Foxton Inclined Plane - What do you think?

[Tuscan]

 

But how could they possibly replicate the rivets ?

No need to replicate , can still get this done. Just have to make sure the sides are not too shiny !!!

[Paul C]

That still has the same problem no money to keep them maintained.

Efforts should be concentrated on keeping the system we have not adding to it.

 

I think a balance should be achieved, in where the finite resources go. Yes, priority should be put on maintaining the existing network, but I'd also hope that some funds can be available for restoration/reopening of historically significant waterways, not just a blanket "nope, its not going to happen, there will be no further restorations". Of course, the criteria for deciding where the funding goes, and which ones get restored and which get sidelined, would be a lively topic for debate.

[J R ALSOP]

I say rebuild it and then let all the wide beam boats pay for it, they owe all us narrow boats a fortune in lack of licence fees payed for taking up so much room.

[Guest]

I say rebuild it and then let all the wide beam boats pay for it, they owe all us narrow boats a fortune in lack of licence fees payed for taking up so much room.

Given narrow boats would be able to use it too, I don't, understand your argument ~ or is this a silly anti wide beam rant....

 

.....or perhaps a joke.

[Kwacker]

On the financial front, I wasn't envisaging a project using any C & RT money, either to build or maintain it.

It would earn it's keep as a tourist attraction, adding an extra feature to an already popular tourist stop.

 

My vision would NOT be a working lift, so the cost would be a fraction of the £12 million quoted, with caissons (without water) parked on short sections of restored track, leaving most of the originals for the heritage buffs, it would be more like the lift shortly before it was dismantled.

Pluto referred to other planes in Britain, but none were as visually impressive as Foxton, and the French lift just doesn't do it for me.

[magpie patrick]

On the financial front, I wasn't envisaging a project using any C & RT money, either to build or maintain it.

It would earn it's keep as a tourist attraction, adding an extra feature to an already popular tourist stop.

 

My vision would NOT be a working lift, so the cost would be a fraction of the £12 million quoted, with caissons (without water) parked on short sections of restored track, leaving most of the originals for the heritage buffs, it would be more like the lift shortly before it was dismantled.

Pluto referred to other planes in Britain, but none were as visually impressive as Foxton, and the French lift just doesn't do it for me.

 

Would you like to advise us which particular cloud your cuckoo resides upon?

 

I'm not sure any canal based tourist attraction pays for itself other than the obvious businesses, even the Falkirk Wheel needs a subsidy, but the Scottish Parliament reckon this is a small price to pay for the benefits it brings.

[MtB]

I'd prefer £12m to be spent on something with more impact for the money, like getting the Swindon & Wilts restored and open again.

 

Never mind the on-going massive drain on CRT resources for maintenance should the inclined plane ever be back in use.

 

 

MtB

[alan_fincher]

I think people need to get real, frankly.

 

In my experience whenever large fabrications based around iron or steel plates and girders have to stand outside, unless meticulously maintained at great cost, it is usually not long before they are an eyesore with a mixture of rust runs and peeling paint.

 

You only have to go to somewhere like Blist's Hill museum, and look at thinks like large bore pumps that have been cosmetically restored and stood outside. Or any of the historic bridges or aqueducts on the canal system that get a full repaint in a bid to make them look pretty.

 

It seems highly unlikely to me that even if the cost of constructing some kind of static replica or part replica could be found that it wouldn't fairly quickly become an eyesore.

 

If someone is going to pay shed-loads of money to keep a large ferrous metal structure looking fairly OK, can it please at least be either something genuine, or, if a replica, at least something that works.

 

I suppose you could do non working replica parts in fibreglass or similar, though!

[RLWP]

Is it only me who would like to see the working lift then?

 

Richard

[MtB]

Is it only me who would like to see the working lift then?

 

Richard

 

I think everyone would 'like' to see it working again. The thread was about whether getting it working was worth the money, wasn't it??

 

 

MtB

[alan_fincher]

Is it only me who would like to see the working lift then?

 

Richard

No, I would love to see a working lift, true to the original, with steam engine and big winding drums.

 

Absolutely I would.

 

Do I think it makes sense to try and fund such a project ? Regrettably, absolutely not, in the current economic climate, when there are not even sufficient funds to keep the waterways and features we do have in anything like a stabilised state of repair.

 

Reopening of other canals would be a higher priority to me, but frankly I even struggle with that concept, for most of them, right now.

 

(Except the Chesterfield, of course, which could end up over funded if cheshire~rose carries on at her current pace! )

[RLWP]

So, setting aside any nimbyism about widebeams, there's a bunch of people raising their own money for this project. Either support them or ignore them

 

Richard

[MtB]

So, setting aside any nimbyism about widebeams, there's a bunch of people raising their own money for this project. Either support them or ignore them

 

Richard

 

Will they be paying for the on-going maintenance or expecting CRT to fund it?

 

 

MtB

[RLWP]

Would you like me to ask them for you?

 

Richard

[Tuscan]

£3M has been spent so far including £1.7M from the heritage lottery fund. If you google 2009 Foxton Locks Business Plan it was costed at around £22.5M to get it working. No issues with the intent but personally I would like to see the maintenance and dredging programme up to date before CRT spends money on attracting further tourists.

[RLWP]

Please show where CRT spent £22M of any budget on the Foxton project

 

Richard

[Tuscan]

Please show where CRT spent £22M of any budget on the Foxton project

Richard

No one said they did BUT it was the figure in the report that they commissioned.

[Guest]

Would you like me to ask them for you?

Richard

Come on Richard Mike raises a valid point, address it properly...

[RLWP]

So?

 

This is a bunch of people with an exciting vision, and some success. Having a nice whinge about them must be very satisfying, I do hope it doesn't stop them in achieving their goals

 

Richard

 

Come on Richard Mike raises a valid point, address it properly...

Do you think I have any part of writing contracts for CRT?

 

Richard

[Guest]

So?

This is a bunch of people with an exciting vision, and some success. Having a nice whinge about them must be very satisfying, I do hope it doesn't stop them in achieving their goals

Richard

You are misrepresenting what is being said.

 

Nobody is whinging rather just questioning the realism. Plus calling into question the appropriateness of our hard earned money going towards something just not needed.

Edited May 24, 2013 by The Dog House

[RLWP]

You are misrepresenting what is being said.

 

Nobody is whinging rather just questioning the realism. Plus calling into question the appropriateness of our head earned money going towards something just not needed.

So you understand how their finances work? Perhaps you can explain it for me

 

Richard

 

I'm all for the dead hand of accountancy, it's important to now the cost of things rather than the value

Edited May 24, 2013 by RLWP

[alan_fincher]

So, setting aside any nimbyism about widebeams, there's a bunch of people raising their own money for this project. Either support them or ignore them

 

Richard

A bit simplistic, surely ?

 

Unless Bill Gates or similar is involved, projects of this scale are seldom funded solely by a bunch of individuals, and, I feel sure (but have not read them up) that like anybody else attempting a vision like this they will be investigating every way they can that could possibly bring in the pennies, whether it is tourism grants, HLF money, local authority money or looking for people to remember them in their wills.

 

All available cash is only spread so thin, so usually if one "heritage" group is able to persuade someone to give them shed-loads of money, then generally it will not be available other equally, and possibly more, laudable projects.

 

Yes, there will of course be some who will give their money to this, who may not to another cause. In the railway movement people prepared to donate to "new builds" but not restorations would be a comparable example. But no way will such people meet the lion's share of the costs, so attempts to raise the bulk of it must surely be in competition with others who would also like it for their projects?

 

Mustn't it? Or is there something unique about how this one is working?

[RLWP]

So what? This group is successful, other groups are not. Which group do you want money to go to.

 

Richard

[Guest]

So what? This group is successful, other groups are not. Which group do you want money to go to.

Richard

OK as you ask any with a viable chance of opening up currently non navigable waterways.

 

The Foxton Plane Trust are pissing in the wind....

[alan_fincher]

So what? This group is successful, other groups are not. Which group do you want money to go to.

 

Richard

Richard,

 

You seem to be in an "argumentative for the sake of it kind of mood".

 

I think it is a bit unfair to dismiss people trying to engage in sensible debate on the topic, by just calling them whingers.

 

Nobody is questioning anybodys right to champion such a project, but is fair that people say however magnificent this might be if built, that they have considerable reservations.

 

I think it would be magnificent. I have considerable reservations. I'm NOT whinging.