LSL - The Chairman's train: 16/04/25 on, plus 10/10/25

Many do. But isn't it also true that the principal cause of the sale/liquidation of non listed companies is no suitable successor to continue the business? Particularly if the business itself is not strictly commercial eg covering running costs but relying on injections of capital from private sources, I'd have thought that is the type of situation where everything depends on the succession plan.

 

All the more reason to enjoy mainline steam now while you still can.

 

Or Nationalise it.....

 

Not all but a large chunk of the 'Hosking' fleet and activities is owned by the Royal Scot Locomotive & General Trust, a charity. It's a joint responsibility of all the trustees, not just one of them, to consider succession issues. And in the event of one of them, for whatever reason, no longer being able to serve the remaining trustees automatically retain control.

 

Looks to be in pretty rude health financially on the most recent accounts. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/06952089/filing-history Interesting that they received over £6m in donations and legacies last year.

 

The RSL&GT Trustees will no doubt be aware their present level of donation income might not continue for ever and need to plan accordingly. The Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust (owners of the Vale of Rheidol Railway and much of 'Collection X') might serve as a good example, greatly endowed by the founder during his lifetime (and in his Will), and the Trustees now hopefully discharging their duty to spend (they're buying the Brecon Mountain Railway) and/or invest it wisely.

 

If all the main line locos and stock owned by individuals were obtained by GBR/NR or some body that was ultimately answerable to the government they would be very quickly sold off regardless of who was in charge the only difference likely to be who some locos get sold to (private individuals or the scrap merchant) if you are lucky a few more high profile examples might get plinthed. Even if the NRM got them stuff would be scrapped and the rest mothballed. Reality is heritage locos and trains are generally a money sink.

 

NRM is basically owned by HMG is it not?

"The Science Museum Group is devoted to the history and contemporary practice of science, medicine, technology, industry and media. With 5 million visitors each year and an unrivalled collection, it consists of: Science Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, National Railway Museum (York), National Science and Media Museum and Locomotion - the most significant group of museums of science and innovation worldwide.

Science Museum Group is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport."

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/science-museum-group

 

I was mainly talking about non-museum ownership in terms of scrappage but I did mention the NRM, in terms of main line use of their assets they don't seem to want to be directly involved. As it is Scotsman with its current custodians is very rarely getting used on the mainline and no other loco is going to have a bigger draw to the general public.

If all of Vintage, WCR, LSL, Riley's etc all got nationalised and their assets seized (which is what I would infer the original commentator was suggesting - no doubt in jest) either under the auspices of the NRM or another national body I can't see them having any interest in running special trains (with the exception of the Scottish government insisting on the Jacobite continuing) they have enough money pits without adding mainline steam to the mix and if the assets are not being used no one is going to want to pay for storage for long.

Even if the NRM were given all these assets they are not going to keep another 2 A4s (on top of Mallard), 5 more Merchants, 4(ish) West Country/BoBs, 3 Jubilees, 7? more Black Fives, a load of other locos many of which have other members of their class somewhere along with hundreds of Mk1, 2 & 3 coaches even if they had space for them. I am fairly sure it would not be the first time the museum has scrapped or disposed of some assets that are deemed to not be unique enough in part because of capacity limitations. I suppose a few locos might be sectioned like Ellerman Lines and displayed at some of the other museums that are part of the science museum group. Even if some of the excess were sold, loaned or gifted to heritage railways I expect there would be a significant chunk of locos and stock left over that on one wanted or had room for unless they were to scrap stuff they already had that was in a worse condition.

BTW this is very much a what if question with no basis in the current reality (although who knows what things will look like in 5 , 10 or 20 years time), my point was that however joking the comment may have been Nationalisation would be a very bad thing for main line steam in my personal opinion. Obviously it is a very political area of discussion and like everything there are positives and negatives and it works for some things and not for others, case in point that for some of the recently nationalised franchises services have got worse yet for others in the past it has worked well.

This also does not necessarily mean I approve of any of the current custodians of mainline steam however as we live in this world and not a utopia I am still grateful that they take on the responsibility and in many cases cost of keeping things going.

Apologies for the thread drift.

- edit to correct a spelling mistake