West Somerset Railway General Discussion

On the face of it, it looks a bad idea to eject the SDRT.
Today there is lots of negativity again around the railway about this. If the plc can publish their plsn for washford then that negativity could be turned positive. They need to publish that plan quickly.
Those with access to HOPS will have seen the staff announcement which does give a reason for the termination. I don't feel I can post that here, but if you're a volunteer you will have seen it.
On a brighhter note, on Facebook there are offers of a new home for the SDRT and if it all works out, then that could be good.
Ian Coleby

 

Hopefully that plan is published more widely soon then, and that it justifies the ill will generated so far. Speaking of ill will, someone posted this comment on the S&D's announcement on Facebook:

Sounds very unpleasant if it is as it appears.

 

Out of curiousity, is this because they need something more powerful than a Manor to haul the charter trains or is there another reason?

 

An additional constraint at the moment being it must have a low axle bearing, further restricting the pool of possible locos.

 

Yes, from memory a Manor can take 8 coaches over the line due to the hills (I've certainly fired one with 8 many times and its not far off its limit). Most charters that come in are 10/11 plus often a diesel on the back. The 7F I believe can take 11 or 12 unaided according to the Rule Book and I've seen it take 10 plus a class 47 which didn't give it any help up the hills so that's around 13 in weight terms.

Its usual for a mainline excursion to take off the mainline steam engine at Norton or BL so it can be serviced and turned (especially now with the lower weight limit) and a WSR engine take the train from there to MD & back thus giving plenty of time for the mainline engine to be fresh and ready to take it home.

 

Yes, a little bit more to it.

 

Since it's already semi-public, I hope it can be posted here, so those who care about the WSR but aren't local can see what it is that's behind this fairly extraordinary step.

Noel

 

I just hope that it doesn't include what @flying scotsman123 has quoted above which, admittedly without further context, suggests quite an unpleasant approach by the plc.

 

For a line that always struggles to have enough steam locos, it doesn’t seem a wise move to sour relations with the owners of the backbone of the fleet.

53808 may not leave immediately. However agreements eventually expire, and I’m sure the S&D trust wouldn’t be short of alternative offers.

 

It seems to me that the WSR Chairman has ideas of it developing along the lines of the Dartmouth Steam Railway and getting rid of volunteers and loco-owning groups, but that is a plan laced with a great deal of danger for a line that is struggling with falling visitor numbers.

 

The owners of 4160 will need somewhere to run it to receive steaming fees......................

 

The latest news from Mark Smith vice chairman. <BJ>

16th February 2020.

''In my notes written 30th January, and distributed via HOPS, I explained the process undertaken to recruit a general manager. At that time we had completed the interviews, but not the actual appointment. We were able to announce to the staff meeting on Wednesday last that Justin Kerr Petersen has accepted the post.

Many of you will know Justin as he has been around the WSR since his teenage years. He has worked as a volunteer, and in paid roles for the WSR, In recent years he has pursued a career with Network Rail and currently Great Western Railway. Justin will start in the role once he has worked out his notice there.

Last year the WSR was facing a severe crisis. In a word, money had run out. Positive response to our various appeals was essential and everyone associated with the Railway dug deep. The results are well evident in not just our survival but in the “green shoots of recovery” One has only to look at the number of smartly repainted coaches, endless and unending work to get the permanent way back up to scratch, completion and return of no 9351 to traffic, all supported by lots of people doing more than their paid or in the case of volunteers unpaid hours. Sadly, the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust is governed in such a way that means they felt unable to assist other than by allowing the WSR to hold and retain the profits from a Real Ale Festival. They wish to pursue their own agenda and are therefore currently serving a year’s notice to remove themselves from the Washford site.

Hire of locomotive no88 is governed by a separate and free-standing hire agreement. Plans are advancing for the Real Ale Festival to once again be held at Minehead.

One tangible result of all the work on the permanent way is that we have been able to advertise a great range of locomotives for our Spring Gala. We will continue to need to run the lightest most economical locomotives for our services, and I will write with more detail of the board’s plans for the Way and Works in my next notes. Storms Ciara and Dennis are still making the news. It has always been a source of wonder to me that all those years ago, a man on horseback laid out a line of route and specified drainage requirements that cope brilliantly with the worst of the weather. We have just a minor slip at Crowcombe. Spare a thought for the people who go out and check for us after each severe weather incident. We have miles of open ditches to keep clear, culverts to maintain and drains to keep clear. Perhaps you can help?

I am sure you are already aware that the Company and Association are re-aligning their focus Arrangements for the transfer of Bishops Lydeard Shop to the Company are complete. Transfer of the Swindon Shed back to the Company is also underway. The WSR’s mechanical engineering plans were developed in the early nineteen nineties and have served us well for thirty years. A thorough going review is well overdue.

More news from the Board will follow the next board meeting''.

Mark Smith

Vice chairman

 

That doesn't tell me any more about the S&DRT situation other than that the WSR management didn't approve of whatever "agenda" the S&DRT had.

 

So the reason is the WSR board felt that the SDRT didn’t do enough to help during the railway’s financial crisis?

 

It looks clear enough to me in that the S&D folk "...….were unable to assist....." when everybody else on the now united railway was doing their bit.

 

Madness. It's like expecting the model railway group to cough up or get evicted. The DEPG was mentioned upthread, how much did they contribute financially to the appeal? Did the Friends of X Station fund get raided to avoid station X being sold?

 

To me, that sounds like the railway are saying because the SDRT couldn't help bail them out of their financial mess, they're being kicked out.

 

A lot more things than simply money were mentioned in the post.

 

I’m reading between the lines here of course!!! (maybe). The S&DRT is set up as a Charity for their S&D focused needs as you would expect. They pay their way on the WSR in many ways and always have done as a standalone entity focused on the S&D who also add much to the WSR, unlike the WSRA & WSSRT who of course are there to fund raise solely for the WSR’s use as they see fit (it’s of course track work currently). This means that they would not be able to just give their money to the WSR for let’s say track renewal when they were asked recently along with all other groups on the line. Their society objects and charity regulations have never and would never allow them to give money to the WSR and besides that’s not what the S&DRT are there for and they never have been just another funder to tap into.

What seems to being said here is that because they can’t change what they have always been and always done to becoming another just fund raiser for the WSR they are being thrown out.

The background on the beer festival is that a very successful, money generating beer festival was held annually on Minehead platform for many years. Three or four years ago the PLC felt it was a waste of time and stopped it, the S&DRT were very proactive and allowed the organisers to hold it at Washford instead(much to the disgust of certain PLC people at the time) and have made a success of it. It now seems the PLC also want the profit from that having not wanted to do the work and thrown it away in the first place. The fact that it seems the S&DRT have actually given them the proceeds seems to be a very generous act by the S&DRT, and this is their reward !!!!

It’s most definitely a black day on the WSR today in my opinion with nearly 40 years of hard work from the S&DRT just thrown away because the PLC wants everybody’s money to dig itself out of a hole, very short sighted in my view. What next, some of the station groups also couldn't pay the PLC money when the rounds were done, will we see a Station removed from the WSR, how about Stogumber, that would shorten the line and save some money or will we just see some Beechings style station closures ?????

 

" ... they would not be able to just give their money to the WSR for ..."
The likelihood is that the S&DRT could not *legally* just give money to the WSR under the terms of their charitable status.

Is the S&DRT governing document, 'Articles' or whatever, available online anywhere?
If not, would somebody be so kind as to send me a copy, please?