West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Yes the QB pseudo Pullman livery is at odds with article 4 of the WSRA articles. The current livery has no historical basis & the set of coaches would look much better painted in accurate BR(W) chocolate & cream colours.

 

Would Blood and Custard be more apposite?

 

I heard at the time that the stock was due a repaint, and an individual offered to pay for it provided that this 'Pullman' livery was applied.

 

A minor demonstration perhaps that the educational/historical principles etc of the association can be "bought off" when it suits.

 

Is the historical basis important?
Nobody is pretending this is THE Orient Express. What is presented in a distinctive, 'classy' colour scheme is THE Quantock Belle that has its own marketing identity & brand image of a Luxury Dining Train.

 

Yes it is very important. We may be discussing a short rake of Mk 1s but they too have a place in West Country railway history. If fairground liveries become acceptable then what next along the road which descends towards becoming a theme park?

Quite rightly the GWSR management have been lambasted over "Trumpton" style signal boxes at Cheltenham Racecourse & Bishop's Cleeve but have shown now that at Broadway the authenticity lesson is being heeded. As an integral part of the railway rolling stock (or locos) are no different.

It is quite possible to operate a "classy" dining train in authentic livery as amply demonstrated elsewhere.

 

The Quantock Belle isn't in a classy livery. It looks amateurish. Very simple, no lining, just the crests on the sides and name below the roof guttering. It looks bland and half-finished, especially the large expanses of brown on the non-passenger sections of the coaches.

 

Remember chocolate and cream is a livery which was never really used much on BR(W) other than a few named trains for a few years. Blood and Custard or Maroon will be more in keeping.

 

Well in this photo the name is below the windows and not the gutter line. http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=1166

 

All three would be authentic. Choc & Cream was not as rare as you suggest in the West of England late 50s/early 60s.

 

hi nick my email is rspope@hotmail.co.uk i was told you were ask if i was about cheers ryan

 

Sorry, I meant the Quantock Belle name. I forgot the coaches were named as well.

 

Took the 10.25 from BL to MD today, Dunster now looks more of a med-evil scrap-yard now than it did a few months ago, poor show.

DJB.

 

It does make me wonder how many, if any, of the vehicles will ever get restored. Also large amounts of scrap sleepers just rotting away. I can only suppose that the cost of disposal is too high to make it worthwhile.

 

I suspect the answer to the tidiness or lack thereof is volunteers. We need more (what heritage railway does not?). If we have more bodies then a lot more of the nice to do stuff would get done.

 

Out of curiosity, who paid for this service? Did the PLC provide it as a courtesy, or was it chartered (and paid for) by the WSRA as a means of getting people to the rally?

 

4 of the vehicles on the Dunster med-evil scrap-yard belong to the GWR 813 Fund.

These are
GWR 41945 Crocodile G Boiler Trolley
GWR 102 Water Tank Wagon
GWR 3018 Milk Tank Wagon
GWR 2980 Siphon G Milk Van

We also have some 13 other wagons on the WSR



Nick

GWR 813 Fund.

 

Nick, I was not referring in this instance to the vehicles, I meant the whole general area behind the goods shed from the minute you enter the station & until you leave. Some coaches in the siding would help hide the mess, it's not pleasing on the eye for fare paying passengers.

DJB.

 

The Rally Committee have confirmed they hired the DMU and the "Somerset Coast Express" (the Friday evening steam hauled special from Norton to Minehead and back) from the WSR Plc. Hope that helps.

Steve

 

Thanks Steve.