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Baldwin "Lyn" new build.

Discussion in 'Narrow Gauge Railways' started by Meiriongwril, Jan 25, 2009.

  1. SpudUk

    SpudUk Well-Known Member

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    The cab has been ordered for display at this summers galas
     
  2. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

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    That's not news either - it was announced before the wheels were cast!
     
  3. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    Reading through the website, I don't think the wheels have actually been cast yet - the patterns have been made though.

    Counting the sponsorship of components and assuming that all memberships have been fully paid up, the group should have just over £88,000 in the bank. With the boiler priced at £45,000 and the main frame casting at £12,000, this means that the group should have the funds to order both of these major components. I know that sometimes having large components around can be a nightmare because storage space is at a premium, but with lead times from boilermakers I doubt that this will be a problem. The group would gain a lot of publicity from having taken delivery of, or at least ordered these items as it would show a serious commitment. Having a pattern for the wheels, a nameplate and a relatively inexpensive cab does not show real progress in my mind.

    I wish the project well, but 2012 is not far away and unless major progress is made very quickly I think the target date will be missed.


    Keith
     
  4. Once the Boiler is built i will put my hand in my pocket!
     
  5. MartinBall

    MartinBall Guest

    It should be noted that shares can be paid for over a 3 year period, so I would doubt that we can assume that all memberships are fully paid up. All such projects tend to slip a little in terms of timing, but when there's news on the boiler it'll go on the club website.
     
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  6. SpudUk

    SpudUk Well-Known Member

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    I would be more likely to support financially if a boiler had been ordered or something, if there was something tangable to see, then I think people might be more likely to support, seeing where their money is going or something!

    Can't wait to see things progress though!!
     
  7. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    I realise that not all the money may be 'in the bank' at this very moment, but the commitment by the members to provide that money over the next 3 years, should have allowed more progress to be made than appears to be the case. The last real news was back in October 09 when the wheel patterns were revealed, then there was nothing until the 18th March this year when the cab construction was announced (although '61624' says that this was announced previously and indeed the Summer 09 newsletter does say that it is 'being made').

    Maybe there's a lot of work going on in the background that hasn't been added to the website, but surely that is what the website is for - to let people know that you're making progress, then they will know that the project is going places and they may be more inclined to invest! The comments from 'rough-shunter' and 'spuduk' seem to back up this theory.
    I have always maintained that you are better not having a website at all than having one that is out of date.

    Martin, can we assume from your message that the investors have had news updates besides those on the website? I do understand that railway projects tend to slip in terms of timing and quite often budget, but I hope that this will be measured in £100s and weeks/months, and not in £1000s and years.

    Again, I would like to make clear that I wish the project well, but I am struggling to see why so little progress is being announced when the project seems to have a reasonably solid financial footing, hopefully the interest in this thread might prompt some more news.


    Keith
     
  8. I see it this way i like the idea of building lyn however untill there is more evidence that it is progresing well i wont put my hand in my pocket the wheels and cab are not what i expect to see from a new build not so early in the build
     
  9. Jark91

    Jark91 Member

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    Yeah, even as a fairly poor student I'd like to contribute to this but I won't consider it until there's an order for the boiler or something else fairly major. Even accounting for the fact that a lot of the benefactors are paying on a monthly basis rather than up-front there should be enough cash banked to make some progress...
     
  10. MartinBall

    MartinBall Guest

    See the following from the news section of the website updated this weekend:
    "The order has been placed for construction of the cab for ‘Lyn’ with AWH Joinery ltd in Luton. The cab will be constructed to the designs & details of the original, in American Ash with hardwood windows and steel infill panels. Drawings were prepared using the original general arrangement drawings plus information culled from photographs taken at various times in the life of the original loco.

    Using the demountable features incorporated by Baldwin Locomotive Works the new cab can be stored easily and, more importantly, moved around to various locations for display. The first of these will be at Woody Bay for the Spring Gala. The metal roof covering will not be added until the cab is assembled on the locomotive but the tongued & grooved timber roof boarding will be in place. Hopefully the driver’s seat will also be installed.

    The opportunity to sit inside Lyn’s cab, looking out on the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway for the first time since 1935: who could miss that!

    The steel bunker should be ready to accompany the cab in the next few months, certainly in time for the Autumn Gala."

    For all those saying I won't contribute money to help pay for the loco until they've spent the money needed to pay for the loco, I'd remind you of the immortal words of Mr Spock: 'That is illogical captain'! :)
     
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  11. SpudUk

    SpudUk Well-Known Member

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    Red rag to a bull quoting Trek with me Martin!! I am a loyal trekkie if ever there was one!

    I think it is a logical course of action to reserve investment in a project until a major component has been ordered, making the investment more tangable. What would be more illogical is to invest in a project that has nothing to show for itself so far. Are there plans for the boiler or frames to be ordered soon, so something is tangable and the project can be seen to be moving forward, creating buzz and exictment and motivating people to contribute??

    Not that I am a moaner or anything, as can be seen by all my Lyd posts, I can be quite impatient when it comes to exciting L&B projects. Oh that reminds me, when will they be getting a heritage train and the extension being started and finished!?!?!?!? I am not visiting Woody Bay until I can ride in a proper L&B carriage or behind a proper L&B loco!

    I joke, of course...sort of :p
     
  12. MartinBall

    MartinBall Guest

    For all you impatient folks, the answer is: Go to the website; click on contacts; email Peter Miles the project manager - you can just click on the link there to send a message.

    I'm stuck the wrong side of the pond and am not up-to-date with all the plans. As far as I am aware the decision to go first for the cab was so it can be taken to shows etc as a sign of progress - not so easy with a boiler. I do know the whole scheme was planned meticulously, so a boiler will be ordered at the right time. Maybe the team will put out a bit more publicity to convince the "I need you to do things my way" crowd! :)
     
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  13. SpudUk

    SpudUk Well-Known Member

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    Oh yea sorry Martin I keep forgetting you're over there!
     
  14. AndrewT

    AndrewT Member

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    I'm intrigued by the hardwood windows. Isn't glass more traditional?
     
  15. ilvaporista

    ilvaporista Part of the furniture

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    Bit difficult to see through I find.. Hardwood that is..
     
  16. MartinBall

    MartinBall Guest

    Andrew -
    I think the hardwood was so the crew wouldn't become nervous if they saw sheep wandering onto the line .... :)
     
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  17. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

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    It seems to me that any scheme that is soliciting donations needs to show that it is making significant progress with what it already has. If 1/3 of the shares are sold, the team planning the build have a future income stream of getting on for £100,000 and I'd have expected them to be looking at ordering significant chunks of the loco. I'm not convinced that a wooden cab and wheel patterns can be classed as particularly significant components with that sort of money potentially available.
     
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  18. here here ! as for my stance being illogical lyn would be the only project i would contribute to as i feel this is what the L&b needsi allso feel that the cab as nice as it may be could end up as a garden shed if the scheme folds!
     
  19. MartinBall

    MartinBall Guest

    Gentlemen - my advice stands. Go to www.762club.com and then either email the officers or use the FAQ tab and send a message via the "email your question here" link. I'm happy with the way the club is run but if you're interested then please do take this route.

    BTW, Jud, it's "hear, hear" why would anyone ask people to be 'here' twice...? :)
     
  20. Old Kent Biker

    Old Kent Biker Member

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    Work on LYN has been continuing in the background, with a large number of drawings being prepared. The project management team are working to a detailed plan, and as has been noted, orders are beginning to be placed for major components.

    A newsletter is being prepared, and although it will go first to existing members and subscribers, it will be published on the web site. As has been stated above, there is a careful balance needed between making major spending commitments before the funds are guaranteed, leaving the project at risk of financial difficulties, and delaying substantial visible progress such that interest among supporters wanes. With almost a third of the funds having been raised or pledged, I think the balance is about right, and I'm sure that news of further orders will be announced in the next few weeks and months. To keep in touch with these developments, Please keep checking out the website, or subscribe to the RSS feed. Also, if anyone has any material on LYN that could be put on the website, please let me know.

    Anyone wishing to support the project can do so by sponsoring an individual item - anything from a boiler (£45,000) to a boiler stay (£14). To do this, and help this unique project to a succesful conclusion, just click on the link from the front page of the website.

    Cheers, Martyn (762club.com website manager)
     

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