Swanage Railway General Discussion

What you haven't factored in is quality and ambiance. People are willing to pay a lot more for the Belmond Pullmans, for example, and what do they get extra on those compared to what they would on the Bluebell? They seem to be able to make their business pay, and all their Pullmans are 1st class examples. Not sure about your maths, though - how does a 42 seat vehicle versus a 22 seater result in a 75% reduction in costs?

I'm with you on the probability of more railways abandoning their dining options, or chosing to do something more suited to the modern era, though - and that includes Swanage imho.

 

The issue of selling the dining set is obviously a contentious one and unlikely to be decided upon quickly. However if a number of railways decide to get rid of their surplus fleet then there could a glut on the market further forcing down realisable amounts. Perhaps this is one occasion when the early bird does indeed catch the worm.

 

I didn’t say it did result in a 75% reduction in costs - £10 down to £5. I was simply amortising the overhaul cost over the carrying capacity of the vehicle: if the overhaul costs the same, but one has twice the capacity, then the contribution per seat to the overhaul is less - provided of course you can sell the additional seats. Obviously the fixed costs of the train are higher, that £10 is simply how much of the ticket price is paying the cost of overhaul if at the end you only get a 22 seat vehicle.

The current thinking on the Bluebell is a four coach rake with ~ 100 seats and redundancy of all critical functions to enable withdrawal of individual vehicles for maintenance is viable. Swapping a 42 seat vehicle for a 22 seat one challenges that.

Tom

 

Mea culpa - I misread £10 as £20. Specsavers beckons!

 

Just to prove the S & C does not have the ownership of awful weather or idiots prepared to go out in it, although in my defence I needed to go out for other reasons.
Manston glistening in the rain leaving HX with the 14:10 from Norden.. Not a diesel in sight, or any passengers for that matter as the coaches were so steamed up I had no idea of the loading.

 

Just seen the T3 in steam on the Swanage webcam, what a wonderful sight !

 

Stumbled on it when I came back from my Dad's following his hospital visit which took up a lot of the day.
Only had my pocket camera, but a couple of on shed images after a brief heavy shower.

 

When was the last time , if ever that an T3 in steam was at Swanage, certainly not since the second world war. What they need now is to draw the t9 out, turn it, and position it so you get the pair both facing the same way, for a fund raising photoshoot towards the t9's overhaul.

 

Have you actually told the railway your concern,
Or you just gonna whine and complain about it on a website, I doubt anyone from the railway takes seriously?

 

What is the news about the T9??
Is it being overhauled now?
Would be nice if it can be gifted to the railway like the T3 was.
That with the M7 being overhauled, im guessing that will be coming maybe 2025/26

 

The plan was , that the T9 would go to the flour mill for an inspection to ascertain the work necessary to overhaul it, and then depending on the cost, an appeal would be launched to see it returned to steam.

 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=694780745442621

Link to video clip of the T3's run.

 

https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ev...SkHqIX9nxF2lNR-QJKXOIL41Y8ZF86jM1QMKIM5MoKWnU

Details of 563 in steam in October.

 

Indeed. It is front page news in the current edition of Trackside magazine that this is what is going to happen. I’d imagine there will be a big official announcement at the T3’s launch that this is the plan.

 

I guess a very big 'Unknown' is still - will the NRM permit a new cylinder block to be cast to replace the original (but multi-times stitched) block? Or must it remain 'as is' with more metal stitching - if there's enough left to stitch of course.
If no new cylinder block or no further stitching can be achieved then, I guess, it will have to be put back together and, possibly, handed back to the NRM.
These are purely my views and certainly nothing to do with the Swanage Railway Trust.

 

Would the NRM permit a new cylinder block, providing that the original was retained for potential re fitment in future I wonder? Even if they did though it all adds to the cost, and impacts the Swanage Railways’s decision of how much they want to spend on a loco they don’t own.

If only the NRM would gift it to the Swanage Railway. It’s doesn’t seem to be a loco they have much interest in displaying at York, it’s been out on loan to various railways for 40 or so years. But let’s not get too greedy, the NRM have already been hugely generous in donating the T3.

 

Nathan and his team have done well fundraising for 563.
In a way a new direction for the SR away from 60s BR and representing all eras of the railways, Looks like progress with the 70s TC4 to run on special events.
If the original estimates for the carriage shed completion have increased, there is a risk of fundraising fatigue when inflation is affecting supporters.
Getting the carriage shed completed must be a priority.
Then getting an estimated price from the Flour Mill to restore the T9, also the future of almost completed 31874 and other projects, so the Trust can sort out priorities.

 

There is quite a few engines that the SR does not own, in need of overhauls, that the railway will have to consider does it need looking foreward, for instance, 31874, 31625, the boiler off 31806, has not even been touched as far as i can see, double that cost if you include 31625, as long as 31806 is in traffic, theres no urgency to finish the N, the T9, at least does have a following, that like the T3, are wanting to see these engines that are rightly seen as survivors, overhauled, to many as long as there is an southern mogul active, they don't care which one, so funding might not be as forthcoming as say the T9, or has happened with the T3, both these are the sole survivors of their classes,

 

I was of the opinion that due to the work done, to the block last time, the repair has sorted out this area, I would think, The NRM, would accept an new casting, as long as its a like for like, replacement of an life expired part, This engines best future would be served by the NRM, gifting the engine to the SRT,

 

I would imagine any future review of motive power requirements would see more Bulleids leaving the line. The smaller more economical locos are favoured. With the T3, return of the M7 soon, potentially the T9, and 31874 not too far off if they put their mind to it, they will have a lot of smaller locos at their disposal.