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FM Rail goes into Administration

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LucaZone

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Seen on some Yahoo Groups, reports that FM Rail have gone into administration. Too many scrap loco's around the country costing too much in storage, and not enough operational Loco's to pay for them.

Some else has said that alot of the recently acquired fleet at West Coast, is from previous upset member of FM Rail.
 
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87015

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Be a shame if they go under, hope they are able to reorganise themselves at the top level and pull through, hopefully no "shop-floor" redundancies will be neccessary.

Not sure about the WCRC thing though, don't think they've brought anything since 37214/248?
 

Dennis

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FMR should be peddling their wares down here in the West Country; could do with some stock on short term lease.
 

southy39

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why would you need stock on short term lease when you have those lovely class 57's and mk.2 coaches sittin gunder untilised during the day and on weekends...

i hope they do turn things around though... ..
but i think they need to sell out a bit sell part of them to some bigger firm... so they can accomodate legitimate growth without the ue of antiquated wagons.

was that not the point of the aliance between victa rail freight and FM Rail to operate VFM Railfreight...

but what worries me is what happens to the locos and stock.. who are they owned by...
are the loco's owned by Fragonset or re all assets tranfered to FM Rail and if so i hope they were not so stupid as to register all the loco's and stock and property to FM Rail..
and ha everythign owned by FM Rail oldings or something that owned the stock and property and allowed the use of the stock etc to fm rail..

any good busines man knows how to protect himself fromloss of assets
 

87015

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No Merrymaker day out to York for me today....tickets sent out but then cancellation letter followed, stock wrecked at OY the reason.
Hope no-one else is booked on tours over the next few weeks, fear same fate wll follow

Hope Victa can sort it out if indeed they end up taking over, i'll optomistically say i hope a change in management turns the company around. Victa been showing an interest in 87s aswell, so obviously know quality when they see it!!!
 

matt

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No Merrymaker day out to York for me today....tickets sent out but then cancellation letter followed, stock wrecked at OY the reason.
Hope no-one else is booked on tours over the next few weeks, fear same fate wll follow

I was on it as well. I didnt book it personally so I havnt seen the cancellation. I thought the reason was low bookings but obviously not
 

87015

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I was on it as well. I didnt book it personally so I havnt seen the cancellation. I thought the reason was low bookings but obviously not
I also saw that, but I think it looks more like the stock. Tickets wouldn't have been sent out if low bookings normally. The letter def states vandalised stock.
 

theblackwatch

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I also saw that, but I think it looks more like the stock. Tickets wouldn't have been sent out if low bookings normally. The letter def states vandalised stock.

Out of interest, when did you originally receive your tickets? The damage to the stock at Oxley occurred around the beginning of the month (or even late November), as this was the reason for the NENTA trip to Rylstone having a few Blue Pullman coaches in its formation. They've had plenty of time to sort out rolling stock for the train, a cynic would suggest the stock vandalism is just a good excuse for caping a train with low bookings.
 

Humberside

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Some things out of the latest RAIL

Hertfordshire Rail Tours is "continuing to serve under arrangement against delivery"
The Blue Pullman has earned £2m in its first year
Network Rail contracts continuing
Some charter work is to be undertaken by West Coast Railways
Assets of directors, including 45112 have been transferred to a new company called RAM Rail
 

matt

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Not too sure about the last bit about 45112 as I was under the impression it wasnt owned by FM Rail but owned by the boss of FM Rail
 

The Snap

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There are various tours coming up using FM locos - eg: ‘The Lancashire Witch’ is a Hertfordshire Railtours tour using two FM Rail 31s. If they go under, what happens to the railtour (which incidentally I'm booked on!:()?
 

Humberside

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For secure winter storage IIRC.
Since I made my original post this appeared on wnxx.com

45112 (SDMS) has been relocated to Long Marston, it was dragged down from Derby yesterday afternoon behind 47832, where it is to be utilised for testing coaching stock heating systems as well as being prepared for its farewell to mainline use tour, pending a decision on whether to fit OTMR, which is pencilled in for January 27th 2007 and a spin out from York and various locations in the East Midlands to Llandudno Junction, Bangor and Holyhead.
 

paul1609

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I have a mate who drives for FM Rail and he said that although these Victa people have stepped in, there is no guarantee they'll keep the Blue Pullman and Merrymaker on...

Think that Victa are negotiating to by the Merlin part of FM Rail. They are not interested in the Locos or the Blue Pullman.
 

Humberside

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I could see why they want Merlin for the operating license - but suely they will want some locos to operate with? Or do they have an agreement with someone else for locos?
 

southy39

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Think that Victa are negotiating to by the Merlin part of FM Rail. They are not interested in the Locos or the Blue Pullman.

the blue pullman is a brand for hetfordshire rail tours... as is ICMM...
so its possible they could be operated by riviera, ews, wcrc etc...

just depends on them buying the rake of carraiges if its not in hertforshires name..
 

87015

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I could see why they want Merlin for the operating license - but suely they will want some locos to operate with? Or do they have an agreement with someone else for locos?

Victa were "looking closely" at a few decent electrics to buy for themselves before the FM Administration thing came up...
 

Humberside

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So the VFM Railfreight side of the business could be saved, but what about the rest (assuming FM Rail doesn't survive as a complete business - which for the staff, lets hope it does)?

Blue Pullman - if its geting £2million a year in sales someone might be interested
Hertfordshire Railtours - Is it really worth much? Well established but if FM Rail dont survive could the brand sadly disappear and their railtours replaced by expansion from others
Network Rail contracts - Im sure EWS, DRS or GB Railfreight would be interested in them
Derby depot - would anyone be interested in it and its skilled workforce?
Barrow Hill depot - could that be leased to someone else?
Coalville - return to disuse or could someone take it over and keep it as a storage site?

And then there is the loco fleet

56303 - Im sure Jarvis might buy it outright
Class 47's - I guess Cotswold, Riveria and WCRC would probably be interested
Class 33's - If they were to stay on the mainline I guess WCRC would be the best option
Class 31's - Network Rail maybe? But no one else has any mainline Class 31' do they?
Class 73 - GB Railfreight maybe?
Class 86 - Victa Railfreight?

Just speculation but would be interested to see what others think
 

The Snap

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If FM go under, I assume tours with FM locos will be replaced by others from EWS/WCRC etc?
They better not replace the FM 31s on The Lancashire Witch with a 60/66/67 - people haven't payed money for sh*t haulage.
 

matt

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Victa were "looking closely" at a few decent electrics to buy for themselves before the FM Administration thing came up...

They weren't looking at 4 electrics were they...?
 

RJ

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FM Cromptons? You're having a laugh!
Though I like 33s,
These piles of crap are a discredit to the class,
Why not hope for a T?
 
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