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GCR Ending of Lineside Passes, ex-Bridge that Gap: Great Central Railway News

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by LMarsh1987, Nov 26, 2018.

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  1. 60017

    60017 Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    I was musing on what may follow your post....not the post itself!;)
     
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  2. henrywinskill

    henrywinskill Well-Known Member

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    Yes John we dont want any trespass pros coming on here again:Angelic:
     
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  3. jon5051

    jon5051 Member

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    I struggle with the argument that lineside passes really represent good value for a heritage railway on a risk vs reward basis. Giving someone you have little knowledge of, and has passed no (or very limited) health assessment, full unrestricted access to your property for as little as £40 a year would seem ludicrous in many other settings!
     
    Last edited: Nov 28, 2018
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  4. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

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    Complaints have already been made to the railway about linesiders parking on the new build estate at Woodthorpe.
     
    Last edited: Nov 28, 2018
  5. DragonHandler

    DragonHandler Well-Known Member

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    I can understand why that annoys the locals, but if the Woodthorpe estate is part of the public highway and the linesiders cars are parked legally, there's not a lot the locals can do about it. I live near a London suburban station, and in my road and most of the nearby roads a lot of the parked cars belong to commuters which makes it difficult for residents and their visitors to find anywhere to park their cars.
     
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  6. bantam61668

    bantam61668 New Member

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    Will we see less freights at future galas? These are run mainly for the benefit of photographers and if they no longer bring in revenue can they be justified?
    I am a member and lineside padd holder living fairly near the GC, I visit pretty much every gala and some running days, in the future my visits will be far less frequent. Whilst I don’t doubt that my (our) financial contribution is small in the grand scheme of things I can see a scaling back on galas if they become less profitable due to the lack of access. Maybe we will see less intensive timetables and fewer visiting locos in the future?
     
  7. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Deleted - wrong thread!
     
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  8. 60017

    60017 Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    I was definitely scratching my head over the post before you deleted it! LOL
     
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  9. LMarsh1987

    LMarsh1987 Part of the furniture Friend

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    Few other rumours circulating that the railway will nominate some people for future permits. So, only well known/popular photographers will be considered. Videos certainly won't be worth watching anymore !
     
  10. DragonHandler

    DragonHandler Well-Known Member

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    Why should the withdrawal of lineside passes mean a scaling back of galas with less intense timetables, fewer visiting locos and less freight workings?
    I thought they were arranged for everyone, not just photographers (and LS passholders), a couple of my friends who sometimes accompany me to galas are not photographers and are quite happy to just watch the trains. I see quite a few non-camera-carrying people at galas and normal running days.
    I do not, and never have held, an LS pass but I don't see that as any reason for not visiting a gala I often attend two (or more) days and when the TTI comes along the train I see a lot of my fellow enthusiasts presenting multi-day tickets.

    There is photographic life beyond the LS pass, it's just a different life. :)
     
  11. DragonHandler

    DragonHandler Well-Known Member

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    Why will videos shot from within the publicly accessible places not be worth watching?
     
  12. Johnb

    Johnb Nat Pres stalwart

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    We have a new small development in the village of similar houses to those at Woodthorpe and they seem to attract a certain type of professional complainer. One Woodthorpe resident has also made a complaint to the railway as he doesn't like people photographing his house!
     
  13. JEB-245584

    JEB-245584 Member

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    That one always baffles me, if it's a brand new house shouldn't people do the research on the the area first and then take that into account before buying.
     
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  14. bantam61668

    bantam61668 New Member

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    On a busy gala day I’d guess there are almost as many lineside as riding on the trains. Assuming most of these contribute in some way financially to the gala (rover tickets, food, drinks etc) then it follows that if numbers decline as a result of this decision then so will profits.
    I’m pretty sure in the grand scheme of things for an organisation like the GCR the financial contribution of the lineside pass scheme and galas are pretty small but I think if galas start to loose money then it follows that they will be scaled back in future.
    If the numbers quoted elsewhere in this thread are correct then the lineside pass scheme probably pays for the transport of visiting locos for a year. With gala finances in the balance I don’t doubt that if they start to loose money then the first thing to go will be the vast expense of bringing in visiting locos.
     
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  15. Johnb

    Johnb Nat Pres stalwart

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    People don't think like that, some years ago a townie bought a converted barn on a local dairy farm and them spent years complaining because of the noise from the dairy waking him up at 5 in the morning. When foot and mouth came along the farmer took the opportunity to sell the loss making cows to those in the north restocking. Our friend then started writing to the local paper about combining fields late at night at harvest time.
     
  16. Bean-counter

    Bean-counter Part of the furniture

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    I have never held a Lineside Photographic Permit, but have taken thousands of photographs over the year! Hence struggle to understand why LPP holders see them as so essential. Given the extra risks of a double track railway, I am amazed that lineside access (especially, it seems, with no training) has been permitted for so long. Many of the greatest photographs are not taken close enough to the running line for the photographer to need a pass. For some of the more remote lines, the lineside can be a useful 'path' for access to some locations but even then, alternative will often exist.

    I find it sad that a number of people appear only to support the GCR if they can have lineside permits, and hence by implication, don't care about its future if they can't have their LPP. I hope that this is just an expression of understandable disappointment at losing something they previously have had and will not be reflected by actual cessation of Friends membership.

    Steven
     
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  17. DragonHandler

    DragonHandler Well-Known Member

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    I'm not quite sure about that statement. A standard Mk1 coach can seat about 60 people, so a six coach train can have about 380 (or so) passengers and I don't recall seeing that many lineside at galas.
     
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  18. Drop_Shunt

    Drop_Shunt New Member

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    Not even close, on a busy day there may be in the region of two TSOs worth of lineside photographers. Do not fall for the Photographer myth - they would have you believe that people only come to the railway for photography. What they mean is that *they* only come for photography, and they cannot conceive that anyone else may be different to them.

    Edit: LOL, beaten to the point by DragonHandler :)
     
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  19. DragonHandler

    DragonHandler Well-Known Member

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    Research? Research?! It seems to me that many people don't look beyond the house they're buying. My late father had some friends who moved to a very nice house in lovely country village and when we went to visit them they spend most of the time complaining that there was nothing in the village, no pub, no church, no village hall, no post office etc etc and that the nearest shop was a good half hours drive away.
     
  20. bantam61668

    bantam61668 New Member

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    So all trains are full at galas? I often travel as well as photograph on the GCR the last time I attended on a gala Sunday there were times when I had a coach to myself. I admit the Saturdays can be very busy and I guess you are right that more do travel than lineside. But I’m sure that margins are tight in such events and for example 100 fewer people visit per day in January that’s sure to hit the finances.
    I have a lineside pass for now but will still attend in the future, just not as often. I feel no right to entitlement and do appreciate other sides if the hobby, in fact my interest in steam is minimal I’m mostly interested by haulage on diesels and amassing mileage, most of my railway days are in Europe nowadays . The GCR is the one exception where I do make an effort to photograph steam and in the future I suspect I will be doing so less frequently, there are only photos you take at Kinchley Lane and Beeches road...
     
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