Can I Buy a Train?
Discussion
Yes, the majority of legacy fleets are owned by the big three leasing companies (known as ROSCO's; ROlling Stock COmpany). They always have stock for sale.
https://www.porterbrook.co.uk/
https://eversholtrail.co.uk/fleet/
https://www.angeltrains.co.uk/Products-Services
Most of the Pacers (Cl 140, 141, 142, 143 & 144) are owned by Porterbrook and Angel. They are bloody awful by the way
https://www.porterbrook.co.uk/
https://eversholtrail.co.uk/fleet/
https://www.angeltrains.co.uk/Products-Services
Most of the Pacers (Cl 140, 141, 142, 143 & 144) are owned by Porterbrook and Angel. They are bloody awful by the way
Can be done - 60163 Tornado, Flying Scotsman and others have operated on the passenger network including Main Line operation and may still do. There's that privately owned Deltic Diesel too.
Google the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust - looking at the numbers involved £3k wouldn't even scratch the surface though.
Google the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust - looking at the numbers involved £3k wouldn't even scratch the surface though.
So if I buy one, and find someone to drive it for me, who do I ask in order to go for a drive in it? Say the loco is in Crewe and I want to go to London for the day, how do I get going? Who do I ask in order to get green lights and the points in the right direction for me and avoid conflicts with other traffic? Do I have to pay someone some money? Is there paperwork? Can it be done electronically?
48k said:
So if I buy one, and find someone to drive it for me, who do I ask in order to go for a drive in it? Say the loco is in Crewe and I want to go to London for the day, how do I get going? Who do I ask in order to get green lights and the points in the right direction for me and avoid conflicts with other traffic? Do I have to pay someone some money? Is there paperwork? Can it be done electronically?
I think you will find it wouldn't work. I used to work for a company that moved stone by rail, it was a logistical nightmare* (and very expensive) to move freight trains from North Wales to the midlands. So much so that in the end we gave up and just moved it by road. - You were allocated time slots to fit in with regular trains, often it would mean several hours on sidings etc. That would then be further complicated that freight trains also wanted the track.
If you buy it, it will have to be kept on private land or on a preserved line or private museum somewhere, which will more than likely not be connected to the mainline network. You won't just be able use it out on the network anyway when you fancy a ride out without very expensive safety / liability certification and even if you managed to jump through all of the hoops, you'd have to pay one of the train operating companies to provide a suitably trained driver for it. There's a hell of a lot more behind the scenes stuff with mainline running than most people probably realise. The last time I looked into mainline certification the cost was at least £10k, but that was several years ago, it's not just the paperwork and legal stuff, the loco / unit you might want to buy will have to have up to date safety and monitoring equipment fitted.
My brother used to be the chairman of the Class 37 Loco Group (he and I are both mainline drivers) and even with the two locos kept on a preserved line it was often a nightmare battle with the line's management to get a path to run them.
My brother used to be the chairman of the Class 37 Loco Group (he and I are both mainline drivers) and even with the two locos kept on a preserved line it was often a nightmare battle with the line's management to get a path to run them.
Edited by P5BNij on Thursday 7th January 16:24
Edited by P5BNij on Thursday 7th January 16:25
Talk to this guy, he would know a thing or two. He probably has the largest (only?) private train collection in the UK
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Hosking#Railw...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Hosking#Railw...
NickCQ said:
Talk to this guy, he would know a thing or two. He probably has the largest (only?) private train collection in the UK
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Hosking#Railw...
Pete Waterman?https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Hosking#Railw...
P5BNij said:
If you buy it, it will have to be kept on private land or on a preserved line or private museum somewhere, which will more than likely not be connected to the mainline network. You won't just be able use it out on the network anyway when you fancy a ride out without very expensive safety / liability certification and even if you managed to jump through all of the hoops, you'd have to pay one of the train operating companies to provide a suitably trained driver for it. There's a hell of a lot more behind the scenes stuff with mainline running than most people probably realise. The last time I looked into mainline certification the cost was at least £10k, but that was several years ago, it's not just the paperwork and legal stuff, the loco / unit you might want to buy will have to have up to date safety and monitoring equipment fitted.
My brother used to be the chairman of the Class 37 Loco Group (he and I are both mainline drivers) and even with the two locos kept on a preserved line it was often a nightmare battle with the line's management to get a path to run them.
Is this the same reason why trains are moved by road from train depot to train depot rather then, say by rail??My brother used to be the chairman of the Class 37 Loco Group (he and I are both mainline drivers) and even with the two locos kept on a preserved line it was often a nightmare battle with the line's management to get a path to run them.
Edited by P5BNij on Thursday 7th January 16:24
Edited by P5BNij on Thursday 7th January 16:25
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