Severn Valley Railway

[Phil Bullock]

5 minutes ago, Garethp8873 said:

Farewell for now 2857 and 1501...

These fine workhorses have earned the rest after 10 amazing years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes hope there is a robust overhaul plan for them.

 

Having said that 4930 and 7812 are back to fly the GW flag…. With hopefully 7802 and 4150 not too far behind, and then 5164 also from the Erlestoke Manor fund in a few years time. 

[rogerzilla]

Has 4930's arsonist tendency been cured now?  Not that it really matters in the current weather; you'd be lucky to get anything burning with a flamethrower.

[Blandford1969]

6 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:

Yes hope there is a robust overhaul plan for them.

 

Having said that 4930 and 7812 are back to fly the GW flag…. With hopefully 7802 and 4150 not too far behind, and then 5164 also from the Erlestoke Manor fund in a few years time. 

At present there is no overhaul list order. 

 

The railway has as we know due to reduced steam turns through more use of alternative power and fewer operating days had a reduced need for traction. This year will see the return to traffic of 7812 and probably in the 3rd or 4th quarter 2968. 4150 is progressing and the tanks are still to be rivetted. Currently it looks like that will appear about 2024. 7802 is now being worked on to replace its cylinders at Tysley and as someone from the group said will be done when it is done. 

 

Also racing along, or so it seems is 82045. For anyone at Warley you will have seen the progress. Meanwhile the firebox is coming together well in the boilershop with the boiler waiting patiently outside. There has been a suggestion of a warming fire by the end of this year or early next year, which could mean it will take to the rails 2024 or 25. 

 

The railway has been meeting with all of the owning groups. The next engine to go into Bridgnorth will be based on 

- The funds the group has

-the security of the ownership of the engine

-how active the group with volunteer members and of course there will be an element of how useful the engine is to the railway. 

 

So whilst there is no list the tender of 7325 is going to Bewdley for volunteers to start work on it. 

 

As for 2857, 1501 and 5164, time will tell. We loose 43106 this June at the latest and many of us wonder if we will ever get to take her out again for a spin, which is a shame as she is like a comfortable pair of old slippers. Very loud (or at least those monitor injectors are) but she is reliable and even her faults can be endearing like the leak which develops meaning when light engine off if in gear you don't need to open the regulator she just goes off sedately. 

[Blandford1969]

1 minute ago, rogerzilla said:

Has 4930's arsonist tendency been cured now?  Not that it really matters in the current weather; you'd be lucky to get anything burning with a flamethrower.

Yes, it and other engines are having an additional baffle put in the smokebox in addition to the mesh baffles round the blast pipes. She went out for testing after the modification was added and the paid staff seemed happy with the results. Most of us have not had her yet and so look forward to taking her out sometime this year hopefully.

[Welchester]

1501 was throwing some spectacular sparks on the last train to Bridgnorth yesterday. 

[Blandford1969]

1 minute ago, Welchester said:

1501 was throwing some spectacular sparks on the last train to Bridgnorth yesterday. 

The coal which is very dusty does not help, also its possible the bar was in to try to get through clinker which has been more of a feature again more recently on the current coal. (the amount we see varies by batch, depending on the proportions of the chemical make up which every fireman was taught in an easy way to remember NO CASH)

[Phil Bullock]

Challenging times ahead… 

 

SVR’s Helen Smith to leave the railway

[rogerzilla]

28 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said:

Challenging times ahead… 

 

SVR’s Helen Smith to leave the railway

The latest update wasn't very upbeat,talking about redundancies.  I don't know how many paid staff they have compared to other heritage railways.  I know GWSR has barely any, but it's an outlier.

[Phil Bullock]

1 minute ago, rogerzilla said:

The latest update wasn't very upbeat,talking about redundancies.  I don't know how many paid staff they have compared to other heritage railways.  I know GWSR has barely any, but it's an outlier.

Yes saw that too. SVR has a fair few paid staff …. For the last few years policy seems to have been to pitch up market. Perhaps the time has come to look at a return towards a lower cost risk operation ? 

[Blandford1969]

56 minutes ago, rogerzilla said:

The latest update wasn't very upbeat,talking about redundancies.  I don't know how many paid staff they have compared to other heritage railways.  I know GWSR has barely any, but it's an outlier.

50% of all turnover currently goes on paid staff.  

[Phil Bullock]

6 minutes ago, Blandford1969 said:

50% of all turnover currently goes on paid staff.  

Many thanks for that. Sounds a significant investment…. Wonder what the split within that is between service delivery …. Including engineering, P way, S&T, C&W … and admin? Hope the railway can avoid losing staff with irreplaceable skills . The mix of increased fuel costs,  coal supply and reported reduced passenger numbers has the potential to be toxic … no doubt there will be a significant effect on loco usage and restorations with larger coal hungry steam loco usage declining across the movement. 

[DavidB-AU]

Severn Valley Railway reveals voluntary redundancy plan

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-shropshire-64252142

[rogerzilla]

8 hours ago, Blandford1969 said:

50% of all turnover currently goes on paid staff.  

I don't have a benchmark for the heritage railway sector, but that's higher than my employer, a very large financial services firm (i think our biggest spend is on depreciation of IT these days).

 

GWSR may have the advantage of being in a very rich area where people are more able to give their time for free, or is just a younger organisation without as much embedded costs and practices.

 

To what extent are the recent big spends on Falling Sands, the Bridgnorth shed and the Kidderminster diesel depot paid for?  If there are debts still to be serviced, that is a big problem.

[Chris M]

To me she seems to have done a good job in very difficult circumstances but I have heard working volunteers have been very unhappy with Helen's leadership. From what I am told there has been a move towards more employees and less interest in volunteers in recent years but that has come from volunteers. If half the costs of running the railway are staff costs then that does appear to be very high. I get the impression that many volunteers have not felt valued on the SVR in recent years which may or may not have come from the top. These moans from volunteers did include comments about paid staff being brought in to do everything. Helen did a great job of running the tank museum but maybe she didn't fully understand how a heritage railway works.

 

On the other hand relying on nearly all volunteers can be problematic. A volunteer at a certain other railway which relies heavily on volunteers has said they are desperately short of steam drivers and may have to reduce the number of steam services this year because they don't have sufficient qualified drivers.

[rogerzilla]

I'm looking at volunteering for either SVR or GWSR when I jack in work next year - this will determine where we live, so it's a big choice.  SVR was first choice but I also cycle a lot and the local terrain is "challenging", whereas it's as flat as a pancake west of the Honeybourne line.

 

Looking at the volunteering info for GWSR, they seem to need steam workshop people rather than diesel at the moment, which is interesting as they have quite a few diesels.  I suppose there are more people with hands-on experience of diesels from their working life.

[Phil Bullock]

1 hour ago, Chris M said:

To me she seems to have done a good job in very difficult circumstances but I have heard working volunteers have been very unhappy with Helen's leadership. From what I am told there has been a move towards more employees and less interest in volunteers in recent years but that has come from volunteers. If half the costs of running the railway are staff costs then that does appear to be very high. I get the impression that many volunteers have not felt valued on the SVR in recent years which may or may not have come from the top. These moans from volunteers did include comments about paid staff being brought in to do everything. Helen did a great job of running the tank museum but maybe she didn't fully understand how a heritage railway works.

 

On the other hand relying on nearly all volunteers can be problematic. A volunteer at a certain other railway which relies heavily on volunteers has said they are desperately short of steam drivers and may have to reduce the number of steam services this year because they don't have sufficient qualified drivers.

The letter to shareholders accusing them of being freeloaders when using privilege tickets certainly didn’t help. 
 

The balance between volunteers and management/paid staff is always a difficult one however but management forget that the railways only exist because of volunteers is a fact ignored at their peril.  SVR and GWSR are both near me and although my roots are with SVR have always tried to support both, and will continue to do so. They do have very different operating models but prior to the pandemic both were sailing in much calmer waters…

[Michael Hodgson]

I'm not involved with the SVR and don't know the personalities involved, but there's always a lot of politics in organisations that rely on volunteers.  Whatever the merits, it sounds like she jumped before she was pushed.

[rogerzilla]

17 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

I'm not involved with the SVR and don't know the personalities involved, but there's always a lot of politics in organisations that rely on volunteers.  Whatever the merits, it sounds like she jumped before she was pushed.

SVR has had its fair share of politics and schisms before.  It's by no means unique, as many charities and voluntary organisations go through the same pains.  When most of your people can just walk out with no financial detriment to themselves, it takes a lot of motivational skills to keep them on side.  These aren't skills the typical business manager possesses, as paid employees can put up with an awful lot when they need the salary to live on.

[Blandford1969]

The first Gala visitor has been announced for Spring Gala. 4079 'Pendennis Castle' will make its first heritage railway appearance at the April event celebrating GWR and formation of the grouping 100 years ago. 

 

 

[rogerzilla]

An obvious choice and a good one.  Would like to see KEI as the other guest.  It needs running-in.

[Phil Bullock]

43 minutes ago, Blandford1969 said:

The first Gala visitor has been announced for Spring Gala. 4079 'Pendennis Castle' will make its first heritage railway appearance at the April event celebrating GWR and formation of the grouping 100 years ago. 

 

 

Brilliant choice! 

[Phil Bullock]

On 13/01/2023 at 10:33, rogerzilla said:

SVR has had its fair share of politics and schisms before.  It's by no means unique, as many charities and voluntary organisations go through the same pains.  When most of your people can just walk out with no financial detriment to themselves, it takes a lot of motivational skills to keep them on side.  These aren't skills the typical business manager possesses, as paid employees can put up with an awful lot when they need the salary to live on.

Its rather like trying to manage a service in the NHS then! 

[Hal Nail]

13 hours ago, Blandford1969 said:

 'Pendennis Castle' will make its first heritage railway appearance at the April event

Pity as there were rumours it was going to the Mid Hants to replace Lady of Legend which can't get up the bank.

[PhilH]

1 minute ago, Hal Nail said:

Pity as there were rumours it was going to the Mid Hants to replace Lady of Legend which can't get up the bank.

Not quite sure where you got this from. My friends and ex-colleagues on the MHR said it performed well on the Steam Illuminations and other trains. 

 

[Hal Nail]

20 minutes ago, PhilH said:

Not quite sure where you got this from. 

It stalled one night and they had to get a diesel out to rescue it and then ran the class 20s instead for a few nights: it was referred to in the recent update to all volunteers.

 

Either way it's a pity the Standard 4 left which I would have thought was a good fit for the line.

Edited January 26, 2023 by Hal Nail