2015:- The best year in preservation so far for........

Beancounter is spot on. I would add that the fact that the national trust, NYMR, even the Royal Ballet, could not exist in their current form without the donations of time and money freely given by millions, does not in my view diminish these organisations or their efforts. Quite the reverse in fact, they are enhanced in their value to the community through the very fact that the "community" invests and participates so willingly in them. None of them can be successful however without a logical, methodical, well thought out plan of action with good evidence that they can execute that plan. In that respect they must be "business like". They are social enterprises, but not social clubs.

I too do not see the mainline operations as in anyway superior. Different, that's all. I think it is worth bearing in mind that the Mainline benefits from significant support from people that do not expect a commercial return. A1 trust and Mr Hoskings to mention just two.

I don't know that 2015 will be the best year ever, but I think the last 10 years and the next 5 to 10 years, have been and will be astoundingly good. Whether this can be sustained once the coal fired power stations are all shut, will be one more challenge we will have to face down.

 

A key part of ADB's argument seems to be that Mainline steam serves as an advertisement to heritage railways, which is ridiculous. I would rather imagine it's the other way round, everyone knows about heritage railways because they are all over the country and have been a staple family day out for many years. From family visitors I have spoken to the subject of mainline running has come up a few times, they are often surprised to hear it exists at all, certainly the amount that there is. Indeed, before I became more involved in steam railways and I too was just a family visitor (back when I'd be visiting for Thomas days!) I don't think I was really aware of it or my Dad or Grandad. Maybe the odd special, a few times a year, but again, definitely not the amount that there is.

Now I have only been on steam mainline once, the Jacobite which, I will grant you, probably gets a fair few family customers, mainly due to the scenery, which anyone can appreciate steam enthusiast or not, and of course the Harry Potter link which kids love. But you can't seriously be telling me that the majority of customers for all mainline trips are families? Many seem to start at the crack of 7am, so maybe getting up at 5-6am? Perhaps acceptable for a holiday to Cornwall, but for a day out it's ludicrous, no family would want to do that - it would be absolutely impossible to convince the rest of mine! The end times are broadly similar, 10pm finishing so maybe home for 11-12pm which is no good for families. Then there's the trip itself, which involves mainly sitting down watching the world go by. You won't see the steam loco that much, and children get rather fidgety after not very long at all, the average heritage railway journey is sometimes too long for their patience, but at least you can get out at every station, see and do what there is to see and do, then get on another steam train and carry on. It is just thoroughly unsuitable for a family day out.

Apparently seeing the train zip past at 75mph is also going to entice people watching. I imagine if people have made the effort to look up the train times, arrive early in case it's early and be prepared to wait for an age just to get a couple of pictures are pretty likely to be enthusiasts. I suspect that a steam enthusiast is already going to be aware of his local heritage railways, and seeing this one train is not going to inspire him and more than his general interest already does. And finally I can't believe that some random person unaware of their local heritage railway would accidentally glimpse a steam train and suddenly decide that he'd visit a heritage railway, not unless they were already interested in steam, in which case they'd probably be aware anyway.

As has been said, the point about donations is rubbish, how many mainline steam locos have some sort of a friends group or trust etc. which takes in donations either as members fees or other donations to pay for at least part of an overhaul? I'd imagine a fair few. Mr Hosking made his fortune, according to Wikipedia, in investment and private equity, not running steam tours. it can't be massive money spinner, quite the opposite I would have thought. As they saying goes, to make a small fortune out of owning a steam loco you need to start of with a big fortune!

I'm not wishing to belittle mainline steam, it certainly has its place, but if ADB is going to sing from the parapets the praises of mainline steam looking down on people who only go to a heritage railway as hobbyists, who aren't somehow pure enough to "do" mainline steam which is clearly rubbish you've got to make some sort of an argument against it, which inevitably will be looking at the downsides of mainline steam, just as ADB has done with heritage railways

 

The arguments put forward about the 'superiority' of mainline steam by ABD are very curious. 150,000 passengers a year on the mainline, 3 million on preserved railways. Serious levels of volunteer support on both. Far more tv coverage etc of preserved railways than the mainline ever gets (how many millions saw Downton last Sunday). Yes there is a social aspect on preserved railways, but does that mean that mainline support crews don't talk to each other? I would be very sad to see mainline steam go and, as ABD rightly said, it is far more precarious, mostly because it takes up an even smaller part of the leisure industry than preserved railways. How do Steam Dreams' profits compare to Merlin Entertainments? Mainline steam is as much a desperate attempt to claim a small part of the leisure industry as heritage railways, its just that most large heritage railways get as many customers in a year as the entire mainline scene and, if Tripadvisor is anything to go by, their customers are happier with the results.

Despite all that I have, the Scottish Lowlander is still my steam highlight of the year.

 

Mainline steam is far too expensive for the mainstream public, and many enthusiasts who either aren't too flush or have other priorities/ calls on their wallets.

 

Also interesting to compare with Ireland, where mainline steam (RPSI) is doing very well (and is affordable!) while heritage railways really struggle.

 

I probably visit 8-10 heritage railways a year and do 1 or 2 mainline trips a year. Why do I do both? Heritage railways deliver a true trip back in time, are family friendly (I can easily bring my wife and 2 year old) and can supply an intense steam fix. Why do I do mainline? Because like 'Learner' the Scottish Lowlander was undoubtedly my steam highlight of the year. Only those of us who got up at 4am, spent 14 hours cooped up on a train, ran the rollercoaster of late route/time changes and dodging fire risk, FBU strikes and the wrath of Network Rail truly understand. Maybe we are all a little bit mad (or sadist), but I would still do it again tomorrow. It is the moment of sublime magic that being behind a steam loco in the 21st century can provide; charging through stations at speed leaving Joe Public open mouthed, taking the bend at Warrington at 75mph with connecting rods a blur at night.. and yes, just the simple achievement of it all. The fact that the events of 27th September should probably be impossible in 2014 - 3 Steam locos, 520 miles and mile upon mile of 70mph running. To happen it meant that the modern world and those volunteers came together in a combination of Victorian engineering and modern computer technology to deliver a run that made all of those involved feel a bit special for a day. Mainline steam is still probably the Heritage Industry's greatest achievement - that our mostly volunteer supported workshops can still produce steam locos good enough to run at 75mph on modern railways (90 mph in the case of Bittern) and overcome all the latest gizmos and hurdles.
But is Mainline an advert for Heritage lines? I would argue probably not, but what is important is that both appear to be well supported at the moment. An SVR volunteer once said to me that the Autumn gala is always a financial gamble as they never know just how many people will come in return for outlay and it never makes a huge profit in relation to the amount of effort and volunteer hours that go in. So why does it happen? Because volunteers want an event that gives them a chance to showcase their talents and achievements and make them feel proud. A gala event (& a mainline steam trip) are to those who give up their time the pinnacle of all their achievements and so long as people like myself are mad enough to pay for the privilege then long may they continue.

 

No doubt that mainline steam is special in its own way, I would certainly jump at the chance if it were more practical for me, but the fact remains that heritage railways are just as much a business as many other attractions, and a far for family friendly attraction than a steam tour.

 

The one thing that really recaptured my intrest was in 2006, 6233 was departing from Bridgnorth and 6201 was running around, a Lizzie and a Big Lizzie and being able to be so up close and personal with both of them and just realise the size... Seeing and hearing them on the mainline is fantastic but just to be able to get close to them..I wouldnt be able to have done that on a tour. But on the other hand I haven't had the pleasure of experiencing either 6201 or 462333 snorting their way up Shap yet! But its nice to know if I want to I can, paying for it though will cost a fair bit of cash and involve a long day out!

 

I would also take the line that main line steam and heritage railway operation both have their place. I've been on two main line trips- behind 34046 on RTC's Welsh Borders in May and behind 60163 on UK Railtours' Devon Belle in August. I would think that some moments on these trips will be my "steam highlights of the year" - Braunton shrugging off Sapperton and barely noticing Llanvihangel, Tornado's marvellous climb of Honiton in the drizzle and the fast running from Taunton back to Newbury. Absolutely scintillating stuff. However, did I enjoy the GWSR gala, especially running behind newly-restored 4270, an engine which was never designed to dazzle on the main line at 75mph? Or 5643 and 263 on the Bluebell? I certainly did. Even a run up Medstead Bank at 25mph behind 5029 (behind which I have travelled a lot faster on the main line) at the recent Mid Hants gala was a great experience. It's certainly not either/or for me. After all, on the one hand for smaller engines, heritage line operation is much closer to the sort of work they were originally built for, whereas it's good that our big pacifics and 4-6-0s can remind us on the main line what they were designed to do.

 

I'm optimistic that 2015 looks good so far as the mainline Calendar is concerned. I'm really looking forward to doing the Fellsman this upcoming summer myself.

I do have a list for some other things
61306, 6023, both making their 1st mainline tours ever. Return of Princess Elizabeth! Will 2015 finally be the year that 4472 returns? 35018 seems to be up there on many peoples list

I really hope that Sir Nigel Gresley has a good string of runs since he hasn't seen many tours over the last several years.

question marks
7029, 45212,

I don't expect all of this to happen though. I don't want to hype myself up too much.

 

I think Sir Nigels mainline ticket expires sometime next year. Must admit it would be intresting if 7029's safety valves lift next year... 5043 has certainly raised the bar so how will 7029 fare?

 

And best of all 5043 has received a 4 year extension until 2018! Lots of Castle Action in the years to come. I think that 4079 has a good chance as well.

 

"Lots of Castle action" Mike can I suggest a cold shower mate?! ;-)

 

45305 was in steam yesterday at Howarth KWVR Pictures on http://steammemories.blogspot.co.uk/

 

It was more in relation to mainline running rather than just on heritage railways.

You may also want to amend your captions as it's spelt Haworth not Howarth.

 

City of Wells had an unusual running mate the other week, pictures on: http://steammemories.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Having been born and lived in its vicinity all my life apart fro my days at sea, I can assure you it's spelt HOWARTH.

 

It isn't on the KWVR website: http://www.kwvr.co.uk/explore/explore-the-railway/haworth/

 

My Appologies and old yorkies senior moment.