West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Brilliant. We came back behind Betton Grange from Watchet to BL Saturday and it was an incredible run. Fantastic stuff climbing out of Williton towards CE. Looks like the railway had another brilliant weekend.

 

BBC saying that the WSR could be joined to the Big Railway:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv2g02deedpo

 

This pops up every few years and quietly dies off again. No reason to think it won't be the case again. I don't think any of these plans and ideas of a preserved railway committing to Big Railway services has ever got past the Consultant Fees stage.

 

I think it depends on what exactly is proposed. The WSR dropped any thoughts of running into Taunton decades ago.
The current proposal, just like the 2019 (?) scheme would be for GWR to run to BL. Despite the willingness of all parties for this to happen, there are significant logistical issues if this is to be any more than an occasional high days and holidays event. The BBC quote £6M which (my guess only) is for track and signal alterations at BL so that the shuttle can use the bay. There was a piece on the last journal that was measured and sensible about the prospects, far moreso that the BBC article. I think it is going to be difficult to find £6M, especially after the Wareham debacle and the restoring your railways cancellation, so don't hold your breath.
Ian Coleby

 

Strange - last time that I looked the WSR was already joined to the 'Big Railway' at Norton Fitzwarren

Next week - the BBC discover that trains still run in Cornwall.......

 

I was fortunate on Sunday to be be able to visit the WSR and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although not travelling that day, I decided to film the early morning goods and then spend the rest of the day around Crowcombe. I very much enjoy the beautiful surrounding countryside and listening to the birdsong. The station is a joy to visit. The snacks, tea and cakes are very good and the staff very friendly. My wife noticed that two of the staff were women, something she thought was very commendable. I'll have to persuade her to become a volunteer ...any excuse for me to visit the WSR. <BJ>

 

Really? I don't think there is anything intrinsically wrong with the fully signalled ladder crossover? BL trains use the down relief and then cross at NF. The line isn't that busy to make this unfeasible in the long term. The issue come at BL where track rearrangments and consequent resignalling is required so that incoming trains can use the bay.

 

The very reason a *lot* of money was spent getting rid of the ladder crossover at Werrington Junction on the ECML. A large container train being signalled onto the Spalding line from the down slow out of Peterborough pretty much stopped the job.

 

No. The capacity issue is the need to cross all lines in both directions at NFW on a stretch where other services are making a speedy departure from or approach to Taunton. This is fine for the occasional ‘special’ but would be a significant restriction on a regular service.

(I speak as an ex-Traffic Manager Bristol, who studied the traffic patterns on the Bristol -Taunton route very closely and was WSR Operating Superintendent for the first trains off the national network onto the WSR.)

Altered arrangements at BL, so that the bay built to berth the Quantock Belle dining train could be used as a Taunton bay might be useful but might be rather an expensive white elephant given the need to berth the QB, the cost of the alterations, and the fact that any GWR service would likely be at BL for only short periods.

There is little or no capacity at Exeter panel for alterations (one reason for the single route on and off the WSR). The bed of the old up relief was used for the signalling cables and location cases after the then WSR GM expressed the view that it would never be needed (somewhat to the surprise of the scheme manager who was intending to safeguard the route and was looking for a little help with that.). Relaying there would now be exorbitant for this reason alone.

The imminent return to the network of Wellington station will (and the possible addition of Stoke Cannon might) exacerbate all the above.

BL has (for Somerset) a very decent bus service, mostly as part of the BL - MD service.

All of the above make regular GWR (or other operator) services to BL a pipe dream.

 

Thank you for your kind comments about our staff and station. Five Platform staff were on duty on Sunday, three of whom were ladies. We have a total of 15 ladies on the staff at Crowcombe.

 

Can I ask how the £180,000 DMU restoration appeal is going?

 

Hopefully better than the appeal for £300,000 the NVR is trying to raise.

 

Presumably quite well - it's seen intensive use over the past few weeks on Driver training/refresher duties and from limited conversations I've had with those involved, it would appear to be in good mechanical order.

I was also pleased to see it in revenue earning service at BA yesterday afternoon where it's paintwork was gleaming in the afternoon sunshine and the numbers aboard were extremely healthy. It'll also be used this coming weekend as a shuttle between BL and NF to ferry passengers to and from the WSRA Rally site.

A credit to the small, but dedicated team who have been quietly beavering away in the background for quite some time to bring this really important and economical resource back in to service.

Photo taken by Richard Jones during aforementioned training trips at Blue Anchor.

 

Less of an answer, more of a (diesel) smokescreen.

 

I’d have thought that if you want an answer to this (mischievous) question your best option is to ask at the AGM.
I assume you’re still a shareholder.

 

(1) What aspect of my question is mischievous?

(2) Can folk only get an answer once a year?

(3) If the answer is £5, a Yugoslav Dinar and two buttons (as might be guessed from the lack of an update) it might imply that the fundraising appeal needs some help.

But I’ll ask again on 1.9.24, no doubt there will be some news by then.

 

It appears to me that any questioning of the financial affairs of the WSR is considered by some of its more ardent supporters as " mischievous". If you are asking people to put their hand in their pocket for a specific appeal then surely an update as to how much has been raised and where it has been spent is not only courteous but , you never know, may result in more contributions!