Severn Valley Railway to launch £4,000,000 share issue.

46118 and gios,

Cocksure, contrarian, unpleasant, they all apply to me. But never disingenuous, at least I hope not. I always try to be approximately right, which is usually better than being exactly wrong. My underlying theme is not locos, it is management, direction, and leadership. Or more accurately, why there doesn’t appear to be any.

Engine House was not free to SVR. It occupied years of management time, growing like topsy from a simple secure car barn into a behemoth “with a nice cafe” in the middle of nowhere. And after a short while of bunging the operating costs (staff, heat, light, cleaning, insurance, the annual inspection of the lift, depreciation, Nicky and her wages + employers NI contribution, shunt moves so dodgy they require a method of safe working statement of their own) onto the HLF Grant, now all those costs are being born by the PLC – and since it has failed to reverse the trend of passenger numbers sliding towards pre-Kidderminster opening levels, then Engine House is a very lovely waste of time and a cash drain. They built it because they could... and then no-one came. The Project Xanadu philosophy in action. Lessons learned? No, because there is no open debate, or review – and nobody is watching the pennies any more. Thanks to Engine House the railway is materially worse off for cash at the end of every year and will go on bleeding at Highley ad infinitum because you cannot even shut it.

There is no solution to the Engine House Problem. And that makes it imperative that any more suggestions of big ticket items from the PLC Board should be subject to not just scrutiny but the utmost scepticism. And in the spirit of Sir Gerald,dealt the odd kicking too, just to check for the Xanadu factor.

As for locos, I support, 100%, the proposal worked up by Paul Fathers and Tyseley Loco Works. It envisaged BH becoming a classic and truly evocative running shed, undertaking running and light intermediate repairs only, mainly by volunteers. The heavy general work, which SVR is bloody rubbish at these days, would go to TYS on contract with provision (the only bit that has actually happened) that owning groups can attend their own machines within the contract and TYS affords them support and access. 7802 is enjoying a bit of that, although only for the bottom half. This is an idea with huge potential. TYS machines do not fall apart on the road whereas SVR seems determined to find innovative new ways of breaking down in traffic – and the more money the PLC sinks into MPD, the more toys you buy them, the fewer steam diagrams they provide cover for. In business this is called, er, failure.

Aye

GF-G

 

Deleted...ambiguity of fact, possibly.

46118

 

Just been perusing some of the fares on the SVR website and it seems they are trying to nickel & dime even more money out of the passenger, teh two examples I have found are

1) the evening fare for the spring steam gala is now £18 in advance or on the day (was £10 at the last autumn gala), an 80% increase, and offering very little saving compared to a full day rover ticket at £20 advance/£23 on the day

2) the summer evening scenic trip aboard the DMU is now £12, last year it was included in the price of a full line ticket valid all day

I guess this is a way to start to pay for all those overhauls.

 

From what I've heard this may be subject to change, and an arrangement has been made for those who have missed the last train.

 

Or a way to lose another £16.50 in the first place, see my post a couple of pages ago about encouraging repeat visits...

 

People are assuming that the engine house has not had an effect but it is impossible to say that as we dont know how the figures would off decline further if the engine house had not been built everytime i go it always looks to have large number of visitors especially children giving them the opportunity to get close to locos in safety.

 

I'd imagine the way to tell would be to measure the revenue from back in the days when a supplement was charged? Otherwise you're counting everyone who came for a steam train ride but visited the engine house "because it was there"...

 

And as for the evening fare, they have lost a £10 fare twice a year too. At previous galas I have photographed during the day then had a ride during the evening and enjoyed a pint or two at the railways pubs during the course of the evening. Now faced with an 80% fare increase, and a cost little more than a day rover I will stil photograph, but when the sun goes down I will make my way home, £18 for the evening fare is now just too much in my book.

But right now the official SVR website shows this as an additional fare, if the decision hasnt been made then dont publicise it (echoes of the going off half-cocked share issue)

 

Wasn't the supplement dropped because so few people visited when it was an extra?

 

Can I just check what has been said on here.

Are posters saying that the SVR has contractual obligation to a number of loco owners to restore their engines to working condition at the expiry of the "10 year boiler Certificate". That these obligations cannot be avoided by the Company. And no provision or disclosure is made in the published accounts?

 

Yes. They can only be avoided by arrangement with the owners. Or as you may prefer to call them, since the company has enjoyed quiet enjoyment of the machines in the past, creditors.

GF-G

 

Well it would be interesting to know why the auditors feel this potential breach of UKGAAP (the non-disclosure) is not worth commenting on.

 

The Auditors can only comment on what they know about. I think you'll find they are out of the loop in this matter. I doubt they come in here on the off chance of making a material discovery. But I am hugely impressed that you know an auditor with "feelings". I can't even start to imagine what he or she must be like! I think mine come from the Borg Collective.

In any event it is hard to know where to put it in the accounts without making the Balance Sheeet very, urm, untidy. Or being the lumberjack who saws through the branch he is sitting on.

Meanwhile, some Loco News not yet available to readers in the other place. UK's most expensive hire engine is making a return visit, the first in BR Blue, which should be worth a quick hand jive among the lineside photographers and saves our own sacred and hard-pressed MPD turning out a home engine for the last week of October, which is nice for everyone who doesn't have to find the appearance fee and movement costs. Is it time to take Duncan Chandler's cheque book away?

Rejoice! Rejoice!


GF-G

 

You are very quick to criticise GF-G, but so far as I can see you have not provided any alternatives to the route the SVR is taking, beyond repeated callings for bringing visitor numbers up to 250,000 - you give no ideas on how this might be done in the current economic climate.

Explain, in simple bulletpoints, what is wrong with the SVR's current direction, and what direction you would take it in. I don't want Politics style answers 'change...hope...freedom' - I want concrete criticisms, and concrete alternatives.

And I am sure we would all be fascinated to know your name. Mine can be found on my profile on here.

 

Been reading these threads and wondering if all is not well at the SVR.I use to do a 300 mile round trip to all the galas, looked forward to the cooked breakfast at Bewdley and the all nighters in good company with 3 of my good friends who came from all corners. Not any more.The Svr understanably needs to make money but not at the cost of the enthusiast who now does not seem to get a fair deal.Other railways have taken the lead I'm afaraid and the svr is lagging behind.Free timetables,free car parking good hospitality and most of all trains that run near to time as advertised.Last years gala was poor with the timetable so far behind with apparently not enough time allocated to the shunting at Highley.How long have they been running galas, then we get to Bewdly and told by Mrs grumpy(porter) that we're not allowed on the footbridge to take photos while there are engines in the station.What is that all about.Then on to Kiddy to see SKP depart in glorious sunshine with 50 other people with cameras to find they park the T9 right in front of SKP.The operating department seem to think it funny that by the public waiting for ages to photograph a certain departure they start shunting movements right on the time of departure (Bridgnorth).Ok now I've kicked the toys out one other thing.When I was a member of the SVR there were about 80 paid staff,does anyone know how many they have now,I rest my case.Long live the GCR.

 

In answer to a few of your criticisms, Collet1930.

I would personally agree that timetables are something that we could offer free online.

The car parks, unlike those of say Quorn, to use your GCR comparison, are in busy towns, and the railway has had awful trouble with people using the car parks and not the services, instead going into town for a wander. At least now if they are not deterred they are giving something to the railway for using a parking space to the detriment of genuine visitors.

I personally have no complaints about the hospitality on the SVR, in both food and service, but I am sorry that you have not found the same. Like all railways it has its curmudgeons but they are few and far between.

I think it unfair to single the SVR out for criticism on timetabling. The MHR galas, for example, used to be legendary for delays, and it is far from unknown at, to use your example, the GCR. Remember too that the SVR operates exceedingly complicated timetables - far more complicated than on the GCR, with locals, freights and mainlines all fitted into a long, single line railway. Moreover, as you note shunting at Highley, bear in mind that with The Engine House Highley now gets exceedingly busy at galas. So in the past couple of years it has become necessary to extend our locals, which used to run to Highley ECS, to full service trains, into the platform, detrain, into the loop, run round, wait for the main service/s to pass, then back out, into the platform, pick up passengers, and away. It's a complicated task. Shunting takes a long time, far longer than one ever expects. The timetablers I imagine are still finding their feet in this new requirement. They, and the signalmen, shunters and loco crew, are but human.

The new footbridge at Highley is extra wide, this allows for photographers. By comparison, the Bewdley footbridge is original and quite narrow - three abreast at most. It too gets very busy with people hurrying for their connections. So the staff there try to keep the bridge as free from photographers as possible. At the end of the day, it's a walking route not a photography platform. There are signs to make this clear. It is a difficult situation, but I think giving people moving between trains priority is right.

Shunting needs to be done and the railway needs to do this when it can. It runs exceptionally busy and complicated galas. Those who plan the timetables cannot be expected to consider the needs of photographers in amongst the more pressing problem of making the timetable fit together. When the timetable slips, that becomes even more pressing. To assert that the volunteers do it out of spite is wholly without evidence and unfair.

There are fewer paid staff now on the SVR than there were. I believe it is about 60 full time, rising to 80/90 in the season.

 

Many people here have invested significant time in establishing what is wrong with SVR and coming up with possible solutions.There has been a lot of interest, a formidable number of people dropping in for a look, and responses from as far afield as Hong Kong, showing the global nature both of concern about the Company and a wish to see it recover -quickly. This thread scales the issues and contains answers from very different perspectives, if you take the trouble to plough through it, instead of just getting pissy about me.

Like it or not, there is now a public debate about governance, strategy and even more shamefully, about safety, at the former Premier Line, and it is being conducted in public simply because it was never properly aired in private. SVR has not been a listening organisation. Attracting its corporate attention is like making love to a camel - you can work yourself into a sweaty stupor in the attempt, but it takes a long time for the camel to even notice you, let alone work out what you are trying to do to it.(I thank Peter Rayner, ex-ROM Crewe for that unappetising but very apt analogy).

It has not been an easy emotional ride for some posters –SVR is as much a Faith as a passion for many and for them to even dare think the leaders of their church are buggering things up is to risk becoming an apostate. I have nothing but respect for the courage and intellectual rigour those believers especially have bought to this debate. By the time AGM season gets into gear the status quo ante of“Trust your Board – Leave us to get on with it” will no longer be on the agenda.

If you want to know my real name, just turn up at the next Holdings AGM. You can find out when everyone else does.

See you there!

GF-G

 

You are also very defensive, I see. Something to hide? I don't think I was "pissy". Challenging maybe, but what is life without a challenge? Do please try to answer my questions, rather than invite me to read through the thread - I have. But I'm interested in your opinions.

I don't necessarily agree with everything the railway management does, but I think it a massive leap of faith to move from that to them having a secret agenda.

Are the perceived failings in communication just that - perceived failings - or mendacious endeavours to hoodwink the SVR "faithful". I think quite categorically the former.

I shall, hopefully, see you there.

 

Erm, that's what the (as I understand it, paid) management are there for?

 

I don't follow...? I'm not asking the management. I'm asking GF-G. He seems so critical I thought it would be interesting to hear what his thoughts are.