SVR General Discussion

Your "I suspect" goes to the nub of so much we discuss on this forum. From timetabling etc. to who question surrounding loco, livery, activity and so on, unless we've hard evidence, we all base suggestions, arguments and views on an opinion at which we've arrived. The note of caution sounded is quite proper, but at the same time, it seems reasonable and prudent to occasionally ask whether the way we've traditonally gone about things is still the best way of doing things.

The answer could turn out to be 'a qualified yes', but as circumstances (internal and external) develop and change over time, I feel attampting to set anything in stone (beyond a line's gauge ..... and not always that!) comes with it's own risks.

In that sense, membership arrangements are no different to (say) ticketing arrangements. I doubt I'm the only one who remembers the almighty kerfuffle when the RH&D and FfR abandoned Edmonson card tickets for computerised systems (IIRC, they were among the vangaurd ... open to correction). Recall why that was done? Hard economic reality. As much as some may bemoan the change (count me as one who misses the 'proper' Edmonson ticket), it was simply what had to happen. Where they are still handed across the ticket office window, they're now an adjunct, rather than the primary tool of accounting and it's the till which does the leg work.

For my part, funding drives to which I choose to add my paltry occasional contributions aren't predicated on membership of the line hosting them, but rather the nature of the objective. There's nothing to conclude that's a consideration which it follows is remotely universal and I'd not claim otherwise. Can those who see the life membership list as the overriding consideration with respect to funding donations quantify that view? With regard to that question, (and here's that word again) I suspect not.

By the same token, any of those occasional changes to membership benefits (or the livery of a favourite loco, for that matter) which have taken place over the years may have irritated some, possibly to the extent of toys being thrown from prams, but has the sky fallen in?

The flipside to arguing for the status quo comes down to a few pretty simple considerations. At the forefront, regrettably, is filthy lucre. If it can be shown there's not better way of approaching things, then we're somewhere between 'Fine and dandy' and 'Doomed ... we're all doomed'. Were everything 'fine and dandy' would this discussion have arisen?

Some are approaching the whole membership discussion from an 'over my dead body' stance, but for all the 'cons' raised, not a word about the 'pros'. Things aren't what they were in that Birmingham hotel, nearly three quarters of a century ago. Perhaps they never were.

For every member or volunteer who arrives as a keen teenager, how many go through years (or decades) of hiatus due to those near universal irritating factors which befall pretty much all of us? I think they call them "life".

If more attractive membership packages could be shown better suited to keeping lines of communication open during those fallow years between job/mortgage/kids and blissful retirement/mortgage paid off/kids flown the nest, would that represent a net benefit?

Bottom line, for any (non-profit) line to survive, it needs to continue to attract support, be that in passengers, volunteers, members or hard cash, an absence of any of those three elements equals failure. Support via membership subscriptions is as vital as one-off donations.

To all the "neverers", I pose two simple questions:
"Is the current membership model optimal for both railways and members?"
"Is the current membership model sufficiently attractive to grow member numbers?"

 

Taw Valley in purple can currently be seen on the Bridgnorth camera.

 

The purple's so bright that it's almost pink!

 

Having seen more photos of it earlier. Tinky Winky Valley does look nice. Looking forward to seeing it in person

 

Approach with sunglasses!

Will certainly turn a few heads.

 

Towards it or away from it?

 

First, then second, depending on the person.

Edit: Joe Public will probably be the former, and in fairness if it draws them in to spend money at the line, that's no bad thing in the end.

 

Purple is the nation's favourite livery. Oh hang on, that's Quality Street...

 

I think there is a simple answer to your last two points, ask the volunteers. The ones I have spoken to are not happy with the way the railway is going and one name comes up as the cause for that. I will leave it there. Any organisation should remember that it's a lot easier to keep existing members than to attract new ones but once they have gone, it's virtually impossible to get them back.

 

For Diamond, read 'Platinum'.
Sorry to be a smart-arse!
Pat

 

All it needs to be truly revolting is a pair of nameplates "Spammy Mc Spamface". I'll get me coat.
Ray.

 

Maybe if it was that shade. This variant is somewhat gaudy.

 

They should've plonked a 70B (for Brenda) shed plate on the smokebox door.

 

April's Branch Lines newsletter can be accessed at https://www.svrlive.com/blapr22

 

My first reaction:


Knut

 

IMHO it’s let down by the lining out. Needs some black in with the white otherwise it all looks a bit washed out.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Had to check back. For a second there, I thought you meant 'The Scream'!

 

Ridiculous