Tyseley Single Wheeler.

Perhaps if it was announced that it would be painted in BR black, a well known railway journalist would fund the completion.

 

With the manner in which certain journals like to source stories from on here I am surprised it hasn't appeared in the press yet anyway, at least if a magazine investigated someone might actually pick up the phone and speak to Tyseley directly to get a formal response which would be a save on server space?

 

Who could you possibly mean?

 

Just paint it in LNWR black and leave the BR crest off. See if he notices the difference!

 

Would that be blackberry, coal, jet or ebony black?

Tom

 

Blackberry. Definitely blackberry!

 

I completely understand your frustration, and Tyseley's lack of interest is disappointing. I maintain that the "if someone were to come forward and fundraise..." is an unrealistic ask. Except, probably in your case specifically. No one else involved seems interested, and anyone else interested wasn't involved. You're in a unique position to get this going if you really want. If you too are skeptical of Tyelsey's suggestion then prove it right or wrong!

 

I suspect that if a group is anxious to complete a Bloomer replica they eould find it just as easy to start from scratch. The incomplete one at Tyseley is not a historical artefact but a collection of new parts they have made and they own and are only likely to sell for use if paid the full cost of them. If a group was building one afresh they might decide to sell to that group rather than just get the scrap value back, but the difference as regards getting a complete working Bloomer would probably be gain in time rather than cost.

 

Lets go round again.....

 

Bob has made his and Tysley's position on this very clear, ie is not forgotten, they do intend at some stage to complete it, and at the moment their core business has to take priority, thats a perfectly honorable position to take, its their property, they do not want to sell it, or allow anyone else to complete it, i'm sorry to say that the person who brings this up time and time comes across as having a personal grudge against Tysley, that they can't let go of, whats in the past, should stay there, i understand he has spoken to bob on a few occations, so shouldnt that be the end of it, if its a funding issue, then its up to the person who is in charge of the project to persue this, what most people agree on is that having come so far, it would be a shame as its not an immence ammount of money by engine appeals needed to complete it, if a window of opertunity were to open where by a time span were to be found if funding was forthcoming to see a gap in railway history filled.

 

What, I suppose, amuses/depresses me about all this going round in circles is that we have before us the perfect Facebook/Crowdsourcing project which hits all the trendy internet stuff. The stalled project has engineering expertise, undercover storage, design work, all the really difficult stuff done, and all (all!) it needs is a fresh burst of enthusiasm for fundraising and publicity. Mr Meanley has explained why they do not (even dare not) take their eyes off the main business in order to handle it themselves, so the new burst of enthusiasm necessarily has to come from people who were not part of the original project. There is historical precedent for three enthusiasts with no significant skiils getting together to kick off a project which grew and grew. If three LNWR fans come together as "Friends of the Tyseley Bloomer" and start things rolling where might it go? If it were a GWR single I'd be tempted to try myself.

 

Except the tender, whose frame is from a Class E Small Bloomer: No 3, built at LNWR Wolverton in 1859.

Harry Jack.

 

It is manifestly not true that the Tyseley people have lost interest, as Mencken repeatedly asserts. They can't afford to work on it at present with their own resources but they would be pleased to do so if someone comes up with the cash. So all it needs is a skilled fundraiser.

 

I think someone actually picking up the god damn phone might go some way to alleviating the present impasse?

 

That was more or less my understanding, aside from the sense that they want to work on it themselves. To do that, they need the 'day job' to be both secure and profitable enough, with sufficient skilled staff on board, to have the luxury of 'free' time to dedicate to the side project.

Most of us have some sort of project on the back burner we don't have time to complete. But none of us would hand our pet projects to someone else to complete. Instead we hope for a bit more spare time in the future.

Simon

 

That's why so many projects remain uncompleted.

 

42859 being a prime example - and we know what has happened to that in recent years.
Ray.

 

Indeed. But ultimately, as with livery debates, your project, your rules isn't it?

Simon

 

Aye but fortunately some owners have taken a more pragmatic view when problems have arisen.

 

If only NatPres had levied a £1 a word fee for this thread, the Bloomer would be fully funded and up and running.