West Somerset Railway General Discussion

On the NYMR, stock quite often has to be moved out of the platforms at the end of the running day to allow the evening dining train to come in and run round, so the coaches might as well go into a running shed. As has been said, it is the intention that this will include one road where light maintenance (e.g. brake block changes and possibly retention tank emptying in the future) and FTR exams can be carried out in good, clean conditions rather than on the ballast. At one time we were considering a dutch-barn type of structure with open sides to allow good ventilation, but I think that has been dropped for security concerns, but good ventilation has to be maintained. I suspect, though, that on nights where there is no diner the last set in will be left in the platforms.

 

Nick,
Part of the Southern Gateway Plan - the Bishops Lydeard Station site development project - (some people are very confused on the WSR, particularly the GWR fundamentalists who are happy to keep the "Southern" at arm's length, mainly at Exeter) involves a display building for some of the heritage wagon fleet that is dotted around the WSR.

It also includes a coach shed for the heritage coaches and another shed apparently for the operational fleet.

Footbridges, car parks, restaurant, museum building, workshop, gift shop, events space, disabled parking on the West side of the site

This project could deliver so much to the WSR.

All that is required is for the 2 WSR charities to back the idea and the detail, go for HLF grants and the like and £ 20 million later (I could not attend the stakeholders meeting last week, I think this is what was reported) hey presto lots of everything.

The links to the project, currently in the consultation stage are on the WSRA web site http://www.wsra.org.uk/2017/02/consultation-launched-for-proposed-developments-at-bishops-lydeard/ (its at the bottom of the page) and the PLC
http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/corporate-information (its all at the bottom of the page) web site,lots of soft focus sketches and many words.

Some of the input on this thread would be worthy of inclusion in the consultation process, valid points from other railways who have or plan to have covered rolling stock storage facilities and have worked out that more than shed is a must for basic servicing.

There are also some recent (last year) local council planning applications which have track layout/ buildings shown.

No doubt someone will provide the link

Jeff Price

 

Good points from you and Robin in my humble opinion. I feel no doubt the same as many others that the flow of the track is very much the starting point here and the key to the whole project being a success or not. Currently we either run into platform 2 at the end of the day, leave the stock there and run to shed or run round and shunt the stock into the current up sidings and then to shed.

So to pick up on your point of ease of end of day shunting there are maybe a couple of options: a. Have 1 road of the new carriage shed as a loop, at the end of the day pull into platform 1 or 2, unload and then pull the stock forward and push back into the shed via points on the Taunton end, then run to shed. In the morning you could pull the stock out of the other end of the shed into platform 1 via points on the Minehead end of the shed (as per the current drawings). Or b, build a running shed over the current no.2 up siding, this would mean as per currently, running round and pushing back.

I think we then have to factor in the preference for keeping a ‘mainline’ running option of either service trains or specials from Taunton separate on the track formation to ease the train timing options. It may be an idea to have two running lines from say Darby’s Crossing, the current BL-NF line for WSR Minehead trains and running round with access to platforms 1&2 as today and a new ‘mainline’ on the course of the current no.1 up siding running into Platforms 2&3. This would hopefully give the Signalman more options to keep trains moving without getting in each other’s way. This means option ‘b’ has to go onto the ‘mainline’ side in which case it may get in the way of a Taunton train so not the best option.

Running to shed needs thinking through in this case as you have to cross the new ‘mainline’ formation but no doubt there is a solution there somewhere. I think it’s all about having the best options available, ultimately the stock could be left in the platform but having all the options for todays and future possible needs is all important as we will only get one shot at designing this and not just for what we know today. Please feel free to suggest other options/shoot me down in flames.

 

IMHO the WSR could possibly do with a few more vehicles in the 'service' fleet....................

 

Not so much of a change for us on the WSR.

On most days one set of stock is shunted at BL, often two.

If the track layout is well designed (That presently proposed for 'Southern Gateway' needs revision, and I have discussed the necessary revisions with Steve WIlliams and a short paper will follow shortly.) Then this should be an easy shunt for a crew at the end of the day.

Robin

 

Indeed totally agree, the operational cost of shunting is peanuts compared to a heavy overhaul for a Mk1 these days which comes around all too quickly if kept out in the open. Start keeping Wooden bodied stock the same way and they go bad even quicker, have a look at what the Bluebell Pullmans have cost over the years being kept out in all weathers year round.
At the end of a working day put the steamer in the shed, flash the 08 up and put all the stock in the shed. WSR has the shunters so use them to do what they were designed for at little operational cost.

Brian

Brian

 

The stats are even more stark for the WSR catering vehicles.

If you assume 40 7-hour trips a year, and under cover the rest of the time......that is under cover for 96.8% of the time.

Or put another way, if bodywork restoration was directly related to time out in the elements (undoubtedly a simplification), a 5-year restoration would last 156 years....

And given the 82% for ordinary stock, the 5-year period would extend to 28 years...

Food for thought.

Robin

 

GROAN!!

 

Worth quoting the figure again - when the Bluebell made an appeal to buy the land that the current Sheffield Park carriage shed stands on, the maintenance saving quoted by storing vehicles under cover was said to be £150 per carriage per month - at 2002 prices; no doubt rather more now.

Tom

 

This requires the presence of a diesel trained driver at the end of each day. Not so simple.

The steam crews, guards and signal persons need a nice easy shunt at the end of the day. It will be dark and raining, crews will be tired. Similarly, the stock requires covered accommodation with no tight reverse curves. The greater the complexity, the greater the risk of an incident. I have twice asked the authors of the current plans for details of how their design would work in practice. If I get an answer, I will share it with you.

 

Thinking about it of course if it is decided to fit, or if they have to be fitted what about the work associated with retention tanks?

 

Where would a potential shed go at Minehead? I cant see anywhere without land purchace.
Snifter , I would respectfully suggest that putting the stock away at the end of the day is the least of the potential hurdles to overcome.

 

Minehead solution is obvious. Roof the Bay Sidings.

Robin

 

Glad to see you are awake....

Robin

 

The thing is if the day to day MK1 coaches are in a carriage shed out of site it make no difference to the marketing of the railway, but if hopefully the Pullman Car stays in the railway and is used in the QB to have that coach out of site will be a bad thing, as if visible and marketing information about the QB hopefully people will think 'I will love to have a Sunday lunch in a Pullman Car' and how to show this coach and hopefully over time other Pullman Cars on the WSR, at the same time keeping them under cover and protected but easy for Jo Public to see them will have to be sorted out.

 

Advertising, Promotion and a reputation build on solid foundation will all help to keep the QB, the saloon and the Pullman fleet in demand.

Suitable accommodation will keep it looking better longer and reduce maintenance.

So lets have a workable Bishops Lydeard scheme that everyone can buy into

Such an opportunity - read the proposals, make your comments to the PLC , WSRA, WSSRT

Jeff Price

 

The KESR Pullman set lives in the dock behind Tenterden platform. I believe that when the carriage shelter at Rolvenden was proposed consideration was given to keeping the Pullman set there. However, apart from keeping the coaches in the public eye, a big consideration was loading stores aboard and laying tables etc. This would not be practical within a simple shelter building. The current location is almost ideal as it is easily accessible from the refreshment building, where stores are delivered and kept until needed.

I recall that replenishing stores on catering vehicles was always something which had to be factored into the running of Waterloo boat trains (when I worked at Wimbledon DMO). It was often necessary to run special ECS Waterloo Clapham Jn and return for this purpose.

 

Is the Pullman carriage different to the quantock dining set inside?

Any idea on roster this weekend, nothing on WSR.org.

Are the pair of manors still coming to be part of home fleet for services

Thanks

 

Awaiting the full roster details from the HOME - when it arrives, I will update the roster page as soon as possible. Meanwhile...I understand the weekend will see 6960 starting at Lydeard and 44422 starting at Minehead

Steve

 

The Southern Gateway options refer to the heritage display area. There's no reason a 'spare' QB vehicle couldn't be exhibited there, yet still be accessible when needed.
Equally, I wonder if a moveable platform bridging over the Goods Shed siding would be viable, allowing the platform to be extended but leaving the Gauge Museum largely as it is.
SG Option 2 shows a long 2-road shed, with a shorter one behind it. The functions are not clear to me, or why the longer shed couldn't be three roads. Either way, they are close enough that a further exhibit area should be possible there, perhaps including the QB stock.
Lots of hurdles..............