LMS Patriot Project Updates

NOT wanting to start a livery debate, but just enquiring which number it will carry (at least when first completed and running). The NEC photos show BR number on the smokebox but LMS number on the cab.

 

Well.the no it will carry is even more confusing than the livery....... ok so here goes


The livery will be decided on by the membership. 1 member 1 vote. Choice of br green, lms crimson, and black. Thats the easy part.

The number is a whole different subject though. It will be named at the unknown warrior on 11.11.2018 but if were ready for 2017 like planned it wont carry that name. So does it carry 45551 un named first, does it carry an original no/name from the others in the class? If the vote is for red does it go into the original no's of the Claughton numbers... and my answer is.... no idea.....

I would like to call it bradshaw first as its.our chairman and founding member's name. Plus Michael portillo may be interested in doing an episode of great railway journeys on the loco bradshaw for tv which would be great publicity for the project. Plenty of discussions to be had within the project on which way to go though.

 

Right so here are some pictures from Warley.
It all started on Wednesday with the frames being lowered onto the wheels.

On Thursday she went to the National Memorial arboretum for the afternoon. I unfortunately wasn't able to attend.

Friday morning she went to the NEC at 6AM, we fitted the banner and set out our sales stand for the weekend. Also early afternoon Heritage painting arrived to put on the RED/GREEN coat of paint, ready for lining out on the Sat and Sun of the show. Red was done on sat and green on the sun.







Then at the end of the show she looked like the pictures above.

Everyone from the project had an absolutely fantastic time as we raised a good amount of money to put towards the outside cylinders.

So whats next for the project? Well we have the outside cylinders to do (hopefully in the first half of next year), front bogie to assemble at Tyseley, Inner firebox to start at LNWR Crewe, and obviously the many many parts to finish our rolling chassis. How much of this can we achieve? well that is dependant on getting new members/donors to the project. We managed to sign up about 120 members over the weekend and if all these were able to become donors that's another £1,200 per month plus gift aid. which would add £14,400 per year + £3,600 in gift aid. so this is what we need to complete the loco. So many people who saw the engine this last weekend commented about how they cant wait to see her in steam. SO if there is anyone on here who wants to make that a reality then sign up today or make a donation Via our website.

Kind regards Gavin

 

Thank you. I just knew something looked wrong with all that packing.

Thus elevating him to a position alongside HRH à la the P2.

 

The packing at the front end is only there to support the weight. The loco is very front heavy at the moment with the inside cylinder in place and no bogie in place to take the weight.
The temporary axleboxes were made to set the frame at the correct height to the driving wheels.

Kevin West
Design Engineer
LMS Patriot Project Ltd

 

The cost of transporting the loco to/from the exhibition, along with the necessary cranage, must have been considerable. I'm surprised that the benefit (to whoever) was worth the cost.

 

You need quite a bit of money to buy the sort of column inches and picture spreads that have appeared recently. You can hardly ever quantify the exact benefit of these type of events as results can come much (even years) later. That's the problem with advertising and media work. There is an old saying "At least 50% of the marketing budget is wasted but I can't tell you which part that is".

 

Clearly Gav106 and Co. all thought it worthwhile from a publicity perspective. Whether or not the four figure sum expended getting it to and from the NEC was worthwhile is something we'll never know for sure. As a center-piece did the exhibition promoters generously donate the notoriously expensive expo venue floor rent? We could even speculate that the Charities Commission might raise an eyebrow at such expenditure without an assured return; particularly when the well known Scrooge like tendencies of many modellers is considered.

Regardless of the financial viability of attendance I'm sure the team enjoyed a bl**dy good junket - and the wooden packing can always be saved for the first lighting-up of the boiler.

 

The cost of wheeling the locomotive is part of the total locomotive build, so is not of great significance. The movement of the centrepiece locomotives to and from the Warley exhibition has been sponsored by tool supplier Squires for many years, so was no cost to the project.

The benefit to the project of having the locomotive on show may never be fully known. Certainly we had a significant increase in membership at the show and donations and sales of our merchandise were much higher than at a railway gala. But this was also our first public showing of the locomotive, so it was understandable that there would be an interest.

And as been said before the publicity this has generated can not be costed. Our biggest challenge for the future is how to do something similar in the future?

Kevin West
Design Engineer
LMS Patriot Project Ltd

 

To clarify, the project were invited to display the locomotive at the exhibition by the organisers, we did not pay to attend, so there was no cost to the project.

The wooden packing was part of the equipment used by Allelys Heavy Haulage.

As for 'the team enjoyed a bl**dy good junket', if you think working three 14 hour days before the show and a 12 hour day after, without considering the 2 days of the show on my feet talking to the visitors and 4 hours after the show finished on Sunday as a junket, think again. Would I do it again? If it helps get the loco finished - YES!


Kevin West
Design Engineer
LMS Patriot Project Ltd

 

Doing/manning show stands is no junket....I've done plenty in my time....complete exhaustion afterwards......good luck with the build..

 

Come come. Craneage to place on wooden axleboxes hardly counts as wheeling. . . hmmmm.

I'm delighted Squires have been so generous. I hope someone was equally generous regarding the floor rent whilst there.

That one always requires a bit of "Sixth Sense"

Unfortunately there are only a finite number of hats and sweatshirts each member wants and the second unveiling is never as grand.

Loco and tender perhaps?

I wish you well for next year.

 

A typical hypocritical, sarcastic comment from a typical platform-end nutter.

The preservation movement can do without this form of "encouragement".

 

Ooh - that's all a bit churlish!

As others have pointed out, the costs associated with moving a big exhibit to Warley are sponsored, so not paid by the project. Also, don't forget - being at Warley is a benefit to the project, no doubt, but also a benefit to the Warley organisers, who make a big deal of their big "exhibit" as part of their exhibition marketing. So without being privvy to the figures, I certainly wouldn't be assuming that the Patriot paid a four figure sum to attend. For all we know, it may have been free, give or take some board and lodging for the volunteers to stay away for a couple of nights and the cost of any marketing materials.

But even if they did spend four figures - so what? I'd hardly imagine the Charity Commission are going to be (no disrespect intended) poring over the accounts of a small charity to work out if every penny of marketing spend was well spent - even if such a task were even possible. All charities need to market themselves, and they will do it in the way they themselves perceive to be most cost effective, so the fact that the Patriot project has spent some money on marketing is not inherently against its charitable objectives. In any case, the Charity Commission has rather more pressing problems this morning!

Ask yourself this - if you donated a small sum to a project, would you rather they used it to buy, for example, a boiler stay. Or would you rather they used it for publicity and marketing activity to leverage further donations that allowed numerous stays to be purchased?

Tom

 

'xactly so. Clearly someone who's never done setup and manning at a show. It can be kinda fun the first time or two, but its always exhausting and never a junket. IME I usually come home without ever having raised the energy to see any exhibits more than 5 yards off the track between my stand, the tea stand and the toilets...

 

You clearly know nothing of the hard graft that goes in to manning a stall at an event like this and to claim that the team enjoyed a junket is bang out of order. Mr. Pole, I reckon you're a troll.

 

Mr. Pole wants to try manning a stall on a freezing cold station platform and then he may just realise how far from a junket fund raising is.

 

I have to say im quite disappointed in reading this thread. We as a project work so hard. Our sales stand is out in nearly two locations from the end of jan through to November. We have started a volunteers party who have so far painted the frames and driving wheels, we have volunteers who work on the admin every day of the week. We spend over a year planning warley, which as has been mentioned by kevin didnt cost us anything for the transport from llan to warley and warley to tyseley. The space that we had was also free. The only thing we had to do was turn up. But instead of doing thatewe did our hardest to get the press coverage that we got. This got us on itv central news( the first time warley show has had tv coverage before the event I believe). We had a cracking response at the event signing up over 120 new members and fantastic sales and donations for the project. This event has been so good for the project and in my opinion is one of those no brainers for publicity. Even to the point that someone said 82045 were trying to get their loco in for 2015 (dont know if this is true, just what someone said. If anyone from 82045 wants to know more please pm me)


Anyway just like kevin I was there for all three days, and was straight back to my full time job on the monday. They were very long days with hardly any time to have a break. I didnt see any of the show so couldn't tell you what it was like. The same can be said for ALL our volunteers who were there. Just to also point out that since the show we have had more members sign up as well. So if half of those members become donors it will ensure we have more than a fighting chance of having the loco complete for 2017.

Im more than welcome to constructive criticism but not this rubbish. Ill more than likely be at the llan gala standing in the freezing cold in early jan then again at the east lancs and gcr! Again in the freezing cold so if you wish to join me then your more than welcome

 

Please dont be dishartened. I would guess there are more enthusiasts who wish you well thsn those who nit pick. You are doing a splendid job and anyone who works in charaties knows you need to invest to accumulate and investing in publicity is always worthwhile. I cant offer any physical help, this month my railway allocation days will be spent working between Kidder and Arley with a coupple of hundred kids of all ages. I'll see what I can do financially.