SVR General Discussion

Don't think I even mentioned freight in that post you quoted, just because that's my bag it's not the only thing I think about! But seeing as you mention it, I accept freight is a slightly harder sell, but a combination of brake van rides, general advertising so more people turn up to see it, and chalking it up to crew competency gets you well on the way.

What I was more thinking of though, particularly in SVR's case with their superb array of coaching sets, was if they made a point of advertising that on a particular ordinary running weekend they'd make sure that, say, the Hall was on the GWR set, the Stanier Crab (once it's finished) was on the LMS set etc. well that'd make me more interested in turning up on an ordinary day. Granted it wouldn't bring the hoards flooding in from London and Dorset, but for zero extra cost as it's only running the trains they intended to run anyway, a bit more thought put into it gets a few more passengers.

 

It will be so warm and sunny it won’t be needed!

 

I don’t know the position on D1015, but the WLA’s newsletter last night has a first available date for traffic as end of April

 

The full line reopening is the 1st and 2nd April and will be the Open House Weekend with behind the scenes attractions and a three train timetable.
https://svr.co.uk/event/open-house-weekend-2023/

 

Hi Patrick, will the carriage works at either Kidderminster or Bewdley be open as part of this please?

 

They were in previous events but I haven't heard either way for this year's event

 

I'm not sure when attractions are being announced.The next newsletters will however be out on Thursday and we'll try and include as much as we can

 

Yes we at Kidderminster will be open over that weekend. 24617 will be in a nearly done state. We are working through what we want to show to people at the moment. The stores upstairs will for obvious reason be out of bounds. We will have a pair of finished Gresley bogies, a pair of commonwealths in a stripped down state. In the paintshop, 24617 should be nearly ready. We will have examples of the work we have had to do to it. 110 separate components in 1 sliding window frame unit and there are 14 of them. The restored veneer work in the first class end is rather special, having been hidden by BR brown varnish for a long time.

Im not sure about Bewdley yard/ paintshop. If it is open, you will be able to see 43612 being worked on. 9581 getting much much closer to finished, 4786 edging closer as well.
Dont forget 26921 at Bridgnorth. LMS porthole brake 3rd being converted to a Wheelchair Semi Open Compartment 3rd.

 

Thanks, I may trot along if I'm not busy, always like being nosy round other railways' C&Ws

 

Having my usual 10 minute peruse of Steam Railway and the report on the SVR makes very worrying reading. Steam overhauls to be paused and no new ones started after 42968 and 4150. Surely this will be accompanied by layoffs.

Whilst I appreciate times are tight -

* What is the plan in 4 or 5 years when locos are going out of ticket and nothing is coming through to replace them?

* Rather than redundancies and scaling back the workshop, why can't the SVR win some contract work that seems abundant at Rileys, Tyseley or Cranmore? Training staff and gaining experience is expensive and takes time, if the SVR lose these staff they may never return.

A well placed friend involved believes the final accounts for the SVR for last year will show a £1.5million deficit. I realise this requires drastic and painful decisions, but reducing Bridgnorth workshop to the bare bones seems fraught with short-sightedness.

 

Relevant piece from the magazine

 

We have 42968, 7802, 4150 and 82045 all due to arrive in the next 2 to 3 years, with no more withdrawals scheduled to my knowledge. 7812 and 4930 have replaced 2857 & 1501. That would suggest to me sufficient motive power for the moment.
The SVR in the last News have stated that contract work will be sought to support staff. The overhaul of Dunrobin has restarted and the IOM boiler constructions continue. The no overhaul position is to be reviewed in 12 months. I wouldn't be too concerned about the overhaul pause.
I agree though that the accounts are likely to make sorry reading, not helped by the loan repayments. The new GM has a challenge here.

 

I think that on most steam heritage railways it will be overhauls on a need and not nice to have over the next few years, probably focused very much on cost benefit and not nice to have. Anyone with a particular pet want will have to find a way that finances it without costing the railway much.

 

43106 in July,
34027 in autumn for an intermediate repair to obtain a new ticket .

 

Bearing in mind that 4930 and 42968 have taken the best part of 5-6 years + to overhaul, then the replacements for 7714, 7812 and 4930 need to be started soon.

 

Yes, had forgotten 43106, however, it has been used very sparingly for the last couple of years.

 

4930 and 42968 have had very extensive rebuilds this time. A loco like 2857 which had a bottom end overhaul a few years ago and was reportedly in very good nick on withdrawal would hopefully be a quicker affair. 1501 I think was turned around similarly quickly last time.

 

A replacement for 75069 is needed well before 4930 & 7812. EMF though are already accumulating parts & materials for the overhaul of 5164 which will start once 7802 & T2329 are completed - target early 2024.

 

Operate Diesels perhaps?

It can only be a short term response, but when there is no money it cannot be spent.