind regards

ChrisW

Sarah Siddons successfully hauled the 4TC from West Kensington to Ealing Common before. A gauging run from WK to Ealing Broadway could provide useful.
However if it's not permitted to run in a tunnel section, then it's a no go from HSK to West Kensington I should assume.