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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

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

  1. Steve Edge

    Steve Edge Member

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    I'm for anything that runs on rails :)

    Well as my chum @Snifter has already stated, the details of commercial arrangements will not be shared here. If you are a WSRA member or a Plc shareholder then I recommend writing to the respective chairman or coming along to the next AGM and ask there.

    Your last point reflects the changes you have made to your "reopening thread" which now better defines what you mean by "open". Thank you for doing that.

    I didn't see an apology from you for saying I reckoned the stone trains meant no need now for pass trains on the WSR. But then we are where we are ;) Just to make it clearer to you and others, I would really welcome the WSR doing some kind of passenger-carrying service in 2020, even over short distances, providing the revenue covered the costs of reopening and the cost of running such a service. Running at a loss, or taking risks, would be a very daft thing to do.

    Steve
     
  2. nanstallon

    nanstallon Part of the furniture

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    All grist to the mill! If it makes money to help the line survive, all well and good.
     
  3. 60044

    60044 Member

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    I was always under the impression that the stone trains were the WSRA's operation, with a fee paid to the Plc for use of the railway beyond BL and the WSRA getting the income from selling the clean stone. If I'm correct, that income is probably the cause of covetous eyes from the Plc who will no doubt think it should all be theirs. Ifa fee for the use of the railway is indeed paid, though, perhaps it should be withheld until the purchase price of Promotions is balanced out?
     
  4. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    1000 posts ago, probably far more, on NP - on a WSR thread - it was suggested that the decontamination clean up after cessation of the ballast trains will be a quite expensive affair. If that is so then the financial remuneration needs to be good.
     
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  5. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

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    Since you were replying to my post, I would like to point out that I didn't say that the Plc should cease to exist as an entity (that holds the LRO etc.) but that it should not remain in its existing form, i.e. be restructured, but remain the same legal entity. Otherwise I agree with all that you say, with the caveat that the more diverse the eventual structure, the more it is split up into individual and separate groups, the more possibility of internecine strife there is. The formation of BR is a case in point: after nationalisation, everyone on the railways worked for BR, but in their minds they were still working for the GWR, the SR, the LMS etc. with all the old rivalries preserved intact.
     
  6. Snifter

    Snifter Well-Known Member

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    It would be far better all round if the debt was settled quickly. An idiot may be tempted to start playing games in an ever escalating tit for tat and it would not end well. A sizeable slice of a sizeable something is always better than nothing of nothing. That said, past form is hardly encouraging.

    To be honest, asking for details of the arrangement will result in a very uninteresting answer, unless it has radically changed. If you want to guess the nature of the deal then what share would two mates agree on ?
     
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  7. Steve Edge

    Steve Edge Member

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    The Plc has always dealt with the operation of the train including collection of access fees. The WSRA have dealt with the stone once dropped and sales thereafter. There have been revenue-earning opportunities for both parties. The 2008 arrangement remains largely as I have described although tweaked with mutual agreement over the years. That may have changed recently and I admit I do not know the current arrangements as these are not settled (says he carefully!). I'll ask.

    Steve
     
  8. More detailed coverage in the latest Steam Railway Mag. This edition's headings include:

    - 500-signature petition is 'mischief', says West Somerset

    - WSR back in the black - but cutbacks possible

    - HRA completes review of S&D Trust saga

    - West Somerset 'unlikely to run again' until 2021

    Non-payment of the debt to WSRA missed copy deadline. Probably just as well.

    On the shelves this Friday.
     
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  9. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    There's the page and half in Steam Railway today regarding redundencies and a spokesman saying that the petition calling for change is 'mischief making'
    Just your usual day in Somerset really.
     
  10. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    Mischief making? It takes one to know one they say. ;)
     
  11. Dennis John Brooks

    Dennis John Brooks Member

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    If my memory serves me correctly the stone operation was handed over to the PLC about 3 years ago.

    DJB.
     
  12. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Well quite,but 500+ signituries can't all be wrong can they?
     
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  13. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    I refer the right honorable gentleman to my comment . The words I used were" it feels" . Since under commercial confidence you cannot prove nor disprove my feeling then I suggest we agree to disagree on that one

    I also do not believe anyone is advocating running at a loss on the WSR or any other railway . Charity will soon wear off and as you can see on the reopening thread far more lines are planning to run a service than currently have said they won't . I'm sure that each in turn has done the maths and believes it to be financially viable

    one thought that has occured to me is that if all the staff are furloughed , running trains would mean they have to be brought back therefore those costs have to be covered through fares as well
     
  14. Maunsell907

    Maunsell907 Member

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    I was tempted to ignore your posting but then I am damned by my own silence.

    I refer to your para "you are forever reminding us......"

    For the record I assume this refers to my post No.26253 when I wrote "I remember that when
    faced with turning round small companies............"

    That is not how I earned my living, ( part of attempting to grow a specific business
    by inter alia acquisition.)

    For the record : I was a Chemical Engineer. I suppose technically I still am but
    somewhat Fe2O3/Fe3O4. ( more the former, I lack the controlled corrosion of
    the latter)

    I was a University Apprentice with an Oil Company: then worked in their Research
    Labs - then a Development Engineer with a process contractor to the gas Industry,
    - a member of an Industrial and Power Generation Boiler Contractors Special
    Investigation Team. I then spent over 20 years in the Water and Waste water
    projects sector. At various time I was a Sales Engineer, Field Sales Manager,
    International Sales Manager, Divisional Director of an International Project
    Division within one group Co. I then had a three year stint as Business
    Development Manager for the Group, charged with seeking growth by acquisition,
    partnership development etc. Then a joyous two years heading up a Harvard
    style 'Skunkworks ( c. Lockheed ) followed by a stint managing the Asian
    (in practice the Far East )Operation which included bringing together
    three Commpanies and numerous offices into one operation.
    Following this I became MD of the whole Group t/o > £ 100 million EBIT
    c £6 million in the early 90s, which by then had a new owner.

    I left after , three years, it needed new blood. I then became Special Projects
    Director for a billion £ plus t/o Civil Contractor, specifically bringing them
    into the BOO, BOOT arena. ( I had previously spearheaded the $900
    million Izmit water supply scheme, a classic BOOT. )

    At 55 I decided enough was enough, I had worked at one time or another in
    40 different Countries, whilst being U.K. based. Well over 100,000 air miles
    per annum begins to pall. I had many interests which I have been fortunate to
    have spent much time on since.

    None of the above qualifies me to be an expert wrt the WSR. It does however
    prove that I am not merely someone who earned his living as you imply.
    The Peter principle might apply !

    Oh , by the way I do not subscribe to your hypothesis. The prospect of
    adding to the inherent risk that the Plc will not survive 'Covid' is
    IMHO not justifiable.

    Michael Rowe
     
    Last edited: Jul 3, 2020
  15. Steve Edge

    Steve Edge Member

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    Next time you get a feeling from my excitement, perhaps it is best you keep it to yourself ;)

    Well, if some lines can do it and make it pay then great for them. Others have said they can't. The WSR's current stance, I understand, is that it can't.

    Your last point is quite right in my view and it applies to any line with furloughed staff.

    Steve
     
  16. Maverick

    Maverick New Member

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    I see within this article the supposed issues raised to the ORR over the Beer Festival at Washford, which the ORR have confirmed never actually happened has now mysteriously morphed from being about distracting staff to people sitting on the rails in the yard.

    How many more versions of this Fake News are we going to see?
     
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  17. Andy Norman

    Andy Norman Member

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    There has it appears been a third version of the ORR's involvement (or not) quoted regarded Washford's use in the last 10 days as well.
     
  18. Snifter

    Snifter Well-Known Member

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    Yes, that one and many others. I note you didn't let another opportunity pass you by. I didn't know about your collection of airmiles which of course, adds greatly to the discussion. I'm glad you brought that one up.
     
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  19. granmaree

    granmaree Member

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    If there had been issues at the beer festival brought to anyone's attention the entire CCTV records could have been scrutinised. The whole of that area is covered by numerous cameras.
     
  20. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    It rather does beg the question who is indeed 'mischief making?'
     
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