Just days after a new owner for 7027 Thornbury Castle was announced, a twist in the story could be on the cards thanks to previous owner, Jonathan Jones Pratt.
Prior to restoration at the GCR under the care of the private owner, Chairman at the West Somerset Railway, Jonathan Jones Pratt, owned the locomotive, but sold the locomotive after finding a buyer who pledged to do the right for the loco, and the team at the GCR had the skills to get her back in service.
Jonathan has said that the locomotives current outcome was never part of the agreement he had in place and has contacted the Great Central Railway to talk to the new owners, with one outcome – to purchase the locomotive.
RailAdvent has spoken with Jonthan this evening (Saturday 13th August 2022), and he has confirmed that he wants to purchase the whole locomotive and spares.
He has also confirmed this evening that 7027 Thornbury Castle will be kept at the Great Central Railway, where restoration can continue.
He plans to purchase the locomotive and then set up a group.
Here is Jonathan's statement in full:
“As many within the steam movement digest the recent information relating to the engine with much shock we now need in my opinion to try and take some form of action to try and rewind the fate for Thornbury Castle.
I sold the engine as circumstances at the time suggested it was the right thing to do, we were lucky to find a buyer who pledged to do right for the loco and it was evident the team at the GCR clearly had the skills to get her back into traffic.
The latter is proven by how well the group have got on with the loco and excellent progress made. For me it was safe hands and a good move.
We then learn around two weeks ago that she was up for sale, I made contact with the GCR to ask if this was true as I was shocked/disappointed.
Confirmation was given that 7027 was for sale and I then asked for a introduction to the current owners, yesterday we found out of the sad news that she was now to become a donor loco.
I must be very clear with you all, this was never part of the agreement and I was very specific that when she was sold with good faith conditions to protect her future.
This evening I have made contact with the GCR to once again ask for a introduction to the owners, for one outcome, in the hope to secure the purchase and stop this nonsense.
My hope will be that if this can be done we build a group to take the engine ownership forward as well as protecting those currently involved remain involved and that 7027 steams again!! I cannot sit back and watch this happen.”
This is an appalling lack of integrity, communication and trust that has ever been shown in the preservation community. The disparity of boilers surely demonstrates the urgent necessity for common sense and decency to prevail, in pursuing the Castle project.
This is an appalling lack of integrity communication and trust ever shown in the preservation community. The disparity of boilers surely demonstrates the urgent necessity for common sense and decency to prevail. In pursuing the Castle project.
7027 Thornbury Castle should stay as castle.
Well done Jonathan, I agree entirely.
All the Best with the project
He sold the loco because he couldnt restore it; so if he buys it back,is there any guarantee that this will change?? He says he hopes to “build a group to take the ownership forward” – I assume this means he cant even buy it himself, let alone fund restoration. Never been a fan of the guy,not impressed by all this.
I couldn’t believe what I was reading the other day that Thornbury Castle was being sacrificed to provide a boiler – and not even the right one at that! – for the 4709 project. While it’s nice to see re-creations of locomotive types that no longer exist, destroying what I believe to be pretty much a complete loco like 7027 to donate parts to something else is downright disgusting. If people want to build replica locos, they should do it from genuinely ‘spare’ parts or new parts, and nor wreck other projects in the process.
this would be the right thing to do. fingers crossed! destroying a castle – although it is incomplete – would be vandalism.