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"turnover is vanity, profit is sanity but cash is king".

 

If my maths is right that is a loss of 0.013%. In a year when coal prices have been through the roof, it’s been difficult to source guest steam locos for galas (and for example they had to hire a loco from Embsay for a week to cover a traction shortage) and there have been various other factors at play, I’d say that that is not bad going. Continue the excellent hard work that’s going on, get a bit of luck that they haven’t had last year and that will easily hit a profit.

 

I mean the post is right, a loss is a loss. As harsh as it may sound the point is valid.

Some of the decisions do seem a bit odd. I mean why go to all the expense of getting 34072 back from Swanage for one weekend?
Thats got to be nearly £10k of lorry and hire fee and you will not make that back.
That is unless of course it’s appearance is being sponsored by a supporter or organisation.

 

That weekend is in fact the 3 day Summer Steam Gala.

 

The point still stands, you won’t get £10k extra spend off that vistor, especially as it’s supposedly home based and there for one weekend.
Like I say, if it’s externally sponsored then that’s different and I see the logic.

 

As 34072 is based at Tunbridge Wells West, we're not paying for it to come and go. The same if for example the Class 33 goes away on hire or when the Jinty last operated.

 

I'm no fool, I've done this for nearly 10yrs and I'm well aware that £14k loss is a loss but when you read constantly in the press about losses equating to hundreds of thousands I thought (wrongly) that some might like to hear that it isn't all like that.

 

I don’t think anyone was suggesting you were.
I was obviously wrong about 34072.

I think no matter what the loss, all heritage railways are struggling, some with huge losses may be having that caused by having to undertake expensive infrastructure repairs or maintenance.
The Spa doesn’t have that immediate issue but you have said before you have major infrastructure projects ahead so we can collectively hope that the small loss turns into a decent profit going forward.

 

Keep up the good work Jonnie. Your attitude towards communication is refreshing!

 

You think that Jonnie doesn't know that?
He doesn't have to publish the figures here for you to (somewhat bizarrely) send to the directors of your railway.
Cut the guy some slack, he's doing a great job in very challenging times.

 

@Jonnie as well as you not being a fool, you and your small team of volunteers run a medium length, wonderful heritage railway that attracts a lot of visitors and gives a very great deal of pleasure.

I've not been there for a fairly short while (chasing Bulleids elsewhere!), but I certainly plan to have a three day ticket for the 12-14th July Summer steam gala. And the Goodwill that event should generate will very likely see another modest donation made on top of the ticket price. And I'm always keeping an eye out for whatever visiting loco you do decide to pay for transporting in/out. Maybe one day 31806 facing up the hill towards Tunbridge Wells West. . . . . . That will bring back some memories for me of SR moguls working there in 1962.

Bryan B

 

That is really a debate not about a loco returning to its home base after a loan, before it goes off on another, but the whole "value" for the want of a better word of visiting locos.
Using your number and say an average £40 gala ticket that means you have to sell 250 tickets just to cover the movement costs of that loco.
May be worth a thread of its own but where do diminishing returns set in? Did not the NYMR have recent gala with 14 locos (so I guess many were visitors) and not everyone worked every day.

 

Absolutely right. In its last year (1999) my company had £1m turnover and made a profit but ran out of cash!

 

I don't know about fourteen locos. Last years gala manged 11 as far as I can remember. Lucie, 29, 926, 5428, 55189, 60007, 65894, 75069, 80136, 92134 and 92214 of which 55189, 60007, 75069 and 92214 were visitors. As you suggested, not every one worked every day, 10 or elven being the norm. Whether due to visiting locos, I don't know but it was judged to be a great success financially. £300K+ runs in my mind but I could be way out there and I don't know whether that was tickets only or gross income.