You've won The Euros

I think I'd set up an annual standing order for a substantial amount to the KWVR, as it's my "home" line, and I've spent many happy days there since I was a nipper. I'd also happily pay for the overhaul of some of the NRM collection too, seeing as I am not an Engineer, such as 2500, 4771 and MR 1000.
Must remember to leave a few thousand aside to ensure my bus sees a road again before I cark it too... Progress is somewhat slow at the moment due to Camelot's seeming disinterest at being involved!

Richard.

 

Of the many things I could do (and others I haven't thought of yet), I'd acquire 42859 and restore it in L&YR livery, with an L&Y style tender as it might have been had Hughes built it, before grouping. It'll have more newbuild pedigree by then than half of the current cut & shut jobs so why not

Fund WD 3672's restoration

And look into whether GNR 251 could be restored to steam (with the superheater put back) or at the very least, pay for it to be repainted - the colour mismatch between the boiler and tender is a pet peeve of mine

Other things on the wishlist would include, but not limited to:
- a rebuilt MN, preferably 009, 011 or 022, with high sided tender, like this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/31514768@N05/3847701829/in/set-72157615594816930
- a 2 tone green Class 50 - D444 looked the Korean meatballs wearing that livery
- a 72xx tank, probably '29
- a 9F with BR1B tender in lined MT livery and early crest
- rebuild/modify the Butterly spares jinty to look like this: http://www.railuk.info/gallery/steam/br_lms/43183.jpg
- and a black 5 is a must, to run modified at some point like 44686/7 - sod it, maybe I'd just go whole hog and build 44688 and keep the conventional one too!

 

Or perhaps even rebuild it as a J41 for the MNR or NNR.

 

This is something that usually goes through my head from time to time. So here it goes:

If I was to win big money on the Euro's, then this is what I'd probably do?

New build GWR 2-8-0, 3000 'R.O.D' Class. I know we have a lot of Ex-GWR 2-8-0's about the place, but none of the R.O.D class were saved from the scrapyard.

Purchase one of the following from the NRM - 4771, Midland Compound No. 1000 or the Stirling Single. And return to working order!
Or
Purchase either 'Dukedog' 9017 or Ivatt 46441. And move that loco to Llangollen.

But I would also make a donation to some of loco societies that I' am a member of, Patriot Project and 7822. As well as putting money into some of the restoration projects that are currently going on.

 

You'd have to buy the Devil a snowplough first, I dare say.

 

Well I'd buy a siding in Luton, then buy 2859 to put on it...

Obviously I'd pour my funds into the GWSR, on the list of things to do would be to double the track, finish off paying for the extension to Broadway and onto Honeybourne too for a start. Then I'd rebuild the 'boxes at CRC and Gotherington to stop people moaning at them, build a nice carriage shed for us, and then for something to put in it, a rake or two of proper GWR carriages.

On the wider front, I'd probably agree with others and unrebuild a MN and get it into working order, pay for Green arrow's and City of Truro's overhauls, and Scotsman's of course, the NSR "New L" and I think perhaps Gladstone. That'll do for now anyway...

 

I'd also reopen the Beck Hole branch. What a lovely little run that would make.

 

Appoint Stuart Reeder as my project manager and start mass-producing copper boilers. Everyone will want one in 10 years time...

 

When the scrap price of copper skyrockets?

 

I'd new build a Highland Railway River class.
May have a few weight/ gauging issues, though.

 

GNR 1470 ;-)

 

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that a group in the Netherlands were looking at a new build of one of the Robinsons, either a "Fish Engine" or "Immingham" class if I remember rightly. This is starting to feel more and more daft as I continue to type, but I think that the reason may have been that some of the class were purchased and imported there. A quick look via google has drawn a blank though.

Anyway, if this story isn't the product of a sick mind entering the first stages of early onset dementia, it might be interesting to find out if they have made any progress. If the project is still alive, it might be feasible to partner up with them and build two, one for them and one for us?

 

Well, there must be economies in scale batch-building them! And there are certainly less useful new builds one could think of.

Anyway, I'm sure we've all probably day-dreamed along such lines. So mine would be:

1) A historic progression of Brighton tank engines: Stroudley D; Bob Billinton D3; Marsh J class; Lawson Billinton L class

2) Relay and re-signal Horsted Keynes back to the original plan, complete with north box and sweeping junction at the south end (bullhead rail, natch); remove all the bi-directional signalling. OK, lots of loss of operational flexibility, but what an appearance! The complex point and crossing work of the traditional steam era is something that is getting increasingly rare on heritage railways, and HK can justify it more than most locations.

3) Re-instate the water facilities at HK, complete with steam pumping infrastructure. That one is actually in the Bluebell LTP!

So, once those vanity projects are done, the serious one: work out and then provide whatever was needed (in terms of workshop space, storage space, materials, tools and staff) to make loco and C&W restoration completely sustainable for whatever future size the railway develops to, including making in-roads into the waiting list of carriages awaiting restoration. Starting with the LCDR 6-wheel passenger brake van and and the SECR 6 wheel birdcage brake.

Have I any money left?

Tom

 

If we are dealing solely with the Bluebell then the HK water supply seems a good idea. More pressing would be to ease the gradient between Kingscote and East Grinstead to its original specification thus reducing the need, if it really is there, to use expensive large motive power.

Less Bluebell specific would be the mass production of rolling stock of the sorts used by the various grouped companies for secondary services. Compartment stock would need some re-design to render it suitable for disabled use but this has been done already in some places. S.E.C.R. "Trio C" stock or L.S.W.R. gate stock come to mind as far as the south is concerned. Narrow gauge lines have been doing this sort of thing for years.

Paul H.

 

This is simple, buy the remaining un-rebuilt southern Pacific's and cut the bloody things up.

Fitters 1 / Bullied 0

 

Tom

 

Buy a very large, preferrably rail connected undercover storage facility, build in restoration 'bays' and a large well equipped machine shop. Use the facility to help groups struggling for covered, well equipped facilities to be able to come and work on locos/stock for a peppercorn rent. Phase in training program to increase the skills pool and help keep railway heritage going!

Probably look at providing some kind of finance arrangements for groups, enabling them to fast track overhauls and begin earning money to pay back....

Pet projects;

Help get Blue Peter back in service
New build P1
Recover 'Nesta' and restore her.


Chris

 

Adding to the Kidderminster part:
Platform canopy (ok, it's in the pipeline but serious cash injection is need for it to appear anytime soon)
Re-align the track on platform 2 to allow the repositioning of P2 starter to allow longer trains to fit.
Adding to above, extend the platform. Currently 7 mark 1's fit from the runround mark to the end of the platform and frequently trains are longer than that
Upgrade/signal 2EL to passenger standards and extend the dock to make platform 3. Useful at galas to have another platform and it means the diner can depart from there without having to be moved acrossed.
Surface the car park (on the cards but as with Bewdley, down the list of priorities)

Then spend the rest maintaining it all...

 

So you've used your windfall to cure cancer/create world peace/take care of all your family and friends/buy yourself an Aston Martin or whatever and still have a wad of cash to spend on your hobby of Railway Heritage.

So for me I think I would deplete the pile of rhino thus:

1. Procure Eastleigh Railway Works and invest enough to allow the site to be come the go to centre for all things heritage railway for both locomotives and rolling stock, use the operations to lower the costs of heritage overhauls by economy of scale.
2. Purchase one of the unrestored Merchant Navy class locomotives and overhaul it to original condition
3. New build a small batch of Bulleid coaches (steel bodied for mainline use)
4. Engineer LSWR-Drummond era tooling/patterns to manufacture standard boilers/cylinder blocks/etc
5. New Build a small batch of LSWR locomotives T9/M7/700 classes etc
6. Buy the T1 boiler at Bitten, overhaul it and build a he rest of the loco for it
7. Purchase all available LSWR Ironclad coaches and restore.

...and if I had any money left to 'invest' I would by a WD 2-10-0 from Greece restore it as 90776 and restore a couple of Stainer coaches and run them on the Strathspay railway.

 

Personally I would help the Talyllyn (as has been suggested above) - not only a lovely little line in its own right, but of vital historical importance. I would perhaps see what could be done to boost visitor numbers in the wider area, as the whole area has struggled a lot recently, not just the TR (so I am told by family who live nearby, and in various conversations with locals).
My only condition would be that all the TR locos get painted simultaneously in TR green, at least for a season, for personal nostalgia reasons - then they can go back to more merchandise-marketable multicoloured!
Another candidate for my largesse would be Bressingham - somewhere which played an important part in preservation during the hard years, but has had quite a few setbacks lately. Although being selflish, perhaps I would give as much money as it takes to relocate somewhere a bit further west. The Cambridge area has quite a lot of well-off people, good tourist numbers, and no local railway (NVR notwithstanding). How about moving Bressingham to just north of the A14 somewhere there... Just so I can visit as often as I like! And get the Krupp pacifics both working again, and the 2' gauge and standard - and try and attract some more of the National Collection again. Perhaps even Royal Scot (in LMS red...) and Oliver Cromwell...