Swanage Railway General Discussion

What perhaps has been missed is that a rotation/change/development of events is a healthy thing.

 

Good progress, will be good to see it in Swanage.
563 did have a part in the "Railway Children" play at Waterloo, which could be done again at Swanage some time?.

But for the "Polar Express" event if an American loco can't be rented, 34028 Eddystone looks more like the big loco from the book and film, with 31608 being backup?.

 

According to the official blurb https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/view/polar-express
It states that the Steam Loco will be on the Swanage end and a Diesel Loco on the London end. So it looks like 34070 dressed up, unless 34028 is specially turned to face Swanage for the event?

 

One would suspect they'd turn a second loco for standby and cover? Spa Valley have used Sir Keith / 257 Squadron the last few years but have had Douglas on standby (and it was used when the formers needed washouts).

Say what you will about the Polar Exes but they are immensely popular events and if the railway can make similar or better profits without the pressures on its staff/volunteer workforce then that must be a good thing. In such a competitive market now with people being wary of what they splash out on, such events will likely prove invaluable in continuing to bring people in. Is the simple visit from Santa enough these days, or does 'Santa and a show' appear more enticing?

 

The problem with "popular" is that can it actually mean being "busy fools" ie a lot of time, effort and money is expended but with little profit (or income after all costs if you prefer). The reality is that SRC needs this event to be highly profitable to help carry it through the winter and reduce the reliance SRC has had on SRT to enable it to keep functioning.

Hopefully Polar Express will be exactly that ie the risk free income is significantly more than all the costs of providing the traction and location etc etc.

 

From the publicity and how it is worded I imagine that the SR know exactly how much they will be making from it. as an outsourced event must lay "the risk" at the company promoting the event.
So in our world the SR has the role of WCRC, when this promoting company has the role of RTC if this was a CME we were talking about.
Now I may be totally wrong as I am looking at this with my Procurement hat on, from having outsourced much over the years.
I do not know if the SR will be allowed to open the shop, if so there may be a projected revenue stream that is unknown, or may be the merchandise side is also handled by the promoter as at many concerts.
There may even be some sort of break clause if sales are not enough, but I would still expect the SR to gain some benefit if that was the case, although from what others have said about this event elsewhere that seems unlikely.

 

Hence my earlier comment about PE being Thomas in disguise where the successive owners of the Thomas franchise racheted up and increased the span of the "licensing fees" to the point it became unviable.

 

Not aware that any of the "owners" of the Thomas rights ever provided all the "actors" to allow the event to happen. I thought railways ran it and paid a licence fee and had to meet ever more onerous conditions.
This to me is different kettle of (what snow and ice?)

 

Doesnt every Polar Express have a different kettle?

 

Correct. Though the conditions are largely IMHO mostly about protecting and projecting their brand in the way they want. As they own it, that’s their prerogative- even if I deplore the dumbing down and insensitive manner in which the brand has been managed. There was a desire I think to reduce the number of events, and increase the quality of them. I think this meant that some railways were “managed out”. My sense is that the brand owner has now got to where they wanted to be.

 

Yes two significant developments over the past two decades or so have been (1) brand protection has become critical for brand owners (2) Thomas moved from being arguably a quaint British product to being a multinational brand. Combining the two elements one can see that Thomas' brand owners wished to protect and enhance the way Thomas was portrayed.

 

“Enhance” is an interesting phrase in that context given the infantilisation of TtTE over the last few decades, but maybe I am just an old “fuddy-duddy”

Tom

 

Whereas "Polar Express" has the great virtue, in this context, of having no underlying railway credibility and being an entirely artificial event.

 

IIRC I believe they do provide actors these days, with the Fat Controller and entertainers Rusty and Dusty provided

 

I couldnt think of a way to say "to make it more like the image portrayed on whatever platform you access" without causing confusion between "platform" - a place you board or aight from a train and "platform" - any hardware or software used to host and application or service.

 

So I believe, as well. Mr Rusty has a sideline in hiring out the PA, as well!
Pat

 

I am pleased to report that I had a run with 34070 today in pouring rain but that did not matter. We had come here straight from the part of our break in south Devon after an appalling journey on the A35, as usual. Just made the 1203 Corfe after touching base at our hotel. I suspect we have been lucky as 31806 was in steam at Swanage. 34070 just gone past our hotel again so it will work out the day. Just dried out so not going out again

 

Just to prove your point Don. The 14:10 from Norden leaving HX, and in far better weather at Corfe yesterday.
Still a few days of this may boost the chances of an all steam DCE.

 

Well from my calculations there are 99 trains for sale. So there seems to be a level of confidence.

 

I'm sure - and were I (a) in the area and (b) with kids of the right age group, I'd be seriously considering it.