Question re SWT's 3417

Why would a Mk.1 unit attract vandals more than the Southern 377s which ply the line? It's hard to take that seriously when they haven't been widespread for a good three years or so now, because they did in the past doesn't mean they will now, in that back then they were the only things around.

Besides, I have yet to see any of these supposed hoardes of vandals and criminals in the East Grinstead area, most of them seem to be pensioners and commuters into London, hardly traditional vandal stereotypes?

If there is such a risk why is it so many other lines can store stock in urban areas without it getting bricked / firebombed / looted / scrapped all the time?

 

Apologies for this question before I even ask it - I'm sure it must have been fully answered many times - but exactly what is the unit going to be used for?

 

Best I can provide on the interweb is this I'm afraid...

http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/blueb ... 07jul.html

...coupled with the discussion from last year on the Bluebell Yahoo group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bluebell/message/18043 (first post, replies fan out below)

Not to mention the thread we had on it last year (this is in the archives, if you can't read it and want to PM SYM)

viewtopic.php?f=81&t=11177

 

Oh go on...just tell me what I would find out if I were to PM SYM of get a Yahoo ID. In a couple of sentences.

 

How many of the 377s are permanently stabled overnight at EG?

The graffiti on the viaduct walls and removal of the coping stones (before the gates were put in) proves that there is a "market" for this kind of behaviour in the immediate area.

 

There you go, fence it off. Also, remember the viaduct had been pretty exposed for over 30 years, the unit will be there for proably three at the absolute most if we believe the current estimates for completion of the extension (I know, thats very foolish of me, but what else can I go on..?)

 

I believe the Bluebell gets the track laid to put the unit into the compound.

How about we put some of our now red carded Mark 1's in there instead \/

 

Never mind about the Mark 1,s Tom , about the following,

1, Maunsell brake 6575 ,roofleaking over brake end
2, Trevor,s LBSCR first 7598, wheel flats
3, Bullied 2515 SOBT, due to wanting a lift at the brake end and welding
4, Brighton van in shed waiting for the spring levels to be done , waiting THREE years now

And what do the Bluebell do in their wisdom?

1, Obtain an SO and an FO and turn them into cream tea coaches
2, Spend half a million pounds on a pullman, "Car 64 " to be precise ,"Christine" it is not
3, Car 76 or "Fag Ash Lil" as it is known comes to the shed 2 or 3 times a year to have the rust painted over. Note that this all steel Pullman is of similar design to the MK2 coach so that when it all rusts through it will bow outwards and collapse, and that time is not far away
4,Then someone donates £120,000,00 pounds, (well over priced) to buy"Doris", and what do the Bluebell do? get rid of the one man who could convert it from a 6-pul to a vaceum braked 24 volt battery vehicle.

ALL CATERING VEHICLES IN PART TWO HAVE YOU NOTICED?

Ah well they are Directors and management, (some not elected), I suppose they know what they are doing.

Regards
Chris

 

Well, if the Bluebell are game for that how about giving certain interested parties a 99-year lease on the VEP?

 

And if they were to agree, where would you want it delivered to or would you collect?

Jack

 

And in addition to that where would you put it?

 

Boys, if I had somewhere to put the old girl do you really think I'd post it on here before I'd had a chance to discuss the situation in detail to the Bluebell?

 

I know where I would like to put it.

Chris

 

I know where I would like to put it.

Chris[/quote:3tdqeagc]

Now now, this is a family forum Chris... ;-)

 

:smt119 Matron! More pills for this man....

 

The East Kent Railway perhaps, where the EPB Preservation Group website (http://www.epbpg.co.uk/) proclaims "EKR Electrification Begins". There is also a picture showing Chairman Bob Baines standing proudly besides the first length of conductor rail recently laid on the East Kent Railway.

There is also the:

[*] Suburban Electric Railway Association (http://www.emus.co.uk/)

[*] Southern Electric Group (http://www.southernelectric.org.uk/)

[*] EMU Preservation Society (can't locate their website)

Why didn't any of these electric railway preservation groups express an interest in acquiring SWTs blue 4 VEP, instead of chancing it going for scrap?

Jack

 

I think you may have misunderstood my point.

We stuff the dead Mark Ones into the EG Compound instead of the VEP

Work on the more important stuff like getting some of the stock painted!

I like Keelar's suggestion of leasing it out, that is quite sensible. Im sure it will only get worse sitting around, It needs to be used!

 

Because they don't have a bottomless pit of money, and already have a fleet to look after? Or is that too obvious?

 

..and because there are vastly more preserved EMU's than there is either space to display them or railways to use them.
Chris

 

Respectfully, Chris, the same goes for any form of preserved traction. None of us get involved because it's sensible, or to make money, or any other logical reason. We get our hands dirty, spend money, expend words and time because we care about a certain steamer, or coach, or unit, or diesel. Someone mentioned earlier that 3417 has become "a toy". The same could be said of any piece of equipment that is kept past its sell-by date. And if you want to badly enough, you find work for your toy to do.

3417, to me, represents both my childhood (I grew up on the South Eastern where the railway was VEPs day-in, day-out) and my early railway career. I got to drive these gleefully basic units as a shunt driver at Wimbledon. I learned how to drive on them (3417 was one of the first units I moved as a trainee) and to appreciate them - watching them gleefully charging along the SW mainlines in heavy frosts whilst Junipers and the brand-new Desiros sulked in sidings always brought a smile to my face.

There are those of us who care (he wrote, wincing slightly) about the future of this unit; the quality of her appearence at Swanage should speak volumes for the motivation of a small group of people, and there are alternatives to explore instead of East Grinstead. What is required right now is the support of the preservation community as a whole (don't panic chaps - we don't mean your wallets) and flexibility from all the concerned parties.

PS: For those of you who don't know - this is how she looked at Swanage....
http://wimbledonparkdepot.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!BDD9587C6E3493EA!3013/