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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

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

  1. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

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    I'm afraid that poor Dando at Foxcote was much maligned. It is clear that he was put into a position for which he did not have the relevant experience. A very careful study of all the evidence will show that basis of the accident was incorrect block working, where most - if not all - of the fault lay at Wellow. Yes, he did send an Up train into a section already occupied by a Down train, but at the time the block instruments did not register that occupation. As the fact that, prior to that, he had accepted the Up train from Radstock when the Down was already approaching from Wellow and there was no facility to cross trains at Foxcote - well, not exactly ideal, as one of them eventually would have had to be shunted into the siding, but not in itself 'dangerous' if the signals for opposing directions had all remained at 'danger' and been obeyed by the drivers.

    A typical example of a disaster caused by a number of minor problems - some long-term, others just happened at that time - none of which on their own might have lead to any accident, but sadly all combining by unfortunate timing into one big accident.
     
  2. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

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    Yet curiously, although the box at Foxcote did not meet the BoT criteria for the 'Bath Extension' that boxes had to be at stations with passing-loops, they made no mention at all in their Report into the Accident about other similar boxes which existed on the line at that time (eg Bath Ticket Platform, Midford etc).
     
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  3. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    It is somewhat encouraging that there is progress on the Seaward Way crossing at long last, but of course there is not a dickybird about why it wasn't all finished a year or more ago.
     
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  4. City of truro fan

    City of truro fan Member

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    The crossing has needed to be replaced with a more modern one and this work needs a lot of time to do. When it’s done it will be a much better design and safety.
     
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  5. jnc

    jnc Well-Known Member

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    I don't think there's much disagreement with the basic point of the need to replace the crossing; that aspect is not the issue.

    Noel
     
  6. LC2

    LC2 Member

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    A little Steam at BL this morning
    upload_2020-12-12_11-37-42.png
     
  7. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    Sounds far too familiar and far too close to home for comfort.

    The issue of literacy is interesting because I read a case of a level crossing accident in the 1960s where it turned out that the keeper was virtually illiterate and couldn't read the notices.
     
  8. 5801

    5801 Member

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    This one: https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=1090

    The crossing keeper only spoke Welsh, while her manager only spoke English, yet he claimed to have examined her on the Rules.
     
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  9. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    which were in English only...

    It describes her 'virtually unable to read or write' but I am not sure if that means at all or just in English.

    She'd been in post for 28 years as well.
     
  10. granmaree

    granmaree Member

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  11. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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  12. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    Hang on, So If I am reading this right, So The railway is hiring in a locomotive, costing money having agreed to the loss of one that was a home fleet loco, which did not cost them anything to run, as it was not on a hire agreement as such ,So what was the real reason it had to go? Oh, sorry , it wasn't GWR, clearly the loss of 53808 was down to it being the wrong type of locomotive (not GWR) .:(
     
  13. Springs Branch

    Springs Branch New Member

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    If I were part of the 5199 owning group, I'd have the invoice for steaming fees on a next day payment. However with the alleged cash flow problems at Llangollen, is it a case of out of the frying pan into the fire (box)?
     
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  14. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    on a positive note it does indicate the WSR has an intent to run in 2021 and clearly expects to need motive power over and above 9351,7828 and(presumably) 7822. 7752 has returned to Tyseley leaving a gap in the motive power fleet

    Given that locomotives will have lost considerable steaming fees in 2020 and with 53808 nearing the end of her ticket along with the broader contractual discussions getting 53808 made sense and she has been able to earn her keep at the Mid Hants since October
     
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  15. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    I’m guessing it is the replacement for 7752 going by the number of steaming days rather than 53808 as you say.
     
  16. JBTEvans

    JBTEvans Well-Known Member

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    Looks like I was right all along then RE: plenty of locos looking for work in 2021.
     
  17. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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    One is plenty, is it?
     
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  18. Mike S

    Mike S New Member

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    Signing up a highly desirable class 4 tank engine for a contracted minimum of only 35 days in a year certainly seems a bit of a case of desperation and a sign of the times we are in to me.

    Fingers crossed things improve to allow railways to get back to something like normal as early as possible in the season in which case the number of steamings available across the board will go up.

    That they (5199) have launched a 'Go Fund Me' appeal for the locos overhaul 2 years in advance says a lot about the finances and loss of earnings this year, though I thought in some seasons she'd been doing in excess of 100 days at Llangollen which should have been a decent earner..?
     
  19. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

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    ....if they were being paid. Perhaps they are among the loco owners owed by the LR and have little chance of ever seeing it.
     
  20. Thompson1706

    Thompson1706 Part of the furniture

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    More unsubstantiated s**t. The group are currently being re-paid outstanding steaming fees , as are other owners.

    Bob.
     
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