Jinty 47493

4472, 92220, Lyd, 4464, Single No1, Hardwicke??

 

When the subject of a hired loco for the Spa Valley came up a few months ago. my first thought was 5521, as that has run on the Spa Valley before. However, the Bluebell snapped her up before anyone else could get a look in. My next thought was 5643, which was going to be available after finishing on the Severn Valley this weekend. Lo and behold, this engine is due to arrive at Sheffield Park next month too! Another possibility was 5619, which also "does the rounds", but is needed at the North Norfolk this year as well as last year. (perhaps you could reserve her for 2015 if a hired engine is still needed then?) The Mid Hants have been willing to hire out engines for quite long periods (e.g., 92212 to the Bluebell for much of last year.) Unfortunately, their fleet of necessity comprises rather larger engines than normally operate on the Spa Valley. However, 31806 needs a new home anyway in September, but although she would look great on the Spa Valley, I guess there would be run-round issues at TWW.

A long shot might be GWR/Port Talbot 813, which is likely to be the first of the current Severn Valley restoration jobs to be complete this year, and which has been hired out for longish periods in ther past (I remember seeing her at Swanage a few years back) She is rather too small for Severn Valley use in the main season.

Anyway, perhaps it may be an encouragement to you, Matt, that an armchair member has been giving a bit of thought to this issue for several months from the depths of the Gloucestershire countryside! Unfortunaely, these thoughts did not result in my coming up with a suitable loco.

 

Or 35029? 48518?

 

"Stupid boy"!! ;-)

 

What a welcoming hobby ours is to enthusiastic youngsters! No wonder we worry about the increasing average age of volunteer work-forces!

Steven

 

Errr que¿

 

Obviously way above your head.

 

Matt, thanks for your updates on the locos under overhaul at the Spa Valley, I'm looking forward to visiting again, at some point next year

 

Errrr no

 

I don't see anything majorly wrong, it was explained quite politely that because an engine is small it's not immediately available.

 

6695 ? Just an idea

 

Think people are just too sensitive. Unfortunately this is why schools have all inclusive sports days with no losers so that nobody is upset at being last. Said person who sarcastic comment was aimed at has a history of posting more irrelevant questions than Bamber Gasgoine. Suggesting 4472 and the rest was just a similarly daft and irrelevant reply.

Maybe those who think there has been hurt feelings as a result are next going to suggest that the injured party receives some counselling and I immediately report for some young person inclusion and diversity training?

 

I thought your obviously tongue-in-cheek suggestions were most amusing (and indeed suggested a couple of even more absurd locos myself).

On a more sensible note, another long-shot corssed my mind: 80080. It has been at the East Lancs for much of the past year, but will it be needed when the "crab" 13065 is finished? (which should be pretty shortly) Obviously, the MR-B may want it back, but I thought it was worth a mention.

Maybe a slightly large engine for the Spa Valley, but a most authentic class for the route. 80104 paid a visit a few years back, I seem to remember.

 

Thanks. You obviously live in the real world though!

Just logging into my on-line diversity training...

Now that the Rememberance Line seems to have finally bitten the dust maybe they could lend one of the newbuild R1 tanks that are at present being painted in BR lined black?

 

And I had no problem with such posts. Reasoned explanations are how people learn and are exactly the correct way to deal with helpfully intended but practically not possible suggestions.

What I did have a problem with was people making sarcastic suggestions, quite clearly intended to belittle somebody who was trying to be helpful, especially as there are some posters on here who never seem to post anything positive but only similar belittlement, not reasoned arguments against, other peoples' suggestions.

At the risk of being accused of being humourless, it is the moderators whose job it is to make judgments on whether postings and questions should be subject to comment, not ordinary members. If an ordinary member is so concerned by a posting, he/she can report it - not take to using sarcasm to discourage or target the original poster.

Steven

 

Someone said have the SVR approached the Kesr? i dont think they will have any locos spare either, the pannier has only got a short extenion to its ticket, 6619 has 12 months on its extended ticket, then both go out for ten yearly , 32678 i think is not exactly in good health, judging by the time it spent under repair, not sure what state 3 is in, that leaves just a handfull . plus they have no money to fast track anything anything .so very little scope to hire out ,if they did, it would have to be the usa.65

 

Presume the complaint of sarcasm was pointed in my direction. Unfortunately if you sit in a messroom in an engineering environment or in the virtual world and ask a constant stream of daft questions then you are going to get a bite back. That is called growing up and learning to think before speaking - or typing. I got growled at when i was 13 and started at Horsted C&W. I have lived through the trauma though. When you get a bit older you then see why the older ones got sh#tty with the university challenge drivel. Now you are not supposed to hurt anyones feelings by pointing out that drivel does not interest or amuse. Lo and behold we have the first generation of truly unemployable youth and lots of Romanians on there way to fill the gap. Well done liberal humanitarians... if you don't like it grow some nuts or join mumsnet

 

Seeing as you yourself described your list of possible hire locos as a "sarcastic comment", I would have said that was a fair assumption.

"I was treated badly by my elders as a youth so now its my turn to be the elder" is a common excuse - and a major reason why youngsters trying to get involved in heritage railways are often deterred. Like you, I have seen the way that the "miserable old gits" cliques that can all too easily dominate our hobby seem to thing youthful enthusiasm should be met. Clearly, some are so old that they have forgotten there is no such thing as a daft question to somebody who knows they don't know everything. We are constantly told of the distractions and "more interesting things" young people could be doing their time these days, so naturally the reaction of the heritage movement should be to preserve the less pleasant aspects of the past and pick on people until they get the message and "b*gg*r off"!

And before you assume that I was the victim of the sort of introduction you clearly had to survive, I think I can say I wasn't and thankfully the bunch of people I was working with, while more than capable of a good laugh, possessing a great of humour and great gifts at teasing others managed to do so without nastiness or as far as I am aware putting others off. We had a number of youngsters working in the same area at the time and some are still involved nearly 30 years later while others have gone on to permanent and well paid jobs in the Rail industry and some both - managing to save the Railway considerable sums in the process through works contacts. In hindsight, some may have found "the gang" cliquish, and we had our failures, and one or two who had to be formally told to stay away for good reasons. That welcome "made a man" of me far more than being picked on - being able to become part of a gang that could enjoy a joke and get on with the job.

The internet is actually different again - we may think we have the measure of each other on here but we actually know very little about posters who we don't know in the "real" world. On another forum of which I am a member, there was debate recently about the offence taken by a regular poster who, it turns out, has a genuine medical condition which means they ask strange questions and don't recognise humour easily. Clearly, I don't know if that applies to anyone on this forum - which is actually the point. The argument was made, pretty reasonably, that you couldn't shape the whole forum round this but I would say it is reasonable if you have some-one whose posts strike you as annoying that you just ignore it - far easier than it may be in the real world! See the name of a poster who style and content gets up your nose; just don't read the thread.

(And, incidentally, I would blame the expectations of what the world of work owes youngsters today instilled by the education system probably creates a good portion of the "unemployable", with the rest being due to work not being a practical possibility they have come across in their families for 30 years or more - and, of course, the fact that all youngsters are fighting a perception that they are unemployable and have no experience of work amongst some of those doing the hiring!)

Steven

 

Would expect ELR to want to keep 80080 regardless the crab returning to traffic.