Pre-1916 locos in steam in 2016

I've always considered that a sensible starting point for deciding the optimum motive power for a railway is what's available ...

Tom

 

Who said anything at any time about "making" money or "earning a crust". It's a question of generating a reasonable surplus towards repair bills.

PH

 

I half agree! What's available often seems far from the optimum though.

Paul H

 

And that's exactly what loco owners do one way or another. Some are better at it than others but in my experience and that of others I know, a fair chunk of income comes from sources other than steam fees.

 

Maybe, but what do you suggest? Go back to 1965 and ask Dai Woodham to buy different locos to those he did?

Tom

 

Seems reasonable. Anyone got a 3MT Tardis?

 

Sadly not, mine is a 8P so a bit overpowered

 

You used the word "optimum". Clearly you use what there is around. My point is that it is very often far from optimum. New builds should aim to improve this situation.

Paul H

 

Serious question. How many and how long would it take?

 

How on earth would you or I know how many would be needed or how long it would take. On the latter point, apart from funding there is the question of facilities. One prominent group has had to carry out work in the open air. Their progress has been remarkable but clearly is likely to have been faster under cover.

PH

 

Agreed. Almost every project would/does benefit from adequate under cover work facilities

 

I am led to believe that the group which originally bought 92212 from Barry and restored it, sold it at a profit. So yes. Theirs is probably an unusual case though.

 

I suspect their own unpaid labour went a long way to generating any profit they made but fair play to them