My big idea of how to restore THREE Merchant Navies... Bear with me, its a good one!

Re: My big idea of how to restore THREE Merchant Navies... Bear with me, its a good o

I wasn't trying to put down what SLL do - far from it, so apologies if that is how my post sounded! I've always been very impressed with what I've seen when visiting Swanage or Herston works. My point was just that even a well-run outfit like SLL would strucggle to make 3 MNs pay, which was the original premise.

As for an owning group having a string of locos, and using the income from one to fund the restoration / repairs of the others - that's basic the Maunsell Society model, who currently have U Boat 1638 in revenue-earning service (albeit that isn't owned by them, but is effectively on long-term loan from the Bluebell); S15 847 under repair; and Schools 928, Q 541 and second U 1618 in storage awaiting their turn.

Tom

 

Re: My big idea of how to restore THREE Merchant Navies... Bear with me, its a good o

where have you been the last 2 years... the mexicans in their caravans took all the money from the banks and when gordon found out, he took what was left out of the treasury..
unless of course those banks your planning to drain are all 3500 miles south east of the UK in the arabian desert ?

 

Re: My big idea of how to restore THREE Merchant Navies... Bear with me, its a good o

Rather than setting up a trust and walking round with a begging bowl, an alternative option is the Breitling method...
Set up a company making something people really want..
Sell it for a profit
Plough the profits into the engine
Use the Marketing department to show how ethically your using the money and use it in the promotion.

Breitling is sponser of a Lockheed Constellation and a number of display aircraft... quite successfully for a number of years...

Apart from watches what would signify quality, experience and steam locomotive what people will associate to and want to buy and encourage people to pay more than normal in order to support the cause...

At some point someone tried associating wallpaper and 45212.. I think we could do better than that.
answers on a postcard please...

 

Re: My big idea of how to restore THREE Merchant Navies... Bear with me, its a good o

Quote was "where have you been the last 2 years... the mexicans in their caravans took all the money from the banks and when gordon found out, he took what was left out of the treasury..
unless of course those banks your planning to drain are all 3500 south west of the UK in the arabian desert ? "

Well I was planning on the April 1st heist aiming at Barclays and HSBC. They made over £10bn profit between them in the first half of this year.

But, wow, if that is not enough to get three MNs back into service.....I'll, I'll I'll................

............I'll stick to Bavarian Serviung Wenches.

They are cheaper.

Just!

(So I have been told, before anyone gets the wrong idea about me).

 

Re: My big idea of how to restore THREE Merchant Navies... Bear with me, its a good o

I understand what you meant, and I wasn't offended. SLL is probably the closest working example of what was proposed in this thread, and is a successful outfit by any standards. The point is that leasing fees from restored locos are unlikely to be sufficient to pay for their overhauls, and certainly not enough to restore a string of other locos. That will always need new funds, so those of us who would like to see 257 back in service, and Sidmouth restored, will have to continue put our hands into our pockets, and we welcome any support that others are able to offer.

http://www.southern-locomotives.co.uk/Company/Shareholders_Scheme.html

 

Re: My big idea of how to restore THREE Merchant Navies... Bear with me, its a good o

Having worked on 35010, 18 and 22, I too would like to see these once fine machines restored to full running order. But I cannot look at the plan with rose tinted glasses. I am looking at the costs, I am looking at the costs at this present time of locos that have been running, and those awaiting funds for maintenance costs. For example look how long 34092 ha been out of service, and 34072 has been out of traffic for some time?

 

Re: My big idea of how to restore THREE Merchant Navies... Bear with me, its a good o

OMG, is this actually happening ?

 

Re: My big idea of how to restore THREE Merchant Navies... Bear with me, its a good o

No, no evidence that it is.

 

Re: My big idea of how to restore THREE Merchant Navies... Bear with me, its a good o

the only way such an idea could work would be that you restore one MN first and once the engine is finished start on the mechanical restoration of the second rebuilt only, and get the frames and running gear done, which isnt the expensive work just labour , by that time,the boiler fitted to the first engine would be coming up to the 5 year mark so a retube might be needed, but very little mechanical work , now, depending on the ammount of funds you have managed to get in during the last 5 years, you might even have had gotten a boiler overhauled, so this give you an option, either fit that with a new ticket, to keep your main fund raiser on the main line or you re tube, but dry store the other boiler , after all you dont want both your engines to be steaming at the same time, unless you plan to retire the first after 7 years in which case you could stagger the overhauls so you get an engine out every 7 years ,