The Bristol Railway Archive

The 8F languishing at Bitton for the last 'few' years is expected to depart on Tues. 20th November. <BJ>

do you know/are at liberty to say who bought it

Woolley on National-Preservation wrote:8f 48173 has been purchased by a director of the Churnet Valley Railway for restoration and alot of the parts of the loco will be making there way up north to Cheddleton tomorrow with the loco and tender following in the next week or so. Restoration will start in the new year but it is missing alot of parts so anyone out there who has any parts for sale or knows where there is any bits that will fit an 8f please pm me or Email me at Swoolliscroft@aol.com

Steve

Her boiler is now back in its normal position, with what's left of the smokebox in the saddle, and cab back on. Looking a little more like a locomotive than she has done in the past few years, but there's a hell of a lot of work to be done. Good luck to her new owners, and I hope everything goes smoothly...or as smoothly as can be expected with an ex-Barry wreck!

A quick update:

I have just walked past Bitton Station and the 8F tender seems to have gone already. An articulated lorry is parked in the yard but no driver to be seen. A railway worker informed me that they have had difficulty moving the loco and basically, it's stuck. <BJ>

I believe that the problem is (or was, if there have been any developments since Sunday) that the pivot for the pony truck is seized. That means that the whole loco is attempting to move as one rigid unit and cannot negotiate the curve off of the piece of track where it has been marooned for some years (this was reconnected specially for 48173's removal). When I was at Bitton on Sunday a couple of solutions were being discussed...one involving some old engine oil and a very large hammer, the other involving phoning up for quotations for a heavy duty crane.

As I walked by yesterday, it appeared that a rep from Sparrows Crane Hire was giving a quote for the lifting of the loco.
The tender is still at Bitton. It must have been hidden away as I walked by at the weekend. <BJ>

get_that_bus_out wrote:I believe that the problem is (or was, if there have been any developments since Sunday) that the pivot for the pony truck is seized. That means that the whole loco is attempting to move as one rigid unit and cannot negotiate the curve off of the piece of track where it has been marooned for some years.

WD40 sorts out a multitude of sins and if that doesnt work drench it in full fat Coke! That sorts out any siezed and rusty problems

The tender has finally departed. A quote has been given to lift the loco by crane. That was rejected as too costly. As the loco can only move in a straight line, a method has to be thought of as to how to move the loco onto the next track. From here it can be towed the short distance to the yard and onto the transporter. <BJ>

There were other reasons for rejecting the crane option as well as cost: the operation would have required a complete closure of the Railway Path alongside Bitton down yard and there were doubts over the stability of the ground in the location the crane would have to occupy. After consultation with the hauliers I believe the current plan is to jack and slew 48173 so that it can be loaded onto a lorry in a straight line

48173 has finally been moved over to the next track at the railway yard and is at present next to the car park ready for collection. Let's hope that a return to Bitton for the locomotive could be a possibility in the years to come. <BJ>

Just heard that 48173 seen on low loader heading north on M5 near Cheltenham. Seems she is on her way!

Yes, 8F No.48173 has finally departed from Bitton. <BJ>