Current and Proposed New-Builds

I dont think i fully agree on this. I dont believe that there are lots and lots of people out there that go from one project to the next and then to the next, maybe a small few but nowhere near enough to fund the completion of other locos.

Also if your point was correct then the patriot project would never have gotten off the ground. It was started AFTER the grange, clan, B17, county of Glamorgan, 82045, beachy head, standard 2 at bluebell, G5, F5, Doncaster P2 and possibly more. Despite being launched after these it has gone on to raise far higher figures year on year than any of the above, and some of them have been extremely successful. Granted it clearly hasnt been spent wisely over the years, but it does show that your point on finance doesnt seem to be correct.

Ok, so why did it succeed on a financial point of view, i have spent a lot of time talking to members over the years and gained their views, most simply reply with "i had a fondness for the pats" or something similar, "and want to see one run again and go behind it".

For me, and i am one of the few people who can probably say this from experience, the reason a new build succeeds is down to a few small details.

No1. A very popular heritage railway (82045 svr, beachy head bluebell) with a large membership of its own agrees to take the project on being based at its site. Remember 82045 started life down at the south Devon and was not successful at all, only when it was rebranded as a new loco for the svr and moved there did it really take off. If the home base has a large membership, and they see your project as now being one of their own, you will gain members and donors from this.

Look at pretty much all the other newbuilds and they tend to follow a similar way that the bigger heritage railways wont let you be based there, most new builds have now had multiple homes before they have managed to actually be completed.

No2. A class of loco that people remember, and more importantly, they liked them, and they have a perception of being a useful or good loco. Eg 82045 is a really useful loco for the svr.

The locos that go back further in time unfortunately dont get as much money because they dont pull on a persons heart string which in turn pulls on their purse string.

No3. A large component exists that can speed up a project, give it a huge helping hand by giving it instand credibility and belief that it will be completed in a reasonable time scale.

Remember, when doing any project, most members do actually want to see the completion in their life time. This is one of the reasons why the patriot project has delayed mainline running, it wants to see the loco steam as soon as possible for its members.

 

I received the latest issue of Steam Railway and this time they cover some of the projects that have subsequently folded. One I hadn't realised had folded was the Claud Hamilton one, although I can't say that was too surprising that it has.

Other projects covered include the Patriot Project's Fowler 4P Tank, the Bluebell's Atlantic Group's proposed SECR E Class, the NBLPG B17 Footballer (which donated it's parts to the Spirit of Sandringham project) and the J50 project.

 

I don’t think the J50 project was much more than a Facebook page

 

wasn't there a J39 which was at a similar level?

 

The article says that when they did the New Build survey on 2018, the J50 group had only been able to raise £895 at that point and only got as far as some 3D drawings of the loco and a general arrangement drawing from the NRM.

The J39 was announced around a similar time that a number of Facebook pages for New Builds cropped up. I think others included an LNER L1 tank and possibly the SECR/SR L1 too and none got much further than setting those pages up.

 

I haven’t seen the article yet, but from your text above it seems quite odd to discuss the folding of “projects” like the 4P and the SECR E class when these were simply ideas and never actively publicised or fundraiser for.
The likes of the B17 footballer and the Claude Hamilton are a bit different as they actually cut some metal/collected a few parts before being abandoned.

 

Another half hearted effort which never got off the ground was an LNWR Claughton

 

More error on my part in describing them, the article refers to them as cancelled projects, rather than projects that have folded.

 

The B17 Footballer was odd, didn’t they plan to build a full size mock up first to help raise funds or something?

The Claude Hamilton group seemed to be very young but well meaning.

 

Advertised as going to be built with a copper boiler too - much to the amusement of many

 

If nothing else, you couldn't park it outside in a dodgy area...

 

There was also a scheme to build a 77xxx. I don't think it got further than collecting a few minor parts.
Did I read somewhere recently that the Y8 project for Beamish had been abandoned? The boiler was complete and already at Beamish.
Ray.

 

I remember the 77021 project well. They did collect an original smokebox door from a 77xxx, but after that, they went silent.

 

Would be a shame if the Y8 was abandoned would’ve put money on that one succeeding with Beamish behind it. Was it due to North Bay Engineering closing?

 

Is anything happening on that LNWR one that Tyseley were doing?

 

Isn't it still there and worked on "on an as and when" basis.

 

Perhaps, but I also believe that the main sponsor has withdrawn.
Ray.

 

You mean the Bloomer?

 

Yes

 

I do remember 670 got relaunched back in 2019, but haven’t seen any updates as of late.