Bittern to arrive at former Hornby factory

[County of Yorkshire]

I’d imagine others like 5029 could find a home there undercover in the short term, 

 

5029 is under overhaul as we speak iirc. 

['CHARD]

5029 is under overhaul as we speak iirc. 

 

I love a BR-Sulzer Type 2, me 

[rab]

The Bittern locomotive comes to Thanet       

 

Margate.jpg         

              

The classic Gresley Class A4 Pacific locomotive, Bittern, will arrive in Thanet on 2^nd June 2018 for storage and eventual public display.  Bittern is a sister locomotive to the world steam record holding “Mallard” and will be located at the newly prepared facility operated by Locomotive Storage Ltd.

 

Locomotive Storage operates a storage and maintenance business for classic railway locomotives and heritage rolling stock. Its main depot facility is in Crewe where up to 14 steam locomotives and 10 classic diesels are based.

 

Locomotive Storage purchased the former Hornby site at Westwood, Margate, in late February 2017. Since then the main warehouse has undergone extensive engineering works to prepare for the arrival of the first railway vehicles. Seven railway tracks have been laid in the warehouse, with access loading docks to facilitate the unloading and loading of locomotives and carriages. It is expected that up to 30 items of rolling stock will eventually be housed there.

 

Bittern weighs 102 tonnes and its tender weighs 30 tonnes unladen (before coal and water). They will travel from Crewe on a convoy of low-loaders and Bittern will be the first steam locomotive exhibit to be located in the new facility.

Locomotive Storage Limited is working closely with Hornby, whose Visitor Centre continues to occupy part of the Margate site.

 

The choice of the Thanet site for development of the Locomotive Storage facility was influenced by the obvious link with Hornby, which operated from the site between 1954 and 2015.

 

Margate.jpg

Seeing that guy sat on the rail gives

some idea of the size of that place.

[Ron Ron Ron]

Wouldn't it make more sense to have a facility closer existing railway lines and in a more central location?  Seems a very remote choice.

 

 

It seems to be a very bizarre choice of location.

I should imagine there must be lots of suitable alternative sites.

 

As for the visitor centre, they were planning to relocate it until the plan fell through.

Are they still looking for a new home?

 

 

.

[Bulleidboy100]

According to it's website Bittern is quite away down a long list of other loco's awaiting major overhaul. It seems sensible to house it undercover in Margate, rather than sitting somewhere out in the open with a tarpaulin over it.

[sandwich station]

 

As for the visitor centre, they were planning to relocate it until the plan fell through.

Are they still looking for a new home?

 

I think the plan fell through because Hornby pulled out once they found out they could stay where they are on a long term lease.  

[adb968008]

Looking at the pictures it definitely looks more of storage than a museum, no use of natural light in the roof, but equally it could capture a steam shed effect.

 

The lack of points or traverser suggests whatever goes at the end of the siding might be there a long time as it would be a bit of a logistical move to extract it once it’s in and everything else is lined up behind.

Edited May 26, 2018 by adb968008

[tomparryharry]

I still think it's an excellent idea that Mr Hoskins has decided to store Bittern. He doesn't need planning permission, as storage is storage. Planning permission might be needed for public access, but in this case that will need a business case/plan.

 

You could have a nice little tearoom in there. Make a mock-up of an LNER tender with seats, and charge visitors to sit in Flying Scotsman's coal space. There's a marketable opportunity to say "my dad/uncle/granny/parrot/goldfish/bank manager/milkman drove the Flying Scotsman" They could even shift that dodgy FS tat as well.....

 

Well done. Margate needs things like this. Perhaps a nice little narrow gauge steam set up to boot. You'd need a pretty good model shop to complement the show. Hmmmmm.

 

Ian.

[PhilH]

According to it's website Bittern is quite away down a long list of other loco's awaiting major overhaul. It seems sensible to house it undercover in Margate, rather than sitting somewhere out in the open with a tarpaulin over it.

There is plenty of room in his facility at Crewe....I doubt very much if any of his locos waiting overhaul at Crewe will be stored outside.

[sandwich station]

Looking at the pictures it definitely looks more of storage than a museum, no use of natural light in the roof, but equally it could capture a steam shed effect.

 

Are they not rows of sky lights in the roof?

[Mike Storey]

It seems to be a very bizarre choice of location.

I should imagine there must be lots of suitable alternative sites.

 

As for the visitor centre, they were planning to relocate it until the plan fell through.

Are they still looking for a new home?

 

 

.

 

Going back a bit, Hornby had hoped to realise greater value for the site (I think as housing, but that may be wrong) but this was not allowed. So they dropped the idea of the new facility on the harbour wall at Ramsgate, and will keep it where it is for the foreseeable.

[Steamport Southport]

There is plenty of room in his facility at Crewe....I doubt very much if any of his locos waiting overhaul at Crewe will be stored outside.

 

Is there? Every time I pass it there are loads of locomotives and stock stored outside. If you've got the opportunity to store something undercover then surely you should take it?

 

Apparently they've even stopped taking contract work as they've got too much on the books already. That probably means that Bittern is well down the pecking order. Pun intended.

 

 

 

Jason

[sandwich station]

Going back a bit, Hornby had hoped to realise greater value for the site (I think as housing, but that may be wrong) but this was not allowed. So they dropped the idea of the new facility on the harbour wall at Ramsgate, and will keep it where it is for the foreseeable.

 

They tried to do a swop with B&Q the other side of the road originally but I believe this was blocked by the council/planning because Hornby's side is classed as manufacturing and B&Q's side is retail but this was before production moved to China.

 

I very much doubt that they would be able to build housed there as it forms part of the Westwood industrial estate.

[PhilH]

Is there? Every time I pass it there are loads of locomotives and stock stored outside. If you've got the opportunity to store something undercover then surely you should take it?

 

Apparently they've even stopped taking contract work as they've got too much on the books already. That probably means that Bittern is well down the pecking order. Pun intended.

 

 

 

Jason

When I was involved with LSL we spent quite a few weeks there, starting to dismantle 5029 amongst other work. There is plenty of undercover space, however depending what order they are doing things stuff will obviously get moved around. Also if they are steaming any of their locos, currently 34052 or 46100, that will be done outside.

[Mike Storey]

They tried to do a swop with B&Q the other side of the road originally but I believe this was blocked by the council/planning because Hornby's side is classed as manufacturing and B&Q's side is retail but this was before production moved to China.

 

I very much doubt that they would be able to build housed there as it forms part of the Westwood industrial estate.

 

That's right - I remember that bit now. It was a strange decision because most of the Hornby site is now surrounded by an "Auto" specialist - basically a scrap dealer. Housing was a very unlikely option, but retail made sense.

 

But it is highly fortunate they did not go for the Ramsgate Harbour site. Whilst I believe not directly affecting the developer with which Hornby had a relationship, the bulk of the redevelopment down there (primarily the old station and surrounding amusement park, burnt down by an arsonist in 1996) is now stuck in yet another stand-off with an (allegedly) somewhat dubious set of characters, who have form in buying up no-hope sites and then creaming it later, without spending a bean, despite promise after promise. One of the partners bought Peterborough FC's ground, through a different company, and sold it to the council, after doing absolutely nothing, for a £5 million profit, just 5 years later. He also now owns, through another different company, the Great Northern Hotel outside Peterborough Station. He bought it about 6 years ago and quickly (unusually quickly) obtained planning consent for a ghastly modern extension to the Listed Building, mainly for flats and offices, but has done absolutely nothing about that, just waiting for someone else to make him an offer, whilst he obtains an extension on the planning consent deadline. (To be fair, his company did spend a few £million on a refurb of the GN Hotel as is.)

 

Thus Hornby could have ended up in a prestigious building with hefty costs, adjacent to not much more than a bomb site, for several more years yet it appears (if the local blogology is correct, and it has been for at least 16 years). Such a pity, as the town really needs a lift (no, not that sort, although it does also need that sort too - two of the three cliff top lifts have shut since I used to lodge down there with my mother-out-law, back in the olden days). The Whelk Stall cannot do it all on its own.

[adb968008]

5029 is under overhaul as we speak iirc.

 

I love a BR-Sulzer Type 2, me 

I was thinking it was a mk1 TSO myself...

[Unicorn1]

Bittern will be in Margate about now, it's just passed my workplace on it's low loader on the A299.

[gismorail]

Spotted the locomotive leaving Crewe yesterday afternoon on the A500 heading towards the M6 so its on its way 

[adb968008]

Looks like this site is being used for EMUs too..

 

4Sub 4732, The Mersey rail class 503 and an EPB have moved there.

Elsewhere it’s suggested Deltic D9016 may go there.

 

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/last-surviving-mersey-rail-class-503-train-arrives-at-locomotive-storage-in-margate/

 

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/locomotive-storage-ltd-in-margate-welcomes-the-only-surviving-4732-4-sub-unit/

 

Meanwhile Bittern picked up a minor ding in its cylinder casing.

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/bittern-has-arrived-in-margate/

 

 

So I wonder, if, when the site finds its feet and if it becomes a museum, and LSL gets in to its stride with Mainline steam (or the Brighton belle unit) that we could see regular day trips from London to Ramsgate/Margate with a vintage bus ride to /from this site ?

Edited June 11, 2018 by adb968008

[G-BOAF]

Meanwhile Bittern picked up a minor ding in its cylinder casing.

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/bittern-has-arrived-in-margate/

 

Surely not difficult to straighten out?

More annoyingly (and something I've never seen commented) the front faring between the buffers, while curved top to bottom, lacks the slight bulge across its width in the centre. This is noticeable as the supporting bracket for the drawhook pokes through the panel slightly, facilitated by an ugly cutout, whereas for all other A4s there is just a small slit for the hook itself to poke through. Assuming this panel was manufactured at its last overhaul (historic photos of bittern don't show the problem), it seems to have been a bodge, especially as the replacement for 60010 was made with a curve in two directions as per the original

Hope this is corrected at its next overhaul.

Can't find my pictures on the subject at the moment.

And the irony is that the Hornby model is somewhat slab fronted on the smokebox, but is curved across the buffer beam!

[Mike Storey]

Looks like this site is being used for EMUs too..

 

4Sub 4732, The Mersey rail class 503 and an EPB have moved there.

Elsewhere it’s suggested Deltic D9016 may go there.

 

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/last-surviving-mersey-rail-class-503-train-arrives-at-locomotive-storage-in-margate/

 

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/locomotive-storage-ltd-in-margate-welcomes-the-only-surviving-4732-4-sub-unit/

 

Meanwhile Bittern picked up a minor ding in its cylinder casing.

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/bittern-has-arrived-in-margate/

 

 

So I wonder, if, when the site finds its feet and if it becomes a museum, and LSL gets in to its stride with Mainline steam (or the Brighton belle unit) that we could see regular day trips from London to Ramsgate/Margate with a vintage bus ride to /from this site ?

 

Such a shame the 4-SUB has fallen into such a state after its remarkable history of preservation. Another victim of the Electric Trains Musuem problems at Coventry. Good to see it get a good home, and in (nearly) the right part of the world.

[E3109]

So glad the 503 is finally under cover, for the first time since about 1993 when it lived in the tunnel on the 'Stock Interchange' line adjacent to Liverpool Central.

 

When it got turfed out, it landed at Kirkdale Depot and within days, the local scrotes had started to brick it.

 

About time this set had a bit of luck, same goes for the SUB.