SVR wagons 2011

Agreed, but according to our marketing department, people are not interested in seeing goods trains. I belive the lads writing the time tables wanted to have to out! All I can suggest is some of you sending some letters to the railway expressing your displeasure at the lack of goods action, it might change their mind for next time!

 

I think the marketing people are more interested in seeing the money and a demo freight does not bring that in. Not in the first hand anyway that shows up in the figures for the day.

 

Or it might be that during the busy part of the day it is not feasible to run goods workings due to the volume of other traffic & they therefore take place in the evening when the service slackens off a little.

There is nothing un "real railway" about that. During darkness the sight & sound of a loose coupled goods is rather good and also rare yet goods trains used to run 24 hrs per day! - another important dimension to the SVR gala formula & I have heard words of praise from photographers who are able to get photos which would be impossible in daytime due to the reduced number of visitors in the evening.

 

It's worth noting that the Goods is also out in the morning, heading down to B'north around 0630 and back up to Bewdley at about 0900. Should be a good opportunity for photographers.

 

No, like I said, the guys writing the time table wanted two goods trains and the Marketing Dept vetoed it

 

Given that people are on rover tickets, I'm not quite sure how a goods train depresses takings?

 

Takes the path of a train that could carry people paying money.

 

They've bought rover tickets - ie they do not pay per train.

Use of layovers at intermediate stations makes paths available

 

Especially since Highley, Arley and Bewdley have more than enough space to fit a goods into the yard so that two passengers can cross - and if one of the goods was short with a tank loco, Hampton Loade wouldn't be out either. Though I naturally think the SVR is one of the best Heritage Railway's out there, I think we could do a lot more with our goods stock at special events of all sorts.

 

Well it may not depress takings, but there is a fuel cost to run a 'pointless' train, so in theory there will be less profit in the pot at the end of the day than there might have been.

Having said that, what I think is often not taken into account is the attraction of goods trains, a factor that may attract some people to visit the railway in the first place. It's certainly an attraction that I look out for, and could be a deciding factor if I had to choose between two local lines for one day out. I would also choose to go to a more expensive event running goods trains, rather than a cheaper one with passenger trains only. But as a wagon man myself, this might not be typical?

Paul

 

I`d like to have seen the Goods train out in the day more, its definitely an added attraction making it more real railway with the goods about between passenger services, but i can understand the marketing people`s concern, but i think there is a happy ground to be found where a daytime goods trip could be slipped in Friday morning as the gala is ramping up and sunday afternoon as its winding down where there are more paths available as passenger services are ending, but as usual, that is all prefaced on the My $0.02 principal as a non-volunteer at the SVR and purely a paying punter

-Stephen

 

At an enthusiast aimed gala like this I think that the attraction of freight can only be positive. The locos are in steam anyway, the crew's are willing... and look at the amount of freight the GCR seem to be able to turn out at pretty much every gala!

 

Could it be that the marketing people are expecting "The Tornado Factor" to take effect and want the max amount of seats available? The gala trains are usually fairly full, and with "Joe Public" turning up in droves it's going to be like sardines in a can.

 

Right, thats enough of this debate, I would definately have prefered the orrigional plan, but anyway, on with the show!
The train has now had all its Pads and fitness to run exams, Mogo 65801 reciving some attention to a brake block as a result.
For those not in the know, a pads exam it where you remove the accumulated water from the axlebox, lower the bottom half of the box down, check that the worstead Wool pad hasn't fallen appart and is still in contact with the journal, and has not become glazed up, re-assemble the box and top the oil up to the correct level. Although some of you may find this odd, but the correct level is not full to the brim!
As for our other projects, 40554, the chaired sleeper wagon, finally has a complete floor, and it is in place. The last but one section being placed in place, me crawling into the gap, and the final piece lowered in ontopo of me for marking up, with me lying in the drain under the wagon ontop of the out flow pipe for waste water from out mess van. Cue the gaffer emptying the sink in order to make a cup of tea, covering me in foul smelling dirty water, much to everyones ammusement. This was followed by me bolting the finished half of this section down, with the water off the top of the plate pouring through the holes onto my face.
I'm not one to take a soaking for no reason, and once we realised how far we had got, it was easy enough to persuade the lads to stay an hour past our planned 4pm finish time to get the final section drilled and in place.
This job isn't finished as it now requires bridge reaming and riveting before we paint the whole assembly, but anyone wandering into the yard this weekend for the gala will see a major change in 40554 in comparison to last time. For now, attention must be turned to replacement of the stanchion brackets and chain pockets, another interesting engineering task.
Hope to see you for gala,
Ian

 

Running a goods train would not reduce the number of seats available.

 

Many thanks to all those who came to gala and saw the wagon lads, and the goods train.
I can't speak for the other lads but I met some interesting people, many thanks to all of you for making my weekend, especially to Ian and his dad with who'm we had a long chat about the subject of wagons and railways in general.
Regards,
Ian

 

The last two weeks have been interesting, as while progress seems slow, we have got on with a lot of little bits of Jobs. Steve and Richard between them have made one stancion bracket for 40554, and fitted it to the wagon, while the floor had been made and Bridge reamed. I have tried to add a pic of the bridge reamer and wind motor so you can see what I mean, but there appears to be an issue with that at the moment, but Just to explain, a bridge reamer is a tapered reamer designed to open out mis-aligned holes in such a way you can get the rivet through, it does however, have a destinct reluctance to turn! The wind motor on the other hand, has a very clear purpous in life, that being to hold the reamer perfectly still, and rotate the operator around it!
Nigel was last seen, attatched to the new roof beam, painting the Cattle wagon roof, still its usual time consuming job.
Our shed / tool stores has finally had its second coat of paint thanks to the other Ian, it is looking black at last. I'm not there next week, so my next up date won't be for a couple of weeks
Ian

 

Finally managed to add some attatchments! These are just to help people visualise what I'm talking about. One photo shows 40554s scars from when she had long leaver brakes, with the holes for the old equipment (removed in GWR days) just blanked off.
The other photo shows the same wagon's eliptical drawbar spring, and Brake gear, compare this to the photo from a few months ago to understand the confined spaces Little Lawrence was working in!

 

The first two pictures show Steve and Richard's handywork with the stantchion sockets, the old moth eaten one being replaced by a new fabrication.
The second two show for the inquisitive among you, what I meant by a Bridge reamer and wind motor, this is the beast that has spent a day trying to rotate me in a circle!

 

I notice that since my last post we have passed 7,000 views! Thankyou to all my readers, regular or otherwise.
Down to business.
The Mica B has now had its roof canvass removed ready for replacement, the old one having a number of small tears in it, as opposed to the usuall one large one. The roof underneath appears to be sound, however, the two ice hatches both disintergrated on removal from the roof.
The cattle wagon has been flatted down and a second coat of paint applied, with a number of interesting phrases being aimed in the direction of the gang removing the Mica's canvass from the direction of the cattle wagon every time a section on canvass hit the deck. It's banaer like that that helps make this a very enjoyable way to spend the weekend.
I'm not sure when my next update will be owing to plans elsewhere, but I'm sure you will wish us all well,
Cheers
Olly