Swanage Railway General Discussion

Is that going to be significant for their needs? If so then why should that be a problem?

 

It’s not even right.

Edited to clarify that I wouldn't spend too much time wondering if the list is "significant" (sufficient?) as it isn't even right.

 

Would you be able to provide the accurate list?

 

Plus a 121 and a 3 car 117.
As the green 08 has been parked up for over a year as I assume the railway can do without it.

 

Walking back from yet another trip to Boots yesterday afternoon I found the Margate dust being washed off Car 14. Which for the first time since I have lived down here is now on the Swanage end of the stock.

 

Most of the stock movements on the railway seem to get carried out by the 33s anyway. I certainly can’t see a need for two 08s. It would be a shame for the green one to go though. That has a long history on the railway and was used to rebuild most of the line in the 1980s and 1990s.

 

No because that would be up to the railway to do, if they wished, and I’d probably be as wrong as Tom.

 

The green one belongs to Swanage Railway (at the moment anyway) and the black one is leased or hired? Is this right?

 

Although it is now some time ago, I am pretty certain that the second 08 was purchased after an initial leased period.

 

Second sold out week of the Diesel Driving experience provided some indifferent weather. During a brighter period (despite totally blue skies when I left Swanage about 25 minutes before) the return leg of the first run after lunch today is seen approaching Townsend Bridge.

 

I’m not sure why, but I do like that.

edit. Perhaps it’s the cows?!!

 

Too much information!

Tom

 

For anyone in the Swanage area today, the T3 is in operation. It departed Swanage at 09:45 and is hauling four mk.1 coaches. <BJ>

 

Im told a private charter and not for public use.

 

Would make sense as I noticed the crew have their "Victorian attire" on today, which seemed a little excessive for a test run that I assumed it was as I walked by from the Co op earlier this morning.

 

The latest Swanning Around does certainly give some 'food for thought' (pun intended) as to the catering dilemma.

It states that the static catering operation barely makes any money and from a certain analysis may even have lost money.

Given that much of the labour is provided by volunteers, and as far as I am aware there is no "rent" for the kiosks and carriage, this suggests a somewhat concerning situation.

As no volunteers have come forward to manage the catering operation, the plan is to outsource the catering to a third party on an income share concessionaire basis.

One has to wonder if such an operation would be attractive to a concessionaire if it appears it does not pay especially if that is based on mainly volunteer labour. Likewise the problems many catering outlets have had in Purbeck (and elsewhere) in recruiting and retaining staff.

It does make one wonder what the best catering solution would be - one, two or three outlets and if less than three at which locations.

Let us hope that someone is able to come forward with an offering that is attractive to customers, financially viable and provide a worthwhile revenue stream to the railway.

 

If a catering operation that uses volunteer labour barely makes any money, how on earth can a contracted-out commercial operation do better, let alone so much better as to deliver a worthwhile amount of cash to the Railway?

 

You assume that labour is the only cost. If run on a concession basis, there might be economies of scale and a different eye on how to promote the operation - including what prices are set. And, from a slightly different experience, the advantage to the railway is massive. It transfers risk to the concessionaire, while also freeing up scarce cash for other purposes - potentially even more important.

My hunch (and it's far too long since I've been to Purbeck) is that the real challenge is the level of competition, where there are plenty of alternatives.

 

It might be that the range of food and the opening hours that volunteers can support makes the outlets unattractive versus the competition?

 

By doing something different? Clearly the same model won't work, but one assumes any business that comes forwards will have a plan for a different gap in the market.

Making money for the railway might be considered a nice-to-have. It's not making money now, but catering is needed to entice people in ("let's not go there - we can't get lunch")