Next New Build to be completed

Pity.

 

No surprise that the current GWS management agreed to this. Iron Duke next?

 

Everything has its price... but reading between the lines it would be very high then

 

Very unlikily, as it will destroy much of its stated reason for being a part of the national collection, as being one of the very few engines restored by a BR Swindon workshop after withdrawal, its rumored that many of the parts fitted were brand new from the stores

 

If so I'd reckon that was a better reason to get her working again...

 

I suppose some people will never see the point of view that running a loco decreases it's originality.
Many of the locos in preservation have existed on the life left in it's parts when it was prematurely withdrawn. Many of those locos are now long term stored awaiting an overhaul that may not come for decades or even at all.

 

I thought I read somewhere that Lode Star has one of the very few authentic paint jobs applied by a working, steam-age railway paintshop, and that there was a desire to preserve that paint job as long as possible. That means keeping her under cover.

 

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I assume there will be more than the one day's charter, dependent on demand. I see Timeline Events has an extremely varied series of events on its website, another 20 up to the end of February. If the operator takes income as well as his costs from these events, money raised would reflect this. As a Saint Partner for 20 years I do agree there could be a risk alienating contributors. It may be both prudent and polite for those contributors to be notified of this opportunity by Didcot directly or through Timeline Events in due course.

 

As time goes on it seems that with the declining skilled volunteer base the cost of major overhaul and complete new build grows ever closer. Labour rather than material is the prominent cost. At the point where it is as cheap to order a new component than it is to fettle an old one then individual pieces of rolling stock can go in two directions -' Preservation' - Plinthed /displayed in as original as poss.condition, used only for very special events or ' Re - enactment' using partial or completely new built items.

 

Would it not be a good idea to invite those that have contributed more than £60 to an event before the Timeline one?

 

Thats why my post said £60 x 35 x 2

 

This might not be permitted by the charter organiser - events of this type are sold on "exclusivity" and "first chance to photograph"

 

Depends if you can afford to alienate past and future contributors, as others have pointed out its not a huge sum they are making on these events, suppose you'll never really know if there will be any that do take the hump, but is it a risk worth taking?

 

Can't see the harm in a short term initiative. It's money in the bank and the loco will be rolled out in its intended livery soon enough. Who's going to be offended?

 

Nothing wrong with the initiative, in fact its an excellent idea. But if Saint Partners and perhaps other significant contributors hear of it after the event they may be offended at not being notified of the opportunity, not everyone immerses themselves into the Railway press and forums.

 

Does anyone know for sure that the GWS have not got plans to speak with Partners etc prior to the event, I note that SR state they will speak to those who donated towards their scheme?

 

OK, it may just be me, but I'm confused. These two or three photo charters are described as evening events and photo opportunities. Do I assume they take place at Didcot? The fact they are on evenings suggests they could be combined with running in at the end of timetabled service on another line but surely if that were the case, or it was on a NR line, then the location would surely have been advertised when inviting bookings.

And where does the figure of 35 per event come from in the income calculations?

 

Very likely to be at Didcot as there won't be margin in the charter to cover the cost of moving it elsewhere and then back again to be repainted - plus a lot of the photo charters involve the locos being posed in light steam in the shed etc rather than being active at speed. So I'd imagine this will be a similar one with a selection of poses around the yard, the shed, coaling stage etc rather than being about it being in action as such. Certainly with the timescale they are talking (Apr-May) I'd imagine it would be in very early running in which again would be need to be near the workshop in case anything comes to light that needs remedial work. (Running in for potential mainline work will probably be after its done a few months at Didcot to capitalise on its drawing potential there)

 

If memory serves, I think the frames are fairly tired, so would probably require replacing. Given 60103 was always going to be a special case, I can't see a similar approach being undertaken with 4003- the steam age paint job merely puts the seal on it. Happy to be corrected by those more knowledgable about 4003's condition, though.