West Somerset Railway General Discussion

There are several loco owning groups that are often loosely , (albeit some not e.g.Clan Line) attached to a railway that seem to successfully manage overhauls and there seem to be a number of organisations that will take on packets of work. Just needs someone good to project manage it well and a good financial controller who can also find sources of funding etc. From what I see the the owning group so far are doing OK.

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Precisely. And whilst there are risks in the current situation as @jma1009, @brennan and @1472 have pointed out, they are manageable and the S&DRT has shown every indication of having the organisational capacity to do so.

 

That can work but it is still a minefield to negotiate. For example, the railway spends £500K on the overhaul and gets free use of it but part way through the ticket a major and unforeseen problem arises which sidelines the loco. (eg a fractured cylinder.) Who is responsible for the repair and, if no repair carried out, the railway loses the use of a loco it has effectively paid for. Far better to pay a daily or mileage steaming fee but there also need to be other conditions such as a minimum hire period related to availability. A loco on a simple hire contract may only be used when necessary and the owning group will then get little income. It's not a simple subject.

 

The owning group. Duh.

 

Thanks for the clarification. Suffice to say that I struggle with this view as well given the long relationship between the two before 2020.

 

Any suggestion that 53808 did not suit the WSR is utter nonsense.

6695 was over the weight limit (when that was being enforced as opposed to bent as convenient).

 

The latest nonsense from the WSR plc, uncritically reported by whichever 16-year old masquerades as a journalist at the Somerset County Gazette.



https://www.somersetcountygazette.c...omerset-railway-financially-strongest-decade/

I recall a certain bus company that ran Weston super Mare’s buses that was said to be hale and hearty, right up until no buses appeared one Monday morning…

 

I am very happy for my posts to be shifted to the SDRT thread, but I also think that the substantial effect of the overhaul costs of 53808 on the WSR PLC’s accounts as presently discussed and disclosed are of significant importance to the finances of the WSR PLC.

(They were always going to be so. JJP hasn’t avoided this issue by evicting the SDRT from Washford at all nearly 5 years on. As many of us predicted at the time).

On the other side of the of the ledger, the WSRHT announced in the spring of this year that as part of it’s business plan for 2024/25 that it had agreed a purchase price to be paid of £78,000 for the ex assets of the SDRT at Washford, and paying a rent of £15,000 pa for the Washford site and £3,000 pa operating cost to the WSR PLC.

I was sent emails in 2020 from Chris Austen then chair of what became the WSRHT that were extraordinary. Something akin to the relevations in “The Roostery”, but in respect of the SDRT and the Washford site and not providing any support for the SDRT over it’s Notice to Quit served upon it in February 2020 by the WSR PLC.

It was a very stressful time. I think it fair to say that the WSRHT and WSRA were expected by the SDRT to support them. The WSRHT had their own agenda. Even from what I was told at the time I don’t even now understand “The Roostery” view of things.

Luckily, I’ve retained all the emails etc. Thinking of a title to a book… perhaps forum members could suggest a few titles?

 

What assets were acquired for £78k?

 

@21B I’ve edited my last post and expanded on it since your post above. The WSRHT business plan 2024/5 this spring was that the £78,000 was to buy the shed at Washford and the track etc on the other side of the station that belonged to the SDRT. Then they pay £18,000 pa to the WSR PLC for use of the site as annual rent (£15,000), and annual operating costs (£3,000).

 

Thanks. So in essence they bought a lease? From the WSR PLC point of view I imagine they’d want a few more tenants who improve the property then vacate it leaving an asset the plc never had to pay for that they can sell on to someone else. From the trust p.o.v it sounds relatively expensive compared to a lease on a similar sized industrial unit, but I suppose you pay a premium for being rail connected.

 

While I agree that the article is likely to be as truthful as anything said by Donald Trump, it does seem a little harsh to criticise the journalist. I suspect that the Somerset County Gazette is unlikely to be known for it's hard-hitting journalistic style.

Which bus company was it, among the many companies that JJP seems to have been involved with that have folded?

 

Crosville Motor Services. He's a busy man - 36 appointments on Companies House, four new companies set up this month alone!

 

Can anyone give me the address for the S&D thread. Thanks

 

The most recent post (one of mine transferred by the Mods) is at https://www.national-preservation.com/threads/s-d-railway-trust.1417790/page-218#post-2898592

 

I think the £78k was paid to the SDRT and not the WSR. I'm sure someone will correct me if this is not correct.

 

That's correct. That also saved the SDRT the cost of removing the shed & track, which they might've had to do if they didn't want to abandon it to the plc in the event of no other agreement.

 

Was the appeal for money to survive not way after 2018? So is that date relevant as the recovery start point?