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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

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

  1. buzby2

    buzby2 Well-Known Member

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    Somewhat of a recreation of the scene at 'Titfield' when the Guard did the same thing before handing the Porter the station's closure notice to paste up.
     
  2. echap

    echap New Member

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    I see Steve Edge has kindly given us an update on Seaward Way Crossing:

    WSR Plc Director Frank Courtney has kindly provided a brief update to a question posted on the unofficial WSR Forum concerning progress on the Seaward Way Level Crossing upgrade project. It is this project that has prevented trains from reaching Minehead this summer. Here is Frank's reply to the Forum:

    Work is continuing. Phase 1 (which is mainly WSR delivered and concerns wiring and signalling) is nearly complete. Main contractors for Phase 2 (Amey) are on site. The work is extremely complex and there have been some equipment sourcing delays due to a combination of Covid and Brexit. Most up to date information and pictures is on wsr.org.uk and there will be a longer update in the next issue of 'The Platform' due shortly.

    Ed Chap
     
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  3. mdewell

    mdewell Well-Known Member Friend

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    "The work is extremely complex"
    This is the bit I don't understand. I mean, you need a a level surface crossing the track, some gates/barriers and some signals. All stuff that has been around since the 1800's.It's not exactly rocket science, so how has it become extremely complex?
     
  4. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    I get a feeling that certain members of our group are now turning to Steve Edge to vent their anger and frustration of WSR issues.

    Steve has kept us up to date for many years with his independent 'wsr.org' website. His comments and views are informative and unbiased. If he ever decides to throw in the towel we will all be at a loss, only gaining news of the railway via 'The Management'.

    Let's cut him some slack and concentrate on the real problems of the railway. <BJ>
     
  5. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    I'm sure that the work is not complex. However I'm prepared to guess that the protocols, paperwork and safety testing associated with the work will be complex. (For example, a steam charter was halted recently, not because the crossing wasn't working but because the phones at the crossing had a fault.)
     
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  6. Snifter

    Snifter Well-Known Member

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    Is it a simple like for like replacement or a complex semaphore system ? Given that the line is not cashing in on the biggest tourist boom in decades, every day not running to Minehead is revenue lost at the till.

    Answers please on the back of an appeal update.
     
  7. Steve Edge

    Steve Edge Member

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    My understanding is that the "hard bits" you describe are indeed not overly "complex". There are other factors that are. Especially so when it is not your project.

    Steve
    wsr.org.uk
     
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  8. Snifter

    Snifter Well-Known Member

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    A quick peek at the photo on Mr Edge's excellent website suggest that it is not a semaphore system however Covid and Brexit are being cited as the causes of delay.
     
  9. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

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    Really? So exactly which railways had electrically-powered lifting barriers and CCTV control systems in the early 19th Century please?
     
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  10. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    Maybe AMEX has your answers, they are the Phase 2 contractors. That's how I read Frank C's reply.
     
  11. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    "Amex - that'll do nicely, sir!" (I think you mean Amey).

    Supply chains are very disrupted at the moment - in a slightly different field, I was talking to our workshop manager recently and parts from external suppliers that we expected after a month were still delayed after three months. If in turn you are two or three steps down a supply chain, that just multiplies the risk of delays. So I took the phrase "extremely complex" really in the context of trying to manage the project with various external dependencies that are difficult to control, rather than specifically about the precise process of how to create a level surface being intrinsically complex.

    Tom
     
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  12. MG 7305

    MG 7305 New Member

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    Apparently the vintage bus replacement from Dunster Station to Minehead has proved very popular. Families get two forms of transport for one tickets. Keeps the children occupied for longer.
     
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  13. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    Correct Tom. Still struggling with left hand - hopefully it won't last. ;)
     
  14. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    I think the challenge is that given the WSR saga , no one really believes any official pronouncement whether it is true or not

    Of course the other blindingly obvious point , had the project gone ahead when originally planned brexit and covid would have played no part . It is an interesting thing about life that when meddling happens and delays occur other factors can come in and just makes things even worse
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2021
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  15. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    so who needs Minehead station or the level crossing them . terminate at Dunster and bus them in . Must be cheaper in the long run and thing of what Butlins would pay for the Minehead station site . Could even rename Dunster ........Minehead park and ride
     
  16. goldfish

    goldfish Nat Pres stalwart

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    Minehead Parkway surely… ;)

    Simon
     
  17. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    given GWR convention, Minehead Road
     
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  18. mdewell

    mdewell Well-Known Member Friend

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    I guess that'll be part of the extremely complex bit. Which is just a more complicated way of doing the stuff I described.
     
  19. gwilialan

    gwilialan Well-Known Member

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    @FrankC " The work is extremely complex and there have been some equipment sourcing delays due to a combination of Covid and Brexit."

    I guess this is a good example of why so many people don't trust the word of the Plc board. So what is extremely complex?

    The mechanics are not - standard design four gate mechanisms used for crossings all over NR
    The traffic light control is not - standard design controls used for crossings all over NR
    The crossing CCTV is not - standard design controls used for crossings all over NR
    RADAR detection (if used) is not - standard design controls used for crossings all over NR
    Train detection is not - either on track detection or the WSR signalman pressing a button (or pulling a lever) to initiate the crossing sequence with standard maintaining track circuits
    The crossing - WSR signal interfacing is not - a simple 'crossing clear' input from the crossing controls to the signal box to unlock the appropriate WSR signalling system when the crossing controls are satisfied the gates are down and the road is clear
    The controls and interface may be complex but they were completed two years ago and are all in the box by the crossing ready for connection,
    The installation and operational system approval process may have been complex but all that has been dealt with (to the satisfaction of the ORR) in the design process

    In fact the only special thing I can see for this crossing is that the crossing arms have to be cut to the correct length to match the road width.

    So I'm sorry Frank, I appreciate your posting on here while many others hide in their ivory towers but I just can't see what current or upcoming work is 'extremely complex'. And as for blaming Covid and Brexit... If the work had been done on time it would have been completed well before either of these things happened. I think they are no more than very weak (but convenient) excuses to cover up the real reasons for the delay. I I just wonder what would have carried the blame if these pathetic excuses hadn't been available?

    Alan.
    Retired Instrumentation, Automation and Control Systems engineer. CEng Inst MC (Institute of Measurement and Control) - now lapsed as I've retired. :)
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2021
  20. gwilialan

    gwilialan Well-Known Member

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    I see they are using photo's from the North Norfolk Railway to advertise the 'Winterlights' specials - let's hope the WSR display is at least as good as (if not better than) the photo's. Would be very embarrassing not to at least meet that standard.
     

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