Talk:GWR 1450

Titfield Thunderbolt?

"The role of the pre-accident locomotive #1401 was played by two separate 14XX locomotives, facing in opposite directions to allow as much filming as possible. #1401 starred as herself while #1450 masqueraded as her sister with identical number-plates. Though #1401 was later scrapped, #1450 was preserved and today operates on steam railways throughout Britain" IMDB, Titfield Thuderbolt trivia. Is this true?--Patrick Hearn (talk) 11:26, 15 April 2020 (UTC)

Sadly not, it appears. This thread on National Preservation suggests 1456 was the second loco. The film was released in 1953 which means filming would have been in 1952, and the trivia also mention the use of Westbury crews. The BRDatabase entries for 1401 and 1456 show both locos moved to Westbury in June 1952 and stayed for around 4 months. 1450 was at Slough at the time. --Robin (talk) 14:42, 15 April 2020 (UTC)

Thanks, I did wonder--Patrick Hearn (talk) 19:50, 15 April 2020 (UTC)

The search for 1450 at the DFR showed it running at DFR as 1401 as part of DFR's Titfield Thunderbolt Weekend, which might be where the confusion arose--Patrick Hearn (talk) 17:57, 27 November 2020 (UTC)

Early preservation history

Making notes here before updating the article, pending checking other sources. The entry in preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com suggests 1450 worked at the Dart Valley Railway (now South Devon Railway) "...before being sold by the DVR to Mike Little and Barry Cordell in 1991. It then spent ten years on the Dean Forest Railway before moving to the Severn Valley Railway in 2014". Pull Push Limited was not incorporated until late 2001 and the fixed asset appeared in the first accounts at December 2002, so presumably it was privately owned from 1991 before becoming a company asset in 2002. The second sentence implies it did not move to the DFR until 2004. --Robin (talk) 17:52, 26 November 2020 (UTC)

That website freely copies info, and is always worth double checking (I corrected errors on its 80079 page). There's a pintrest image of 1450 at DFR in 2003 https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/549791066982426604/. Unrelated, the same search showed an accident at the DFR in 2007 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/547c902bed915d4c0d000193/R142008_080702_Lydney.pdf--Patrick Hearn (talk) 17:57, 27 November 2020 (UTC)

Status from mid-2021 on

The Branch Lines article reads "We don't have the capacity to work on the locomotive currently and so the owner has made arrangements to send it elsewhere for overhaul." Patrick's recent update is worded"...and will leave the SVR as the owner has made arrangements to send it elsewhere for overhaul". The former would be like 7812 going to Tyseley, ie remaining a resident loco but temporarily elsewhere. "Leave the SVR" sounds more like becoming a former resident. Is there any reason to think it won't return to the SVR once overhauled?--Robin (talk) 10:30, 11 July 2021 (UTC)

I think it's moot. The loco's on a "steaming fee" contract whereby the owner is paid by use, with the SVR having no liabilities for its overhaul. Pull Push accounts (a) show an annual loss of around £50k and (b) a net deficit of £1m in directors' loans so it's dependent on the owners substantially funding its use. The owners are Mike Little and the widow of his former co-owner, both of advanced years. Everything I've heard is that both Mr Little and the SVR are content with the current arrangement: I guess that once overhauled its return would depend on agreement between the then owner and SVR, and enough work to be found for it. I intended to wait for the next announcement or changes on the SVR website before making any material change to its status.--Patrick Hearn (talk) 11:59, 11 July 2021 (UTC)

'Heritage Railway' magazine suggests that the loco will be overhauled at the Flour Mill in the Forest of Dean, where Mike Little's other loco, 5538, is under restoration. The article suggests that this restoration will be put on hold until the overhaul of 1450 is completed, but no timeframe is given.

Thanks. Text amended as above--Patrick Hearn (talk) 10:39, 13 July 2021 (UTC)