Poole Park Railway

I mentioned that BCP Council advertised a vacancy for two Part Time Supervisors. I applied. I went to an interview. I have been offered one of the vacancies. I am now a civil servant...don't laugh.
My experience with FLT instruction assisted in my success for one of the vacancies. I am chief bottle washer instructor so to speak. The Railway being council owned requires a greater degree of crossing the t's and dotting the i's adds to the vacancy. Anyone visiting Poole and wish for more than a spin round a lake, please feel free to have a chat. The Railway is opening soon, few small details have been requested by the 'inspection' team.

thanks

Nick

 

congratulations on your new position. hopefully the Railway will be up and running soon
goin g to make a visit anyway!

 

A visit to Poole is on my list. Obviously to visit the relatives... or that's what I'll tell them!

 

Although I note that the operation is not yet running will there be volunteers on location this coming weekend 20/21

 

I do not know. The Insurance company for the railway has not signed off the paperwork. This could change on Friday. I will see if I can get further information this morning.

 

Hello,
Poole Park Railway will be open for public rides from 10.00am Friday 2/9/22. There will be an official opening later in the month. thanks

 

Went to have a look today. At £3.50 for all over 2 years old it won't take long to repay the loan!

Feedback from a friend with two kids who went for a ride this afternoon is that it is rather expensive for what it is.

I doubt there will be many who will ride twice, has the council set the price too high?

 

For a five minute ride, that does appear a little steep. Moors Valley is Adults £4.50, children £2.90, and offers quite a bit more ride.
Then again, most people don't want a second turn if there are other attractions too. How much is a cornetto these days?

 

Friday 02/09/2022 PPR opened to the public. We had around 300 plus passengers. Being 'Station Master' and booking clerk, I received one minor grumble between 10 am and 5 pm.
£1.00 increase since 4 1/2 years ago. The crews are volunteers. The passengers were very happy to have a ride around the railway. Lots of happy passengers of all ages.

 

One aspect is that the ride is subject to VAT. I am sure some people can do the maths. I have had no input into the price of the ride.

 

The point I was making was that local people with kids will not make another ride as the cost is too high. Repeat local customers are important for a sustained income stream. I won't pay 3.50 to BCP council when I already pay nearly £200 a month council tax. I doubt my friend will bring her kids back either.

Good to see it was busy. Which suggests I am tight (which I am!).

I am amused that the daily echo has not reported on the railways reopening!

 

By close of Monday, PPR had over 1200 happy passengers since Fridays opening. The Official Opening is to occur on Saturday 17 September. I guess that there will be a mixture of Councillors and local Bigwigs. Yours Truly will be there with his very fixed smile (grimace) shaking hands with people he would rather not. So it goes. Here are a few photographs over the last few days........................

 

Well done. Nice to see the railway come back to life after a very uncertain few years. Now there is an added incentive to visit the relatives!

 

Uncertain of the impact of this:
Track Systems has closed.

https://tracksystems.uk/

 

Who owns the loco?

 

If you go onto Companies House and look at the last set of accounts it looks like they were in dire straits anyway.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08931824/filing-history
I'm surprised the council appointed them as contractors for the works seeing as they were in such a fragile financial position back when they awarded them the contract. Should the company's financial position have been part of the councils contracts office due diligence checks?
What happens now with any warranty I wonder? Anyone know if the council had kept any retention monies against defect rectification?

 

The financial year 20-21 could hardly have been a prosperous time for Track Systems. They were not really providing an essential service, and I would think every potential customer put such expenditure on hold for the time. They do seem to have done a decent job on the Poole Park line- time will tell. I don't think their demise is really indicative of a poor outfit- just a victim of the times.

 

Derailment yesterday. Reported in local rag. Looks like ballast or something wedged between running and check rail?

 

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/21262220.poole-park-railway-suspended-derailing-afternoon/