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

......or three GW 28/38xx's, which was the genesis of the suggestion.

 

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

http://jonedwards.photobook.org.uk/p65446143.html

She looks every bit as sad as you might think....

 

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

I do find some of the above posts very defeatist.

I think it can all be done for the price of me buying back my old Landrover Discovery, a tank of diesel, a balaclava helmet, some false number plates and the cost of welding a very strong steel bar where the rear bumper is normally placed.

 

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

My Dad's got a fairly big trailer if there are any loose spares that need transporting

 

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

Thanks Matt. But the plan is to empty the bank vaults as we drive round, rather than carry any bits and pieces away with us.

Oh. Hang on. What sort of volume would ten million used tenners take up? Might need the trailer for the cash that won't fit in the Discovery. Especially if it ain't used tenners but one pound coins.

Anyway, been planning the heist. And I reckon I can be ready to drive away at around 23.55 on March the 31st next year. Getting the first job done ten minutes later.

 

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

A good idea but I think the start up costs would be prohibitive. As someone has already said the purchase of the three locos could be well over a million quid. But even before you buy them you have the legal costs of setting up a trust and finding a railway that has the room to allow the building of the works and the cost of getting planning permission for the building.
Once you've overcome these hurdles then you have to buy the machinery and tools needed to carry out the restorations/overhauls. Then maybe you can start thinking about the purchase of the locos.
Then you have to be sure that there will be the work for the locos to earn the money to keep the project going.
As I said, it's a good idea but unless a multi millionaire benefactor reads this thread I can't see it happening.
But don't let this put you off......the 'impossible' has a strange way of happening in the railway preservation world. The A1 for starters then there's 5043 Earl Of Mount Edgcumbe....bought for spares for Clun Castle and now a star on the mainline.

 

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

I wonder if Bill Gates could be turned into a Bulleid fan?

Well rather him, than have a half eaten apple logo stuck on the smokebox door.

 

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

This looks like the sort of thread i'd make after staggering home from the pub i think!.

 

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

Now let me think......just where does legend have it that the idea to build an A1 was born.

 

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

you forgot the half a packet of cigarettes.....

 

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

And I always said that would never happen!

 

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

Why would three Barry wrecks cost a million to buy? British India Line would probably come with most bits and command a fair price, but the other suggested two aren't worth much more than scrap value in a sane world.

 

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

I never said my plan was full proof... I was merely trying to give an example (abeit a slight impractical example, certain at the begining) to show that the Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited's way of running (i.e. how they run and overhaul their engines) is a very good method. A method that I think could work very well for group/projects, because (no offence to the small groups that may just own one locomotive) it is unfotunately getting increasingly difficult for small locomotive owning groups to continue to operate. But the DMLL I think has (in my opinion) has come with a very good system that could certainly work well for others.

It's difficult to explain their system, but if you go to their website (http://www.dinmoremanor.co.uk/), click on the link that says "Steam Railway Article" and read it... Then you will understand...

NOTE: The plan I typed was merely an idea that I thought of, I didn't think of the practical (realistic) side of it... If only it could be done (practically) though... aaaahhhh... A man can dream though... A man can dream...

1 MILLION POUNDS just for (no offence to merchant navy class fans) basicly 3 rusty, none working, incomplete locos... A tad much don't cha think? I you sure thats right?

 

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

No disrespect, but can I have some of what you're on please?

DMLL have at least started the plan you refer to with 1 working loco, and 1 complete loco needing overhaul, even before they have started the acquisition phase with the 2 Barry wrecks. If you are starting with 3 Barry wrecks, particularly of such large locomotives such as a Merchant Navy, you have got a long time of spending vast amounts of money before you can even think about earning money from operation.

 

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

Dont tell em yer name Jam Jar,
Ah jes jahm jar, your name vill also go on ze list... of people i will be looking up.
Better stop there before dirndles/VW'S and other pro/anti german stuff starts to flood in.
One Restored would be good enough for me, Holland America restored to just post war condition - as has been discussed this would make it practically a new build and you might still need a couple of wrecks to get enough good bits. Sooner or later one of these will come into the hands of someone with enough sense to realise a MN is not a backyard Meccano project and will form a trust so that all the lovely pro Bulleid people on this thread can start sending their pocket money to it. One step at a time
.

 

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

Dirndls? (no e, notice). Did I hear mention of dirndls? (drool).

 

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

Sorry Bryan, i was still in Phonetic Mode...

 

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

If the owners of three (or two, or four...) part- or un-restored locos were to pool their resources in order to have one working loco and one under restoration/overhaul at any particular time, then that might be a very good way of breathing new life into projects that, for whatever reason, have become too much for the individual groups. If the locos are all of the same class or related classes, then that obviously has extra benefits in terms of sharing components, patterns, tools, etc. Ideally, at least one of the constituent groups should have good relations with a preserved line or steam centre where they can hire, borrow or share tools and facilities, and run the finished product. Such a merger ought to pull in new members, volunteers and funding, as well as making better use of the constituent groups' existing resources.

I think the capital outlay implied by "Jam Jar's" scheme (to buy the locos and set up the works) is a far bigger obstacle than the choice of loco class. There is certainly room for one or two more well-funded and well-supported Merchant Navy locos, especially if they have main line tickets. However, (and I say this as a great admirer of Bulleid's designs) it is no co-incidence that a higher proportion of the surviving Merchant Navy locos are unrestored or out of service than, say, Black Fives, Halls/Manors or even West Country/BBs.

 

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

If Thompson had destreamlined and unconjugated the Gresley A4's would there be any running today ? perhaps Mallard might have been restored but otherwise i suspect not.
I am pretty sure that had any of the MN'S survived in un rebuilt condition it would definitely have been restored by now though

 

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

One big question to ask before looking in to the cost of overhauling three MN's is will the current owners sell them?