4920 Dumbleton Hall

Be nice to see 3803 having a few runs on sdr before she disappears back on hire circuit,
Be nice to see a hall back running to,

 

I see 4920 has a Facebook page, that is looking for new members. https://www.facebook.com/Dumbletonhall4920/
One question though, if the SDRA owns 4920 what role does DHPS have?

 

No it is the DHPS who own the SDR as it was the loco owners who took over the railway from the DVR as they could run the railway.

 

The post I quoted said SDRA (renamed from 4920 original charity) has ownership of the locos 3803 and 4920. So my question is what function does the DHPS have? I take it by your post they have a shareholding in SDRA? If so, what does this shareholding mean? DHPS are part of the decision makers of SDRA?

 

https://www.facebook.com/Dumbletonhall4920/

Updates on the Facebook page shows 4920 has been released prior to the AGM this last weekend.

 

Brilliant news. I think when work actually starts on her overhaul I may even be tempted to see if my meagre student loan might stretch to membership, as I feel so sorry for her sat on that disconnected siding for so many years.

 

They need to get their membership details online somewhere. It's currently the best kept secret in Devon, and yet some wonder why membership numbers haven't increased in recent years...

 

Was at SDR last week and the loco is now under cover.
Not sure how long it's been there.

 

On the FB updates, they connected the track on 10/11th April (it was on a section of track that was isolated) and then moved her to inside the stock shed at Buckfastleigh on 12th. Apparently first time she has moved in 20 years

 

50% discount at the SDR, 50% discount at the P&D along with discounts at other locations in the Devon area. Not many loco groups can offer that as a benefit of being a member.

 

That explains the work that was going on last Friday then.
We were trying to work out if they were preparing to install points

 

Latest update is asking for more members to sign up! The list of benefits is actually quite impressive for a loco.

 

You didn't actually say who owns Dumbleton Hall, what say do the actual owners have in Dumbleton Halls future? 3 years after your post, what has progressed?

I have emailed someone at the South Devon requesting a membership form... can you advise please?

 

4920 was saved by the Dumbleton Hall Preservation Society, which went on to gain Charitable status (and also acquired 2873, 3803 plus one of the industrials).

When the Dartmouth and Buckfastleigh lines went their own ways, the charitable function of DHPS was used to set up The South Devon Railway Trust which went on to take over the operation of the SDR. Therefore DHPS became the owners of not only the original locos - but the SDR, infrastructure and rolling stock too.

In terms of progress; meetings have been held by the DHPS Board (which is still in existence), but as of today nothing has been agreed / done accept for the removal of 4920 from her isolated siding. She is now sat outside behind the shed in the company of 3803 and 3205 on a "demic" siding as all 3x require costly repairs. A couple of offers of assistance have been made by more than 1x group, but all have fallen on deaf ears much to the detriment of the loco itself. DHPS do not have the funds to restore the loco at present, 4930 is showing how costly an exercise this will be (they are nearing £1 million themselves) and this sort of money just isn't there for 4920 currently, and I'm willing to bet she will need just as thorough an overhaul if not more. Mutterings have been said an appeal for overhaul will appear "soon", possibly following the SDRT creation of a Charitable Community Benefit Society. However Richard post above implied work would have begun by 2018, we're now 2019 and nothing but lip service has been achieved.

The Facebook page has been removed as the DHPS Board said they wanted to have control of such a page, and not leave it to the control of a member as was. So said member withdrew their support, and we're still waiting for the new page to appear...

It's a shame. There is lots of interest in 4920, she's the oldest surviving Hall and would be a popular performer on the heritage scene. Sadly until the DHPS make a decision, instead of going round in circles, she's just going to lay silent.

 

Dumbleton Hall was at onetime active on the Kingswear line. I had an opportunity to ride on her footplate on one occasion during firefighting operations in the woods near Greenway tunnel,, so I have an interest in the loco. Sadly she is one of many needing very expensive restauration.

 

thanks Lil Bear, good to read your reply, and that is kind of my understanding of the situation. There seems to be no visible effort to either discuss Dumbleton Hall, or do anything about it by certain factions of the SDR. I have asked a number of times about the locomotive, for me it would be a good opportunity to get involved with steam preservation. I have a vested interest as a very good friend of mine was/is heavily involved with Dumbleton Hall. I have asked a number of times for an application form over the years but no one seems to be able to provide me with one. Maybe it is time for those who sit as the head of the DHPS committee to step aside and let those that want to do something good take the reins? Richard Elliots comments are not wholly accurate, I am aware of that. I am also aware of why the facebook page was removed but I cannot go into that on here.

The loco and 3803 will sit and deteriorate more and more, and without any form of opportunity to get involved, to raise funds etc etc the situation will never change. Having had a closer look at the two of them a while ago it is clear that they are quite a state. IT may well cost hundreds of thousands to put either one of them right but where there is a will, and an active fund raising and higher profile media and marketing presence, and with a level of interest there is a way. As Gav106 pointed out, the membership represents exceptional value for money, I am at the SDR a lot as it is local to me, but like I said I cannot even get a membership form, and I would really like to get involved.

 

How very sad and disappointing. Unless a well-heeled white knight appears at some stage, this sounds like a fate worse than Barry, where locos had at least a chance of being saved. I guess some of the surviving MNs have similar poor prospects.

 

As I eluded to in my last post Simon, there is quite a bit of interest in 4920 – with more than 1x proposal on the table to the DHPS. However those at the very top have not made any form of action plan, choosing to have their meetings but not actually decide on what they are going to do. Without getting into the politics of their history (we can’t change the past, only the future), the DHPS needs to decide what it wants to do with its limited resources. Concentrate on running the SDR as it currently does or get its locomotives into service? Some will say it can do both, but beyond Rob C I don’t see anyone with the capabilities to do such within the DHPS (let alone the interest, otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation!). But Rob is only one man, with an Engineering business to keep ticking over and it’d be unfair to expect him to become some sort of saviour for 4920. And there’s still the biggest question unanswered – Where is the finance going to come from?

So it needs the rest of the board to stand up and do something beyond enjoying tea & biscuits at their quarterly meetings. Set out a plan how they are going to raise the suspected £1 million needed to overhaul 4920, and make it happen, or allow a “White Knight” to become involved and do the hard bit for them. I know of three proposals at least that have been put forward, all of which have been replied with “We’ll have a talk amongst ourselves and let you know.” For which responses are still awaited… Sadly this indecisiveness and deliberation method will only do one thing, and many of the original shareholders will now never get to see their locomotive work ever again. Which is surely not what they saved her for..?

 

In searching for details regarding 3803's condition this popped up, assume this never came to fruition. https://www.southdevonrailwayassociation.org/News-and-Press-Releases/3803_for_sale.html

So looking at it they have 4920 needing c.£1m spending on it, 3803 looking much the same plus the frames and whatever might be knocking around of 2873 (who was always my lottery winnings engine!), sad to say its hardly a glowing reference and its possibly time for a decision to be made regarding peeing or getting off the pot (although I accept this is very easy to say and less easy to do)?