West Somerset Railway General Discussion

They were. But there's a long way from "they felt unable to assist other than..." to eviction, and I wonder what it is that they have (not) done that is so dreadful that they can't be allowed to remain on the WSR. I also wonder why it is that the WSR plc cannot tolerate a tenant organisation having it's own aims and objectives, and being constrained in how far it can help it's landlord.

As someone who thinks that the objective of "one railway" is long overdue, I find it uncomfortably ironic that it is being realised in such a narrow way. I will struggle to support an organisation that behaves in this way, and my occasional pennies when passing through the area are liable to go elsewhere.

Note - the above was written before I saw post 23299 above. If @Andy Norman is correct in what he writes (and I'd drawn some of the same organisational conclusions), then I agree that this is a black day.

 

I wonder if the S&DRT didn’t help in the way the WSR wanted them to because they didn’t feel it appropriate, or because their constitution doesn’t allow them to.

 

So the fact they look after Washford station , provide an added attraction to entice visitors to the line, and are one of the most loyal and long standing loco owners on the line, are of no value to the WSR?

 

On a practical level, is there a "friends of Washford station" group at all or is the whole site looked after by S&D trust people? If it's the latter, who's going to maintain the station when they're gone?

 

The S&DRT maintained (and rebuilt) the whole site including the station, cutting the grass, opening up, etc. etc.

 

Undoubtedly their charitable objects, which they are required to adhere to by law, will be focused on activities related to the former Somerset and Dorset Railway, and I think it unlikely that their objects, no matter how widely drawn, would permit their handing over charity cash to the WSR to bail them out. It would be helpful if someone could provide a link to the SDRT charity registration page or articles of association.
This seems to be a very silly decision on the part of the WSR. Legally there may be a separate agreement regarding 53808, but to alienate its owners in this way strikes me as the height of stupidity.

Sent from my Lenovo TAB 2 A10-70F using Tapatalk

 

Yes, that was where my thoughts were heading.

 

The charitable objectives are available online:

The charity’s objects are specifically restricted to the following:

• to advance the education of the public about the history and social and economic impact of the Somerset & Dorset Railway, its antecedents and its successors, on local communities, in the context of Britain’s railway heritage;
• to establish and maintain a museum for the benefit of the public relating to the Somerset & Dorset Railway and railway heritage generally, and to preserve or restore historic railway items for public display and demonstration;
• to provide or assist in the provision of facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation or other leisure time occupation of all individuals, including those who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disability, financial hardship or social circumstances, with the object of improving their conditions of life.

​

From https://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=1158865&subId=0

Tom

 

I doubt that the SDRT had anything to do with the WSR getting into its current state, why should they be expected to throw money at the problem ?

 

Thanks. So this decision could actually put at risk the welfare of the station as a whole. The WSR management seem to think this decision won't affect the long term use of the 7F, they may get a rude awakening when the time comes.

 

Reading the annual report for 2018, whilst undoubtedly well run, it seems to me that in any event the S&DRT was not in a position to make anything more than a token contribution to WSR PLC fund raising in any event

 

If 88 were to be removed then the WSR would require a replacement. Can anyone think of an available loco ? One that would require some upgraded permanent way perhaps ?

 

You know, I am starting to get a bad feeling about this.

It wasnt that long ago that one Loco Owning Group lost its loco after a Court Case to say nothing of The Mid Hants

 

I've highlighted the sections which I think could be used to justify handing cash over to the WSR. If I were a trustee, I'm less sure that I'd be worried about the legal position and more about the impact on my supporters' willingness to continue supporting the charity by channelling limited resources in that way.

 

Thanks, Tom, though not the complete Articles as far as I can see.
It would be a considerable stretch to think the S&DRT could simply *give* cash to the WSR, other than their not-inconsiderable rent.

 

I am not a lawyer BUT I would take some convincing that handing money over to the PLC under the current circumstances was permitted

 

I can’t imagine the Charities Commission would be particularly chirpy about a charitable trust handing over money to a totally separate plc that, by its own admission, was not too far away from trading whilst insolvent and on the verge of going belly-up, even if it were permitted within the articles. A very risky course of action to be taking.

 

Try the Charity Commission Website

 

The WSR thread had been pretty quiet for a while before this latest bombshell. Now it has woken up again with what seems extremely bad news. The S&D Trust can probably survive without the WSR, but how on earth is cancelling the lease (if indeed that it legally possible) throwing the Trust out supposed to help the WSR? If the loan agreement for the loco can be cancelled as easily as the lease, several other lines should be very happy to take her.

 

I’m only pointing out where they are, not going through with a fine-tooth comb - though I would say that if the SDRT have been responsible for the upkeep of the station, then in effect that is a donation to the plc in that it represents money the company doesn’t otherwise have to find on its own account. Ultimately money is a fungible thing, so a few thousand a year spent by the SDRT maintaining the station building is in effect a few thousand a year available to the plc to spend on things - such as track renewal - that the SDRT might not be able to fund directly.

I still think the worst of it is that the Washford museum was an attractive place to break a journey, and if it has to leave, the whole railway becomes incrementally less attractive to visit. That is in the context of how many other railways are actively trying to develop attractions at stations to make the whole railway attractive as offering more than just an out and back train ride.

Tom