Diomed Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 The Victoria Road School extension/sports hall was estimated at £2m three years ago, so must be more like £3-4m by now due to Govt dithering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 Or mabye we could get some of the Finance Sector companies to subsidise the Trains,[ which incidently have been here for about 130 years now] thereby putting something back into the economy they are living off, and no, we don't have any tourists now. Not since we put all our eggs in the giant basket of greed that is the Finance Sector. Don't tell me i am better of now, you don't know how well of I used to feel. News flash: IOM Tourism disappeared because of the finance industry. I thought that was people being able to get to Costa Sod-all and the sunshine easily on a plane? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 My goodness this type of thing gets me wild. The steam railways should be hived off to a local charity and run entirely on a voluntary basis with no government involvement. If it only runs on weekends so be it. In these straightened times we just do not need to be wasting resources subsidizing loss making tourist vanity projects. This is not the role of government; to be closing libraries and pre-schools, but still funding the Steam trains losses and capital expenditure just shows how out of touch our politicians are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
censorship Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Or mabye we could get some of the Finance Sector companies to subsidise the Trains,[ which incidently have been here for about 130 years now] thereby putting something back into the economy they are living off.If we are going to go cap in hand to the finance sector (or what is left of it) to fund government activity, can't we get them to sponsor libraries, schools, health initiatives or something useful rather than some old trains? Don't get me wrong, I love the steam and electric railways, big, big fan, but I'd rather see them mothballed for a few years until we can afford to run them rather than have to stop eating and live in a cardboard box.And the fact they are old is no reason to retain them. We shouldn't be pumping money we don't have into luxuries just because they've been around a while, otherwise we'll never get rid of the MLCs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost Login Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 My goodness this type of thing gets me wild. The steam railways should be hived off to a local charity and run entirely on a voluntary basis with no government involvement. If it only runs on weekends so be it. In these straightened times we just do not need to be wasting resources subsidizing loss making tourist vanity projects. This is not the role of government; to be closing libraries and pre-schools, but still funding the Steam trains losses and capital expenditure just shows how out of touch our politicians are. I am not sure it could be run entirely as a voluntary basis and if it was you might be left with just the Steam Railway. However there is no reason in my view why volunteers can not be integrated. That at least would save some of the running costs even if they only covered the weekends etc. All staff though need to be flexable contracts or with flexable working hours so that you do not get paid overtime on a normal shift pattern. That should apply to the buses also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skig Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 A few bits of info regarding Cretneys wonderful bus empire. A couple of years ago the last of the Leyland buses were retired after over 20 years of service, the last few finding their way to the Jurby museum. In 2000/2001 they aquired 11 new low floor wheelchair friendly double deckers. After only 10 years or so, they have been disposed of, most to Blackpool. (They must be laughing at us) Also in 2000 they took delivery of 3 new DAF optare DDs and have now sold them on to a bus company on Merseyside (perhaps it does not rain there or perhaps they can fix the leaky roofs) In 1997 a fleet of brand new single deckers, 25 in total, were aquired but have all been gotten rid of. Some must have been such a good bargain that at least 3 were shipped to New Zealand, and I beleive some went to the Channel islands. In 2009 a fleet of 11 Volvos arrived, in a new livery for the rebranded Bus Vannin, and some of the remaining fleet were started to be repainted. Then in 2011 a fleet of 12 very expensive Mercedes arrived in yet another different colour! If the Leylands ran for 20 odd years, why do we dispose of vehicles within half this time. If they are good enough for Blackpool, Merseyside, NZ and the CI's why arent they good enough for us? I know some of the above was before the current incumbant (Longworth) took up his illustrious position, but is he just like Reynolds (from Reynoldsway)? Are they both members of the same club? (p*sstakers anonymous) Most of this info can be seen at the following website. http://manxtransport...bus-vannin.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolley Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Don't get me wrong, I love the steam and electric railways, big, big fan, but I'd rather see them mothballed for a few years. I think that was the intention with the Marine Drive Tramway in 1939. Realistically they would never reopen. Having said that, they should be run much more economically and to even be contemplating 3/4 million quid for a new loco right now shows that not everyone has the message even now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
censorship Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Realistically they would never reopen. They would if there was sufficient public support/demand. If there isn't, then clearly there is no need to keep paying for them. They aren't essential, and if people don't actually care, why are we paying for them at the same time as cutting police, health and education services? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Anyone who thinks is a good idea to close or reduce the steam/electric railways in any way is a total cock. If anything they should be used more by gearing them toward commuters and expanded the track back out to Peel. I'm happy for my taxes to be spent on them. I do think that £750k for a diesel engine is total waste of money though, but Government seems to have legislation and procedures in place purely to waste money I mean £860,000 for a big fucking barn to put salt in do they not stop and think for a second 'oooh hang on that seems a bit much' they must have some land, so a bit of concrete and a steel frame building surely comes no where near that. Oh I'm ranting again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesypeas Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 £750K for a train ! How many Uni. students could we cover course fees for with that? This mob have totally lost it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
censorship Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Anyone who thinks is a good idea to close or reduce the steam/electric railways in any way is a total cock. If anything they should be used more by gearing them toward commuters and expanded the track back out to Peel.Because the current UK experience is that cars have been abandoned and the roads are empty as commuters cheerfully swap comfort and convenience for over-priced, unreliable trains? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RU4RAIL? Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Is anybody on here going to defend this new diesel engine and his friends? Thought not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 A train that got into Douglas in time for people to get to work, and a return at a sensible time in evening that could be used with the season ticket, would be cheaper and faster than going by car, fit free wifi and you could even work on the way in. I'd put money on that working. More season tickets would be sold as a result which would encourage people to use the trains outside of work aswell. + I think you will find people do use trains to commute to work in the U.k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 He has no friends, its probably not even built yet. All for the steam trains though. CHOOO CHOOO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColbyBoy Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I do believe the current baggage system was bought second hand from Glasgow Airport, who, having installed it, found it to be a complete pile of crap, always breaking down and difficult to maintain. So they sold it to us (probably at no real discount knowing how incompetent our Civil Service is) and got a better, more durable and cost effective system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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