Esselen Park Locos 2

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Another Esslen loco.

[Dylan Knott]

I see potential here. Can easily build one out of the two.

[Stefan Andrzejewski]

Its amazing that it has not been vandilised. What class are they. From the top photo it looks like a 15C

[Dylan Knott]

15CA's 2802 and 2804.

I never expected them to be in this condition! FOTR here are some good locos!!!

[Gabor Kovacs]

According to my knowledge, both boilers are beyond repair!

I too am amazed that the brass is still there, however a few bits have disappeared since my last visit there about 3 or 4 years ago! Amazing the some of the brass looks as it gets a bit of Brassol, now and then!

Nice pics Kevin!

[Dylan Knott]

I don't think so. They were placed there after 1989. Actually there were two Dining Cars here originally. Sooner or later we are going to have to repair locos with terminal boiler problems. I just don't buy that theory of condemned boilers, I mean why waste beautiful fittings on "dud" boilers then?

Someone needs to check!

[Derek Walker]

Chances are there is a boiler expiration issue for starters, and I tend to think that some boiler problems are repairable, but the gazilion dollar question is, who has the skills, equipment and money to repair one? I know Reefsteamers can up to a point, but if the boiler inspector condemns that boiler then chances are he is looking at it from a safety perspective as well as an operational one. Susan at RS came very close to having her boiler condemned but I think the skills to repair her were present, as was somebody who was prepared to relook the damage she had suffered. But at what point would RS have said "Ok, she is beyond repair?" How much money would they have been prepared to spend to repair her? We do not have access to huge mechanical workshops and an endless amount of money, spares and skills, we have to look at things rationally. Its going to get even worse as time passes.
These plinthed locos are sometimes plinthed because somebody said "Ok, she is past it", 10 years down the line are we able to repair the loco any better than they were able to in the past?

Still, these 2 locos are looking suprisingly good, it may be interesting to have a look at their history and see why the decision was made to plinth them. Do such records exist?

[carldasnevesvieira]

Hi Everyone

As to the two dining cars mentioned here
they were 244/297 "Kaaiman" and 245/300 "Komati". 297 was exchanged for 298 which was 243 "Umtata" partner --this latter belongs to THFR or whatever they want to be called these days.

Cheers
carlos