SVR Loco Newsy News / discussions

Quote from SVRA forum:

"Unfortunately the loco availability situation is somewhat fluid at the moment, tho we now know that 4566 is unavailable for several weeks. We will tweet/facebook/forum as soon as we know further"

Patrick

 

Assuming 7812 is stopped at the end of the week for boiler washout, there will only be 43106 available in traffic, the rest of the scheduled service maintained by diesel locomotives. It has to be said that the SVR would be unable to maintain its scheduled services were it not for the fleet of diesels, and so due appreciation and thanks to the diesel groups/owners/drivers has to be mentioned.

The official SVR website now contains a formal apology in respect of the lack of steam motive power.

Despite this being the start of the Summer holiday season, lets hope this is the low point, and things do gradually recover from the point of view of steam motive power on the SVR.

 

I hope that the svr manages to sort out its steam shortage problem fairly soon. but as a short term measure, could they maybe ring up mr meanley down the road and ask for a lend of either one of the panniers, 5043 or 4965 for a couple of weeks? would certainly ease the pressure for a while and keep the punters happy.

 

Thanks, I've not seen that before.

I found this piece of news interesting: 5164 is currently out of traffic and sat on the lifting jacks, with all wheel sets removed and off site for re profiling. Is wheel-turning and profiling no longer performed at Bridgnorth?

 

Staff commitments to other issues meant it was quicker to send them to the South Devon than turn them at Bridgnorth. Not ideal when you do have your own wheel lathe, but I guess given the desparate situation it was deemed better to keep staff working on other locos that might be returned to service sooner.

 

Answer already given

 

What an excellent point. Whilst a general visitor still puts money in, they have not made the same level of financial commitment as the driver experience particiapants.

The normal services are advertised as steam but are subject to availability etc.

The steam driving course is exactly that, a day driving a STEAM locomotive.

How people can complain that the SVR ethos was wrong when they simply operated as they advertise is beyond me.

 

Thanks, and that makes sense!

 

I don't understand why on Sunday the Limited was steam hauled. Alright its the diner, but surely the people on this are more going for a meal on the train rather than for whats hauling it? The loco could have been put on a 2 round trip diagram instead, pleasing more passengers.

 

Part of the diner ambience is having a steam loco pulling it. You would be suprised what difference it makes

 

I wish someone would tell this to VSOE. They have a wonderful product, but I wouldn't pay £300 per person to be hauled by a class 67, even with the fabulous food and the pullman cars.

 

is that the Churnet Valley attitude to customers? We said subject to availability, so if you turn up and it's not what you're expecting, then it's your own fault? Even though all our marketing is based on being a heritage railway running steam trains?

 

Yes, but then again, only a few people can do this sort of thing now and again, so when it comes to maybe one or two day-experiences a week at £500 a pop compared to 1,000 passengers paying £20, I think you'll soon realise where the core business actually lies when it comes to generating a steady income. Not everyone can afford to make such a 'financial commitment'.

 

This coming weekend on the SVR looks like mainly diesel haulage, and just one steam loco turn on the service trains. I just hope that the SVR make it quite clear to ordinary paying passengers BEFORE they buy their tickets that they are likely to have diesel haulage. Far better to tell them before they part with their money so they can make an informed decision, rather than there be disappointment or even acrimony on the platform.
Not difficult to do, plenty of prominent notices at each station, and informative station staff.

I suspect that not too many families given the right information in a timely manner will actually turn round and walk away. Steam enthusiasts may be put off, but from what I read on other forums, any loss of revenue from steam followers not turning up, will be more than offset by decent numbers of diesel haulage fans turning up for yet another weekend "diesel gala" ! Whether the diesel mileage chaps actually want to go round the steam shed and works, or see 82045 or 4150, is another matter, but in fairness, "everyone to their own!". They are fare-paying passengers on the day and are equally welcome.

I dont envy the Board and Management at the AGM this weekend. I guess some searching questions will be asked about the risks of starting 2012 with a service fleet of only six steam engines, and how they got to that situation in the first place. The fact that out of course work has laid up 42968, 5164, 4566 and 2857 is unfortunate, but with such a small core fleet is bound to have serious consequences.

 

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I dont envy the Board and Management at the AGM this weekend. I guess some searching questions will be asked about the risks of starting 2012 with a service fleet of only six steam engines, and how they got to that situation in the first place. The fact that out of course work has laid up 42968, 5164, 4566 and 2857 is unfortunate, but with such a small core fleet is bound to have serious consequences.[/QUOTE]
I think there defence will be they went into this saeson with the loco fleet they could afford which is the most important part of a business live within your means which is what i guess the board are doing.
The only critism was maybe they should off advertised less days of steam running to reduce the strain on a fleet of 6.

 

It may not be ideal, but is there a reason why under the present circumstances the boiler wahout could not be delayed a week or so?

 

According to the SVR roster, 7812 is, indeed, rostered this weekend on service trains with 43106 on the FXPs.

 

A few people seem to very regularly ask that question - to which the response is always the same: Tyseley does not lend/hire its locos to preserved lines, even for very short gala events. Cast your mind back to the last gala advertising 5043 or 4965 as a star visitor? Can't think of one? Tah dah...

 

Actually I can. The SVR 2007 ASG (using Kiddy to Bewdley only following the flood damage) was advertised to include 4965, 4936 and 4953 and main-line runs onto the SVR and out again. As it happened, 4965 was failed at Tyseley and didn't appear, but it was offered. However, this was a one-off gesture by Tyseley because of the situation that the SVR were in at the time.