What motivates restorers?

Wasn't quite sure which topic to put this in, but here goes....

Having just finished a 21 year restoration, I've had time to look back at why I got involved in such a task.
Coming from a railway engineering apprenticeship, the early days was all about the engineering. Learning and extending what ever skills were needed for a particular part of the restoration.
After about 5 years, I was invited to apply for a firing position, and much later, driver. As 3650 came together, what drove me on changed. Now with the necessary skills, it was not only the engineering,... I wanted to drive 3650. Partly because I am qualified to do so, but pride in what we were acheiving, and wanting to prove the soundness of the engineering.
Strangely, it then shifted again... as we came closer to hydraulic and steam tests, I was so involved in the engineering, testing, certification etc, that driving was the last thing on my mind!!
Mind you, I did get my fill once all the snags were out of the way, while running in. Now, it's just as enjoyable watching other drivers getting pleasure out of what we've acheived (providing they look after her). I'm still like a mother hen when she comes back on shed though, always wanting to find out if there were any problems and carrying out maintenance as needed!!

So what motivates you??
Is it the engineering? will you move on to something else when this one's finished?
Or is it the chance to "play" when it's done?
21 years was a long haul but well worth it.

 

Oh goody chance to wheel out one of my favourite one-liners. Here is one of his that is entirely appropriate:-

"Preservation is all about making things last as long as possible. There are two ways of doing this; you can stuff and mount the item, or use it properly and maintain it even better. I know which is more fun!"

 

Quite a complicated one this but my involvement is motivated by a varying mix of the following in no particular order:

a. Being involved in projects with a tangible & worthwhile outcome - much more worthwhile than say playing golf!
b. Acquiring & improving craft skills (footplate & workshop).
c. Interaction with other likeminded folk both locally & in the wider movement.
d. The challenge of achieving difficult/near impossible tasks over time.
e. The yet to fully heal mental scars formed by seeing beloved locos/coaches/branch lines etc butchered before our collective teenage eyes in the mid 1960's - resulting in an unending iron will to ensure that the steam powered railway as a concept does not die.

 

Passion for an end product and human endeavour to succeed. Not quite as simple as this though!

 

3855 will be the 6th engine i've restored and i'm neither rich nor over 40! Its very interesting to read how (pannier man) your position changed re engineering and footplating over the yrs and swung back again. I started out at the tender age of 14 wanting to be on the footplate but due to age couldn't so tried to work on locos, but found no one was interested in gainfully employing a keen and enthusiastic individual. I changed railways to the ELR and the footplate side came. But my interest in the engineering side of things increased, but inspite of my efforts there wasn't any way of furthering it. I was offered the chance to buy a rather worn out kit of parts for an industrial loco which i did at the tender age of 20 with no idea of what to do next. From 1994-1999 i set about the process of turning this kit of parts into a working loco, learning a hell of a lot along the way, not least how many myths abound re the complexity of work. From these humble beginnings this led to other more prominent locos such as L&Y 1300, Peckett 2000 and the next project which is about to get underway 3855.
For me the engineering side is more interesting than the footplate side of things, which is a complete reverse of how things started out, i like to drive and fire to keep my hand in but i'm no footplate jockey.
The question i'd like to put is given that i've persevered in the face of adversity re involvement in other projects, how many genuinely useful people have been lost to the movement due to a lack of encouragement or the self interest of others?

 

The chance to put something back into a hobby that has given me so much. Why a Battle of Britain? It's a period of history that interests me greatly so a chance to combine two great passions.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

 

In my case stupidity is my motivation, that and the desire to take on a worn out engine that had no hope of restoration.

The engineering challenge wins hands down, what will enyone do with a working crane tank anyway ?. I guess its first job will be to lift some heavy lumps off Hawarden - my next job once Dubsey is finished !.

The key for me is to bring wornout lumps of rusty scrap back to life, in the process you get to enhance dormant skills. When the job is finished its time to move on to next one, I was only really bothered about driving Hawarden on galas or charters - the rest was boring. I do fancy a potter with Dubs, tea on the hour, lift a few things and then go for a trundle to unload a few things.

On a long job you set out to achive a goal each day, things dont always workout but there is always a solution. When you find it you feel good for days.

For me then its the journey thats fun, more so than the destination.

PS Pannier man, You have one last thing to achive, back to blue and Foxfield Bank on a rake of minerals - you know that you want to !.

 

Quite alot of what you've said Pannier Man, was similar for myself however I think when we started 5542 we were possibly a bit naive, staring in 1979 with the idea that £15k was going to complete the job! I was involved with the WSR from the start in 1976 and a few years before. The idea of some 'suitable' motive power was a driving force in the days of WSR meaning 'Will Something Run' but after 23 years it was nice to know that we were still required at that time!

A major part of the acheivement for me is not only the actual completion of the restoration, I still have to pinch myself when I see the loco running , and we're approaching the end of the 10 year 'ticket ', but the idea that a bunch of 'ordinary guys' also raised a third of a million quid by basically 'scrounging' it in one form or another with no individual contributing more that about £7-8k over the 23 years, and that barring all unforseen disasters, the loco will have earned enough to finance 'quick return' at the expiry of its ticket. There were many many times during the middle of the restoration when you did wonder if or when it was going to be completed but we were generally making some progress even if to some it was not immedeately obvious. Location and purchase of parts was a very time consuming and costly part of the process. I recall one occasion when after spending a very exhausting long weekend fundraising receiving a bill the following day when the funds raised just about covered the VAT which at that time we could not recover.

As Pannier Man says the pleasure in seeing other peoples pleasure is a major part of the reward, I used to photograph the photters in the early days. An very occasional 'reward' to drive or fire 'my' loco is an added bonus especially as my general desire to do that on a day to day basis has long since evaporated. As for what you do next, we were offered the oppoprtunity to turn our hands to some carriage restoration in the form of a 'well seasoned' auto trailer 169. Luckily we managed to keep the neucleus of our loco restoration gang together and redirect our efforts towards the carriage which is now progressing quite steadily. So once that is complete we will be almost 'self sufficient' all we will need is our own railway to run on!

I have to say to have been involved in five or six end to end loco restorations does appear to be some heroic acheivement especially before the age of 40, we used to hope and pray for an 8 day week just to get one finished, you must have acheived 9 or 10 day weeks and more! You'd better let us know who your 'god' is? [-o<

Cheers

John

 

FWIW I'd personally love to see 5542 back at the WSR one day. that loco has the heart of a lion.

 

I don,t think anyone can disagree with any of the comments made so far.

However there is something else I would like to add to this thread. IMHO you are also meeting like minded people with a common interest who in the real world for want of better words one would never meet, so it is also a social thing.

Another point of interest if I may is that a change is as good as a rest for possibly after a weeks grind and near impossible driving conditions, this is possibly the best therapy one cuold have.

Regards
Chris Willis

 

I don't want to know! If I did I'd be able to disect my own totally irrational passion and I'd probably realise I was totally mad and stop ](*,)

 

I hope no one objects to my rather active day on here, reviving old threads gone quiet but this one caught my eye and I have read the comments with interest.
As a young boy all I ever wanted to do was to be an engine driver. I used to love my days out with my mum visiting the three local lines near to me and riding on the trains and talking to the crews. They were the ones to look up to and who I aspired to be.
I never once thought of all those who worked tirelessly for hours in making it possible for that locomotive to turn a wheel in anger. I never once thought about how interesting it would be to learn the skills to do what many have done and turn rusting hulks and kits of parts into fully working machines, doing what they were supposed to do.

Over the years I have kept my interest though work and a few other things kept me from volunteering and it is only in the last three years I have managed to get stuck into volunteering and I am a Passed Cleaner at one line and a fireman at another. My work though, has given me the appetite I have needed to shift over towards the engineering side of things and I went and bought a small Barclay to satisfy my appetite.
We are extremely lucky in this country to have the amount of history present for people to enjoy, be a castle, a manor house, old ships to aeroplanes and especially our love of railways. I want to use what I have learnt through work, to push myself and learn more skills that I can put into not only restoring my own loco but to aid restoring/overhauling others so that our heritage is still around for others to enjoy in the future and that my children can grow up, learn about our past and be able to experience it. I also believe it will help me be a better footplateman too.
I can only think about what I will be like with mine when it eventually turns a wheel! I feel I may well fall into the mother hen category!