West Somerset Railway General Discussion

This would suggest that it is rather less of a problem than some on here have suggested.

 

You hit the nail on the head, Robin.

I have said to many of my mates in the past; you can be sitting there, on your mighty steed, throbbing with suppressed power, and straining to unleash umpty thousand pounds of tractive effort. You can have the perfect fire, water near the top of the glass, pressure on the red line, safety valves feathering - but:-

If the signalman has not given you the appropriate piece of aluminium, with words like "BRIDGNORTH HAMPTON LOADE" stamped in it, and pulled the Starter off, and the guard hasn't waved the big green hanky:-

You are going nowhere.

Operations is a triumvirate, each element of which plays a vital part. We might be on the noisy, smoky and highly visible bit, but we can't do our bit without the other two. I have known some, over the years, who have had more adversarial views. I'm sure you have too.

Regards,

John

 

How true.

I regard it, as a matter of signalman's honour, if at all possible, to have the signal off for the next movement by the time the loco is coupled, uncoupled or reversed.

The best compliment I had last year was to be working Bishops Lydeard signal box for the evening shunting and waiting with me was the partner of one of our drivers who is, herself, a fireman. I was letting her try her hand at some lever-pulling (under close supervision).
When the driver had signed off and came to meet her, he remarked that he knew someone else was working the box, as he had had to wait for signals!

The flip side is that when working Minehead and it is five minutes to go before a passenger departure, I am happy to do a shunt across the path of the outgoing passenger IF I trust the Engineman to get a move on if they get the signal.

Teamwork.

Robin

 

I used the water supply at Williton on 2nd Jan this year. The system is not quick to use as it's not used regularly.
As regards priority of water projects we're going round in circles chaps. Loco policy is the key. If policy is larger tender engines the need for a Williton facility is diminished. If policy is smaller tank engines then the reverse may be true.

 

Team work is key.... But ..... When your are the person in charge it does help when you only have to tell the staff once what you want done. If you are very lucky you might have a signalman ( or is it person Robin?.....don't worry an in joke from Sunday) who can work out what your thought process is and is nearly a step in front of you.

 

Thanks Steve

The in-joke is that when signalling at Swanage for the diesel gala on Sunday one of the shunters (a main line member of staff, I believe) kept referring to me as 'signall - er' on the radio. I was constrained to say that if he didn't start calling me 'signal - man' I would be applying for Sunday overtime rates.....!

Robin

 

Jeff, shame we can't get one for our turn in May!!! There may be more room in a 94 cab but a 57 is much more fun. The coal incident I was referring to was on a 57xx a few years back on the last run of the Winter Steam Festival, something about not wanting the engine to leave with too much coal, but they ran out somewhere around Leigh Wood I think! Transfer of coal from another engine at Crowcombe followed.........

 

I do admit to saying that, and it was the truth!

 

It was 30/12/10. I was on that train and I remember it was blowing off when we got back to BL. Coal being transferred as mentioned...............

 

So where abouts does this 59 tour fit in on saturday ? need to plan getting home.

 

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U53280/2016/05/14/advanced

 

Hopefully the shed won't hinder the workings of the Hymek, the Warship and the two steam services.

Return timings for the charter:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U53282/2016/05/14/advanced

<BJ>

 

Talking more intermediate times times of that tour don't fit into the time table unless they are gonna meet the up in section around churchlands.

 

The times on RTT beyond BL are what Network Rail expect, but they don't take into account any WSR trains. It's up to the WSR to time the train on their line. Tomorrow we will get the working tt for Saturday, and I'll try to post the times here.

 

It's interesting that RTT even attempts to give a time on the WSR - when we get incoming movements, RTT seems only to give the time at the boundary, anything on "our side" of the fence being unknown to RTT.

Tom

 

My understanding is that NFW and BL are set up as locations on the National Network (BL even has a 3-character station code), so that is probably why.

Ready for the extension of the Bristol Taunton service to BL post electrification!

Robin

 

Yes, but Minehead [MHD]?

What, like this you mean?



You'll be feeding someone's pet conspiracy theory with talk like that

Tom

 

The signalling at Bishops Lydeard was designed when installed to allow an easy alteration so that the QB siding could be used as a terminal bay from Taunton via a switch in the down line and a crossing across the line from platform 2 to the up sidings.

Bring on the extra passengers!

Robin

 

Is D832 out on Saturday?

 

Now that is an old fiend, sorry, friend! (the engine, I don't know the poor shovellist.)