SVR General Discussion

It did indeed run as normal, I was working at Bewdley running Wribbenhall Junction, my only caveat would be that - yourself and your father obviously excepted - it felt pretty dead. *Very* light loadings I think.

 

4930 Hagley Hall is blessed:

 

God, now I feel old - no offence (at all) but I had you down as one of the older/more senior posters on here. Given she was withdrawn in 86 that means depending on when in the year it was I was either 5 or 6.

I'm going to sit in a darkened room and rock.

 

although, and I'll get this one in quick, living 700 yds from Kidderminster Town as I did for the first 18 years of my life she's not a gap in my haulage book.

 

Hagley Halls first passenger train since 1986, during the Hagley Hall launch day for the society members.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Its even worse for me, I had quite a few driving turns on Hagley having passed as a driver in the early 80s, always a good smooth engine..

 

I seem to recall there were a few people about, most of them doing the same thing as myself Dad and my Godfather, I did a brief stint at Wribbenhall Junction too, before doing time at Arley and Kidderminster, (I learnt some important life skills at Arley, like how to drink being one… )
In all seriousness from 1995 to 1999 I learnt some interesting life lessons at the SVR.
I’m not sure if it’s going to be useful in the near future but I have a feeling knowing where the battery isolating switch on a Class 50 is, is going to be of way more use to me at some point than Algebra ever is

 

Very nice. Complete with an obliging rainbow too!

 

7325 is on display in 1EL dock at Kidderminster.

 

And here she is:

 

Here's my footage of 4930 Hagley Hall hauling her first public runs on the Severn Valley Railway since 1986. I filmed her at Bewdley, Victoria Bridge, and Eardington Bank twice. I hope you enjoy the video.

 

Were the owners to wish to do so, they've less than a week before its hauling trains again at the ASG. I suspect, practically, sticking to a variation on the current livery is unavoidable for that.

Having raised funds (twice) on a legal prospectus of doing it, I think it's corrosive to trust in the Railway to (a) put back Bridgnorth station renovation (a phase I project for which contracts were going to be let in 2017) and (b) to kick the turntable into the long grass. 'We said give us £2.5m and we'd install a turntable. Well we're not

 

Not quite sure how they manage to budget for £1.5m for a turntable installation. The recent installation of one at Robertsbridge cost nothing close to that figure.

 

I was there today for the 4150 Fund AGM, but had a chance to watch the goings on for a few minutes before and after. Excellent work.

 

I've not seen the one at Robertsbridge so don't know how it compares. However the SVR installation is no simple 'dig a hole in the ground'. From what I have seen of the published plans, the location next to Hanbury Cottage will require digging out a substantial part of the hillside and building a large retaining wall to stop the new car park at the top of the hill subsiding into it. It will also involve filling the former roadway that ran past the cottage to a standard that will take the weight of locomotives. Civil engineering on that scale isn't cheap. Plus of course refurbishing the turntable itself which has been in storage in the open air for countless years, replacing all the missing or unusable parts, laying the track and so on.

 

NO one said it was going to be easy ...

As Patrick said above, the issue here is twice money has been taken for this project and nothing has been done. In particular, those of us who invested in the last share prospectus that was issued for Bridgnorth can rightly feel short-changed, effectively only the extension for the refreshment rooms was (eventually) delivered. All the benefits for making the investment have also been drastically cut back, plus of course the GM calling people who spent the money effectively freeloaders.
I think the SVR will find it much harder to raise money in this way in the future, many simply do not believe the promises made any more.

 

If people bought shares against a prospectus which stated a specific use for the money, and that has not happened, could they sell the shares back to the company?

 

Plus - from memory - the (phase II) car park, disabled toilets and enhanced power supply.

Kudos