You've won The Euros

156 million, well what would i do, first buy out the land owners who own the track bed from robertsbridge to junction rd, so that can be relaid ASAP pay to restore any remaining vintage coaches on the KESR so that the railway can find its direction once more, referbish the mk 1's into a 1st class dining only rake build my own pub and resturant next to the station at Tenterden buy the field next to the shed at Rolvendon and build a modern fully equiped workshop with wheel drop/ overhead cranes and boiler shop so that restorations are done and a new C& W workshop in the far end of the field again with overhead crane, separate paint shop, and overhaul bay, turn the Tenterden building into a museum, with rail conection, move the cavel van under cover turn the new extension into the DMU shed.

 

Well, after the obligatory 10 million pound country pile, 10 million pound London flat, (and money set aside to pay for staff), and 10 million to charity, I would:

1. Buy out the local minature railway, or become co-owner. Restore the steam locos (line has been diesel only since I were a lad) and probably buy a couple more for good measure.

2. Convince Transport for London to sell me the soon-to-be disused Watford Underground station and track bed to Croxley Green. Buy myself a jinty and an austerity, and set up the Watford Railway Centre.

3. Commission a new build Quarry Hunslet Large Class, to be based on the Leighton Buzzard Railway.

4. Finance overhaul of Duchess of Hamilton with mainline ticket and streamlined casing.

5. Save, by purchasing or subsidising, as much vintage rolling stock that is currently sat crumbling in sidings.

 

New Builds....H15, Z, H16, R1, E5, E6, E1/D1 or L1, 77xxx, 84xxx. Still plenty left to give whopping cash boosts to MHR, Bluebell, WSR and SVR. Still plenty left over to buy and restore 34073 and possibly 35025. Then i'll go down the local carvery for a nosh and a pint !

 

Oh, where to start.

1. Funds for the NRM to keep 4472 in good order and to have a new cylinder monoblock cast for 4771.

2. Some cash injection for the Talyllyn. They do not appear to be having the best of times according to traffic figures.

3. Build some new boilers. A modest pool of more common types built to modern standards in order to keep things going when the old originals become just too prohibitive.

4. Help to develop a works fitted with the very best in alignment gear and the necessary machinery, data base etc. to allow overhauls to be assessed very quickly and completed swiftly with none of the nonsense that has afflicted some engines. This might link in with number 3. Might even offer favourable payment terms. Need your engine back in a hurry? Pay over three years just to help cover the fund raising gap when engines need turning round in unexpected circumstances. You get the general idea.

5. Build something new. Say a version of the W1 but thoroughly sorted out as it deserved to be.

 

Buy and restore 60532 Blue Peter, create a world class operating company, create a set of clean, mechanically sound rolling stock, and operate it where I fancied, irrespective of cost.

 

Liked the ideas of 242A1. I would like to think that my legacy would be to keep traditional skills alive. The workshop idea would fit very well with this.

Could we still cast a monobloc for 4771? I would hope so but who knows.

I kind of hoped the A1SLT would consider a W1 as their third project, but if that doesn't happen then a little injection of private lottery winnings might be the answer.

Finally, I wonder if JH would welcome a partner in providing another rake of Mk1s or Mk2s to help ensure mainline steam for the foreseeable future?

 

Would it be wise to invest in mainline steam running after all, NR could pull the plug at any time of its chosing if i were in that position i would rather do something that would help preserved railways prepare for the future, a college for instance to train up the next generation, and give them the qualifications they need and the practical experience by having spent time on the job during part of their training, so that youngsters who wish to could get the training they need, on all aspects of preserved railways from engineering to S&T and what ever else is required .

 

I wouldn't spend any of my £156m on a steam project thinking to myself that I was being wise

I think this thread was created as a bit of fun, to daydream a bit. I do think that mainline steam is more likely to be allowed by NR in future if the locomotives and rolling stock are well maintained and reliable. I like the bit about providing training for the next generation, like I said it would be nice to think you had played a part in keeping traditional skills alive.

 

Build a brace of V4s for the NYMR; acquire the trackbed from Peebles to Talla Dam and relay it as a 3"6' gauge line on which to run African Garratts; buy "William Francis" for the Foxfield; reinstate the closed parts of the IoMR; save the Teifi Valley; build a replica "Snowdon Ranger"... the list is endless.

 

The Bridgnorth site development as proposed could cost up to £5m, that doesn't include purchase of the rear fields, around £0.25m. Nor does it include the vacant Inchcape site, around £1.5m including works on the buildings there. Not on the current 'to do' list are ownership of the freeholds of the Station Lane industrial units and the Stitches/Jewson sites next to Inchcape, which would give security for the whole site. There are operational plans on platform 2 extension, run round, turntable and signalling - add them to the list.

Most important is funding the restoration and overhaul of the rolling stock such as the LNER Pigeon Van, Barry coach 163 and the Collett sleeping coach at HL, and the groups that support them. A wagon shed was proposed at £0.25m.

It would be good to have an MPD at the south of the line. I think there are plans to allow the later expansion of the new diesel shed, so you could fund that now.

There is the £4m to be reserved against non-Company loco overhauls. I'd also be inclined to offer to fund the purchase, so as to transfer to Charity the ownership, and to fund the restoration of the PLC's loco and rolling stock, which includes 45110 and 600. This would, incidentally, clear PLC debt while securing their long-term security. Not included are 82045 and 4150, nor the diesel groups such as the Fifty Fund who are looking for funds. You could offer to fund the restoration of the Class 27. I'd also buy shares in SLL, wished against the next overhaul of 34053. An oddball is purchasing (new?) spare no.1 boiler (2857/4930) and no. 2 (4150, 5164 and 6634 were it to stay).

The SVR GM said recently the wish list from department heads is around £10 million and there was a similar sum in the share prospectus, some of which is counted in the above. We're probably around double that, around £20m?

The civil engineer would start drawing up long-term and expensive plans for Sterns as money became available!

Now add to that the Charity is looking to raise up to £10m of endowment funding.

Thinking ahead to expansion plans, I'm taken with the idea of the recently proposed Tenbury wall and Burlish Halt stub plans.

You could look to purchase, as they fall due for sale, the freehold of houses the other side of Bridgnorth tunnel to protect the route for a possible North of Bridgnorth. The same is true of the freehold of the industrial units at Stourport for the main line to Hartlebury.

It's incongrous that the SVR has the teak set but no LNER loco to go with it. One of those Sandringhams would fit the bill!

All of this is just on one line, I'm sure each of the other lines could do something similar.

Patrick

 

New build GWR Aberdare, New build GWR Star (not as if 4003 will steam soon), plus buy a 49xx and 28xx meaning I have 3x locos with a no1 boiler.
Also look at building an "Engine House" style attraction for CVR at Froghall, and if I could stretch it maybe re-signal Froghall.

 

Going for the Engine house style. Just remove the sail at the station end. It serves no purpose but to spoil the view.

156 million to spend?
1. Bridgnorth redevelopment get a blank cheque.
2. 82045 gets enough to finish.
3. A Brighton K mogul new build is started up.
And all the "friends" I didn't know I had come crawling out of the woodwork....

 

A new railway grouping, Friends of Southernman99!

Patrick

 

If I had all that money to spend on preservation projects, I'd ignore new builds and the glamorous restoration appeals.
I'd spread the cash around some of the many small and dull items. The first four off the top my head are listed below.
1. The North Staffs battery loco BEL 1; it's been saved so let's get that running. OK it won't haul a main line excursion, but would be useful on both a demo train during galas and a PW train when the line is closed to visitors.
2. On my last visit to Butterley I saw some 19th century goods trucks. Again they've been preserved, but are just sitting there unused and slowly decaying.
3. That 1874 built Fox Walker that was in use at Mountain Ash colliery. It then went to the S&D Trust at Radstock before moving on to Bitton and may have then gravitated to Bristol Docks Railway.
4. The (once) bright yellow Coleman's van that the NNR had. I saw it some years back and it was stabled looking faded and forlorn.

That's four ideas and there would be countless others.

 

My choice(s) would be to buy up and put under cover all the timber vintage stock (carriages and waggons, but there are a few locos with significant timber parts such as the NSR battery and Carolina Port locos) and then restore or replicate the lot.
Then I'ld need somewhere to keep them, so perhaps they could be loaned out to suitable lines / museums.
Once all are done, then Ild open the big shed I started with as a museum, and use the workshop and paintshops for on-going maintenance.

Trouble is, that lot would take a very long time to achieve ............
*E2A* and quite possibly need the investment income to sustain the process.

 

He's probably managing that already.

Oh, and how about re-opening the closed part of the Callander and Oban The view over Loch Earn as you pounded up Glen Ogle must have been one of the finest in railway travel in the UK.

Dave

 

How much would it cost to buy the lease for Island line off NR? and the disused trackbeds of the section from shanklin to Ventnor rebuild ryde tunnel to mainland clearences , relay a run round at pierhead, and a water tank, drop the platform clearences to steam , re instate a second platform at shanklin with run round, ,and run a summer season tourist service using steam, either with IOW SR stock, or your own using a couple of 0-6-0 tanks and some stock

 

Midland 2P for Midsomer Norton, and replace the bridge towards Radstock with all the work that entails.
An "improved" Duchess, perhaps just an Ivatt modified one or the 4-6-4 proposal, or perhaps a GWR Hawksworth style Pacific.
Quite fancy a Z class too.

 

Steam wise it would be
A company that would organise the batch building of BR standard and Bulleid pacific Tenders, with standardised chassis/ tank specs to order.
Also the securement and fitting out of suitable support/ water carrier vehicles. to be made available to Projects as the needs arise
Perhaps Finance 242A1's workshop
Then Help and if necessary purchase outright/ controlling interests in Duke of Gloucester, Blue Peter, Hengist and the Caprotti 5 (give it a BR1F and a mainline Stint)
Support a Merchant navy to 1940's condition restoration, Support a mainline stint for the Streamlined Duchess, Support a V4 Newbuild, support the Night owl
help finish the Standard 3 (so that's the Big 4 and Standrds)
Perhaps buy a Black 5 (ideally incomplete) and convert it ( reversibly) to the Ivatt Caprotti spec
Perhaps buy a 9F (ideally incomplete) and convert it ( reversibly) to 2-8-2 with new boiler, GPCS perhaps
Subject to above perhaps New build a 'Standard' 2-8-2 with components from the above and restore the 9f ( cosmetically at least)
Rescue the Binbrook Crab, perhaps restore it as a Reidinger Gear version...

That must be at least 20 Million gone up in smoke just on Locos and I think that I would want to help at least one Railway and

make some kind of rolling stock legacy as well...

 

If we're talking new builds and conversions I'd also favour a Raven Pacific, a "Leader" to prove Bulleid right, the 15" gauge MN which Bulleid promised to build for the RHDR, a Crosti 9F...