Bargain for would-be preservations.....

corktina

...perhaps.

http://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/enthusiasts/For_Sale/

current boiler cert £60,000.WOn't be many UK takers for ti I'd say

Out of gauge for BR lines, would it be in gauge on an Irish line? (a hypothetical Irish line that could be built to fit it perhaps?)

Judgement Day

Never even heard of the Spa Valley Railway before - with a name like that I can think of a few suitable locations in Ireland.....:D

corktina

It's what was called TWERPS...(Tunbridge Wells and Eridge rps) kind of not surprising they changed the name!

101sean

It is in gauge for UK lines, post war build of the USA tank engines used by the Southern in Southampton docks. Those and the S160 2-8-0s were built to UK loading gauge.There's several original examples on preserved lines in the UK and some have been imported, as have several ex WD 8Fs.

Mate of mine has the 37 on that line, nice spot and recently reconnected to the national network at Eridge.

I worked in Tunbridge Wells when they lifted the tracks in the West station around 1988, site is now a Sainsbury and the station is a pub. The Spa Valley is based in what was the Engine shed. It's a late comer to the preservation scene and shows what a huge market there is in the UK with 6 or 7 other lines within a 50 mile radius.

corktina

you are not correct. You are referring to the class 62 locos which were a USA copy. At least two of them imported (from Yugoslavia as was I think) and numbered 30075/6 now.The TkH are different and are too wide over the cylinders particularly. Some lines have been able to use them but they are not within the British loading gauge which is why it is for sale so cheaply. There are several others for sale for the same reason too

Edit...i'm not sure the line is physically connected, just utilises one track to acess the station.

101sean

Fair enough, thought they were all the same

You're also right about the connection, there isn't one. The Spa uses the former down line and Southern the up, parallel single running lines from Eridge as far as the former Groombridge Junction.