Stolen - OL50 and FL6

Two restored lamps were taken from the lamp room at the SVR’s Eardington Station near Bridgnorth, Shropshire on 14th April.

Both lamps were restored by me and have unique distinguishing features.

Please contact the Severn Valley Railway HQ with any information.


Many thanks,

Phil

 

Damn! That’s terrible, Phil.


Tony

 

As Editor of Steam Railway I can put something in the next edition of the mag if you like?

C

 

Isn’t this the second theft of this type reported here this year? It’s awful.

 

Thanks for your support, everyone. Yes please, the wider publicity we can give to these thefts the better.

Sadly, a daylight inspection has since revealed that several smaller non-pressure railway lamps were also stolen in the same burglary - a SR loco headlamp, two BR(W) tail lamps, three handlamps, a crossing gate lamp, a BR(W) flare lamp plus, would you believe it, a milk churn. Someone appears to be trying to kit out a heritage railway station with lamps stolen from ours.

All of the above will be logged on the stolen equipment register on HOPS and circulated via the various railway lamp groups on social media. The police are also aware.

 

Bad news indeed for our hobby.

 

It is natural to want to display one’s restored lamps to visitors, and we have done this at the station for over a decade as the only totally oil-lit railway station - anywhere. Sadly that’s going to have to change. The remaining lamps are now locked away in secure storage away from visitors’ eyes.

 

That's bloody disgusting, very sad news indeed.
Some people just have no shame at all.
Sadly we live in the me me me society these days.

 

Thanks, BL. Agreed.

We have had to spend the past three days repairing the damage done to the building and reinforcing the door. The remaining lamps are secure elsewhere.

 

Hello Phil, that is a shame and hopefully the culprits will be caught.

 

Hello Jeff, many thanks and yes, we also hope they’ll be caught. I’d chop their hands off…

I guess the next question has to be “where can I get a replacement OL50?” Ours was originally issued to Ballinluig Station on the Highland Railway in 1936, so its railway history was known. We used it to illuminate a crossing, and it was ideal for that purpose and is sadly missed. Incidentally, I modified the fixings of the reflector to the tank, which together with the dent makes the lamp unique and easily identifiable.

All Tilley ‘lifebuoy’ lamps are highly prized, but it would be nice if we could acquire a replacement one day.