Popular Post EddieB Posted February 25 Popular Post Share Posted February 25 A frequent mention in several threads on this site - it has been confirmed that the Shenfield Shark was cut up and removed yesterday. I'm not sure of the exact date, but my understanding is that it was dropped from a ballast train after developing a hot box before the turn of the century and had remained at Shenfield ever since. Attempts were made to offer to preservation groups, or tow it to Stratford/Temple Mills, but all came to nothing. With the news of imminent demise, I went to pay my last respects to DB993733 on Wednesday. Goodbye, old thing. 13 2 2 2 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted February 25 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 25 Sadly it has gone. If there was ever something that deserved to be rescued it was this. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted February 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 26 I am concerned about the impact it will have on the thousands of commuters without their well known landmark. They will be in a panic thinking they are on the wrong train. 2 1 1 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted February 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 26 8 hours ago, Bucoops said: Sadly it has gone. If there was ever something that deserved to be rescued it was this. Why? Its not as though it was the only Shark brakeman in existence nor was it special in any way (other than being marooned at Shenfield for decades). 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted February 26 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 26 1 hour ago, phil-b259 said: Why? Its not as though it was the only Shark brakeman in existence nor was it special in any way (other than being marooned at Shenfield for decades). Exactly this - it was such a "part of the furniture" whichever museum (should have) ended up with it would have had a celebrity exhibit. I know people with industry influence tried so they obviously thought it worth it. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted February 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 26 11 minutes ago, Bucoops said: Exactly this - it was such a "part of the furniture" whichever museum (should have) ended up with it would have had a celebrity exhibit. I know people with industry influence tried so they obviously thought it worth it. I really don't see how a brakeman being sat at the end of a siding for decades can be counted as a 'celebrity' - by that same thought process the open wagon which has been sitting in the siding by the north portal of Haywards Heath tunnel must also be a 'celebrity' As for people with industry influence trying to save it - with respect even within the industry its very easy for people to overvalue something and elevate in their mind to have a status which is not warranted in a wider context. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted February 26 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 26 14 minutes ago, phil-b259 said: I really don't see how a brakeman being sat at the end of a siding for decades can be counted as a 'celebrity' - by that same thought process the open wagon which has been sitting in the siding by the north portal of Haywards Heath tunnel must also be a 'celebrity' As for people with industry influence trying to save it - with respect even within the industry its very easy for people to overvalue something and elevate in their mind to have a status which is not warranted in a wider context. And yet there are an awful lot of mentions, photos and even articles about it on the internet and in magazines. You can buy photos of it on ebay (not sure who would) .Would there be a "farewell" thread on here for the Haywards Heath one when it eventually goes? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted February 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 26 5 minutes ago, Bucoops said: And yet there are an awful lot of mentions, photos and even articles about it on the internet and in magazines. You can buy photos of it on ebay (not sure who would) . Indeed there are but I still don't buy into the theory that makes something a celebrity in its own right as it were, particularly given the words overuse in social media and the way its become something lots of people seemingly seek to be. Rather its just the normal human reaction when something unusual / out of the ordinary happens - and a wagon sitting in public view for so long and gradually deteriorating as the weather takes its toll will naturally become a talking point etc, particularly when it finally disappears. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barclay Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 28 minutes ago, phil-b259 said: I really don't see how a brakeman being sat at the end of a siding for decades can be counted as a 'celebrity' - by that same thought process the open wagon which has been sitting in the siding by the north portal of Haywards Heath tunnel must also be a 'celebrity' As for people with industry influence trying to save it - with respect even within the industry its very easy for people to overvalue something and elevate in their mind to have a status which is not warranted in a wider context. Because for some of us, it has been a part of our lives for years - I always looked out for it every time I went through Shenfield. Even non-enthusiasts are aware of it, because it was right next to a busy platform with thousands of commuters passing it daily. And, with a few preserved lines in the County, there was always the hope that it would one day be saved. Some of us enthusiasts develop quite romantic attachments to old railway equipment, for some reason... 3 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted February 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 26 3 minutes ago, Barclay said: Because for some of us, it has been a part of our lives for years - I always looked out for it every time I went through Shenfield. Even non-enthusiasts are aware of it, because it was right next to a busy platform with thousands of commuters passing it daily. And, with a few preserved lines in the County, there was always the hope that it would one day be saved. Some of us enthusiasts develop quite romantic attachments to old railway equipment, for some reason... Indeed - and I do understand that. But romantic attachments can blind to the true value of something plus don't always align with what is practical or justifiable in cost terms. In the case of the Shenfield shark I seem to recall the problem it was manifestly unfit to be hauled by rail but its location under 25KV OLE and right next to a running line meant repairs were programmatic and it was impossible to recover by any other means. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barclay Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 12 minutes ago, phil-b259 said: Indeed - and I do understand that. But romantic attachments can blind to the true value of something plus don't always align with what is practical or justifiable in cost terms. In the case of the Shenfield shark I seem to recall the problem it was manifestly unfit to be hauled by rail but its location under 25KV OLE and right next to a running line meant repairs were programmatic and it was impossible to recover by any other means. Absolutely - I'm not questioning the logic, just saddened by its passing! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 1 hour ago, phil-b259 said: I really don't see how a brakeman being sat at the end of a siding for decades can be counted as a 'celebrity' A brakeman would definitely attain celebrity status if he had sat at the end of a siding for decades! He'd probably attain piles as well. 1 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 Ah well ................ yet another reason for not bothering to explore that end of Crossrail ....... yawn ................. 🙄 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 31A Posted February 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 26 There was some stuff about this on Facebook groups including from the man behind the Mangapps railway, and apparently various interested bodies had looked into saving it but came up against insurmountable difficulties. Mostly due to the proximity to a live railway with live overhead wires. I think it was said that it would have needed a possession and partial dismantling of the overheads to crane it out. Apparently there were obstacles to getting it out by road on the side of the station where it was (overhead line structures in the way I think, not being too familiar with Shenfield station by road myself I’m not in a position to say). There had been a proposal years ago to get it out on wheel skates to Chelmsford low level yard for taking by road from there, and that would have meant finding a long enough gap in traffic, but apparently the price wanted by EWS as it then was was the killer. The general consensus seemed to be that it was now too far gone to justify the effort, especially as there are other Sharks on heritage railways already anyway. 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted February 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 26 2 hours ago, phil-b259 said: I really don't see how a brakeman being sat at the end of a siding for decades can be counted as a 'celebrity' - by that same thought process the open wagon which has been sitting in the siding by the north portal of Haywards Heath tunnel must also be a 'celebrity' As for people with industry influence trying to save it - with respect even within the industry its very easy for people to overvalue something and elevate in their mind to have a status which is not warranted in a wider context. The Shenfield Shark was more than a puffer nutters celebrity, it was part of the traveling experience to London for many from Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. To hear children say "Mum, look that old truck is still there" as they pointed to the Shark sums up how important it was. 4 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 Next one? The Manea SR brake van? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 Just out of curiosity, how has it been removed? Presume dismantled on site via gas axe etc but presume it needed some sort of access to do so/remove the scrap? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 I think the bufferstop should carry a Blue Plaque. 4 1 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted February 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 26 17 minutes ago, 37114 said: Just out of curiosity, how has it been removed? Presume dismantled on site via gas axe etc but presume it needed some sort of access to do so/remove the scrap? https://www.facebook.com/groups/972954483950202/permalink/1115027326409583/ 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 4 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 Not being familiar with Sheffield station and this van, had the Shark been moved from one end of the station to the other? Google Maps and the first photo on the Facebook link, show it at the eastern (Rayleigh Road) end of the station, but the scrapping has occurred at the western (London) end, by the car park. . 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arun Sharma Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 Interesting photograph - were those distinctive buffers only ever used on Sharks? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 53 minutes ago, Ron Ron Ron said: Not being familiar with Sheffield station and this van, had the Shark been moved from one end of the station to the other? Google Maps and the first photo on the Facebook link, show it at the eastern (Rayleigh Road) end of the station, but the scrapping has occurred at the western (London) end, by the car park. . That is what I thought as well when I looked at Google maps 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 If only it had been in a tank of formalin, then it would have been a work of art. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted February 26 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 26 1 hour ago, Ron Ron Ron said: Not being familiar with Sheffield station and this van, had the Shark been moved from one end of the station to the other? Google Maps and the first photo on the Facebook link, show it at the eastern (Rayleigh Road) end of the station, but the scrapping has occurred at the western (London) end, by the car park. . I am sure the digger thing they used to break it up was able to drag it along 500ft of track. No matter how the shifted it it is now gone and will be missed for the next few days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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