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. 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
    Whose fault is that then?
    It is up to folk like you to tell others what you are doing to constructively maintain the line.
    But, this thread - and its WSR predecessors - have consistently character assassinated some people, engaged in frequent infighting and self promotion, so is it unsurprising at the re-action from many looking at what they read as a recurrent catastrophe at the most or a joke at the least.
    Another WSR web site does usually give interesting events about the line, but that is not totally relevant to this thread.
     
    michaelh, jnc and malcolm imps like this.
  2. malcolm imps

    malcolm imps New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2016
    Messages:
    175
    Likes Received:
    504
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Hillman Imp Specialist
    Location:
    norton fitzwarren
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
  3. Yorkshireman

    Yorkshireman Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2014
    Messages:
    4,486
    Likes Received:
    5,045
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Comfy chair occupant!
    Location:
    No moaners please!
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    After his Long March will he be publishing a little red book entitled “The Thoughts of Chairman Jon? :D:D:D
     
  4. malcolm imps

    malcolm imps New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2016
    Messages:
    175
    Likes Received:
    504
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Hillman Imp Specialist
    Location:
    norton fitzwarren
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer

    Attached Files:

  5. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2014
    Messages:
    11,247
    Likes Received:
    17,947
    Gender:
    Female
    Occupation:
    Barrister
    Location:
    Stogumber
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
  6. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2006
    Messages:
    11,930
    Likes Received:
    10,088
    Occupation:
    Gentleman of leisure, nowadays
    Location:
    Near Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    The rules on disposal of creosoted sleepers have been relaxed in recent times and you can now sell them on for certain uses. They are classed as hazardous waste at end of life, however, and must be disposed of accordingly. Hence, you can't simply burn them.
     
  7. Roger Thompson

    Roger Thompson Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2014
    Messages:
    635
    Likes Received:
    1,894
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Warwickshire, formerly Somerset
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    My thanks to Mr Jones Pratt for this interesting statement. I look forward to the more detailed account of Saturdays meeting which he has promised to publish soon.

    Sent from my Lenovo TAB 2 A10-70F using Tapatalk
     
    michaelh, jnc, nanstallon and 10 others like this.
  8. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2014
    Messages:
    11,247
    Likes Received:
    17,947
    Gender:
    Female
    Occupation:
    Barrister
    Location:
    Stogumber
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    If you know where to look, there are WSR-maintained flower beds with passenger trains operating from the platform every day in March!

    D3AB8829-D5FE-439B-AD40-FDB3355477AA.jpeg

    (Hard work by the Bishops Lydeard Station gardeners.)
     
  9. howard

    howard Member

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2006
    Messages:
    306
    Likes Received:
    270
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired Ship's Engineer
    Location:
    Sandwich Kent
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    It seems strange that a railway that has been running as long as the WSR needs to urgently update it’s safety, training, competence and operating systems. Has no-one been keeping up with modern legislation? The phones of a number of people in the preserved railway world have been overheating from receiving calls for help and advice from the West Country.
     
    granmaree likes this.
  10. echap

    echap New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2009
    Messages:
    168
    Likes Received:
    396
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Church Volunteer
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I would of thought that was the job of the General Manger to be up to date on all matters regarding, Safety, Training, Competence and Operating Systems and take a lead as necessary.

    Ed
     
  11. LC2

    LC2 Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2012
    Messages:
    845
    Likes Received:
    999
    Occupation:
    IT
    Location:
    70B
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    For [Insert your deity here]'s sake, the new management team barely had time to warm their chairs before the ORR walked in (that must have been nice for them) and they are evidently working on/to a plan to turn things around.
    How about giving them a chance?

    Ah, I forget, this is the WSR thread, home of the keyboard warriors.
    Oh, and FWIW, I would cheerfully say that to your faces in a pub before walking away to leave you spluttering into your pimms.
     
  12. echap

    echap New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2009
    Messages:
    168
    Likes Received:
    396
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Church Volunteer
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    With respect, it does seem strange that, apparently, so many of those problems are having to be sorted out now. The GM has been there for how long? I have been involved in railway preservation and am actually aware of just how much stuff has to be learnt and carried out correctly. I fully appreciate that the Directors of the Company have played "musical chairs" but I thought you had the continuity of full time staff to look after the day to day running of the railway and all that entails. I am genuinely puzzled that these problems have arisen.

    It is, of course, good to hear that rapid progress is being made.

    Ed
     
  13. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2006
    Messages:
    11,930
    Likes Received:
    10,088
    Occupation:
    Gentleman of leisure, nowadays
    Location:
    Near Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Playing devils advocate, I would think that the WSR had all these systems in place. The problem can easily become one of what one person thinks is satisfactory, another one doesn't and if that second person is from HMRI, you have a problem. I am aware of a railway which has had such systems for years, well before The Transport & Works Act and ROTS/ROGS, but failed to keep up with what was now expected until the eventual visit. It is not unusual.
     
    echap likes this.
  14. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2005
    Messages:
    5,283
    Likes Received:
    2,650
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired Rolls-Royce engineer
    Location:
    Bath Green Park / Mangotsfield
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I have to question if this is a sensible comment at a time when the railway needs as many friends and donations as possible.

    Let's hope that the WSR can return to the days when it was such a magnificent and successful railway. <BJ>
     
    michaelh likes this.
  15. AnthonyTrains2017

    AnthonyTrains2017 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2014
    Messages:
    2,237
    Likes Received:
    918
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    When is the 40th gala please, can find no mention on wsr main site
     
  16. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2015
    Messages:
    9,186
    Likes Received:
    7,226
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Thorn in my managers side
    Location:
    72
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    In a large organisation you have staff whose sole job is to keep on top of regulatory & compliance arrangements, something a small organisation doesnt have.
     
    Paul Kibbey likes this.
  17. Andy Williams

    Andy Williams Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2010
    Messages:
    851
    Likes Received:
    908
    Occupation:
    Design Engineer
    Location:
    Shropshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Any heritage railway that does not keep on top of regulatory & compliance arrangements can expect to be on the receiving end of a visit and advice from the ORR. It matters not if the organisation is large or small, or whether the staff are paid or volunteer, the same regulations apply to all. The ORR are specifically targeting heritage operators with a view to remind them of their responsibilities under the ROGS regulations.

    Andy
     
  18. nanstallon

    nanstallon Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2005
    Messages:
    4,323
    Likes Received:
    2,397
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Westcountry
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    To be fair, the ORR didn't order an immediate shutdown, which it would have done if the railway was dangerous or being run in a dangerous manner. While it is necessary to impose high standards for safety on any railway that carries passengers, and it is clear that the management is taking its obligations seriously, the WSR was not exactly dangerous at the time of the ORR visit. After reading the summary of last Saturday's meeting, I feel confident that the WSR is in good hands.
     
    Paul Kibbey and malcolm imps like this.
  19. michaelh

    michaelh Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2006
    Messages:
    3,080
    Likes Received:
    1,291
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Very comfortably early retired
    Location:
    1029
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer

    I'm surprised that infrastructure issues can be sorted out for only £140,000. You don't get much for that sort of money these days.
     
    Bean-counter, malcolm imps and jnc like this.
  20. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,105
    Likes Received:
    57,435
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I don’t think it said issues had been sorted out; the report said that much had been invested in renewals, “with even more spending on it needed every year from now on just to stand still.” So clearly that £140k is the beginning, not the end of the necessary investment.

    Perhaps more interesting was the comment that further necessary investment of £500k per year is needed. Which seems to be a recognition that, in common with most other similarly sized railways, the revenue alone won’t cover the costs of renewal work.

    Tom

     

Share This Page