100 million win on Euromillions

ive decided that the ultimate would be to buy one of the smaller TOCs (say, arriva west and wales if thats the right name) and run as much as possible of it with steam.

All i need now is some volunteer crews, where would I get them I wonder? Oh and to buy a ticket of course....

NOW you can start really dreaming...which locos should I buy to run it (I know, its against the rules, but they are MY rules. ) and which services should I start with.?

 

My alternative £100 million win is to purchase the old yard at Shrewsbury and build a locomotive storage, maintenance and overhaul yard also with space for plenty of Mk1s (fully overhauled and upgraded with central locking), and basically to set up a WCRC specialising in services on the Cambrian routes with replica Manors (suitably altered for the loading gauge), Dukedogs (ditto) and Std4s. This would involve developments at Pwllheli, Aberystwyth (turntables, watering facilities) and Machynlleth (second MPD and storage area). Re-run Cambrian Coast Express's, London - Aberystwyth and Pwllheli a must - with an engine change at Shrewsbury.

Ideally, over the summer period ATW would contract out certain services popular with tourists to us, enabling a form of 'Plandampf'.

 

1) Give enough to the LNERCA to restore a 2nd rake of teaks for the NYMR
2) This is a sort of loco one, buy an inspection saloon & the Lambton tanks and acquire running rights over the NYMR & Esk Valley line.
3) Rebuild Whitby Station platform 2 and install a run round loop in the station itself and a watering point for the Lambton tanks
4) Fund the Bellwood project for undercover storage for the NYMR fleet
5) Buy a Fowler road loco, a Foden timber tractor, Marshall general purpose engine (formerly roller) No.76890 'Wayfarer', a couple of living vans & water carts and a Scammell pioneer .
6) A suitable shed for the aforementioned engines(large, workshop facilities and a Victorian look)
7) And finally, a steam powered narrowboat.

 

Buy out all the individual groups which run locos and carriages on tourist railways and make a present of them to the railways concerned

 

I'd have to buy my own steam loco, couldn't care less if it were a tank, tender engine etc. I'm sure I'd find a preserved line to run her on too.

Secondly, I'd solely fund one of the new builds.

 

1) Restore the the Coaling Tower, Ash Plant & Sheds @ WCRC and get them to do an annual free open w/e in return.
2) Reconnect the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway to the mainline by restoring the missing link of the old Furness Railway from Plumpton Junction.
3) Restore mainline stop at Carnforth.
Think of the tour you could do with the above in place - Start @ Carnforth along to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, back to Haverthwaite & change trains for the L&HR, ferry to Windermere, train back to Carnforth.
4) Restore the Garstang and Knot-End Railway in it's entirety (at least the vast majority of the original route is still there including some crossing gates) including stations & mainline connection.
5) Restore the tram line connection to Blackpool North station + turntable at BN.
6) Restore the Sprat and Winkle Line - only so on the occasions I have to get the train to work in Andover I don't have to change at Salisbury or Basingstoke & get a direct train instead - it's a nice scenic route anyway
7) Restore the Hayling Island Branch Line & extend the Hayling Seaside Railway to meet it. Also extend the HSR to meet up with the Hayling Ferry. I'd also create a park & ride car park off the island so as to hopefully avoid the 4.5mile queue that had built up by 7pm on Sunday night to get off the island (there were no accidents, just sheer traffic).
8) Maybe even carry a branch of the HSR on along the Portsmouth seafront to link the Hayling Ferry with the Gosport & IOW ferries, as there is a good number of locals, school kids & tourists who have to rely on the buses (which you can't rely on & go the longest possible route) or drive round from Hayling to Portsmouth (which is what I normally suggest to tourists that I speak to as it's far easier & quicker for them).
9) Create proper coaling & watering facilities around the country to avoid the issue of coaling & watering trucks not turning up!
10) Win another few hundred million to fund all of the above, and maybe even buy the ECML & ban all non-Steam from it during the week (tongue very firmly in cheek) lol!

OR I'd fund the Vulcan for a few more years, bring the ex-Thunder City Lightnings back to this country & have them back flying where they belong, do a new build TSR-2 & help the Heritage Concorde group get G-BOAC flying again. At least I'm being half sensible here erm..... since the Vulcan, TSR-2 & Concorde all use a variant of the basic same engine hence I'm sure RR wouldn't mind starting production of them again?!?

Dreaming over now I guess, back to work :-(