SVR Loco Newsy News / discussions

Demot I mean rebrand it to some 0-6-0 copper top thingy.......... I'm sure you'd swear it tasted different......

 

All Great Western beers taste the same

Jon

 

I bought 12 back with me after seeing the parents the weekend, only have 3 left! Although I did give 2 to a friend, all in the name of eduction you understand.

 

In the name of GWR purity 16 of 30 current steam locos would leave the line, plus all the diesels, DMUs and the LNER, LMS and BR coaching rakes. And a signal box. SKP is just one of around 30 non-GWR steam locos at one time resident on the SVR.

Patrick

 

Nobody is suggesting loosing everything non pure GW - but where are the boundaries? - the "brand" is loosing some of its previous identity.

 

Sunday 20 August 2017. 11.00 KD departure. Set L(8) - 7 LMS + 1 GWR. Virtually every seat taken leaving KD. Passengers looking for seats at Bewdley. Haulage was by 7812, Earlstoke Manor.

So the answer is that the genie of 2 coaches behind a small tank got out of the bottle years ago

 

The frame inside the box could stay! Might get a bit chilly on Santas though...

 

No loss of identity there any W Mids secondary line on a busy summer Sunday could have seen such a working including the lower part of what is now the SVR. Ever heard of the fishermen's specials?

The loco by the way is named Erlestoke Manor.

 

What do you do though? For example a few years ago you could get away with serving a coffee now it's Americano's, Latte's and Expresso's. Joe Public expects a little more for his or her cash these days. At the end of the day it's normals who subsidise our hobby. As an aside I do take a bit of an exception to 1472's comment about 34053. The Rebuilds weren't exactly strangers through Kidderminster even Sir Keith himself made it to Snow Hill on a Foot ex ! Plus at the time Sir Keith touched down the SVR wasn't exactly in the position to be choosy about its motive power situation! Just like his namesake Sir Keith seems to be coming to the rescue of those who need him most!

 

Or even 7812 Erlestoke Manor

 

It previously had a non-GWR Pacific - 60009, so the residency and departure of another isn't anything unprecedented.

Undoubtedly. The 2007 storms, Falling Sands (£1.25m bill coming its way) and other increasing costs of aging infrastructure, and a visitor base with more alternatives are partly the cause. New rail - a 1/4 or 1/2 mile a year is expensive and the railway has enjoyed the holiday/beneficial legacy of not replacing it in previous years and decades. Whether the railway could thrive without the newer commercial activities I don't know.

Patrick

 

I'll agree with you on that one Patrick, I do think we have to think outside the box to keep trains running, certainly at Highley there's a great big building there that the SVR can use for various events, of course the parking's rather limited so it's a good idea to come by train!

 

It seems to be an accepted fact in the heritage industry that in very few instances can income from train fares alone meet the financial needs of a heritage railway when it comes to big projects such as the infrastructure works which Patrick mentions and heavy overhauls of favourite locos. As such railways are reliant on looking for additional avenues of funding, be that increasing secondary spend, share issues, special events with a non railway centric appeal, whatever. I.e commercial activity. Working hard to open additional income streams, as the SVR seems to be doing, should be a point of praise.

The railways which are able to best balance their commercial activity with maintaining their core aims of preservation are the ones which will be most sustainable in the long term. IMHO the SVR is currently getting the balance about right. For example a look at next year's announced special events shows 4 (four!) separate enthusiast galas alongside the wider appeal events such as 40's weekends.

 

Pete I agree mate, my apologies if you thought otherwise.

 

Does anyone have any recent pictures/updates on the overhaul of 75069 please?

 

I think the frames, etc. are just about done, but there's still work to do on the boiler. I'll be at the mpd on Thursday so will know more then.