No 4464 "BITTERN" to Kingswear. 25th Sept. 2014

Come on folks. Let's get back to the topic. May I remind you that it's
No 4464 "BITTERN" to Kingswear. 25th Sept. 2014 <BJ>

 

Yes.

 

Why is it that a general opinion about a subject on here always gets personal attacks?

 

Three in the last three years, with Friends on two of them and my mother on another behind the engine her husband used to drive ON THE MAIN LINE. That one was for four people first class. So in total I, family and friends have spent over a grand on main line steam trip in the last three years. Now whats your total?

I repeat again, why does an opinion on here ALWAYS attract a personal attack?

 

There were another FIVE A4s to look at as well, its hardly a good comparison!

 

32 years old and never seen an A4 in steam before that event...I was as excited as a little kid!!

 

Well last Saturday was nearly £500 for starters, and just counting the 3 other trips behind 6233 over the last 3 years at about £375 a time, plus 4 others with RTC, average £200 a time, 2 x 1st, 2 x standard, so looks pretty close to £2500.

 

Where is the attack? I merely asked a couple of questions as to your comparative views of those, like myself and a number on here, who have put many years and considerable financial support (and associated expense) into heritage railways and how you viewed you own contribution to steam preservation. Where was the attack?

Do you feel calling heritage railways "toy trains" isn't an "attack"? At the very least, it was clearly intended to be derogatory. I don't see how my asking you for your view of what taking videos constituted can be seen as an attack.

Steven

 

Blimey you two, whats with the point scoring?...........

I for one couldn't give a monkeys how much you've shelled out on rail tours or not........ I shell out (like a lot of others) my own time & money (fuel) in helping keep things running, on a "toy railway"!

So less of the "my wallets bigger than your wallet" malarkey..........

 

If it's going to turn into another natpres measuring contest perhaps admin can return the thread to Bittern's cancelled tour before we all get bored

 

Measuring of what?.........................

BTW Billy. what rock have you been hiding under all this years never to have seen an A4 until the "Great Gathering"?...............

 

Wallets, egos...etc

 

An opinion is one thing, saying that heritage lines are "toy trains" is something altogether different.

In my experience, the preserved lines I am familiar with are very much professionally run by people who just happen to be, in the main, unpaid. I'd challenge anyone to shadow the running foreman, or operating supervisor, or loco crew for a day at some of the busier heritage lines and then say they are "toy" operations. To take but one example: last Saturday, on our line we ran 242 miles behind steam, and also required a steam station pilot. The first crew booked on around 6am; the last crew booked off around midnight. And Sunday morning, there were people around to do it all again. And Monday. And Tuesday... That level of commitment and coordination is not the hallmark of a "toy" operation.

Tom

 

You, you cheeky bugger, you started it.

 

Tom[/QUOTE]

Hours and commitment is enthusiasm not professionalism. Per number of heritage track miles there are too many RAIB reports, too much damaged or grounded heritage stock to claim that.

 

Hours and commitment is enthusiasm not professionalism. Per number of heritage track miles there are too many RAIB reports, too much damaged or grounded heritage stock to claim that.[/QUOTE]

Jeff, just how many "paid" staff look after the behemoths you like to go and film on the mainline?............. in that comment you are doing a disservice to all paid or unpaid staff bring pleasure to millions of others across the country!

We don't do it for fun - we do it because we want to give something back............... and to keep things going for those who are yet to be born...........

We who volunteer on "toy railways" are not "playing" trains - we are "playing" with the real thing scale 1:1 not 1;76 a la your Hornby train set, and we do it at our own expense and because we enjoy it, unless you know what you're doing/qualified to be lineside, are potentially dangerous places................... you stick to your platforms, right side of the fence, me, I'll continue to enjoy the privilege of my MHR PTS!

 

Not at all. I don't see how commenting on the number of hours and the enthusiasm put in by volunteers can be described as a "disservice" But based on the statistics some heritage railways are not professional - Don't shoot the messenger, just telling it as it is, unpalatable tho that might be. . And also bear in mind in post 56 you kicked this whole thing off with the "mickey mouse" railways bit.