The next newbuild

Of course, such behaviour is ENTIRELY representative of ALL gricers...

 

Well, I would agree with you that there are those who go to questionable lengths at times. Those who get rediculously and dangerously close to the line-side of incoming mainline steam charters for example.

 

Not ALL of them mind you, definitely would say it's a minority.

 

Yes!

 

Exactly, I was most disappointed that no one tried to trespass whilst I was doing tours around C+W last year!

 

C+W being what, when not Carriage and Wagon?

 

T'was indeed carriage and wagon, the end opens out into the yard and I was warned that certain punters might "get lost" so to speak and end up on the running line. As I said I was disapointed, the only trespasser in the end was me (armed with a high-vis jacket and permit of course).

 

Ah - which railway was this?

 

GWSR.

 

Long term, I think you are right, and probably sooner or later, every railway with long-term aspirations will need to think about covered storage - many already have, of course, though I doubt there are many railways that could truly say that they already have all the undercover storage they could ever need.

In the short term though, covered storage is very capital-intensive, and may also require construction on land that the railway doesn't necessarily have (meaning more capital expense for land purchase). Most railways seem to more or less keep their head above water in revenue terms, but are often very under capitalised - and the main ways of raising capital are all hard work and some may come with additional strings attached. Identifying the problem of insufficient under cover storage is fairly easy: doing something about it is much harder.

Tom

 

You are right Tom, but good site housekeeping will count when those railways want either planning permission or financial support from their Local Authorities. Almost as good as job creation.

 

This is a chicken and egg discussion. It was surely right to save the stuff in the first place whilst it was still there. It would have done no good to have a large, shed with nothing of significance to put in it, but now is the time to put the effort into restoration and covered accommodation. i would say "and stop buying multiple copies of the same classes of diesel" but boys will be boys with their toys!

 

That's because there's nothing left to withdraw ....

That also means lots of saved spending money... I wonder if every 66 someday will be preserved

59's are coming up on 30 years old...and there's not enough of them to share around

 

Class 60s will be the next big thing.

 

They may not be available all that soon. After years in the traction doghouse, I detect that some operators may be thinking that Class 60s are better than 66s.

 

There are a number of older locos now being returned to traffic it seems.

 

Actually, thinking about it, wouldn't a replica of the Drummond bug be a very useful bit of kit for steam experience sessions and crew training?

 

I wonder how mnay of those already bought will never run again.50%+?