P2 Locomotive Company and related matters

Googling, it was the same organisation. However, they sold the site in 2019.
https://www.shropshirestar.com/news...eering-firm-doncasters-sells-shrewsbury-site/

 

Thanks for the clarification End of Thread Drift.

 

Whilst slightly off thread.... How goes it with the proposed setting up their own train of Mk3s? Are the A1SLT still planning/looking into such a set or sets? Or have these plans been put on the back burner whilst they look into a new purpose built workshop/storage site across the Bishop Auckland line, to the current workshop in the grounds of North Road Station in Darlington.

 

There was a brief bit in one of the magazines (I think Steam Railway) earlier this year in which they stated it wasn't something they were prioritising. I can't recall the precise rationale, but I think it was essentially that it wouldn't add as much benefit to their operations as they initially thought.

 

Far as i recall from the convention that has been shelved...

 

Although they do make Tornado available to other railtour promoters, and will presumably do the same with the P2, they seem to put more emphasis on their own tours. It seems non-optimal to be a railtour promoter and have your own locomotives (plural) but have to hire the coaches from someone else -- not least because at least one of the available rakes has been reported as rather tired.

 

Yes i saw that as well, think costs were stated, and then shortly thereafter, they started working with WCRC again.

So access to plentiful stock, should have been solved.

 

Plus I'd also add that as an organisation that depends largely upon "crowd-funding" for its projects that maybe a rake of Mk. 3s, along with the mods they wished to do to make them acceptable to the steam enthusiasts, coupled with maintenance and storage costs and finally, the ongoing Covid situation and the effect it is having upon those crowd-funders' pockets make owning your own train less and less attractive.

The pessimist in me also thinks that 2020 has merely been the warm-up act for 2021.

 

Is there not a practical element to this, as well. Mk.3's are going to be electrically heated so, unless you hang a diesel on the back for that purpose, your stock is only going to be usable for perhaps seven months of the year. That will leave you having to own your own diesel or hire one in, even for trips that aren't required to have one.

 

Generator car?

 

That thought went through my mind - but it eats into the revenue-generating (no pun intended) capacity of the trains you can haul - essentially you commit yourself to hauling a whole extra empty carriage every trip.

Tom

 

all a bit academical but.... Genny car come water carrier come support coach come merchandise storeroom perhaps...build it into a DVT and have an observation lounge in there as well... thats a lot to fit in even for a mk 3...

 

I suspect a combined water carrier and observation coach is either going to be somewhat limited in view out, or somewhat limited in water transfer capability!

Tom

 

Not to mention a wee bit impractical if at the wrong end of the train for the locomotive. It could also be a bit tricky to get at from within the train.

 

The water Carrier is actually a series of Hot tubs...

 

Are the M.K.1. coaches at Boness and kinnel railway what are going to have retention tanks and central locked doors fitted going to be used on tornado,s Edinburgh to Aberdeen future tours and S.R.P.S. tours?

 

they will be mandatory after 2023, aiui, so the answer is yes. Mk1s operating over Network Rail (e.g. NYMR) will have to be fitted too.
2

 

Now you're talking. An observation car with hot tubs/jacussis. Add a bottle of champagne. That's some way to travel. I might even get interested in going on a railtour. Just needs a Jubilee up front.

 

That presumably get shallower and shallower the further you travel.

 

Why would you want a water carrier in the consist when Tornado has enviable water consumption anyway, and then drag dead weight around.