SVR General Discussion

Whilst there is always room for improvement, as anyone who has ever done marketing for a heritage railway or any other organisation will know, it takes huge investment to collect the right data in the right way. It takes more investment to analyse that data. Simple it is not. Most hr lack the resources (even the big ones) to make the sort of analysis that the big consumer goods companies manage and that make it look so obvious (which it isn’t, they just have deep pockets and consistent investment).

It is the same with trying to cover every potential outlet that might offer a promotional opportunity. It isn’t possible or affordable.

 

OMG - they really are loosing the plot at Bridgnorth aren't they?. I don't like to knock a railway when its down but that is truely awful and not railway preservation in my view.

Peter

 

Has the through ticket returned since Covid?

 

Possibly not, but neither is the identity crisis a certain ex LMS 4-6-0 seems to be having for a certain TOC that you also work for Peter…
Owners choice and all that though…

 

Just had a look on National Rail enquiries and it doesn’t seem to be up on there.

 

I didn’t know that, shows how well it’s been advertised

 

As I say I’ve just had a look on National Rail Enquiries and it doesn’t seem to be available at the moment.
It was pretty good value for money in the past though.

 

You may think that Matt.........I couldn't possibly comment!

Peter

 

Cor, a lot to get through. As I understand it:

More than half of passengers start at Kidder, a reason given for the early 2023 having all the trainsets starting there. I don't know the car/public transport split.
I don't believe that through ticketing resumed after the pandemic, certainly it wasn't back in 2022
There was talk about coming again for free, SVR is offering that with 2023 tickets bought in advance.
Heritage railways haven't been at the cutting edge of data usage. The SVR moved to Tessitura in 2022 and increasingly data is being used to inform decisions and pricing (I'm a mite sceptical about over-reliance on data though!)
Digital marketing is really where it's at these days and the SVR has said that its digital is doing well. It's still doing print advertising and putting 180k leaflets out, a lot of NT and other distribution points are controlled by agencies who will remove unauthorised publicity so, by necessity, some distribution will be paid for.
As @Pete Thornhill has said the Railway's PR is very active (I'm on the distribution list).
They do visitor surveys. They get a lot of visitor reviews. I've seen something about online surveys coming

 

Looks good to me. Not prototypical, of course, but heigh ho. A Jarvis looks good in almost anything (except dirt, natch).
Pat

 

If you've missed the livery debate, it's a short term thing because (a) it's got to come out of purple (b) they're going to do an intermediate overhaul from this autumn, if they did an expensive full repaint now it'd only be for a few months (c) it's quick and cheap to cover the purple (d) publicity (e) owners are onboard with it

 

Can't see how it's any different to having a class 50 in Intercity / Loadhaul livery, its a 'what might have been'. Its only temporary and there are plenty of others about in green.
Not a big fan of black personally, too much of it around - think I preferred the purple!

 

One of the local media outlets has already been to Bridgnorth to check out the paintwork. Another one up for the SVR publicity machine

 

Bad for the people involved Pete but I am not sure I or most would class redundancies as bad news these days. So many companies in all fields announce them, there is not much "news" in it. This afternoon it is Sainsburys with Argos distribution centers.

 

7714's paint wasn't in a tired state at all. It wasn't pristine, but the locomotive is in active use. I visited Blaenavon in September when 7714 starred there and looked absolute fine to me, well turned out. 5764 was in a tired condition at the end of her last ticket, and there's nothing really wrong with that. These are working machines.

 

Exactly
I doubt anybody will be put off buying a ticket because the Loco is black if they notice at all.
Paints primary purpose is too keep the rust off no more no less. If the Purple colour had to go better a cheap simple covering than all that fussy expensive lining out steam Locos are normally covered over with.

 

Its worth pointing out that repainting a loco which still has reasonably if slightly worn paint is an awful lot easier & cheaper than trying to repaint one which needs many days of remedial work before getting anywhere near topcoat stage. This loco still has several years active service in front of it and at the end of that it may well be on static exhibition for a while. An easy repaint now is certainly not a waste.

 

& as pointed out above, it was in the owner's contract with the railway for it to be done.
Given Taw Valley has also had a coat of black, perhaps they have had a good deal on bulk buy of paint..
I note the Great Central are being applauded for repainting a 9F in the last year of its ticket, when it's current paintwork was more than acceptable.


Having read this thread daily for the last couple of weeks, please allow me a small rant..
Can I please plead with a few of the posters on here to judge the SVR on its actions at the end of the year, not 2 months in. It takes months to plan timetables, rosters, events, budgets and then advertising. The railway is a big business, not small and nimble. It takes vast numbers of staff just to open. This year was always going to be difficult to judge and rightly or wrongly the railway has elected to take a conservative approach in the face of unprecedented rising costs, & a very mixed 2022. We don't know how poor yet as the accounts haven't yet been published, some have even suggested a small surplus, not the huge loss that has been banded about.
(Some) other railways have taken a different approach, but they perhaps can afford to take higher risk and don't require big resources to open. I do not think the SVR is a 'basket case' or 'has lost the plot' - it is trying to navigate a sustainable way through a very uncertain time.
I have been a supporter of the SVR for 30 years now, most of my life. It has given me a huge amount of joy. I wish to see it survive and ultimately thrive. Some of the comments on hear make me wonder if some would prefer to see it fold. We have had a change of manager (much called for on here), there are better times on the horizon, but increased costs and the overall market have like it or not changed things for good. Just witness the railtour market at the moment for how little disposable income is around at the moment. Due to huge increased costs every steam hauled train must now justify its existence. No railway knows the correct approach at the moment, this will however be clearer by 2024.
Please be patient and get behind the railway - this year is massively important. Knocking it every available opportunity helps no one and just makes morale worse.
My membership is renewed & as usual, I will be there for both steam and diesel galas as a start and hopefully a few more running days as the year goes on, hope others are there too.