New coaches at preserved lines

[adb968008]

On 08/07/2020 at 17:51, Northmoor said:

I can't believe there's a cat-in-hell's chance of the Bloomer and coaches running on the national network.  Not to say that it couldn't be done - we've had steam on the London Underground - but the expense would dwarf any level of public interest. 

many people said the same about the steam Railmotor, and here it is at Southall, and on the Down Fast GWML...

 

 

This hobby is full of naysayers, but also just enough to overcome them and make things happen.

Edited July 11, 2020 by adb968008

[adb968008]

On 04/07/2020 at 08:36, Tim Hall said:

Why would anyone visiting a preserved railway to savour the sounds (and smells) of steam (or older diesels) wish to be sealed in a metal tube with no opening windows (except the droplights at the end)? Especially when the reliability of the air conditioning, even in frontline service was always somewhat hit or miss.

In the US they have no qualms about removing windows to let people soak the atmosphere, no reason why we couldnt do the same.

[adb968008]

23 hours ago, Northmoor said:

I tend to agree that forecasts of the death of UK railway preservation have existed for decades - I remember all the arguments over the Barry survivors in the 1980s - however by some measures the movement actually peaked about 20 years ago.  There have been at least 30 schemes which got as far as opening to the public but which have since closed.  The number which acquired or rented a site and some rolling stock, but disbanded before opening formally, is probably at least as many again.

What may be a reasonable prediction is that the mileage of preserved railways probably won't increase significantly in future.  The larger, more successful lines have mostly completed their planned extensions and the smaller, younger schemes, are unlikely to be able to fund the costs of extending.

The smaller railways rely totally on volunteers - sometimes they only have about 20 working volunteers - and the age profile is moving to the right.  You only need two of them to be unable to continue for whatever reason and the loss of key skills means the railway could be unable to operate.  

i think most preserved lines will find away, though several may not.

But theres scope for a few more to open too.

 

I think the risk is not to the railway, as theres a stream of ex-railwayman who are hobbyists too, and always will be. The risk is to skills.. Steam skills are in decline, as those railwaymen pass on. The problem for barry wrecks is the sexiness of them is indecline.. most are duplicates of whats already running, and freight locos arent enthusiasts cup of tea.. so the pace is slowing to more of a trickle.An appeal for an LMS/LNER 4-6-2 will generate more funds overnight than a GWR 2-8-0T. However it will continue, just more commercially based and provide a career for specialist skills.
 

I think the future rolling stock will become problematic.. today is a unit based railway, and while you can run a Duchess tender first on 4 coaches, the same is not true of a Pendolino. Some lines have thumbed noses at Pacers, just as some lines thumbed noses at 1st gen DMUs and mk2’s... but your chances of using a 142 in the future are better than using a computerised class 195 in the future i’m sure.

 

If there wasa turning point for the hobby, it was the Olympics in 2005.. As soon as London was awarded, the bonanza of heritage lottery money seems to have stopped, and so the peak I would say was 2010/12 as a result.. the enthusiasm is there, but less money, followed by endless economic mess in this country.

Edited July 11, 2020 by adb968008

[Compound2632]

28 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

many people said the same about the steam Railmotor, and here it is at Southall, and on the Down Fast GWML...

 

 

The accompanying diesel (presumably also under power) is one thing with the railmotor but might just be a bit too overpowering in scale for the Bloomer with a train of replica 1860s 4-wheelers!

[Reorte]

On 11/07/2020 at 20:53, adb968008 said:

In the US they have no qualms about removing windows to let people soak the atmosphere, no reason why we couldnt do the same.

It would require a significant change of culture and attitude in the country in general, a tolerance of the idea that someone will stick themselves out and get hurt or worse.

[Reorte]

On 11/07/2020 at 20:59, adb968008 said:

I think the future rolling stock will become problematic.. today is a unit based railway, and while you can run a Duchess tender first on 4 coaches, the same is not true of a Pendolino. Some lines have thumbed noses at Pacers, just as some lines thumbed noses at 1st gen DMUs and mk2’s... but your chances of using a 142 in the future are better than using a computerised class 195 in the future i’m sure.

 

The larger units might well have a problem in the future finding a home (particularly electrics), but I'd have thought that many of the smaller two, three, four car units would be ideal for heritage lines, as much as I'd roll my eyes now at the idea of seeing a 195 on one. They might be the main line preserved trains of the future. Good point about being computerised though, whether it'll be practical to keep those technologically complicated trains running or not remains to be seen.

[adb968008]

24 minutes ago, Reorte said:

It would require a significant change of culture and attitude in the country in general, a tolerance of the idea that someone will stick themselves out and get hurt or worse.

That theres no window glazing doesn't mean that people hang like monkeys out of them. It can be done sensibly..

Europeans are also more able to manage themselves... i’m not even going to mention India.

 

Thing is, it is the art of the possible

 

 

these coaches are barred, preventing the monkey hanging we get with class 37 fans, but still are open air (covid risk reduced)... theres no reason some mk3’s (or even mk2’s) couldnt be similarly configured.

 

I would add, there is a Uk precedence, which exposes passengers to open air, OHLE, mass crowds, reasonable speed and is unbarred by fencing....  And has not had any noticeable HSE event to bring over bearrance...in decades...

 

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2020 by adb968008

[stewartingram]

45 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

That theres no window glazing doesn't mean that people hang like monkeys out of them. It can be done sensibly..

Europeans are also more able to manage themselves... i’m not even going to mention India.

 

Thing is, it is the art of the possible

 

 

these coaches are barred, preventing the monkey hanging we get with class 37 fans, but still are open air (covid risk reduced)... theres no reason some mk3’s (or even mk2’s) couldnt be similarly configured.

 

I would add, there is a Uk precedence, which exposes passengers to open air, OHLE, mass crowds, reasonable speed and is unbarred by fencing....  And has not had any noticeable HSE event to bring over bearrance...in decades...

 

 

 

 

I raise you these.....added height and closer to the live wire:-

[adb968008]

On 13/07/2020 at 15:59, stewartingram said:

I raise you these.....added height and closer to the live wire:-

i’ll raise that bet... though i’m not sure if the lilliputians are passengers or fuel...

 

 

Edited May 16, 2021 by adb968008

[adb968008]

On 28/06/2020 at 16:28, spamcan61 said:

Continue the long standing tradition of "accountancy rebuilds" and build a nice new Bulleid 3-set round one old loo door handle ;-)

At the museum at highley, they has a fully restored door, but no coach  of its type exists... so the basis of a rebuild is there...

[The Evil Bus Driver]

On 13/07/2020 at 16:28, adb968008 said:

At the museum at highley, they has a fully restored door, but no coach  of its type exists... so the basis of a rebuild is there...

That'll be the accountancy rebuild then lol