West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Financial success requires examination of both sides of the balance sheet.

There have been substantial costs.

Robin

 

West Somerset Railway - Then and Now #62

Watchet 1970 / 2017

A few steps along the platform tofards Minehead and a closer look at the station building.

The ' Then' shot shows the time when the lone teetered on the brink of oblivion. The closure notice is up (behind the lamp post) and the timetable notice is the final style with 'double arrows' header. The station is an unstaffed halt and the lamps have been decapitated.

The 2017 shot shows much more life. Watchet has an active 'friends' group which your correspondent has been helping to replace non-GWR furniture with the right type. An area to receive attention will be the poster boards which are presently headed with clear but nasty plastic strips. Nothing a brush and paint cannot solve.

Robin

1970


2017

 

Not to have provided extra parking would have been absurd. Imagine the complaints if there were none. Landowners have to collect the charges. There will be a lot of costs associated with the hire of FS and many other things. Nonetheless I would expect the WSR to benefit overall by a substantial amount. Finally most of that will be plowed back into the railway. Definitely a real win win situation.

 

You must be confusing this with pistachio pastry as once enjoyed aboard the Portsmouth to St. Malo ferry. I could forgive buffet cars on branch lines if they served that sort of thing!

Paul H

 

Pure unadulterated WIBN....

 

But which would not cost tens of thousands of other peoples' money so cannot be true WIBN

 

That's exactly right, there may have been a suspicion that the hype might have declined (especially in the South West where a 4-4-0 and a couple of 4-6-0s might be felt to be more important) but not to provide crowd control and parking could have led to a mountain of criticism. I think that as well as the direct income, the indirect publicity for the railway and the area (even including the story about the stalling on the bank) will probably have more long term effect.
I imagine there are a lot of very tired staff (volunteers and employees) who will be pleased it's almost over, well done to all of them.

Rob

 

Not to forget the amount of money that the local economy has benefited by from the extra visitors. Even a certain hotelier should be happy.

 

I particularly like the style and appearance of the swing sign advertising the Station Shop in the Now shot.

 

... or even grips wet rail?

 

West Somerset Railway - Then and Now #63

Watchet 1862 / 1888

A 'guest slot' from Ian Coleby who has kindly provided maps of Watchet to show the track layout on opening and as at 1888 after the extension to Minehead of 1874 and the narrowing of 1882.

More 'Then and Then' !

Copyright Ian Coleby

1862


1888

 

Just watching the BL webcam. Was that FS just leaving? Thanks, NRM, that was very enjoyable.
Thanks also to the WSR for doing an excellent job in hosting Flying Scotsman.

 

Yes, and Royal Scot with it. Both heading for Southall.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55008/2017/09/13/advanced

 

Gives Welcome Rescues?

 

Hope RS has got some coal this time!

 

I know 34046 Braunton ran out of coal recently and was removed from a railtour at Exeter, but has RS been doing it too?
RobinL

 

Why were Watchet Stogumber & Washford equipped with signal boxes when there was only one platform face? I can perhaps understand that at Watchet you might want to be able to put a goods train into the yard/harbour then allow other services through but not at Stogumber or Washford

 

Sadly yes, on the 6th August she had to be removed from the homeward working of a Royal Duchy at Exeter St D due to running low on coal. The saga starts here : http://www.national-preservation.com/threads/royal-duchy-2017.967115/page-4 commencing at post 72.

In fact, rereading your post I wonder if you are remembering the same incident but have possibly got the wrong locomotive, as I don't recall anything like that happening to Braunton, but I may very well be wrong.

 

My footage of Flying Scotsman's visit at the West Somerset Railway. Enjoy.

 

I must say the rhubarb and custard set look good .