If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by gwr4090, Nov 15, 2007.

  1. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2014
    Messages:
    15,330
    Likes Received:
    11,667
    Occupation:
    Nosy aren’t you?
    Location:
    Nowhere
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Someone mention Spam?
     
  2. Copper-capped

    Copper-capped Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2017
    Messages:
    2,563
    Likes Received:
    3,316
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Stanthorpe, QLD, Australia
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    None of those strange Southern pacific loving types come into the WSR thread do they? I wouldn't want to start any trouble! :D
     
    Paul Kibbey and 1472 like this.
  3. howard

    howard Member

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2006
    Messages:
    306
    Likes Received:
    270
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired Ship's Engineer
    Location:
    Sandwich Kent
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Thank goodness for that - I thought it was yet another word that I'd not met before!
     
    Yorkshireman and paulhitch like this.
  4. 21B

    21B Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2009
    Messages:
    2,944
    Likes Received:
    6,303
    The bridge is OK I think, but the garden shed in place of the water tower and the wooden fence which is a bit more "road" than railway I like less. In the flesh they're not so bad, and actually I think I thought they were not railway property. If they are then some wooden pickets would help the fence, and painting the shed in GW colours would make it blend in too.
     
    Black Jim and granmaree like this.
  5. Ian Monkton

    Ian Monkton Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2011
    Messages:
    945
    Likes Received:
    993
    Location:
    South Somerset
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Yes, some years ago, but a tour a few months ago terminated at Bishops Lydeard because of gauging issues. However, the work done to ensure Flying Scotsman could run must have cleared the way for HSTs as well.
     
    Yorkshireman likes this.
  6. AnthonyTrains2017

    AnthonyTrains2017 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2014
    Messages:
    2,237
    Likes Received:
    918
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Is 7822 in freight train today if it's on steam engine course. It's not at minehead or bl webcams currently. If anyone knows it's whereabouts please say. Dream of seeing a manor on freight so will go out and track it down
     
  7. DragonHandler

    DragonHandler Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2016
    Messages:
    1,286
    Likes Received:
    1,590
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    West London
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    A very interesting couple of photos, I didn't know Williton had had such a large water tower.
     
  8. Copper-capped

    Copper-capped Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2017
    Messages:
    2,563
    Likes Received:
    3,316
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Stanthorpe, QLD, Australia
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I was interested in the high level access door in the base of the tower. Does a similar tower still exist somewhere else? (I presume they were all built to a standard pattern?). Does anyone have any insight into what was inside the base?
     
  9. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2015
    Messages:
    1,826
    Likes Received:
    3,871
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Ah, the Myth of Fungible Funding appears again. (The Myth of Fungible Funding is the belief that money not spent on A will automatically be spent on B, A usually being anathema to the proponent of the argument and B being something dear to their heart. The Myth usually only appears when talking about spending other people's money.)
     
    jnc and 35B like this.
  10. Wenlock

    Wenlock Well-Known Member Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2008
    Messages:
    2,027
    Likes Received:
    1,319
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Bus Driver
    Location:
    Loughton Essex
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    The access door appears to only be three steps up from ground level

    I was more puzzled by that cupboard or locker above the door.

    I presume there would have been pumping equipment within the base.
     
  11. Copper-capped

    Copper-capped Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2017
    Messages:
    2,563
    Likes Received:
    3,316
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Stanthorpe, QLD, Australia
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Yes , it was the small higher door above I was wondering about not the one at the top of the three steps. If there was pumping equipment below I would be interested in the requirements for that ie. how fast would the tank be filled? A large tank would seem to me to indicate a only modest rate of filling was possible, so large volume was required for peak use periods then slowly refilled during non usage. (???)
     
  12. K14

    K14 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2011
    Messages:
    403
    Likes Received:
    298
    Location:
    Catford
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Copper-capped likes this.
  13. Copper-capped

    Copper-capped Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2017
    Messages:
    2,563
    Likes Received:
    3,316
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Stanthorpe, QLD, Australia
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Excellent! Thanks for the heads up @K14 . I had a good read and it answered many questions.

    There was some discussion in the above linked thread about the power source of the pump to fill the water tank. So there was a stream fed sump behind the tower and water pumped up to the tank presumably by electrical means latterly but before that a Stirling engine (a new one for me).

    I did notice on the 1862 Watchet station diagram (@Robin White 's post #6771) there is a 'horse pump' shown. I lifted the pic from Robin's post (please don't sue me!) and cropped it to show the horse pump located behind the original loco shed and also a tank too:


    image.jpeg

    I assume back in days of yore the horse pump was used for the loco shed water supply at Watchet.
     
    Paul Kibbey and Yorkshireman like this.
  14. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2014
    Messages:
    11,247
    Likes Received:
    17,947
    Gender:
    Female
    Occupation:
    Barrister
    Location:
    Stogumber
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    West Somerset Railway - Then and Now #74

    Williton 1934 / 2017

    Back up onto the road bridge at the southern end of the station. This was before the loop was lengthened at this end. Note that the water tank is of an earlier type than that in yesterday's photo although the brick base remains the same. This photo also gives us our first view of Williton's second footbridge - of lattice construction.

    In the 'now' shot the principal impression is how much the greenery has grown up. The loop was re-extended by the present company two winters ago.

    1934
    IMG_9235.JPG

    2017
    IMG_9743.JPG
     
  15. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2014
    Messages:
    11,247
    Likes Received:
    17,947
    Gender:
    Female
    Occupation:
    Barrister
    Location:
    Stogumber
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    No danger of litigation, although a little moral blackmail might be applied to seek pledges towards the Minehead Box Plate mentioned a while ago. An update on that follows.

    Oz dollars also accepted.....!:)

    Robin
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2017
    Copper-capped and Yorkshireman like this.
  16. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2014
    Messages:
    11,247
    Likes Received:
    17,947
    Gender:
    Female
    Occupation:
    Barrister
    Location:
    Stogumber
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    An Update from the WSSRT:
    (In fact we are now up to £675)

    An opportunity to 'bring home' a significant West Somerset Railway Artefact


    Minehead Signal Box closed in 1966. Since then the original cast iron signal box name plate has been in private hands. The owner has now offered the West Somerset Railway the chance to acquire this relic, which is in original condition, just as it was removed from the signal box. If the funds can be raised, the plate will pass into the ownership of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust, who will ensure that it is kept available for posterity.


    £1,400 needs to be raised as a matter of urgency to secure this item. If all donations were to benefit from Gift Aid, donations of £1,100 would be sufficient. £640 has already been pledged. If you can help, please don't send any money now, but e-mail Robin White, who is co-ordinating this effort at robin215white@btinternet.com with your pledge and an indication of your eligibility for Gift Aid.

    IMG_9817.JPG
    Minehead's 3td signal box, closed in 1966

    Minehead Signal Box Plate.jpg
     
    Yorkshireman likes this.
  17. Copper-capped

    Copper-capped Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2017
    Messages:
    2,563
    Likes Received:
    3,316
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Stanthorpe, QLD, Australia
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Crickey Robin! You can only take so much blood from a stone....;)
     
  18. paulhitch

    paulhitch Guest

    No reason to suppose this item is anything other than genuine. However, because neither you nor I have the wish or knowledge to "distress" an item does not mean there aren't knowledgeable people prepared to.

    Odd things are being faked. Railway clocks for example, where the real things have extensive records available for reference.

    As prices increase, temptation will also increase.

    Paul H
     
    jnc and Black Jim like this.
  19. Wenlock

    Wenlock Well-Known Member Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2008
    Messages:
    2,027
    Likes Received:
    1,319
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Bus Driver
    Location:
    Loughton Essex
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Hmmm. I had thought it was where water could be pumped up into a trough for horses to drink. I suppose given the dotted circle around it, it may well mean "horse driven" rather than my assumption of "for horses."
     
    Jamessquared likes this.
  20. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2014
    Messages:
    11,247
    Likes Received:
    17,947
    Gender:
    Female
    Occupation:
    Barrister
    Location:
    Stogumber
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I'm a lawyer - what do you expect? :)

    (Oz dollars gratefully accepted...)

    Robin
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2017
    Copper-capped likes this.

Share This Page