Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

Meanwhile, I don't understand why the Trust does not put a copy of the plans and proposals on its own website - that would probably be a lot easier for members to find than buried amongst the mass of ENPA pages.

 

In the past, external links to the official documents were on the website, as will be the case here, but posting the documents on the website too could lead to outdated versions being available - the planning portal updates our documents, plus consultancy responses, plus neighbour comments, etc. in real-time as the application proceeds. They are legally obliged to, so we (the L&BRT) don't have to.

But don't worry, as soon as I have a link to the application documents, I will post it on here, and on Facebook, plus it will no doubt appear on the L&BRT website around the same time too!

Here, for example, is the link to the Carriage Shelter Application:
https://exmoor.planning-register.co.uk/Planning/Display?applicationNumber=62/43/24/005

 

I challenge you to find a steam loco that covers its overhaul costs from steaming fees.
Whether you like it or not, additional funds will always be required to top up steaming fees funds.

Again, I'm not sure how you think the L&B will be rebuilt in part or whole without volunteer help in the form of time and funds. It simply won't be funded from grants or income from Woody Bay. To think otherwise is delusional.

What exactly is it that you think is not open, honest and 'more of a business feel'? You do not have a right to the minutiae of the railways accounts and decisions.

I refer you back to my first point - do you honestly think the steaming fees will cover the cost of an overhaul? Why does this need to be raised at an AGM? If it really concerns you, why not write or email and ask the railway directly? I doubt they will tell you exact figures as some of it will be commercially sensitive.

You seem to be trying to create problems at every turn Colin.
Why don't you let the Trust board members do their jobs and judge them when they come up for re-election?
They have made the PP application, they are producing regular video updates, established a friendly relationship with the B&YVRT and established a youth group.
I think that's a pretty good start. They can't make everything perfect overnight, so why not give them a chance?

Alternatively, put yourself up for election at the next AGM, and if you get elected we'll see how good a job you could do, oh and we'll make sure we constantly criticise you at every step just so you know what it's like...

 

>>>> I challenge you to find a steam loco that covers its overhaul costs from steaming fees.....

I think that 5542 does a fairly good job at that

 

It would be a rarity then, at least amongst standard gauge locos.

One of the issues with funding overhauls from steaming fees is setting the right fee, because it is difficult to predict the future overhaul requirement, and the price of one overhaul may lull you into a false sense of security. For example, you may find after the first overhaul, the boiler repair is quite cheap, amounting to not much more than a retube, all the plate thicknesses remaining acceptable. But then by overhaul 2, you suddenly find you need new half sides and suddenly it is a lot more. Similarly, you typically won't need to replace tyres, or a new tender tank, or a new cylinder block, very often, but when you do, it gets very expensive. The difficulty is that if you budget for a £500k overhaul in ten years' time and on that basis set a hire fee of £500 per day based on 100 steamings per year, it all looks fine until the condition of the loco requires it to be withdrawn after 9 rather than 10 years; and a mid-ticket P&V cost £25k and lost you 30 steamings; and suddenly you are already £90k down on expected income. And then the £500k budgeted overhaul actually comes in at £600k, and all of a sudden your business plan of funding a loco from steaming fees has a six figure hole in it.

(Of course, that is still better than having no income at all. But it would be a brave loco owning group that thought that steaming fees alone would cover an overhaul, with no recourse to additional fundraising activity).

Tom