But the point is that it's not redundant weight if its removal puts the C of G outside limits and requires its replacement with a corresponding amount of ballast.
IF being the important word.
The first two would more easily be achieved by leaving the engine installed and just not using it. As for scrap value, the engine was mostly made of plastic, so scrap value would be negligible, almost certainly less than the cost of removing them.
The compressor blades were the only plastic parts, the compressor case was fibreglass, the rest was metal.
In the days when I used to jumpseat on the EDI shuttle, it was not unknown to see "Lirttle Willie", as the boost engine was affectionately(?) nicknamed, being used on takeoff from LHR. So it was by no means restricted to hot/high/heavy takeoffs.
Dave, I think you are misconstruing my point. I'll try again. The RB162 was generally used for the first five minutes of a flight for take off and initial climb. As time went by it was used far less frequently, mainly for hot, or high, or heavy take offs or any mixture of the three. The decline in use, particularly on shuttle flights led to the decommissioning. When were you making your trips?
The use of particular Trident 3 aircraft dedicated to shuttle work seems to have started around 1978 when Trident 1s were being relegated to back up work. Certainly not all dedicated aircraft had their RB162s decommissioned at one go and there were rotations where non dedicated aircraft provided back ups once the Trident 1 withdrawal programme began.