Great Central Railway News and Updates

[Roast Veg]

Actually I suspect from the perspective of the insurers it's quite an easy claim, as the society knows exactly what components are missing!

 

[Flying Phil]

In the event Roast Veg it was very difficult - because so many, small, odd parts were taken and the larger parts cannot be bought "Off the Shelf". They all needed quotations obtaining for replacement - and there are very very few places that are even prepared, or able, to quote. Then there is the difficulty of small batches of specialist material .....and replacing 70 year old parts with new.....is that like for like?
But the insurers are being very fair - to their credit.

 

[38Cto15E]

Thanks for the good news Phil.

 

[Flying Phil]

There was a very interesting leaflet with the latest issue of "Main Line"... a 5 year plan for the GCR. Obviously there is an increased emphasis on safety but also the importance of volunteers and interpretation of our artefacts and operations.
There was stated that the double track to Leicester North would be fundamental to the operation of the 18 mile railway when the "Gap" project is completed. Additionally, the Museum complex at Leicester North is still very much a long term aim.
The GCR is still going "Forward"!

 

[railfan99]

In its 23 December 2023 "Rail Mail", the GCR says it is "rethinking its approach" to linking the Canal Bridge and the Midland Main Line bridge. I don't know what this means.

It also mentions a loss of GBP500,000 for calendar 2023, blaming the increased cost of coal and a quadrupling (!) in the cost of utilities (that I assume includes electricity). The latter seems extraordinary.

Apparently it no longer can rely on a previous 'rich benefactor'.

I hope its finances improve. Time to make a donation!

 

[D Williams]

In its 23 December 2023 "Rail Mail", the GCR says it is "rethinking its approach" to linking the Canal Bridge and the Midland Main Line bridge. I don't know what this means.

It also mentions a loss of GBP500,000 for calendar 2023, blaming the increased cost of coal and a quadrupling (!) in the cost of utilities (that I assume includes electricity). The latter seems extraordinary.

Apparently it no longer can rely on a previous 'rich benefactor'.

I hope its finances improve. Time to make a donation!

This is the harsh reality that is facing all heritage railways. It's called "having to live within your means".

 

[railfan99]

This is the harsh reality that is facing all heritage railways. It's called "having to live within your means".

Am I correct that the UK Lotteries organisation won't give grants for recurrent expenses (e.g. salaries, utilities) but only for capital items such as a bridge reconstruction?

 

[D Williams]

Am I correct that the UK Lotteries organisation won't give grants for recurrent expenses (e.g. salaries, utilities) but only for capital items such as a bridge reconstruction?

It's a long time since I obtained a Lottery grant , no doubt the rules have changed but these were/are aimed at capital projects. You may have to demonstrate sufficient revenue can be generated to keep the activity / asset going but, in general, the Lottery won't pay for running costs. There are many hoops to jump through and many variables as to whether you are successful. For example the GCR bid for a museum building was rejected. Whether "bridge reconstruction" ticks the box is an unknown. As you may have gathered, the UK is full of heritage organisations ( it's one of the few growth industries) all clamouring for money. Many have staff employed for the sole purpose of obtaining grant funding as there are many more sources than the National Lottery. Here is a link;

Funding

Find out how to apply for and manage funding for your project.

www.heritagefund.org.uk

 

[Flying Phil]

Meanwhile, back at Rothley C & W shed, we have been working on our next 16T mineral wagon. This was an ex ICI wagon and had an inner skin which we had hoped to restore in that condition, but closer examination revealed an original floor that was in really poor condition and so all the inner skin has been removed and we will return the wagon to its original 5 door condition. It has an early rivetted chassis with only two manual brakes.

 

[D Williams]

The Great Central Railway in Leicestershire has announced a voluntary redundancy scheme in order to save around £250,000.

Whilst most of the railway is run by volunteers, those positions that are filled by paid staff have been offered the chance to apply for redundancy.

Along with the redundancy programme, the railway has sold its 50% share in an 8F steam locomotive to the David Clarke Railway Trust, which is the official supporting charity of the GCR, and the railway says other assets may be disposed of in the coming weeks.


Staff have been notified of the programme today (15th January), and the railway says that compulsory redundancies may be necessary if there are not enough expressions of interest.

 

[The exile]

and the railway says that compulsory redundancies may be necessary if there are not enough expressions of interest.

Whatever the financial backstory, this bit is surely standard wording…

 

[duffield]

So they have "around 75" paid employees; is that fairly typical for a large heritage railway? From my position of ignorance I would have guessed maybe half that number.

 

[1Q18]

So they have "around 75" paid employees; is that fairly typical for a large heritage railway? From my position of ignorance I would have guessed maybe half that number.

It doesn’t specify what the break-down is of full-time, part-time and seasonal staff.

 

[WesternLancer]

It's all very worrying - and sad news.

I'm guessing majority of us on this thread and most of the forum are enthusiasts and thus support this superb line from that point of view - but many members of the general public enjoy it very much too - for example I was chatting to a friend the other day who grew up and still lives in Leicestershire - she was taken there as a child fairly regularly (probably in the 90s I am guessing) and really enjoys it, and now she has a small child herself, takes him there with the rest of the family.

 

[Cowley]

So they have "around 75" paid employees; is that fairly typical for a large heritage railway? From my position of ignorance I would have guessed maybe half that number.

That does seem pretty high. When I used to volunteer on the Mid Hants in the 1990s (a time when they were financially struggling) I think there were only around 10 paid members of staff and at least one of them was part time.

One running the shops, three in management, one in charge of the carriage and wagon department and the rest in various roles in the locomotive department - including a boiler-smith and the manager overseeing it all. I’m pretty sure that was it as the people running the station restaurants and buffets bid for it and paid the railway.

 

[wce]

That does seem pretty high. When I used to volunteer on the Mid Hants in the 1990s (a time when they were financially struggling) I think there were only around 10 paid members of staff and at least one of them was part time.

One running the shops, three in management, one in charge of the carriage and wagon department and the rest in various roles in the locomotive department - including a boiler-smith and the manager overseeing it all. I’m pretty sure that was it as the people running the station restaurants and buffets bid for it and paid the railway.

In the GCR case they have large numbers of employees for their catering operations, which the railway seems to do a lot of compared to other railways.

For comparison the SVR employs around 70, there were more prior yo Covid & their financial woes but there were of course redundancies.

 

[duffield]

It doesn’t specify what the break-down is of full-time, part-time and seasonal staff.

That's true. This previous discussion of paid staff seems to suggest based on the salary bill that it might equate to half or a bit less than that number of FTEs (Full-Time Equivalents).
The same thread also notes that there were 99 paid staff in 2019...

 

[Mat17]

I hope things can get on a firmer footing. It's my favourite heritage railway by a country mile.

 

[Titfield]

Swanage Railway has / had about 38 FTE but this was down after a number of redundancies post covid. They have been consulting about further redundancies due to their financial position.

The reality seems to be that many tourist attractions have seen a significant down turn in the number of visitors: possibly due to a combination of changing habits / tastes due to COVID and the financial position of one of the two core visitor markets (families).

 

[Cowley]

In the GCR case they have large numbers of employees for their catering operations, which the railway seems to do a lot of compared to other railways.

For comparison the SVR employs around 70, there were more prior yo Covid & their financial woes but there were of course redundancies.

Ah that makes sense. Thanks for that.

 

[DCSA]

It’s a matter of public record (accounts for year ending Jan 2023) that a year ago there were 103 paid staff, and the salary bill was approaching £1.7m per annum.

https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/wp-cont...l-Railway-Plc-DRAFT-Accounts-2023-UPDATED.pdf

 

[jfowkes]

In the event Roast Veg it was very difficult - because so many, small, odd parts were taken and the larger parts cannot be bought "Off the Shelf". They all needed quotations obtaining for replacement - and there are very very few places that are even prepared, or able, to quote. Then there is the difficulty of small batches of specialist material .....and replacing 70 year old parts with new.....is that like for like?

This is a bit off topic, but I wonder if 3D-printing does/will play any part in replacing parts for heritage railways? It's a mature technology across a wide range of materials and very good for low-volume, complex parts. (But obviously it has its limitations, like any manufacturing process.)

 

[Lost property]

Swanage Railway has / had about 38 FTE but this was down after a number of redundancies post covid. They have been consulting about further redundancies due to their financial position.

The reality seems to be that many tourist attractions have seen a significant down turn in the number of visitors: possibly due to a combination of changing habits / tastes due to COVID and the financial position of one of the two core visitor markets (families).

I am willing to reiterate, that, maybe the halcyon days of heritage railways are, in one sense, over.

By this I mean that pre Covid / cost of living, the latter in particular which has affected many tourist venues, there would "always " be a steady supply of volunteers / enthusiasts / normals attending a railway which were taken as a given.

Unfortunately, the economic climate no longer supports this operating model. Hence change, radical for some, is essential just to maintain a lines operation. I would suggest a far more hard nosed financial regime, and, professionally qualified managers, not some enthusiast who has landed a "dream job" but who is very likely to let their heart rule their head when it comes to finance.

That, and the beloved gala days become few and far between unless they can be proven to generate profit after all the outgoings have been analysed. Sorry, but, for the enthusiasts, this may be a price to pay to ensure a line remains operational. They could, after all, be reinstated once financial stability returns.

Another is to concentrate on the bread and butter...normals / families, who couldn't really care what form of traction is used, as they only want a day out / ride, on heritage stock along with any scenery.

 

[Flying Phil]

It’s a matter of public record (accounts for year ending Jan 2023) that a year ago there were 103 paid staff, and the salary bill was approaching £1.7m per annum.

https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/wp-cont...l-Railway-Plc-DRAFT-Accounts-2023-UPDATED.pdf

Whilst the total is 103, elsewhere in the draft accts this is further explained as....
"Although GCR employs some 50 paid staff (when expressed in terms of full-time equivalents) the Company benefits enormously from the contributions of over 500 volunteers – their contribution in time is massive and also in terms of the expertise which they bring with them. Maintaining this input and their motivation remains as critical as ever."
But obviously a very difficult time for all concerned.

 

[eyebrook1961]

I am willing to reiterate, that, maybe the halcyon days of heritage railways are, in one sense, over.

By this I mean that pre Covid / cost of living, the latter in particular which has affected many tourist venues, there would "always " be a steady supply of volunteers / enthusiasts / normals attending a railway which were taken as a given.

Unfortunately, the economic climate no longer supports this operating model. Hence change, radical for some, is essential just to maintain a lines operation. I would suggest a far more hard nosed financial regime, and, professionally qualified managers, not some enthusiast who has landed a "dream job" but who is very likely to let their heart rule their head when it comes to finance.

That, and the beloved gala days become few and far between unless they can be proven to generate profit after all the outgoings have been analysed. Sorry, but, for the enthusiasts, this may be a price to pay to ensure a line remains operational. They could, after all, be reinstated once financial stability returns.

Another is to concentrate on the bread and butter...normals / families, who couldn't really care what form of traction is used, as they only want a day out / ride, on heritage stock along with any scenery.

Although I appreciate the prices that some attractions charge, the main focus in most families' minds nowadays will be how to get by in a world where the cost of living has increased out of all proportion, leaving very little to spend on luxuries such as family days out where you're almost in the realms of selling a kidney to cover the cost

To me it seems like a spiral where attractions charge more as costs increase when public disposable income has decreased (in some cases decreased a lot) - so you get less visitors, less income and so you could be tempted to put charges up again to cover the shortfall . . .

I and my family are lucky in that we are mortgage free, but that doesn't mean we have money to spend on outings. Our spare money seems to disappear at an alarming rate when visiting the two children who are still at university - funny how they seem to need a shopping trip whenever Mum and Dad arrive . . . .(!)

 

[DCSA]

Whilst the total is 103, elsewhere in the draft accts this is further explained as....

Rather more than 103 now though, those were the 2022 figures. And rather more than £1.7m.

What you're seeing now is the end-game of WJC Ford's partially-successful attempts to remove the companys reliance on volunteers by employing greater and greater numbers of paid (i.e. biddable) staff.

 

[railfan99]

Although I appreciate the prices that some attractions charge, the main focus in most families' minds nowadays will be how to get by in a world where the cost of living has increased out of all proportion, leaving very little to spend on luxuries such as family days out where you're almost in the realms of selling a kidney to cover the cost.

I am a long way away but visited England in 2022/203, Scotland in the former and Wales in the latter.

Are things really that bad?

In my country, allegedly 73 per cent who rent are suffering financial stress, compared with half of those who have a house/apartment mortgage. I assume for the third group (those who own property debt free, or own their own home debt free with an investment property or more than one with a loan, there isn't 'stress'.

What are the equivalent percentages in England?

 

[eyebrook1961]

I am a long way away but visited England in 2022/203, Scotland in the former and Wales in the latter.

Are things really that bad?

In my country, allegedly 73 per cent who rent are suffering financial stress, compared with half of those who have a house/apartment mortgage. I assume for the third group (those who own property debt free, or own their own home debt free with an investment property or more than one with a loan, there isn't 'stress'.

What are the equivalent percentages in England?

I know i am only looking at things compared t'olden days, but some of the prices charged now just make me think "no thank you". We visited our daughter at university in York at the start of the year and had a lovely weekend in a lovely city for £26.99 per night in a travelodge (free parking included) and that's where my/our disposable income goes nowadays.

Talking stress, yes there is still stress, but just a different form - my "eeek" nowadays is energy costs . . .

And a quick mention of the joining of the southern and northern parts of the GCR - wonderful to have hindsight but there'd not have been the same problems if WJC Ford hadn't told Charnwood Borough Council that the GCR was quite happy trundling back and forth over the 5 miles to Rothley. It "could" have been that the embankment between the canal and main line would never have been removed (and the likes of Falcon Street and Morley street would never have suffered the big floods that they did after removal of the embankment . . . .)

 

[Egg Centric]

Are things really that bad?

Not really. But they are worse than they (at least appeared to be) were a few years ago and that's what people notice.

In reality we were living beyond our means.

I look forward to the annihilation of our current government

 

[7828odney]

Does anybody know when the tpo will return?