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Carriage sheds for preserved railways?

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sprinterguy

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The Severn Valley Railway have a covered carriage shed, though open at the end, at Kidderminster, and the Tanfield Railway have had a secure, enclosed shed for their active carriage fleet for over a decade now.

I'm not sure how other preserved railways fare in this regard, but as with most things on preserved railways, it takes time to raise funds from limited potential sources, and there's the question of sufficient space being available on what were often formerly country branchlines. I would expect that more mundane concerns such as reducing the risk of rot and corrosion and allowing maintenance to take place sheltered from the elements are more likely to drive such decisions than kneejerk reactions to comparatively rare (though sadly not unique) incidences of vandalism.
 
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yorksrob

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The Southern Electric Group were planning on turning Worthing shed into a museum for preserved multiple units at one time. Unlikely now as the sheds been brought back into use by one of the TOC's.
 

AndrewE

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The Severn Valley Railway have a covered carriage shed, though open at the end, at Kidderminster, and the Tanfield Railway have had a secure, enclosed shed for their active carriage fleet for over a decade now.

I'm not sure how other preserved railways fare in this regard, but as with most things on preserved railways, it takes time to raise funds from limited potential sources, and there's the question of sufficient space being available on what were often formerly country branchlines. I would expect that more mundane concerns such as reducing the risk of rot and corrosion and allowing maintenance to take place sheltered from the elements are more likely to drive such decisions than kneejerk reactions to comparatively rare (though sadly not unique) incidences of vandalism.

I wouldn't say it was a knee-jerk reaction, rather a willingness to learn from current or recent events. Given that rolling stock takes a lot of time and a fair bit of money to restore (and some of it really is irreplacable) and that agricultural sheds aren't very expensive, I imagine that most lines could raise the money and fit one in somewhere, especially as many (most?) stations had a goods shed and a siding. I guess that some lines are operating at such a low level that just scavenging a couple of replacement Mk 1s from another railway would be their way forward.
 
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sprinterguy

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If it was that simple, wouldn't most preserved lines already boast such facilities? Theft, vandalism and arson are none of them new phenomena in the world of preservation.

Some of the stabling options used by even some of the most established preserved operations seem far from ideal with regards both security and maintenance, because these former backwater lines are already having to accommodate far more rolling stock in every conceivable nook and cranny than ever they did in their working lives.
 

2392

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This is one of the few areas' the likes of the Lottery will give funding for "new build" as Covered accommodation/workshops, will protect stock when not in service. Not to mention slowing the rot of stock waiting it's turn for restoration or overhaul.
 

AndrewE

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If it was that simple, wouldn't most preserved lines already boast such facilities? Theft, vandalism and arson are none of them new phenomena in the world of preservation.

Some of the stabling options used by even some of the most established preserved operations seem far from ideal with regards both security and maintenance, because these former backwater lines are already having to accommodate far more rolling stock in every conceivable nook and cranny than ever they did in their working lives.
Fitting better locks to the exterior doors of your house is pretty simple too, but you wouldn't believe how many people leave it until after they have been burgled!
It's a good point about the amount of stock that might need protecting, but given the amount of money pouring into new-build steam locos I'm sure that most lines with stock worth protecting could raise the money, especially given 2392's point about lottery funding. If i have understood it correctly they will even match money "raised" in the form of volunteer man-hours.
 
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yorksrob

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A covered shed is quite good idea for the maintenance of mk1's for example, as they can deteriorate quite quickly when left in the open.
 

RichmondCommu

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The Severn Valley Railway have a covered carriage shed, though open at the end, at Kidderminster, and the Tanfield Railway have had a secure, enclosed shed for their active carriage fleet for over a decade now.

From what I've see the carriage shed at Kidderminster has doors at the end of it making it fully secure.
 

sprinterguy

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A covered shed is quite good idea for the maintenance of mk1's for example, as they can deteriorate quite quickly when left in the open.
Indeed, I certainly had mark 1s in mind when I though of the deterioration of stock - they are notorious for it.
Fitting better locks to the exterior doors of your house is pretty simple too, but you wouldn't believe how many people leave it until after they have been burgled!
Indeed: It depends on the importance and likelihood that preservation groups attach to vandalism incidents. I wouldn't expect the NYMR incident to cause a dramatic shift in thinking in that regard, which isn't to say that the owners of preserved stock aren't concerned for the security of their charges.

New build steam locomotives, recreating long lost types of childhood memory or even beyond personal recollection, capture the imagination of enthusiasts and in some cases the public as well. You'll be hard pressed to encourage the same enthusiasm for the construction of "an agricultural shed".

That's not to say that the latter can't be done well: The Engine House at Highley on the SVR has created both a secure storage facility for some of their inactive locos as well as a genuine, appealing visitor attraction in its own right.
 

AndrewE

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That's not to say that the latter can't be done well: The Engine House at Highley on the SVR has created both a secure storage facility for some of their inactive locos as well as a genuine, appealing visitor attraction in its own right.

The SVR received
£3,363k from the Heritage Lottery Fund, £948k from the European Union Regional Development Fund and £200k from Advantage West Midlands
so goodness knows what it cost overall!
If a shed 7m x 8m x 3.2m high can be had for £10k from http://www.steelbuildinguk.com/cont...MIl_TQ_tu-1wIVE2YbCh1mcADvEAQYAyABEgKg6vD_BwE
then I'm pretty sure that something a bit bigger (and 10 or 20 times as long) would be well within the reach of most preserved railways with any rolling stock worth protecting...
 
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