Teifi Valley Railway

A solicitor's letter has now been sent to Mr Dearing, giving him until July 31st to reply, either agreeing that his licence breaches the LRO and leaving the premises, or getting in touch to negotiate a new licence that doesn't involve running trains. David Morgan of HRA will be down in Carmarthen on August 4th to see if he can set up a salvage operation but it seems general apathy prevails. Sleepwalking to suicide ...

 

Sorry to play devils advocate here, but if there is little appetite for the line to be saved, perhaps the collection would be better suited elsewhere?

 

Or re-boot the existing Railway society........................

 

Yea. Either way, there has to be some local appetite in terms of volunteers, funding and potential visitors

 

Unfortunately from what has been written on here about this line, no one that should have cared, seems to have, from the board, trustees etc they just wanted rid of or someone to run it regardless. Lazyness and incompetence seemed to reign supreme.
Poor maintaining of track, track to nowhere, when you get there nothing or described as dump.
Very poorly advertised and limited if any signposts on local routes. Rude or unhelpful staff. Lack of motive power or things of interest to see.
Just what you want to go and visit I don't think.

What is now needed I would like to suggest is a mass clear out of all staff and trustees or anyone that allowed this to happen.
Then a new board of Trustees with a plain plan going forward, with future budget plans etc. ( I think you get the general idea) and in future that only people that are interested in preserving and expanding this narrow gauge railway and operate it as a ongoing protected business with any wind up or transfer plans in the future must have the full votes of all of board or/and membership written up by a legal specialist to prevent this from occurring in this way ever again.

There is enough Narrow Gauge Railways in Wales to seek help and advice if required and most are operating in profit and expanding to their maximum available potential and I see no reason For The Teifi Valley Railway to succeed with the correct leadership and volunteer force behind them, working and raising funds to continue the site.

 

Or, alternatively, donate the rolling stock to other deserving NG railways, and the track bed to the Gwili for an eventual Carmarthen to Cardigan reinstatement!! (Mostly, but not completely, tongue in cheek)

 

Would not be surprised if the Quarry Hunslet retirement home that is the Bala Lake happily accommodated Alan George...

 

Why not build the Conwil to Llanpumsaint in NG for us? All the the bridge issues would be minimal for the lighter NG set up.

 

I drove that way recently and there were signposts

 

If the board, trustees and volunteers couldnt prevent all this happening, should anyone else? It wouldnt be the first and isnt likely to be the last railway to outlive its usefulness. Perhaps the trust and the equipment might have a brighter future elsewhere?

 

Could we have trains like the Harry Potter knight bus that get narrower automatically without having to stop and change?

 

I guess the L&B might be a home for Sgt Murphy?

 

They already have those in Spain amongst other places! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_gauge

 

Bad news I'm afraid. The Society and its trustees last night resolved to sack all the directors, reinstate the Society chairman as a "sole director", stop any legal action against the tenant and put off dealing with any of the Inspector's requirements for improvement for the foreseeable future. They are entirely unconcerned about the 2 page spread in Steam Railway . After 30 years of working there and raising over half a million in finance, I have walked out. I shall try to preserve the Minute books as a historical record. Who knows what will happen to the locos?

 

Oh no! Liz can you phone me?

 

As much as I hate to say it, looks like the bastard has won!

 

Oooh, I do like the idea of that.

It's very sad to see a heritage railway die-off, but in these difficult financial times you have to be acutely aware of marketing and public image. Being a steam railway isn't enough anymore

 

Standard 4MT,

I am and always have been an active volunteer in many railways for over 35 years and was the engineer there for 13 years! I dispute the things about maintenance but the truth is NO VOLUNTEERS!!!!!! Or anyone in that area that was interested in railways and hard work, in fact these people that came from far to do the work were actively discouraged many years ago.... One man could not run a whole maintenance program, inc. loco's, carriages, track and infrastructure so don't say I was not doing it, I just could not!!!! And no help from the board or society what so ever! They were all happy to get this Dearing person in (and still are apart from the few that were sacked this week) but they all did not even ask a solicitor, ORR or the Heritage Railway Association on the legal side until it was too late! Now the lease has gone to Dearing the railway now can never run trains due to the change in operator from the Company to a lease holder, against the regulations of the Light railway order. They must now obtain a new works order, difficult when they are just running a land train also they have a problem now with a change of use with council planning permission!

Dave James
Ex Mainline Driver/TractionInspector (including Steam, main line)/Railtrack GW Cheif Inspector and Time Served Engineer