Current and Proposed New-Builds

It’s a point a view I’m beginning to contemplate, as the demographic changes, earnings stagnate, final salary pension schemes and early retirements become a thing of the past, and critical skills are becoming scarce at below market rates (eg project management). Tornado’s overhaul doesn’t bode well, and I’m not sure we’ll ever see the V4 now. Hopefully the P2 will eventually make it over the line, and I’ll settle for that.

 

Indeed, cant see any thing else coming along without a Lottery winner/ wealthy backer ...

 

The Beamish Y8 has been fully funded by a singular benefactor. I know its a thought I've had and probably vocalised here but would/ could a preserved railway contract out the building of another Std 3 tank? In theory a second one should be much cheaper and its one we will probably see in service next year. Especially when the cost of overhauling extremely tired locomotives is sky rocketing.

 

Maybe it would result in a few more T3 563 type situations where locos which had been static for years are revived?

 

Not convinced that another would cost much less, the same amount of work and material required, re usable patterns for castings are not always made these days, and a new boiler for a standard three will cost pretty much the same as a boiler for any similar sized loco.. and if you already have a chassis to sit it on....

 

I doubt it.

Firstly, I suspect the cost saving isn't as much as you might think, since a lot of the areas where there is really valuable IP that could be shared (drawings, patterns, construction advice) was likely done for free by the original project. So if the loco ends up costing, say, £1.5m at today's prices, it is likely a very substantial part of that is on things that can't be saved by prior art. I'm not saying the saving of buildings. second would be zero, but I doubt it is very large.

The other point is - who would actually build it? I doubt those who built the first would want to build another as a volunteer effort for a different railway. And if instead you contracted it - well then the prices go up substantially and, as the Llangollen experience has shown, you potentially create a whole bunch of new problems around project management and quality control. (The Patriot has been built using paid labour, which as far as I can see has pushed the price up but made no discernible difference to the timescale relative to comparable projects proceeding with primarily volunteer labour).

Tom

 

The 82045 Trust via Chris Proudfoot (RIP) made it clear from the very start of the project that the current team will NOT be building a second Loco. One 82xxx New Build is a big enough challenge. All the skilled working volunteers are now at least 10 years older than when they left the starting line.
The Trust would assist, in anyway possible, anyone with the ambition to build a second loco, but 82045 Trust volunteer members would almost certainly not be involved.
I personally tend to support the view that the current generation of new builds is coming to a glorious steamy end because of escalating material costs, finding proficient fund raisers and an increasing shortage of skilled volunteer labour.
It will unfortunately be some time before we see their wonderful likes again. If you can support New Builds projects like 82045 to help get them all across the line so that future generations can enjoy and marvel at current achievements, I am sure it would be much appreciated.

 

This, in spades - probably a subject for a whole other thread, but semi hard headedly, I've pulled my horns in totally after a scattergun decade in my thirties of sending a tenner here, there and everywhere, and consolidated (with one exception) on retaining financial support to projects either over the line or nearing it.

One standard gauge line (SVR), one narrow gauge line (L&B), one new-build (82045) and one main-liner (71000).

That's it. I'd rather my money on the whole kept something going. You can spot the real moneypit* in those four but love is a powerful thing....


*edited to add, obviously they're all moneypits, but there are pits and pits....

 

As per @gwralatea, there will be a lot of pruning of covenants and donations over the next 18 months before I retire and take my pension - I'll support the NVR, the DPS and the IDRS but steam may have to go.

 

The number of people making covenants to these new build and existing locomotives will reduce with time and be accelerated by the financial situation we all face.
There appear to be some that take these regular donations for granted and it will be their undoing as confidence in the ability of said groups fail to deliver reasonable progress. Sit back and watch.

 

I will support a final new build loco aiming to be worlds fastest, most efficient and lowest mass per horsepower without straying to far from the Stephenson form.
A six-or seven feet compound single somewhat like a NER class I?
Air transportable of course and easy to change livery.

 

Everybody - please don't rush forward with your exceedingly generous donations all at once.

 

To be serious for a moment, the rocketing price and supply of coal cannot but have an adverse effect on the future running of steam power, whether it be on rail, road (traction engines, steam waggons, etc.) or ships. We will just have to wait and see what happens during the coming season.

 

I hope there are some more new builds in the future - and in a way I hope there are more like the P2 which was to most people purely a fantasy, but made reality by a really solid team working on it.

What I do not want to see is yet more b***** GWR 4-6-0s built from cannibalised parts of other locos!

 

Dare i say that with the County and Grange, Star and Saint the full set will be complete ?

 

I’m looking forward to the prototype Krueger and Crocodile myself….

 

Still more to go …



Tom

 

Thanks Tom, we really needed more suggestions . . .

 

I actually hope we do not have any more new new builds in future. We seem to have more than can be funded already. Regarding GWR 4-6-0 's l have to say jealousy will get you nowhere, but seriously they are of course included in the above. Maybe the time has come to be really thankful that so many have bitten the bullet and put years of graft in to get us to this point and reaffirm our commitments to regular donations despite difficult economic circumstances. The longer the funding takes the more jeopardy a project faces.

 

"The longer the funding takes the more jeopardy a project faces."
This applies to badly managed overhauls too. Then there is lost revenue from operating.