35018 British India Line

Well it's end of *a* day, no doubt we'll go round it all again tomorrow. To save time, perhaps members could simply copy and paste their replies from yesterday? Just a thought...

 

So, maybe I will have to venture up north to see her. I'll wait and see what tours she scheduled for.

 

I remember Walton Pit. An 1893 Fowler with Stephenson link at No.1 shaft and a 1923 Robey Drop Valve at No.2. Fantastic machines. Or do you mean the time Blue Peter and Bittern were stored there?
Sorry to go off topic but better than paint froth.

 

Now that might just prompt permanent noirism.

 

The definitive MN hauled the Bournemouth Belle today brilliantly. BIL has a lot to do to prove she's up to that standard.

 

Now that's an unfair comparison, one has a reputation for reliability, consistency and generally going about its business without shouting about it plus it never went near a certain yard in South Wales, so it's had a 45 year head start on it's class mate! I just think it would be rather nice we stop frothing about the livery of one, and just start thinking aren't we lucky? We are rather lucky we have what we have in this country at the moment, in a few years time we're going to be spoiled for mainline Merchant Navy's...

 

Deleted.

 

Nail, head, hit.
Where would us enthusiasts (and Mr&Mrs Normal) be without WCRC ?? I'll tell you...........we'd be in a poorer place than we are now.

Keep up the good work WC, turn em out when they are ready, and the person who signs the cheque can have any colour he/she wants.

Oh, and IIRC W D Smith is a very successful cereal farmer in Nth Yorkshire.

 

Pendant mode. A bit more accuracy is needed if you attempt any more of our sayings.

 

If you were a SUCCESSFUL business owner of many years standing, customers regularly coming back for more, would YOU change your business practices just to satisfy a few (minority??) enthusiasts?

Of course, there is a solution for you, you could launch a take over bid for WCRC and if successful, as the owner,Look at the accounts you would be able to do exactly as Mr Smith is doing now.

 

Not really sure which established business practices this handful of enthusiasts is demanding to be changed? As far as I can see the debate is about why it may have been decided to use a non traditional livery on 35018 - owners decision to change, not customer led.
In relation to the success or otherwise of WC two things may be pertinent. Firstly the near monopoly position means that there has not been the usual commercial pressures to evolve and improve. The fact of very nearly losing the operating status on two very recent occasions due largely, independently reported, to bad management practices suggests things may not have been run as well as you seem to think.
Secondly, several organisations seem to have recognised there is scope for improvement because they are doing precisely as you suggest, setting up TOCs. History will judge the outcome.

 

That's been modified now to 'there's always photoshop'

 

I know he hates railway photographers but it's interesting his company are always happy to accept the results of our efforts for their publicity material

 

As well as the income from various photo charters down the years.
Perhaps he is just misunderstood because of the generally publicity shy demeanour?
A lot of misconceptions could very easily be dispelled without much effort.

 

Really? The photographer owns the copyright for any pictures taken. So either WC has commissioned the photographs specifically or they have paid the linesider a fee. Nowt is free... If he has used your pics without consent then you have a case.

 

It's been a fair while now that Galatea has been left looking like it was finished in undercoat, so I don't hold out much hope that 35018 will be turned out with a quality finish, whether in black or green. Personally, I'm not too fussed what the colour is, but it's a shame to put all the effort into restoring the loco and not apply a quality finish. Still, given the generally high failure rate of the WCRC stable, perhaps the finish is designed to mirror the quality of the engineering job?

 

Cannot speak for WC but I have experience of pictures being used by tour companies and the fee received from them was a big fat zero.

 

You seem to jump on the knock WC bandwagon at every opportunity without checking you facts. Im well aware of the law of copyright and they have used my pictures of the charter and Jacobite on the West Highland Line and I was happy for them to do so with out any fees. No WC and there would be no pictures, as far as I know others do the same. My remark was aimed at the individual not the company