RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted March 25, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 25, 2017 Locomotive Services Ltd (Jeremy Hoskings heavily influenced business) has acquired the old Hornby Margate site, it is suggested in various mags that it could be used to store non operational locomotives from his fleet. A railway museum in Margate could be interesting ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted March 25, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 25, 2017 April edition Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted March 25, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 25, 2017 LSL Press release is dated March 4th... http://www.iconsofsteam.com/2017/03/margate-facilities/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted March 25, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 25, 2017 Well it sounded like one as it has no rail access Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
28XX Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Trains don't travel by rail anymore. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ghost of IKB Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Trains don't travel by rail anymore. Now THAT statement should be the april fool gag - but sadly it's completely true! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tetsudofan Posted March 25, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 25, 2017 Should make it easy for Hornby to scan/measure up future potential models...... Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted March 25, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 25, 2017 Should make it easy for Hornby to scan/measure up future potential models...... Keith "Pass me my tape measure, I'm just nipping next door; I may be some time................" John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted March 25, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 25, 2017 I wasnt wholly surprised, if I read the share holder reports and follow the ownership lines correctly I believe model railways and real sized preserved steam ownership chains converge at a significant land mark. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwich station Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Locomotive Storage intends to embark on a rolling refurbishment of the facilities and to engage in discussions with interested parties regarding potential uses of the site. That's from the press release. Doesn't mention anything about storing locos there, just in discussions with interested parties regarding potential uses of the site. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted March 25, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 25, 2017 That's from the press release. Doesn't mention anything about storing locos there, just in discussions with interested parties regarding potential uses of the site. The clue might be in the new companies name. "Locomotive Storage Limited". "Locomotive Storage Limited, a property company affiliated with Locomotive Services Limited" Certainly Heritage Rail and Steam Railway magazines advance slightly more details in the announcement, they might be speculating, but so far as I understand, I've found the company names associated with the railway business quite transparent, each loco has a business, "locomotive 70000 ltd" etc, named by the locos number, LSL (Toc) ltd appears to be the one applying to be a toc, so I presume Locomotive Storage is nothing more sinister than storing locomotives. The article In The Times should clarify things... http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hosking-snaps-up-Hornby-site-to-store-his-train-set-m7kl3l3mk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted March 25, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 25, 2017 The clue might be in the new companies name. "Locomotive Storage Limited". "Locomotive Storage Limited, a property company affiliated with Locomotive Services Limited" Certainly Heritage Rail and Steam Railway magazines advance slightly more details in the announcement, they might be speculating, but so far as I understand, I've found the company names associated with the railway business quite transparent, each loco has a business, "locomotive 70000 ltd" etc, named by the locos number, LSL (Toc) ltd appears to be the one applying to be a toc, so I presume Locomotive Storage is nothing more sinister than storing locomotives. The article In The Times should clarify things... http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hosking-snaps-up-Hornby-site-to-store-his-train-set-m7kl3l3mk Thanks for the link. You could look at it another way. J Hosking is a Hornby shareholder, and to get a better return on his investment Hornby need to divest themselves of the old factory. He has the purchase power to do it and adds another asset to his portfolio and at the same time safeguarding his shareholding. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulleidnutter Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 No rail access..... Re open the Margate branch from Ramsgate town It seems a strange location to locate a storage site (as the company name suggests), as most of his fleet live at either Southall or Crewe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tomparryharry Posted March 28, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 28, 2017 I think it's for diesel locomotives only. Tesco's at Westwood Cross do cheap diesel..... Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Storey Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 It would appear to confirm that the Hornby Visitor Centre is not moving to Ramsgate Harbour, as originally planned, at least not for the foreseeable future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireline Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 It would appear to confirm that the Hornby Visitor Centre is not moving to Ramsgate Harbour, as originally planned, at least not for the foreseeable future. That has already been confirmed on here. The plan has been torn up completely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tomparryharry Posted March 29, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 29, 2017 I seem to remember that the long-term plan was to drive a tunnel from Westwood, over to Manston Airfield. The idea being that a proper sized Scalextric track could be constructed over there. Don't know what happened to that idea though..... Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted March 29, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 29, 2017 It would appear to confirm that the Hornby Visitor Centre is not moving to Ramsgate Harbour, as originally planned, at least not for the foreseeable future. I was under the (perhaps mistaken) impression that Hornby had made a statement, some time ago, to the effect that the relocation to Ramsgate had been knocked on the head rather than deferred. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Storey Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 That has already been confirmed on here. The plan has been torn up completely. I presume you mean the RNS statement of 7 Feb. That merely stated that a post-sale leaseback would take place for the Visitor Centre, but no length of lease quoted. If the new owner intends to redevelop the site and flog it, in whole or in pieces (as opposed to using it for storage, which would not seem likely due to their two other, extant, extensive and rail connected sites), then a long term presence of the VC seems implausible. All that the completion of the sale confirms is that the new owner intends that which Hornby stated back in early Feb. It would be rash of Hornby to tear up any plans to move it, once funds permit. They would appear to be re-evaluating its purpose, having now entered into a "Learning Centre" arrangement with County educational bodies. But we shall see. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 LSL Press release is dated March 4th... http://www.iconsofsteam.com/2017/03/margate-facilities/ Somewhere to store spare parts? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted March 29, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 29, 2017 I presume you mean the RNS statement of 7 Feb. That merely stated that a post-sale leaseback would take place for the Visitor Centre, but no length of lease quoted. If the new owner intends to redevelop the site and flog it, in whole or in pieces (as opposed to using it for storage, which would not seem likely due to their two other, extant, extensive and rail connected sites), then a long term presence of the VC seems implausible. All that the completion of the sale confirms is that the new owner intends that which Hornby stated back in early Feb. It would be rash of Hornby to tear up any plans to move it, once funds permit. They would appear to be re-evaluating its purpose, having now entered into a "Learning Centre" arrangement with County educational bodies. But we shall see. How long the Visitor Centre's tenure in Margate can continue figured in the negotiations for the sale of the complete site, as you point out. However, if there were to be a gap between leaving the current location and reopening elsewhere, it wouldn't have a practical impact on the rest of the Hornby business. The Ramsgate Harbour redevelopment has a schedule of its own and it seems that Hornby was either unable or unwilling to progress its plans to relocate the Centre there as intended. That decision is presumably irreversible and the site will have been taken on by another company or body. There was no mention of any plan to move elsewhere. Having cancelled Plan A for (by implication) financial reasons, staying in Margate is Plan B and the agreed duration of that will decide the urgency of developing any Plan C. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Storey Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 How long the Visitor Centre's tenure in Margate can continue figured in the negotiations for the sale of the complete site, as you point out. However, if there were to be a gap between leaving the current location and reopening elsewhere, it wouldn't have a practical impact on the rest of the Hornby business. The Ramsgate Harbour redevelopment has a schedule of its own and it seems that Hornby was either unable or unwilling to progress its plans to relocate the Centre there as intended. That decision is presumably irreversible and the site will have been taken on by another company or body. There was no mention of any plan to move elsewhere. Having cancelled Plan A for (by implication) financial reasons, staying in Margate is Plan B and the agreed duration of that will decide the urgency of developing any Plan C. John All true John, of course. However, Ramsgate Harbour's development plan is over 20 years old and counting, since the first concept failed dismally (almost all tenants having gone bust). Deadlines have come and gone over the years as announcement after announcement has come to almost nothing. Most serious money has gone to Margate instead in recent years. Unless some new entrants have recently entered the fray, of which I am unaware but you may be aware, I see no need to forget Ramsgate as an option yet. That said, I never saw relocation to a harbour as a logical thing to do?? I would personally have favoured a move of the VC to Ashford to be a part of the new International Model Railway Centre, assuming this does reach its funding target. It will attract far more of their target market, it retains a reasonable element of staying local, would be closer to their current distributor and not much further from their new head office. I am surprised Hornby have not been involved already, or if they have, why they have not gone public about it. Perhaps they are waiting to see what happens over the next year or two, and the opportunity to stand still for a while certainly favours that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted March 30, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2017 All true John, of course. However, Ramsgate Harbour's development plan is over 20 years old and counting, since the first concept failed dismally (almost all tenants having gone bust). Deadlines have come and gone over the years as announcement after announcement has come to almost nothing. Most serious money has gone to Margate instead in recent years. Unless some new entrants have recently entered the fray, of which I am unaware but you may be aware, I see no need to forget Ramsgate as an option yet. That said, I never saw relocation to a harbour as a logical thing to do?? I would personally have favoured a move of the VC to Ashford to be a part of the new International Model Railway Centre, assuming this does reach its funding target. It will attract far more of their target market, it retains a reasonable element of staying local, would be closer to their current distributor and not much further from their new head office. I am surprised Hornby have not been involved already, or if they have, why they have not gone public about it. Perhaps they are waiting to see what happens over the next year or two, and the opportunity to stand still for a while certainly favours that. The Ashford idea had occurred to me also, but I think Hornby are in "keeping their options open" mode over the location of any new Centre. We don't know the duration of anything that has been agreed over them staying in Margate. They have presumably come to an arrangement that fits in with what the new owners want to do on the rest of the site. If that guarantees Hornby (say) two or more years there, it will be some time before they need to finalise or publicise their detailed intentions. The decline in the value of Sterling (and, to a lesser extent, the uncertainties of the Brexit process itself) will have affected Hornby's overall trading. However impressive their recent products have been, it is a business that is not long out of intensive care following a very bad patch. How things pan out over your estimated "next year or two" will certainly establish the boundaries of their future Visitor Centre ambitions. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffnut Thorston Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Ramsgate Visitor Centre Plan Scrapped... http://www.kentlive.news/Hornby-hobbies-has-scrapped-its-ramsgate-visitor-centre-plan/story-30153192-detail/story.html... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonnyRailMan Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Ramsgate Visitor Centre Plan Scrapped... http://www.kentlive.news/Hornby-hobbies-has-scrapped-its-ramsgate-visitor-centre-plan/story-30153192-detail/story.html... So Kent will still be as boring as ever then now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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