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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

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

  1. The Dainton Banker

    The Dainton Banker Well-Known Member

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    I've seen reference to this before. Why have management and the others left, weren't their wages covered by the Government subsidies ?
     
  2. AnthonyTrains2017

    AnthonyTrains2017 Well-Known Member

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    Paying £5 to watch a loco on turntable that non payers can watch from fence
     
  3. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    I suggest that they had an inside view of what was going on and skills that were in demand elsewhere
     
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  4. nanstallon

    nanstallon Part of the furniture

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    Yes, it gives a delicious feeling of power. Those who enjoy that feeling are seldom the best people to have such power!
     
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  5. free2grice

    free2grice Part of the furniture Friend

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    Let's not be to hasty to criticise a very useful contributor to the forum.

    The last thing we want is for another WSR volunteer / contact to refrain from posting. <BJ>
     
  6. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Well, it's Saturday and as the best source of information about the WSR has to be the Railway's own web site I pretended I was an ordinary member of the public and had a look this morning to see what is going on or when things will be going on. The 'welcome' page says that the line is closed and no clues are given as to when it will open. So I search for more information and discover a 'News' tab.

    Wondering whether this will maybe give me more info about preparations for reopening I discover that the first message (9/7) is a 'Petition Response'. Petition? What's all that about? Anyway, down the list I go and after further messages about fund raising and some other response to a report by someone called Bailey I finally find a message about events at Minehead in late July and early August. I also notice that whoever is putting up information doesn't know how to spell 'dependent'. I leave the site having noticed that when I click on the scrolling message across the homepage about the postponement of the reopening of the line it is dated March 17th with nothing since.

    Ask yourself what kind of message this gives about the railway. Yes, it is closed but what on earth are business and internal matters doing on a public page alongside the only event that the public is really interested in?

    Go to the GWSR for example. Yes, they have a reopening date but not for over a month. That doesn't stop them filling their site with info that the public needs such as how they are making the railway safe. Yes, if you look hard enough you can find 'old' stuff and 'admin/management' info but there's nothing about the internal machinations of the Railway and definitely not at the front of the site. If you are a member of the public that's what you would expect isn't it rather than what the WSR provides?

    So on a 'compare and contrast' basis one can begin to see that the WSR probably has a mountain to climb on how it engages with the world in a meaningful and relevant way. And the fact remains that this must now be the only heritage line of significant length that has nothing about its likely reopening and what the measures will be in place to protect visitors.

    It really does feel as though 'closed' has a sense of permanence to it.
     
  7. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    [​IMG]
    A good and clear assessment by Al of his interesting WSR web site visit. The only thing that seems to be missing is the button above.
    It does suggest that the underlying problem with the WSR is that it is regarded as 'our railway' by a great many people connected with the line rather a railway for the paying public.
     
  8. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    After reading this I went to get dressed.

    I took my wallet to put it into my trousers, in it was my family WSR Annual Pass, expiring on the 7th of August.

    I took it out and placed it in a safe place just in case but I suspect I have travelled on the line for the last time.

    I could imagine buying a Swanage Season Ticket even if only as a donation as I have no doubt that it and most other lines will be running next year, however I cant see the point of buying a WSR Annual Pass as I cant see it running next year.
     
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  9. Hemerdon

    Hemerdon Member Friend

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    Interesting that there is some work going on this weekend. Last Monday on WSR.ORG there was an article about a group that had been tidying up the track. They were looking for more volunteers, with more work taking place this weekend. As someone who hates seeing weeds growing on the trackbed I decided I would volunteer. I thought if I could help tidy the line, especially around the stations, it would help give a better image to any passing public. So I used the provided e-mail to offer my services. The WSR is after all my favourite line within a reasonable distance from home.

    I have had no reply, so it looks like I will be pulling weeds from my garden today. This is the third time this year I have tried to communicate with the WSR (plc) with no reply. The first two times were before the virus, on two different subjects and to two different e-mail addresses, both of which would have resulted in me spending money with the plc.

    I have tried to support the WSR during the shutdown and the hugely damaging internal issues but am becoming more and more frustrated and disillusioned with the railway. I normally spend hundreds of pounds at the WSR each year but, sadly, I may start to look elsewhere.
     
  10. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    Or maybe, not so much "Our Railway" but "My Railway"
     
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  11. 242A1

    242A1 Well-Known Member

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    The competence of those responsible for the "running" of this railway looks to be questionable. However they may be very competent in engineering the result that they want out of this situation. Have any of their actions increased the support for the railway? Certainly not amongst the enthusiast community. The support organisations continue much as before with the guts hating pointed out by PH continuing unabated, however the petition and the way it is seen by the PLC sent a most definite message and not one to unify any feelings of support. The S & D Trust will never trust the PLC again after the actions taken against it. As to garnering support from the general public they want money on the one hand but appear to have little care or concern about who they upset or antagonise. The inability to effectively communicate with the public even at basic website level could be deliberate or it might be down to incompetence, so might their dealing with the easing on Covid-19 restrictions, particularly when viewed in the light of the actions of other lines, be down to either cause. But if there is a great deal of deliberate in all this, what are the objectives? What is the end game?
     
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  12. 242A1

    242A1 Well-Known Member

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    You won't be on your own in looking elsewhere. Loyalty has limits.
     
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  13. granmaree

    granmaree Member

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    Probably have more of a response on Facebook, a couple of volunteers were organising a weeding party for Minehead and asking for help. Then again, it's a West Somerset Railway Friends group and you need to 'join' the page/group to be able to see and respond to anything on there ....
     
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2020
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  14. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    upload_2020-7-11_10-52-23.png

    this from the friends facebook page . It does feel that in the absense of a coordinated list of activities individuals and adhoc groups are filling the vacuum and trying their best to make progress
     
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  15. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

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    Because re-opening the railway is important, but not half as important as stamping out dissent in the ranks?
     
  16. Steve B

    Steve B Well-Known Member

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    Both are important, but what the general public (ie. possible customers) want and need to see is not the same as what members, staff, and supporters want and need to see. It is not that difficult to separate the two...

    Steve B
     
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  17. granmaree

    granmaree Member

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    Ah, this was the post that I was thinking of
    Screenshot_20200711-113534~2.png
     
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  18. Crawley Ben

    Crawley Ben New Member

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    I noticed some activity happening this morning on the Blue Anchor Station webcam (weed killing/removal I presume?)

    Not sure of numbers, but maybe 6-7 staf/volunteers there at a guess.

    Ben
     
  19. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    That reminds me of the late Gen Charles de Gaulle.
    It was suggested that when he was President of France and watched national French television, if he found the programme to his liking it was 'his' television'. When he did not approve of the programme it was 'their' television. :D
     
  20. horace

    horace Member

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    I cannot see how I can send you a PM as I am not that familiar with this forum. However if you are able to send me your contact details I will endeavour to pass them on to the volunteers who are arranging the weeding teams.
    Rgds
    Stephen
     

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