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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

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

  1. Snifter

    Snifter Well-Known Member

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    Does that mean they only counted the ones passing through ?
     
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  2. AnthonyTrains2017

    AnthonyTrains2017 Well-Known Member

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    Liking both 33s being out on Saturday. Roll on diesel gala.
     
  3. gwilialan

    gwilialan Well-Known Member

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    Wonder why they get so many hobos - or are they just referring to bu*s in general? :eek: :Mooning: :confused: :)
     
  4. Chuffington

    Chuffington New Member

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    Sorry I stand corrected, but the volunteers I know don't match your statement.
     
  5. 1472

    1472 Well-Known Member

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    So what do they see as genuine issues?
     
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  6. Chuffington

    Chuffington New Member

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    Not sure of all of it main concern is that they have donated items money shares etc to the WSRA they fell that it is all going to end up in the hands of the PLC.
     
  7. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    I guess ideally it would be the other way round, but fear of that is just a symptom that "one railway", whilst a good ambition, hasn't been reached yet. The WSRA support the running of the railway, the Plc run the railway, they're not suddenly going to start building golf courses along the line if the WSRA folds!
     
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  8. ikcdab

    ikcdab Member Friend

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    The falling out of 3 or 4 years ago was extremely damaging for all sorts of reasons and we are still seeing the ripples and counting the cost today. You are right that we haven't yet achieved 'one railway' but we are heading in the right direction. I meet with Paul Whitehouse regularly (it's his turn to buy next time!) and we have amicable discussions. Of course, we don't always see eye to eye, but we can resolve any issues. You will have seen that Rodney Greenway now sits on both boards and this is something we haven't seen for several years. The HPC bid is a cross railway initiative supported by both the PLC and the WSRA and only this week there have been some very productive talks around a joint approach to use of the Williton site. These sorts of developments would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

    We are not yet out of the woods, but I can see clear daylight through the trees. It is incumbent on all of us to work together to ensure success of the railway.

    Ian Coleby
     
  9. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Oh I know it's working well at the top Ian, just expressing frustration that it hasn't trickled down yet. I'm sure it will in time, it sounds like you're doing all the right things.
     
  10. ikcdab

    ikcdab Member Friend

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    It's going to take a while, but things are happening. Faol and the wagon restoration project has been well supported by the WSRA. I recently saw that the WSRA are funding some work at one of the intermediate stations. I know that Minehead shed staff regularly meet and work with Williton staff who are supporting work on Odney and 9351. Of course we can still do more...

    Ian Coleby
     
  11. Yorkshireman

    Yorkshireman Part of the furniture

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    That is not how it works. The WSRA, as a charity, is forbidden by law from donating funds or anything else directly to the WSR PLC so the fears are totally groundless. They can contribute to specific projects within strict rules as to how and what it done.
     
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  12. Snifter

    Snifter Well-Known Member

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    If a measure of it trickling down is that the mess rooms are not buzzing with news of the latest misdemeanours by wayward trustees then it started working well a few years back. Everyone seems to recognise that there are groups "doing their bit in their own way" and it appears to work well. If every day on which you volunteer, you take a moment to comment on someone else's work then it does make a huge difference. I never walk past someone doing the flowerbeds without complimenting them on their work.

    If you think something isn't working then tell the chairmen of both groups who stopped you from making it better.
     
  13. Bean-counter

    Bean-counter Part of the furniture

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    You are totally technically correct and I am sure this is exactly how matters are actually being dealt with but perceptions can take a lot of changing.

    I know from past experience that Charity Law on Restricted Funds does not make potential donors comfortable that their donation will be used for what they want and not for 'paying the wage bill' or other general funding. The slight complication is that, unless numerous separate bank accounts are maintained, in actual cash terms - the was many people understandably see things - they are sort of correct, but in accounting terms, they are not.

    Perhaps the real underlying issue and blockage in achieving 'one railway' (and I refer to any railway here, not specifically the West Somerset) is that if volunteers attitudes towards 'management' in part or total are such that they mistrust them and hence don't want them to have control of their funds/assets. That, in the West Somerset Railway case, may perhaps, based on reported comments, be the area of concern for @ikcdab and his PLC colleagues in the first instance. Of course, it may be that @Chuffington has spoken to a small and non-representative selection of volunteers who nevertheless may make consider noise! Oh, the joys of running a steam railway!

    Steven
     
  14. staffordian

    staffordian Well-Known Member

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    Nowt wrong with that, after all, who wants oldpapers? ;)
     
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  15. The Crompton Twins - rostered for duties today - 12 May 2018.

    See www.wsr.org.uk/times - this page now also includes the loco roster.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Steve
     
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  17. Yorkshireman

    Yorkshireman Part of the furniture

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    The so called “underlying problem” is IMHO largely the figment of the imagination of a handful of posters. In particular one keeps on and on, and on ad nauseum about perception. This unsubstantiated “perception” seems to be largely his alone, and has little to do with what is actually happening on the ground. Of course there will always be a few workers in any organisation that have minor complaints. However the WSR management is very accessible and in my experience responsive if anyone complains. However it is hard to see how they can respond effectively to vague, and seemingly never ending, assertions.
     
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  18. aldfort

    aldfort Well-Known Member

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    I have to say that without hard work on communication there will always be the potential for the underlying problem to become significant.
    The railway is a very linear thing. People working at one end may hardly know people at the other end. All staff and volunteers tend to contribute ideas to any figure they see as part of "management", be that a director, trustee or line manager. If those people don't get answers then they inevitably will grumble. It's why communication is essential. Something that's often hard to do with such a diverse workforce in a timely way.
     
  19. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    It is not my view alone. I'm glad it's not reflective of what's happening on the ground, but continual carping on here does little to help.
     
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  20. Snifter

    Snifter Well-Known Member

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    Can you explain your earlier comment about things not working well away from the senior management team ? I saw the Chairman out and about yesterday talking to staff and true to my word earlier, I had a chat with the lady working on the glorious flower beds at Blue Anchor. It's the choice of the volunteers and staff to oil the wheels at a working level.
     
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