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. Michale.Petersons

    Michale.Petersons New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2020
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    14
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Newcastle
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    And I don't think you're understanding my point. I get the whole thing wasn't handled as well as it should have been but the comments made by yourself and everyone else on here is the most destructive way of talking about the railway. You spoke of a 40% drop in volunteers earlier. Nearly every railway reads whats put on here. What do you think that does for the railway because it doesn't attract people in flocks. The volunteers that are still here are trying so hard so prove to people the railway is worth travelling on but all that is undone when people read on here the railway is corrupt and mismanaged. I fully get that you don't see eye to eye with the current management but please can't you give it a rest? The railways already on a tipping edge and If you love it as much as you say you should be trying to help it tip the right way despite whatever quarrels you have with specific people. Perhaps consider donating to the appeal for funds given the current climate, because it could keep your friends enjoying their hobby's, and ensure that you may get back on the footplate of a Manor at full chat as oppose to a class 150...'
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2020
  2. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2013
    Messages:
    10,440
    Likes Received:
    17,941
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cheltenham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Just on a point of order Andy, I think your figures are wildly out here, GWSR is only on about £75k, I haven't seen NYMR, but SVR is on £92K, so extrapolate from there. It still illustrates your broad point though, assuming the WSR figure is accurate.
     
    michaelh, Steve and Andy Norman like this.
  3. Michale.Petersons

    Michale.Petersons New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2020
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    14
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Newcastle
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
     
  4. GWCBC78

    GWCBC78 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2008
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    24
    The endless comments on NP are doing more harm than you can imagine!!!

    As an example imagine if you will, a volunteer has given countless hours of his time and money to repaint an engine, mostly on his own and often straight from a full day's work, and quite often not finishing till nearly midnight for a number of weeks. Photos are posted showing something positive happening and yet on here, it either gets completely ignored or worse still there are negative comments. How do you think that makes that volunteer feel? Do you think it will encourage him to do it again? It seems some people on here love nothing better than to have a moan about anything and everything, continually tearing chunks out of the railway that you all supposedly love. It is having both a negative effect on the railways public image and doing nothing to encourage the volunteers or paid staff.

    As a volunteer, I may find myself questioning some of the decisions that the board make, but the main thing that is really upsetting the volunteers is this forum, and the false image it portrays of them the volunteers on the ground who are working damned hard to make sure there's a railway for you lot to moan about. I often read some of the comments on here and wonder why I bother.
     
  5. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Mar 16, 2008
    Messages:
    3,906
    Likes Received:
    3,704
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    South Hams
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    1200 abusive posts. You just added sixteen it appears.
    Most people who post here, who are critical of the WSR - past and present - are often reminded that anything posted here has little or no effect on the WSR and its management.
    You seem convinced, as do the others you apparently know, that the posts here do, in fact, influence what happens to the WSR. That, indubitably, will give encouragement I am sure and many here will be grateful for your endorsement.
     
    tracker, MellishR and 35B like this.
  6. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2011
    Messages:
    25,492
    Likes Received:
    23,721
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Grantham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Then let’s see that eviction notice rescinded, and something done about the treatment of those who’ve fallen out with the current management. Better morale, and money and goodwill saved.

    I’m sure I’m not alone in wishing the railway well but despairing of its leaderships ability to pick fights in empty rooms.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
  7. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2013
    Messages:
    10,440
    Likes Received:
    17,941
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cheltenham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I do get where you're coming from on all this, I really do. No one likes to see their railway hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons, I do know what it feels like (thankfully not often) you just want it all to go away. There have been several things I've seen the current WSR management do that didn't feel right, mostly against individuals like @Andy Norman , but for the reasons you've outlined, there wasn't actually that much discussion here when that was all it was.

    That all changed when the S&D Trust were kicked out. Strip all the comments here away, ignore all the other questionable decisions, everything. Imagine the WSR was until then a perfectly run railway. The way the WSR has dealt with the S&D Trust is unacceptable. Certainly in my and many other's eyes. But again, lets imagine that even that didn't raise any discussion on here or elsewhere. It has still resulted in the WSR being potentially taken to court. That is far more damaging than any comments here, and the fault of that can be laid squarely at the door of the WSR board. No ifs, no buts.

    The trouble is, once you reach that objective conclusion, all the more questionable things, the nasty fallings out etc, which previously folk weren't sure what they were all about, suddenly take on a new light. If this is how a charitable organisation linked with the railway for 40 years is treated, then suddenly all the other stuff is much more believable, and added together gives a really, really unpleasant picture.

    Unfortunately, no matter how much you may dislike it, all the discussion here wouldn't be happening if it weren't for totally unnecessary actions taken by the WSR management.
     
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2020
    Miff, MellishR, jnc and 20 others like this.
  8. Herald

    Herald Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2015
    Messages:
    304
    Likes Received:
    574
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Firstly welcome to a new member it's always good to see people of passion joining the debate. What is less clear is how much of these interminable threads you've managed to read and what business or commercial qualifications you may have to fully appreciate how the PLC is bound by the legal agreements it enters into as a corporate body. New management can not unilaterally ignore such things, however, stupid it believes its predecessors to have been in getting involved with those contracts and agreements.

    Similarly it can't assume that the counter parties to the agreements will just walk away when told to. The management of the contractual counter parties will actually be required to enforce their contractual rights as part of their legal obligations to the body or grant provider they represent. Anyone with even an elementary understanding of company and charity law would quickly realise that some of the recent actions of the PLC seem to have overlooked those fundamental principles. To accuse anyone who has the temerity to point these fundamentals out of wanting to shut the railway is actually rather naive.

    Unlike others I seriously doubt you've been put up to your recent posts I prefer to think of you as a keen enthusiast who, like so many others here, wants to see the WSR succeed and thrive. I can also fully understand that there will be many volunteers who just want to enjoy the railway and wish all of these issues would go away. Unfortunately they won't, not because anybody here has posted about them but because of the way the PLC management has created them. With or without Andy the grant givers will quite properly wish to see they have received what they gave the grant for and the beneficiaries of a 50 year lease will wish to enjoy those benefits. Sensible re-negotiations may once have been possible and many of us on here would hope to see them but I fear we'll have a long wait.
     
    MellishR, Otaioengineer, jnc and 12 others like this.
  9. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2013
    Messages:
    10,440
    Likes Received:
    17,941
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cheltenham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Assuming that volunteer is you, you have my sympathies. As I said above, I know it's not fun when your railway is getting all the bad press. No one is casting aspersions on the vast majority of volunteers on the WSR. The unfortunate truth is though, that bad news always results in far more discussion than good, simply because there's more mileage in it, more stuff to go over. There's only so much content that can be had out of some nice restoration work. SO all the while the WSR board are making extremely poor decisions landing them in court, it is inevitable that the focus is on that. You should direct your frustrations at those responsible for puting the WSR in that situation, and they are not to be found on this forum (well, not for some years anyway).
     
    MellishR and malcolm imps like this.
  10. Bail5029

    Bail5029 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2020
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    124
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Nunney
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I concur with that!

    Now can I ask you imagine still,

    Going about your normal day during this epidemic, and receiving a phone call personally from a member of the board to firstly, check you were well. Secondly, to thank you for all your hard work over a number of years service to the railway. And finally, and most enlightening, asking for your opinion and advice as to how the railway should proceed with a number of topics (none of which I add are discussed on this forum and directly relate to the operation of the railway, what this thread is meant for after all)

    For all it's mistakes, there is still a great deal of good done by all on the WSR. Whether that be staff or volunteers. We are all united in these uncertain times. United in the fact that we want to have a railway to come back to once the lockdown is over. And to make it better going forward. Perhaps donating to the various fundraising channels would be a very good way to start doing that, as oppose to open letters and debate on here? (Accepted, Mrs Norman's letter was prior to the appeal)
     
  11. GWCBC78

    GWCBC78 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2008
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    24
    Just for clarity it wasn't myself but a fellow volunteer.
     
  12. Michale.Petersons

    Michale.Petersons New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2020
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    14
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Newcastle
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Yes 16 comments asking people to stop hating the railway. Good one pal. If they do no damage then why make them at all?
     
  13. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2013
    Messages:
    10,440
    Likes Received:
    17,941
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cheltenham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Fair dos.

    It occurs to me that there are several apparent WSR volunteers who have emerged from the woodwork tonight, some who have had accounts longer than me, but with very few posts to their name. One of their complaints seems to have been "Why isn't there more discussion of the good stuff?" Well, to an extent, that's within your powers guys!... I's probably true that at the moment it would get lost, but so would anything else on any other railway thread when matters seriously enough to warrant legal action are current, but up until a couple of months ago that hasn't been the case for a long time. Don't just pipe up when the going gets bad, next time, don't keep quiet but contribute, let the forum know what's happening on the ground! Take a look at other railway threads, see what sort of stuff gets discussed there.
     
  14. Bail5029

    Bail5029 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2020
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    124
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Nunney
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    See my previous posts. You'll see just that! Likewise, I believe many prefer to keep these more positive posts in other locations that are, forgive me for saying this but, a little less antiquated! (Not that there isn't clearly some great content on this site)
     
  15. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2013
    Messages:
    10,440
    Likes Received:
    17,941
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cheltenham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    That's fine, but hopefully you can see the inconsistency in saying, on the one hand, why isn't there more coverage of the good stuff here, and on the other, there are better ways of sharing the good stuff, so it doesn't end up here! :)

    For what it's worth, a find Facebook and the like probably better for keeping up with what's going on on a particular railway or a particular department, but it's quite introspective, it's much harder to get a breadth of topics on different railways, aspects etc, without being a member of dozens of groups. And then there's no consistency in who you're talking with. Because you've got everyone from everywhere all in one place, you get much better discussion than if we were all following our own groups on a larger social network. I also find it much easier to have in depth discussions here; you can quote, break things down, write long or short, easily illustrate. I've also personally benefited from here, I've sought the opinions and learnt from a great many people, and even met up with some of them, whereas I can't say that for my interactions on Facebook and others.
     
  16. Bail5029

    Bail5029 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2020
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    124
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Nunney
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Well to flip the coin slightly, I probably wouldn't be volunteering on the WSR or elsewhere had it not been for Facebook where I made contact with many friends whom have in the same time frame, become volunteers themselves.

    I had hoped to be posting about the railway reopening and the positivity that would have brought though sadly, there is little chance of that for a while...

    ...which reminds me! Have a shameless plug for donations whilst I'm at it:https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/donations

    If you'd like an example of what the money is being spent on, one is developing and implementing a plan to keep crew compitancies in place whilst we are not running. If this wasn't done, then we'd struggle to run a railway when we do reopen.
     
  17. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2013
    Messages:
    10,440
    Likes Received:
    17,941
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cheltenham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Mm, discussed a little here too, a couple of us have raised it as a potential problem, what's your solution? Our competencies lapse after 6 months and expire after 2 years, I presume elsewhere is similar?
     
  18. jnc

    jnc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2012
    Messages:
    1,511
    Likes Received:
    2,706
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Western Atlantic
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    A better proof of my assertion that "If the people of the WSR want to know why it seems to incessantly lurch from crisis to crisis, it is my current belief that they all have to look in the mirror. … until everyone in the WSR truly believes 'I am part of the problem', it will continue to lurch from crisis to crisis" I couldn't possibly wish for.

    Noel
     
  19. Forestpines

    Forestpines Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2009
    Messages:
    1,681
    Likes Received:
    2,438
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    Somewhere in the UK
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I recall in the past WSR-related threads have been moved into "General Railway Chat" precisely to stop them being viewed by non-users
     
    Monkey Magic likes this.
  20. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2014
    Messages:
    17,609
    Likes Received:
    11,222
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    St Leonards
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Nail hit head, No one wants to see the WSR fail, except maybe someone who thinks they can benefit from it? But some times, if a structure is damaged beyond repair, it has to be pulled down and started again from .' from scratch,
     
    MellishR and jnc like this.

Share This Page