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GCR - Massive Losses

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47205

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Hi,

Steam Railway has said that the Great central Railway has presented with a loss of £613, 835. That's $1,104,903 in US Dollars. That makes it the record loss for any Preservation Railway, ever! Overspend was smaller, only about $41,400.
 
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bunnahabhain

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It's silly season for making up news storys.

This has been out busiest ever year so far, and we've made more profits than before, so I wouldnt believe any of it.
 

bunnahabhain

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On a side note, Nigel Harris who edits Steam Railway is also a Director at the GCR, and there have been rumours going around, I know for a fact he made a train 25 minutes late when he was chatting to people on the footplate, and when the Guard asked why they were not going, he was told "I'm a Director, I'll go when I want".

Perhaps he's had a falling out with people down the GCR due to his recent behaviour, and has been told off by them, that's one explanation for you.
 

Tom B

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Jamie C. Steel said:
I know for a fact he made a train 25 minutes late when he was chatting to people on the footplate, and when the Guard asked why they were not going, he was told "I'm a Director, I'll go when I want".

Excellent conduct. I'm sure I'd love to visit the railway if some staff have that attitude...
 

bunnahabhain

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That was one Driver, the GCR is rather good for timekeeping, you can ask some fellow forum members if you dont believe me.
 

Tom B

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Indeed it is only one bad apple... but regardless of the general situation such an incident will not inspire confidence... such a comment I would say is vay out of line. Did anything happen against Mr Harris?
 

Jonno2055

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Sounds like something the sun would write about. My uncle was the tango man and they said that he wanted 1million pounds for a photo but he didnt say anything, but we all know what the sun are like
 

Guinness

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I seriously doubt its losing money...

Makes more than some other Preserved Railways I bet.
 

47205

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Jamie C. Steel said:
That was one Driver, the GCR is rather good for timekeeping, you can ask some fellow forum members if you dont believe me.

Errrrmmmmmmmmmm, NO

We once waited for the 12:00 train, got in, 12:27, left about twenty to 1. Then, on the way back at Rothley, we had to wait about 5 minutes :shock:
 

Tomnick

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That's one delay then! To be fair, every railway will suffer fairly major delays occasionally, usually caused by factors outside their control. From what I've seen of the GC, they do their best to keep to the timetable and usually succeed :) . They're also not bad at recovering from delays - unlike certain other railways, which try to operate over-ambitious timetables despite the constraints of the single line...
 

47205

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Well,

The Northampton & Lamport Railway, Ffestiniog, NYMR, and SVR all run to time alot :o
 

Coxster

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I like the way people can talk about something, putting it down but when the truth comes out about them/theirs, they're quick to defend and make excuses ;)
 

bunnahabhain

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On the GCR if we have a lineside fire, then the Train will tend to stop, depending on how much time it takes to put it out, it will delay the train, I have had a cancelled train because we had 4 lineside fires on one trip, and we were running 50 minutes late.

Waiting at Rothley is due to the signal blocks, we have a Warning Arm which can only be lifted 2 minutes after the Track Circuit block has been activited, if the line from Leicester North is given the path onto the Down Main, then you will be forced to either crawl up to the Signal, or come fast, and stop.

Waiting at Rothley is also down to the Signal Line Section to Leicester North, if for any reason a train is delayed up there, then subsequent trains will be delayed, there is a maximum of 15 mins turnaround time, and a minimum of 11 minutes, it takes on average 9 minutes, so that is 2-7 minutes time that can be made up at Leicester.


We once waited for the 12:00 train, got in, 12:27, left about twenty to 1. Then, on the way back at Rothley, we had to wait about 5 minutes

When was this? Midweek? Weekend? How frequent was the Timetable, and more importantly, what year was it?


I like the way people can talk about something, putting it down but when the truth comes out about them/theirs, they're quick to defend and make excuses Wink

I could quite easily say the same about other Preserved Railways Damon, but I'll hold my tongue for now.

If we had lost a lot of money, why do you think we have the Chairmans appeal asking for only £100,000? Surely it would be £600,000.

Yes we do spend a lot of money, but we also make a lot of money, we had 2,000 visitors for the Summer Gala, which is normally our quietest of the Season, we had over 10,000 visitors for the Wartime Weekend, we expect to have at least 15,000 visitors for the Thomas Gala (20-22, 25-29).

Take what Steam Railways has said with a pinch of salt, if we had lost £600,000 why are we still running?
 

bunnahabhain

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Paul_Parkin said:
2004, weekday, October time

Midweek running ends in August, although we do run during Half-Term.

Either way, that was one delay, I work the trains and the platforms and I know that we are rarely late, and if we are, we can quickly catch it up.

The only reasonable explanation I have for "losing" £600,000 is Bank Loans.
 

Guinness

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One Delay? My god, theres worse than Central Trains. Disgraceful. :roll:

When I was there, no delays in fact the run from Leicester we were ready to go 5 minutes before departure time! That happened twice!

Funny that...
 

Tom B

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I don't have a problem with a delay - you can't avoid a lineside fire, or passenger action or something - but you can avoid a poor attitude by one member of staff.
 

Guinness

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Lineside Fires have to take priority over anything else as it can put peoples lives on the line. (Poor pun not intended).

Thats really just one bad experience and I doubt it will happen again.

On Topic - Is there actually any proof of this 'Loss'?
 

bunnahabhain

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Cockfosters said:
I don't have a problem with a delay - you can't avoid a lineside fire, or passenger action or something - but you can avoid a poor attitude by one member of staff.

Go to the GCR, then go to the SVR, and see who is friendlier.
 

Coxster

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Jamie C. Steel said:
Cockfosters said:
I don't have a problem with a delay - you can't avoid a lineside fire, or passenger action or something - but you can avoid a poor attitude by one member of staff.

Go to the GCR, then go to the SVR, and see who is friendlier.
The SVR staff were nice to me. Again, let's go putting a non-GCR related railway down :roll:
 

rbruce1314

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If you want friendly come to WSR :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
We too have delays but the crews try to 'get back' the timetable ASAP (within safety and line limits of course :lol: <D :) ;) :!: ).
As with any railway it's generally excellent but if it goes wrong there are always real problems (don't mention the diesel gala :!: :!: :!: :!: )

so NEVER judge a railway on just one (or even three) journeys- that's what the general public do, not specialists :roll: :roll:
 

47205

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rbruce1314 said:
If you want friendly come to WSR :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
We too have delays but the crews try to 'get back' the timetable ASAP (within safety and line limits of course :lol: <D :) ;) :!: ).
As with any railway it's generally excellent but if it goes wrong there are always real problems (don't mention the diesel gala :!: :!: :!: :!: )

so NEVER judge a railway on just one (or even three) journeys- that's what the general public do, not specialists :roll: :roll:

Disn't a steam loco come along and rescue a stricken diesel :| , nothing wrong with that bit of interest :lol:
 

47205

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rbruce1314 said:
If you want friendly come to WSR :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
We too have delays but the crews try to 'get back' the timetable ASAP (within safety and line limits of course :lol: <D :) ;) :!: ).
As with any railway it's generally excellent but if it goes wrong there are always real problems (don't mention the diesel gala :!: :!: :!: :!: )

so NEVER judge a railway on just one (or even three) journeys- that's what the general public do, not specialists :roll: :roll:

Disn't a steam loco come along and rescue a stricken diesel :| , nothing wrong with that bit of interest :lol:
 

Tom B

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I wouldn't say that Steam Railway is biased against the GCR - indeed they get an over-proportionate amount of coverage IMHO. Heritage Railway is even more obviously biased towards the GCR, with what practically amounts to advertising in some of the features. It does appear many small or medium sized lines are getting neglected because of it.
 

Guinness

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Coxster said:
Jamie C. Steel said:
Cockfosters said:
I don't have a problem with a delay - you can't avoid a lineside fire, or passenger action or something - but you can avoid a poor attitude by one member of staff.

Go to the GCR, then go to the SVR, and see who is friendlier.
The SVR staff were nice to me. Again, let's go putting a non-GCR related railway down :roll:

Coxster - What the hell is your problem? Jamie just came up with a simple comparison, how is that putting 'a non-GCR related Railway down'? :roll:
 

Tom B

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No offence, just an observation, but it does appear that some members think the GCR is the be-all and end-all of preserved railways and all others are less important?
 

bunnahabhain

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I posted what people have said to me, Chaz said that the GCR is friendlier than the SVR, Marv has come to the GCR five times because the Staff are friendly to him.

Perhaps we are always in the Magazines because we always have worthy news, we have double track, we can run at 60mph under certain circumstances, we have what many term as the best Black 5 available, we had the first Lined Green Class 101, we are the only preserved Main Line.

In a sense, we are unique, and we also take the time to Train Guards properly.
 
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Tom

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Locked by TC at 15:58

Reason: This thread is slowly become a flame war and I don't want it to go any further.
 
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