West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Yes that's a 73, they are supposed to be 2 mainline GBRF ones unrefurbished

 

Any such arrangements will, like everything else on the WSR, be subject to a thorough risk assessment as required by the SMS and the new Safety and Compliance Director.

 

That must have been a very enjoyable day!

 

It was. ALL my WSR days are enjoyable - in a variety of ways.

Robin

 

Consequences Consequences

Everyone Working on the Railway is an Ambassador for the Railway and these people should have been disciplined for their disgraceful behaviour.

However your experience has given us a fund raising idea - have a weekly raffle with a worthwhile and different prize every week such as a Footplate or Cab Ride on a specific locomotive. Shadow the General Manager for the day and see him in action or a guided tour of the locomotive works a day in a Signal Box etc etc

Time for an imaginative approach for Fund Raising but sadly there is little sign of it!

Does anyone go out and Sell (promote special deals) for the Railway? - the possibilities are endless and could be a whole lot of fun as well! Visit one Railway and get a Reduced ticket price on another written features in the magazines like the rebuild of 9351 and that would be detail not just photographs and a few words telling the reader of the challenges in achieving this task not just the finished result.

Out of sight is out of mind

It is called Marketing folks!

 

Erm.... In my book that means it doesn't have a working steam boiler. There is a boiler available for it if/when it is repaired but that can be said about a few diesels and a lot of steam locos.

 

I’ve said this before, but I think it bears repeating.

My ‘day job’ is to argue often very difficult matters in court, where tensions can be very high, and matters far more serious than the colour of a locomotive or the doings of a heritage railway are in issue.

In 25 years of doing that, I have never known a point of view to be improved by being put across other than politely and respectfully. Indeed, courtesy and a touch of humour can be deployed to devastating effect.

Just a point of view from someone still learning my public speaking.

Robin

 

The problems the WSR are having over the state of their permanent way could so easily happen to any of our preserved railways especially those who are still running on BR era track It needs just as much constant attention as the stock that runs on it, ballast gets compacted, joints drop, rails wear, and if you don't maintain it , you will end up not being able to have a railway. then there the drainage, the embankments cutting, nature will undercut erode loosen the very ground your railway stands on, how many lines are still relying on the drainage system put in over a hundred years ago ? and have not renewed the cess pits, the runaways ? yet PW is in many eyes forgotten until the TSR signs go up because the line is now in such poor shape .the point I'm making is, to not invest in your PW is just long term folly and it soon bites you back, if you try to save money by not renewing your superstructure .

 

Only on the preserved (I wish!) Liverpool Overhead. ‘Infrastructure’ perhaps?

But point well made.

Robin

 

Quoted because a mere 'like' wasn't enough. Double amen.

Noel

 

It would appear that the photos in post #18362 portray the current state of the WSR. Beautifully maintained signal box but poorly maintained permanent way. Anyway I expect the new folk have all in mind.
Regarding the posts that have rattled a few cages I will point out that it was fine for many in the WSR to make caustic and often extremely nasty posts about their former trustees on NP. Double standards?

 

Taking more of a general/wider view of the current/recent events on the WSR, it has highlighted that many of the older well established preserved lines have been trading on an inherited level of maintenance from the British Rail days. Taking my [as a member] Railway the NYMR, the Grosmont - Pickering line was formally a double track line, now singled with the remaining track generally running up the middle of the formation thus spreading the load of the train over a wider area. In recent years the Moors has had to start replacing bridges, the first being Bridge 30 a former double track bridge with a new single track span on the middle of the abutments. another pair of bridges that were replaced being at the northern end of Pickering Station they were second hand [] back at the turn of the 19th-20th Century ...... As part of the current Lottery bid the Moors has highlighted that it needs to replace several bridges at Goathland in the near future, on the bases of ...no bridges, no railway.... Granted whilst I'm not sure for certain I believe the WSR is mainly a single line with passing points, but still none the less has similar problems with an assortment of bridges embankments, cuttings etc., as the Moors in some remote semi inaccessible [by road] sections of lines.

 

Hi Richard,
The locomotive footplate is under the control of the driver and they are fully entitled to refuse to take a passenger on the footplate. That would not be a discipline issue. It sounds as if the failure was with rostering and it does happen. In my role a funeral officer I had at least 2 occasions where the crew had not been advised.

 

Scenes from the WSRA AGM today, starting with WSRA and WSR plc Chairmen waiting to transport members from Stogumber station to Crowcombe village hall.

 

I can't understand the fuss over the economics of the repaint; it's just two commercial transactions.
Here is the conversation with random figures -

WSR - How much would it cost to hire your loco?
Owner - £50 a day
WSR - OK, we'll have it.

Owner - How much would you charge to paint it while you've got it?
WSR - £500
Owner - OK, please paint it.

Where's the complicated bit?

 

Good news about loco 9351 announced to WSRA members at the AGM today.

https://www.wsra.org.uk/2019/04/13/...get-to-put-locomotive-9351-back-into-service/

Robin

 

Fully back your comments other than that we started bridge renewals on the NYMR with Bridge 30, 9 years ago.
We had already replaced about 6 bridges from 1980 onwards.

 

Wasn't quite sure when bridge 30 on the Moors had been replaced, or when the bridge replacement had started hence I was a bit vague as to when...... Come to think of it I remember seeing the NRM's N.E. steam crane [No 13?] being used whilst on loan, to replace a bridge back in the eighties on the cover of Moors Line. Hadn't realised it was 9 years ago mind, how time flies.

 

Really great news, and proof (if that was needed) of a good relationship between the plc and the WSRA.