Llangollen Railway

Where has 6430 gone? I know 7822 is at the West Somerset but haven't seen anything about where the Pannier is now

 

Actually, Marx and Adam Smith are not as far apart as they sometimes appear
https://existentialcomics.com/comic/337

One problem you have with small railways is the issue of capital-intensive infrequent repairs. Buying a big piece of plant ties up relatively huge amounts of money (and space), but so is having a loco out of traffic (the smaller the number of engines, the worse the effect). The linear scrapyard is not new to preservation.

 

That is just my point the majority of staff are multi skilled people.

From my own point of view I could coach paint, weld, perform simple machining tasks on lathe and mill, carry out all rolling stock exams and repairs, sign off new restorations, as well as being a dual trained BR fitter/electrical engineer. I am sure that their are many others with similar experience.

 

6430 was one of the items being prepared for departure, the front end has been apart for a year now as work is required on the pistons and other parts before it runs again. The auto coach with the same owner was also prepared, but it’s down to the owner and relevant other parties to disclose where it is heading. Again it’s worth noting the owner has been a very long standing member of the plc board...

 

The dynamics change for a volunteer, but not necessarily favourably. I reiterate my point about management, and the distraction running an alternate business introduces as diversification develops.

 

The autocoach has already been announced as heading to Chinnor for the year, to join 6412 from the South Devon. No mention if 6430 will be joining it, but I would've thought it unlikely as Chinnor very rarely host two steam locos at once.

 

Taking management's eye off the ball is a huge one. It's a lose-lose situation: either they don't focus on a failing in their core business (e.g. the drop in ridership, at a major line in the South-West - although in that particular case, it probably wasn't diversification that distracted them), or they don't focus on a major problem in their ancillary, diversified, business (as here). Which is not to say that this implies a hard and fast rule against ever doing diversification; just that if any such is contemplated, it has to be done in such a way as to avoid both of those twin dangers.

Noel

 

As previously pointed out, the wording of 'the Directors have appointed a receiver' comes from the bank, to make it appear that it's not the bank pulling the plug.

If it was the Directors choice, then they would call in administrators to assist them in investigating ways to save the business.

 

Though that does then mean that your sign-writer is now likely an employee, & subject to employment legislation.

You also need to ensure that all costs associated with the external job are properly accounted for;
materials, tools, wages, any training courses, contribution to overheads, etc
Otherwise you have no way of knowing if the job is profitable, or if the railway is subsidising it.



What if 'the railway job' is painting a carriage so it can go into service? Cleaning a carriage? Assisting in the ticket office/shop/cafe? Or doing a job that frees someone else up to do those?
Those are all core things.

If you turn away a customer, or they have a negative experience, they are less likely to come back.

There's been research into the impact of a negative experience;

72% of customers will share a positive experience with 6 or more people. On the other hand, if a customer is not happy, 13% of them will share their experience with 15 or even more.
The challenge here lies in the fact that, in most cases, customers don’t tell you they’re unhappy. In fact, only 1 in 26 unhappy customers actually complain.
​

Get the core right first

 

I think my point after the bit in bold is actually the important bit. The signwriter was (as explained above) a hypothetical.

Everybody pitching in and doing the thing in front of them isn't always the right way - yes people give negative feedback for unwashed coaches, but building a coach-shed keeps a lot of coaches nicer than washing off the results of them being left outside.

 

Ah, didn't realise there were two! Thanks Pete.

 

I know a lot of this signwriter discussion is hypothetical but it feels unreal. At both heritage lines I've worked at, there are more than enough jobs for the paid workshop staff to do even with volunteer support, they don't sit idle waiting for the next thing to paint! And if the person is a volunteer without work they just don't come in, that doesn't cost anything

 

Hmm, not sure about that, but that's definitely going off topic!

 

There were three (?). 167 (in Crimson/cream) operational and off to Chinnor. 174 under restoration (same owner as 167 IIRC). And also 163 (in chocolate/cream) which was restored in Oswestry.

 

Correct.
163 left a couple of years ago, now at the South Devon Railway??
167 is awaiting departure to Chinnor (as above)
174 is still in Pentrefelyn shed awaiting a decision on what to do with it. Same owner as 167, but it’s been dismantled to such a state that transport (as it is currently) would probably be unwise... I certainly wouldn’t want to be the one responsible for ensuring it survives a long low loader journey!

 

With reference to 174 , might I suggest that you're talking through your a**e. It was pretty intact at 15.00 today when I last saw it.

Bob.

 

I didn’t mean it was falling apart/rotten, only that there were significant (structural?) parts missing: some parts of the body, windows, doors etc...
If I’m wrong I apologise, but the last picture I saw of it (from very recently) did not look completely ‘intact’ and not in a state (if it were mine) I’d want it to make a long journey on a low loader.
Has there been significant work very recently and it’s been completed? I’d have thought if that were the case it would have been more widely publicised, as I believe one of the previous autocoach restorations won a reward (although this is only from memory).

 

All structural timber and steel body panels complete. All fixed windows are glazed. Roof is complete. If I think on I will take a photo tomorrow.

Bob.