Mim Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 The high altitude sections of the Cromford and High Peak railway were on limestone and had little surface water available for the railway and adjacent businesses and homes to use. thousands of gallons a day were carried in converted LNWR locomotive tenders, which were used as bowsers and supplied the locomotives, winding engines, quarries and other users on the dry sections of the line. Some of these were McConnell 4 wheel tenders from the early 1860's and were in use right up till closure in 1967, when they were over a hundred years old. Were there any non-preserved standard gauge items of rolling stock, that reached a greater age while still in regular use? A picture of a couple of the McConnell tenders can be found near the bottom of this page. There were younger Webb tenders and some much younger tenders in use too, but these were very old. Mim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.snowdon Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 The Isle of Wight isn't doing badly with its 1938 tube stock, now a mere 79 years old and still carrying passengers. Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Whilst not quite as old.... Beattie Well Tanks. Built in 1874. Withdrawn 1962. Still working today. Terriers. 32636 and 32670. Built 1872. Withdrawn 1963 and 1964 respectively. Still working today. Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Are any of the departmental/de-icing/sandite EPB's still running around? If any are still on London, Brighton and South Coast Railway underframes they must be pushing 100 years old... And I reckon some class 08's will soon be vying for the oldest locomotive in front line service ever, with class 20 and 31 not far behind. Certainly puts two fingers up to those in the sixties that thought diesels would not last... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ray H Posted October 24, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 24, 2017 Don't some of the modernisation diesels share something in common with London buses - both were specifically designed for the job they had to do in this country. T'is interesting that the (London) Routemaster was the last bus designed specifically for London and everything since has basically been off the peg and hasn't lasted - hopefully the new "Routemasters" will echo their forefathers. It will be interesting to see how long some of the newer diesel loco classes last and whether the 08s, 20s, 31s, 37s & 47s outlive them. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John M Upton Posted October 24, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 24, 2017 (edited) Sadly none of the deicing slam door departmental EMUs have survived. There were supposedly bits of old EMU to be found in later Class 455's and of course the REP electrics are still powering the 442s. Oldest EMU in passenger carrying service on the mainland is now 313201 which I worked this very afternoon Edited October 24, 2017 by John M Upton Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Are any of the departmental/de-icing/sandite EPB's still running around? If any are still on London, Brighton and South Coast Railway underframes they must be pushing 100 years old... And I reckon some class 08's will soon be vying for the oldest locomotive in front line service ever, with class 20 and 31 not far behind. Certainly puts two fingers up to those in the sixties that thought diesels would not last... The 08s still have another 40 years or so before they become the oldest ever. The oldest one in service was only built in 1957. It's still a baby! Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 How about Holwell No3? Not a mainline loco, but it lasted in service from 1873 until 1977. http://www.tanfield-railway.co.uk/index.php?mact=LISETRLocomotives,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01item=wellington&cntnt01category=overhaul&cntnt01id_hierarchy=2&cntnt01template_category=hierarchy&cntnt01returnid=50 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cal.n Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Until very recently, the Royal Scotsman had an LNER coach in the rake, but this may count as preserved. http://www.railuk.info/diesel/getloco.php?itemx=%2008308 08308 was built 1957, but does it count as proper mainline? I believe the Network Rail 31105 (built 1957) is only now used internally at the RVEL (RTC). I assume that would make the oldest revenue earning loco (not preserved) a class 20? These may have been preserved and brought back into mainline use by DRS. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 The 08s still have another 40 years or so before they become the oldest ever. The oldest one in service was only built in 1957. It's still a baby! Jason I thought the 08's were built earlier than that, albeit not by many years. I guess all the older ones have been withdrawn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted October 24, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 24, 2017 (edited) Discounting preserved stock. Although there are various one-offs in service that have survived longer, the longest served wagon type still around in significant numbers is the Salmon rail carrier. Now coded YSA or modified as YKA Osprey. 60 years or so since their introduction. YSAs with YKAs at the back. Cheers, Mick Edited October 24, 2017 by newbryford Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Would narrow gauge count? Both the Isle Of Man and Snowdon Mountain Railways have never been seen as being preserved. IOM has locomotives from the 1870s and SMR from 1895. Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted October 24, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 24, 2017 Just located this thread. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/117950-oldest-item-of-rolling-stock-on-the-mainline-today/?hl=%2Boldest+%2Bstock Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coppercap Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Would narrow gauge count? Both the Isle Of Man and Snowdon Mountain Railways have never been seen as being preserved. IOM has locomotives from the 1870s and SMR from 1895. Jason The OP did actually state standard gauge... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mim Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 How about Holwell No3? Not a mainline loco, but it lasted in service from 1873 until 1977. http://www.tanfield-railway.co.uk/index.php?mact=LISETRLocomotives,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01item=wellington&cntnt01category=overhaul&cntnt01id_hierarchy=2&cntnt01template_category=hierarchy&cntnt01returnid=50 Looks like a contender. In revenue earning use for between a hundred and a hundred and ten years. Just an ordinary piece of equipment doing its job and not a visitor attraction in its own right. Just located this thread. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/117950-oldest-item-of-rolling-stock-on-the-mainline-today/?hl=%2Boldest+%2Bstock Cheers, Mick Well spotted. I did do a search before asking, but didn't come across this. A slightly different question as mine was more historic. What survived the longest, rather than what is the longest still surviving. It mentions a couple of LNWR carriages built in the early 1890's in the Queen of Scots train. These are still occasionally used today and would be around 115 years now. I suppose the question is are they preserved or not. Depends on the definition. They are earning revenue for their owners, but many of the people travelling will be there specifically because of the old stock. One of the carriages spent some time as a house! All preserved railways have to earn some revenue, or rely on top up donations just to keep going, so money making can't be the full definition. I would say a preserved item has its history and age as a major reason for keeping it going, rather than because there was no money, need, or inclination to replace it with something newer. I suppose for this question I'm looking for an item of rolling stock that survived unremarked by the railwaymen using it in normal service, just doing its job for over a century. Holwell Number 3 an the older C&HPR water tenders are the only ones so far. I was particularly interested in standard gauge. The various IoM railways, although always carrying some tourists, are still revenue earning railways, using a lot of very old stuff continuously since built. Mim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazynitwit Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Are mfa wagons in use with any small private rail companies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall5 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 The OP did actually state standard gauge... .... the IMR is "standard gauge" - Manx standard gauge! Ray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mim Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 .... the IMR is "standard gauge" - Manx standard gauge! Ray. And the Snaefell Mountain Railway is broad gauge. 3'6". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Saunders Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 The Salmon are quite modern it is the Bogie Bolster D's now BDA's that include LNER ones! Mark Saunders Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 The Salmon are quite modern it is the Bogie Bolster D's now BDA's that include LNER ones! Mark Saunders And some of these BDAs are now being rebodied as spoil carriers..Apparently, a number have been returned to Axiom at Stoke following concerns about the condition of the underframe; not surprising, as they date from before the mid-1950s. The design life of wagons was meant to be 40 years for the underframe and 20 years for the bodies, so that the body would be due for replacement half-way through the wagon's life. This is what happened to a lot of 1950s-built minerals from the mid 1970s. In terms of age, Paul Bartlett took some photos at the then-British Steel Llanwern in 1994; one wagon, an ex-GWR Crocodile G, was rebuilt in 1909 from a wagon originally built in 1888. It was the oldest of a number of well wagons that saw use with the Permanent Way department on site. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 The OP did actually state standard gauge... Ahh. Missed that. Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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