West Somerset Railway General Discussion

How expensive is it?

 

Much more expensive than in the USA which where the poster is from. Far more than the WSR PLC is likely to be able to afford.

 

Not necessarily!
"Location, location, location".
"Anything is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it".

A quick search for North Somerset land prices shows anything from under 5,000GBP per acre up to astronomical & everything in between.
Until this land is de-contaminated & on the market, who knows who wants it, what for & what it might fetch? But I wouldn't put it at the high end.
There's no point in discussing this any further, I just don't want to see any options ruled out prematurely.

 

North Somerset and West Somerset are very different in terms of price. The high end would be for desirable land for development of houses. Low end would be poor quality agricultural land, Without a fairy godmother the chances of it happening are slim. WIBN I am afraid.

 

West Somerset Railway - Then and Now #120

Dunster station building 1975 / 2017

Such an attractive building. One of a group of three, with Minehead and Washford, built for the Minehead Railway - the extension from Watchet - in 1874.

Copyright Tim Venton / Robin White

1975


2017

 

The WSR is far from the only offender but the barrows piled with supposed "luggage" never look plausible.

PH

 

A scene characterised recently by a passenger as "like a s**t house struck by lightning".

 

Apart from the foreground debris in the newer photo, I notice the canopy roofing had changed. The corrugated sheeting does not look at good as whatever the original was. Of curiosity why did it need changing?

 

Definitely a case of 'less is more'. A few well chosen and good condition items put on a better show.

Robin

 

Not having a go at you personally, but dare I say the 'its impossible - no way we can find that sort of money' attitude indicates a lack of vision and drive that may explain why some have posted on here (in effect) that the WSR has perhaps somewhat stagnated in recent years. (Prepares to be burnt at a West Somerset stake after being doused in bad cider!)

If this land would enable the West Somerset to do something important and worthwhile, then the course of action should be to formulate the plan for this, open negotiations with the land owner (who may - or may not - be unexpectedly well disposed to the idea) and then to seek funding.

If anything, my experience is that while some are going round saying 'there will never be the funding for that', others are actually getting the funding with amazing speed (and a lot of unseen work) - if you have the right people with the right skills to do such things!

I am not saying that this land is of such importance, and such things as the triangle and collecting of vintage carriages shows there is vision on the West Somerset, but preserved railways always need a careful balance of focus on the here and now and planning for the future, and fortunately different people tend to excel in these different tasks - if you can show sufficient vision to attract them in the first place!

Steven

 

We achieved that at Station Farm, Bishops Lydeard where, by working with the landowner, developer and local authorities, we now own the vital piece of development land to the west of the station. The key was a co-operative, visionary approach, with good leadership of the project, properly supported.

(Speaking personally, I am less than impressed with the use made / progress there since, as are some local movers and shakers.)

And then there was that GWR coach brought across the Atlantic.

And a group of wayward Trustees fought to a conclusion.

There are plenty of us in West Somerset with a 'can do' attitude. We just need the right fertile soil to stand in. (And a mug of cider after!)

Robin

 

Yep ..... that's how I remember it. By August, all which should've been green in the foreground and wasn't already brown & dead that year was yellow & dying! With a steam ban in force during the worst of the drought, it was DMMUs to the rescue, which had an upside .... the views fore & aft from those 1st gen units were fantastic.

 

It is not lack of vision but of priorities Steven. There are lots of projects that fall into the WIBN category. It is really for the WSR PLC to prioritise needs and AIUI there are higher ones at the present notably carriage sheds. The important thing is that WSR PLC are far more aware of what is needed than we are simply because we don't have the hard facts just lots of opinions.

 

I think it is almost a case of separate threads of work.

As you say, WSRplc have their priorities based on running trains and ensuring that they are kept running. Whilst those responsible for that clearly need an input into longer term plans, at the same time it is unfair to expect them to actually do everything. Although delivering major projects will involve them, expecting them to plan and find funding for would almost certainly be expecting too much of any one group of people in an organisation of the size of the West Somerset Railway.

The issue being discussed - making the most of Dunster, the station for a popular heritage village, also passes very much into the preservation/heritage side of things. 'WIBN' perhaps but a well put together and argued case for the heritage aspects of restoring the Station (already done really) and Goods Yard to original condition and 'use', along with a suitable representative number of restored wagons, could make a very attractive heritage project, with the possibility for grant funding and an attractive appeal. Exactly, perhaps, the sort of thing, with WSRplc agreement, that WSRA could lead on. (There would need to be a suitable agreement between the 2 - possibly a lease of the yard and buildings to the WSRA - to release grant funding - presumably something similar exists at Washford).

Such a project would obviously need to include 'rehoming' the PWay Department and associated costs!

I am sure, given the will and suitable people, such things (and this is really a 'for example') could be achieved without affecting and indeed perhaps able to enhance the PLC tackling its priorities, which appear to include track.

Steven

 

Heritage in small things.

Dave Horton, WSR Head of Mechanical Engineering is pictured closing the new Loco Department side gate, fabricated from GWR spear point fencing left over from the Minehead Station Sea Front fence refurbishment by 'Buzz' the Loco Department welder. Well done 'Buzz'.

 

I agree, but this is also a tension that cuts to the heart of what the WSR plc considers itself to be for. If the priority for a railway is always operational needs, there comes a point at which that railway ceases to be a "heritage railway" and becomes a "steam railway", something very different in character.

As @Bean-counter says, it may be possible to have both...and, rather than either...or in cases like Dunster.

 

Is size important?

At my request (and cost) Sam White of the WSR Commercial Department has kindly arranged for a single example of the new WSR poster to be printed at traditional poster 'Double Royal' size.

Will the Railwayana collectors be fighting over this at auction in 100 years' time?

I am grateful to Pam Hawkins, Minehead's Station Master, who is large in heart and personality, if not stature, for modelling this for me. As it is November, she is out of uniform and more glamorously dressed, which you would be able to tell if that poster wasn't in the way....

A3 versions available from Minehead station shop for £3. (Versions of the poster, not of Pam...)

 

Someone's stolen a door! That's probably why the Hornby R418 model looks wrong, it's based on the 1975 version of the building not the current one.

 

I don't think so. The parcels office door (where we now print our tickets) is behind the L&SWR fish barrow.

Robin

 

Once again, the Myth of Fungible Funding rears its head (everything is funded out of general revenue that is available for all expenditure or money not spent on Project A will automatically be available for Project B). In real life money raised for project A would not necessarily have been contributed for Project B, or to put it another way, any project will always attract some funding that would not be available for any other project.