Crewe Heritage Centre for Sale

5553 has been at Crewe for a year or so now, though it has sat stored outside with 5224 which is also out of ticket. No work appears to be taking place on either.

 

Strange that a steam enthusiast does not seem interested in overhauling his own locos. Also, Thornbury Castle has not been touched either.

 

Perhaps the market for atrocious music is in decline.

 

:Cry: :sad: :laugh:

 

Not really, many owner engineer businesses have spare assets waiting for a quiet day...
7229, 35009 at Riley's,
5080, 5593 at Tyseley
35018 at Carnforth
etc etc..
business should come first over pet projects..

 

Err, Riley is only a shareholder in 7229. He does not own it.
If you know what is happening with 35018, have you got any info on 45699?

 

You jest eh ?, with 45231 and 5690 under overhaul, plus keeping the diesel and steam fleet running, do you think they are big guns on 35018.. how much resources have they got ?

 

The thing about 35018 is we all know that work will be done to restore it, probably when Galatea is completed and Scots Guardsman is sorted. There are ? marks about all the other locos mentioned.

 

so we do agree afterall..the point I'm making is businesses exist to make money. If business doesn't come first, then you have to hope they know what they are doing... Steam loco's nice as they are eat money, and if it's your own money being spent you'd assume it's to have an ROI with a business case for doing so... not just to keep the lads in a job..., sadly for us enthusiasts that can mean waiting for the downturn in business to inspire a loco's start.. or if someone offering a deal that's attractive to it's owner to do the work (which is generating business).. I don't see a business case for 7027 anytime soon.. Same goes for many other "nice to have but we have examples already running", and with 2 castles already certified (5029, 5043), one of hasn't worked in a year and doesn't exactly run a lot anyway, and soon to be 7029 and 4079, I wouldn't waste money on 7027 either and LNWR Crewe isn't exactly short on work is it ?

 

Just going back to the subject of 7027, on the day that 'Union of South Africa' took the first steam special north out of Crewe after the WCML had been cleared for steam, I stood next to Pete Waterman on the viewing gallery of Crewe North Junction Signal Box watching the train pull out. I turned to Pete and asked him how long he expected it to be before we would see 7027 doing that. 'Oh, in a couple of years,' was the reply.

Can someone remind us when 60009 made that ground-breaking trip? Need I say more?

Peter Jordan

Chairman, Exeter West Group

 

It does seem that his interest in his own collection has waned. After much fanfare in the 1990s, 46035 now sits under a tarpaulin somewhere on site.

 

I can't give an answer to who owns the Diesel Depot / Down Holding Sidings site with any certainty but it is presumably either Network Rail or DBSchenker. I suspect DBSchenker, but they may lease it from Network Rail. Having said that DBSchenker still use the depot for locomotive storage and some work takes place there mainly on Riviera Trains carriages but whether this work is done by DBSchenker, a tenant or sub-contractor I do not know. The Down Holding Sidings are used for berthing by Riviera Trains so presumably are leased by them in some way. These sidings also contain some junk awaiting collection by various parties.

Having said that, is it not the case that the whole area is earmarked for car parking if the major re-build of Crewe Station goes ahead.


Can anyone with better local knowledge clarify the position.

 

Crewe Diesel is a lot better location in my opinion, and more potential.
the current CHC is a pain to walk to from the station, has little "heritage" material in it's construction has the feel of a council museum to it not a preserved railway.
LNWR would probably be better occupying the whole site, in which is after all.. a railway works.
Crewe Diesel would make an interesting subject for modern preservation and also having the APT in it's sidings (who knows maybe a HST next to it someday) would make it more appropriate.

I guess it depends on what is the aims of the museum, if it's not about rolling stock exhibits, but about materials and displays etc.. then the current hall would suffice, but then LNWR wouldnt fit.

 

The elections for Crewe Town Council have now taken place, and this morning I have sent the following message to the newly-elected Councillors:


'First of all, may I congratulate you on your successful election. It is to be hoped that this new Council will be able to do more for the people of Crewe, who do not seem to have been particularly well-served since the creation of Cheshire East Council.

No doubt some of you will be aware that one of the more bizarre decisions made by Cheshire East Council was the offer for sale of a 125-year lease of the site currently occupied by Crewe Heritage Centre, and leased to Crewe Heritage Trust. Since 1991 the ‘Exeter West Group,’ of which I am currently Chairman, have had a our large signal box incorporated as one of the attractions at the Centre. Since we opened the signal box to the public in 1993 it has been recognised as a quality exhibit, having won a national heritage award in 1995. We have continued to develop our attraction and are now able to simulate to the public complicated workings using computer technology – the only publicly-accessible place anywhere (as far as we know) where this can be done.

Currently Crewe Heritage Trust have a lease on the site until around the year 2041, but it would greatly assist them, and give us greater peace of mind over the long-term future of our signal box, if a party who is sympathetic to the cause of the Heritage Centre could be granted the 125-year lease. Crewe Heritage Trust have made an application for it, but Cheshire East Council seem reluctant to grant it to them, despite the fact that they have stated unequivocally that the site is ‘surplus to their requirements.’ We would like to urge you, therefore, as Crewe Town Council, to take up this matter with Cheshire East Council with a view to your being granted the 125-year lease.

As we understand it, there would be no financial obligations placed on any party to such a transaction so, as the land is surplus to the requirements of Cheshire East Council, there would seem to be no reason why the lease should not be granted to your Council – this would then help the site be developed for the benefit of the town of Crewe in the longer term.

If you require any further information on this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours faithfully

Peter Jordan

Chairman, Exeter West Group

Registered Charity no. 514548

Website: www.exeterwest.org.uk'

It will be interesting to see what sort of response this elicits and, in particular, what the response of Cheshire East Council will be to a request for granting of the lease from Crewe Town Council.

Peter Jordan

Chairman, Exeter West Group

 

Frankly, I'd have led with that, and given more detail on how it made the 125-year lease somewhat problematic (and makes any hopes for short-term revenue from the 125-year lease entirely nugatory); I wouldn't have bothered to mention the Exeter West Group's signalbox, except at the end, in passing. (They probably have so much to read, you need to put the critical information right at the start.)

Noel

 

I appear to be at the current end of this thread?

Any developments with CTC since the 5th April, 2013?

 

The short answer to your query, Andy, is 'No.'

We have made Crewe Town Council aware of the opportunity, and an approach to Cheshire East has suggested that they would not be averse to the idea of the Town Council taking on the lease. So the ball is firmly in the CTC court.

Perhaps those of you who live locally could speak to your Town Councillor and 'jolly them up' towards getting this matter pursued. There is little more that we, as a group, can do.

Peter Jordan

Chairman, Exeter West Group

 

If a new sponsor, with some serious cash, is still required, you should urgently get in touch with the BBC's Chris Evans. He got hyper-excited this morning, with the idea of owning and driving steam locos, in his conversation about the Crewe Heritage Centre, with Pete Waterman.

Maybe he's bored with Ferraris and wants a new project but he can certainly make things he is interested, happen.

Andy Bailey.

 

sounds encouraging, another rich celebrity interested in steam locos is always a good thing

 

Can you tell us more about this, please? In particular is the piece available online to hear?

I'd be interested to know on whose authority Mr. Waterman is speaking with reference to Crewe Heritage Centre. After all, he is only a tenant now, and the running of the place has nothing to do with him.

Peter Jordan

Exeter West Group