SVR General Discussion

It was given as a total cost/mile for a 3 car unit on a line with more climbs than the SVR.

Even if you halve it for two engines in a 3 car unit the difference is still stark.

Happy to be corrected by somebody with real knowledge.

 

Yes. The WLA's estimates for bogie work on D1013 are "in the region of £350k per bogie, including contingencies" https://d1013bogieappeal.uk/

For info: "The Society’s principal charitable purpose is the long-term preservation of locomotive 48773, currently resident in The Engine House at Highley. [The chairman of the Society, Jeff Ryan] adds, “In the past this has allowed us to make significant SVR share purchases in recognition of previous overhauls”. The Society has also been raising funds towards the costs of the next overhaul, with £60,000 raised against a stretching target of £250,000. " [August 2020]

And it's heated too

 

When being used for the Evening Scenic Cruise, the DMU group didn't like running 5 car with less than 5 engines in use (motor coaches have 2 engines each and there are 3).

 

I am acquainted with the economics and history of usage. You rather remade part of the point I was trying to make. I will be a bit clearer. Right now they are from a railway management perspective very much cheaper. They can be hired for a lot less per day than a steam engine. That is because there are a lot of diesels chasing a small amount (relatively) of use. That this is a false situation has been evident for some time to those that looked, but unrecognised and/or unacknowledged. Why would railways put up a cost?

Equally unrecognised is the point you make that the costs and complexity of maintenance will go up with use. With the older (withdrawn earlier) types that were largely disposable in the eyes of the railways in the 80s, 90s and 2000s this is already being seen, because they have rotted out.

My conclusion is that a shift to diesels could be pretty short lived once the realities dawn, the ridership perhaps drops faster than the costs, but most importantly the supply of locos dries up.

 

Thanks for the information regards 48773 and 7819, wasn't aware there was active fund raising for these locos.

 

Another group actively raising funds is the GW(SVR)A which owns the Collett Mogul as well as a lot of carriages. At one time the Mogul looked like a shoe-in for next overhaul and was moved out of the Engine House several years ago, apparently in preparation for it. The last info I have is for the March 2021 accounts where "…our cash reserves … now stand at £186,355 at financial year end. This leaves the Association well placed to resume its carriage projects and support the forthcoming overhaul of our loco 9303."

 

Full agree here. The SVR is uniquely positioned to do this for the GWR and LMS, and should take advantage of it.

 

The SVR is one of only a few railways that uses its pre-nationalisation coaches in every day service. Each one of them is a work of art and something very special. Hugh McQuade started to put a poster of their history up in each vestibule about 20 years ago, but other than that there is little information of what a unique piece of history you are travelling in.

 

Thanks for this, 7325 was mentioned several times over the years in SVR News as the next candidate and I had hoped its display at Kidderminster Station at the autumn gala was the start of move north to replace 4930, but alas, it'll have to wait a little longer!
Good to know that there is a good amount raised towards restoration.
Cracking engine, had a run on the mainline behind it where it had to push the King home!

 

The pre nationalisation carriages are an asset. At this point a matching loco would not be relevant to most visitors. That from a charitable objects viewpoint is a massive shame. I do think more needs to be made of this kind of thing by all railways. We have to be more museum like. But quite a shift in thinking is needed. The general view would be that as the general public couldn’t tell it doesn’t matter. In my view we have to shift to taking the view that if they don’t know, our job is to teach them.

 

Something I have mentioned time and time again, it really annoys me with what I’d call front of house staff referring to diesels as ‘paraffin cans’ for example.
I’m not expecting them to quote chapter and verse on each individual Class but rather than be disparaging, surely something like ‘this a loco from 19xx it used to work out of xxxx on workings like xxxx’

Several times on various days out over the years I’ve answered questions from strangers who have had the misfortune to be sat nearby because someone (TTI, Guard, Platform Staff, Whoever) Didn’t know the answer and made something up rather than just saying ‘I don’t know, but give me a moment and I’ll try and find someone who does’

I’ve found it rather interesting recently to be involved with training our new staff at work, first thing I’ve said to all of them is ‘don’t be scared to ask questions’
I certainly think this could be applied to staff at our heritage railways.

 

Why not produce an info sheet for staff about what is running that day with key info on it. Then no reason for them not to know the basic answers.

 

If we're cataloguing active fundraising for locos on the SVR, the Warwickshire Industrial Locomotive Trust and the preservation group have raised six figures and appealed for more to overhaul 0-6-0ST MW2047 of 1926 'Warwickshire' https://wilt.jimdo.com/12-trust-membership-donations/12a-warwickshire-appeal-leaflet/

 

It sadly shows a disdain for some passengers preferences which is not good in a passenger facing role. That said, I think I've noticed it less over the past few years. Maybe an indication of demographic changes.

 

You could even do it for passengers… that does only work on paper (pardon the pun) until you have a last minute failure!
For instance, a few years ago 1264 had a magic metamorphosis into S&DJR 53808 at the last minute at the SVR’s spring gala in was it 2018?
A cheat sheet isn’t a bad idea though.

 

Bridgnorth does it - one example nicked from their Facebook page - and shared across the Railway

 

We have a laminated info sheet for each loco at each station and a noticeboard for 'Locomotives in service today' where they are put up, serving a similar function. Last minute corrections easy then too, even if station staff don't know until whatever it is rolls into the station!

 

You know? I did think of setting up a Crowd Funding for one project or another:

926 to Watercress Line.
75078 to Swanage.
A steam event weekend at KESR.

I guess another idea now is to get 43106 overhauled, maybe in time for Woodford 70?

 

It isn’t only about locomotives.

there is a great deal of energy put into training staff for their safety critical role and rightly so. A fraction of the same effort put into training them for their museum guide role would make a huge difference. Some are of course more predisposed than others, but it is about giving people pointers. For example the Watercress Line can show the history of the LSWR mainline from 1920 to 1990s through its locomotives. It was the route for at least one boat train run in connection with the RMS Titanic. Most of the steam engines on the railway actually ran on the line (exceptions being the black 5 and class 50 I think …. No don’t correct me it isn’t the point!). That kind of thing though and a ton of other stuff, like the last person to live in the station house at Ropley and moved out around 20years ago, had actually been born in the building. We have to bring history alive.