NEWS FROM PITHIVIERS
No sooner had Santa gone back to the North Pole than MTP steam locomotives were winterized and the passenger cars sheltered. Despite the pandemic and all the governmental prevention measures, it has been bringing about througout the year our railway has welcomed 5743 riders against 2895 in 2020. If the Easter Egg Hunting Specials had not been cancelled because of the third lockdown the turnout will have been over the one of 2019 that is to say 6011 but with what-ifs... Anyway the financial position is excellent. This is all the better since it turns out that for the very next few years the rolling stock will need expensive new parts such as wheel tyres, bearings, crank pins and boiler tubes all those parts will be soon beyond repair.
Given the rocketing price of steel the retubing of the boiler of the big superheated locomotive 080 #12 will wait for better days- see reply #187. So for the next oerating season that will start at Easter, if all being well, MTP will have yet again two steam locomotives in running order namely 260 #9 and 080 #4 Brigadelok plus 062 #3 if the boiler inspector allows it to run with a reduced boiler pressure-see reply#179.
Nevertheless the go-getting leadership and volunteers have started to prepare a few big events for 2022 but they are fully aware yet that those events will totally depend on the impredictable evolution of the never-ending C19. Time will tell.
Happy New Year but stay safe and healthy.