West Somerset Railway General Discussion

It can take more than hard work. The Car Run had full support from Colin Howard and his team from the off but it had active opposition from further up the structure. I never understood why.

Let us hope that we are into a change of regime.

Robin

 

About 20 years ago, I won a return footplate ride on the WSR in a raffle (WSRA I think). I took it up between Christmas & New Year. The loco was 3205 which really pleased me although it was very cold.

The driver and fireman however, made it very clear that I was not welcome and didn't speak to me for the whole trip - and tried to dissuade me from returning from Minehead on the footplate.

 

I have heard of similar happenings somewhere "up north". Nothing is gained for nothing and any railway doing this sort of thing has to take a little care to ensure footplate crews without "attitude" are in charge.

Paul H

 

I guess the danger is that if you allow a random choice of when you take up such a ride then you risk getting a crew that are less able at PR etc in handling their guest. Have to say the only time I've been on a footplate was during "SteamAid" at Didcot and all the various crews made us very welcome - but then that was a pre-planned event so no doubt the roster was able to be selected with that in mind (if indeed that was necessary - they might all be house trained to have guests on board for all I know).

 

When we offer footplate rides, we normally ensure that there is a third man present, who can be on hand to answer any questions and help the passenger while leaving the driver and fireman to concentrate on their role.

Tom

 

These things have to be arranged properly beforehand, including a briefing as what to do or not to do. I think, if this is done, a fourth person aboard is likely to be OTT although circumstances will vary.

PH

 

It was not actually a random choice - I'd been in contact with the railway since the raffle concluded regarding a suitable date.

 

Exactly as I would have supposed. If a railway offers this sort of thing it needs to ensure that those involved can relate to the task. As I said, nothing comes for nothing.

PH

 

In our case we aren't offering footplate rides as a paid product, but rather on a more ad-hoc basis. Having third man seems appropriate to me; apart from anything else, it gives the guest a better experience having someone dedicated to their questions, particularly for people not familiar with the footplate environment or the line.

Tom

 

Incredible ! I totally agree with Ian C that if volunteers have the time, assisting with the organisation of events that bring publicity to the railway is the thing to do. If however, it is met with resistance then that needs to be sorted out

 

A case of NIH I suspect.

 

Yes. But as you have observed nothing comes for nothing. From a crew perspective, the visitor can be a joy or a blasted pain depending on the individual. Like many things in life, it is best enjoyed in moderation.

 

Not sure what the National Institutes of Health (NIH) adds to the discussion

 

Was it Monty Python and the "Knight's who went NIH"?

 

I knew someone would bite! I was using it to indicate Not Invented Here. This is a problem throughout industry where, even not patents are involved, management are very reluctant to acept new ideas from lower down the pecking order. If I remember correctly, and I am happy to be corrected, this term originated in the American automotive industry.

 

Indeed. I'm sorry @michaelh had a bad experience and of course he should have been welcome. In all that time, that is the first time I have come across such a negative report. However, I have seen a great many positive reports from people who have enjoyed their footplate ride. So I guess the WSR is doing the right thing. Just like all the others., it seems

Steve

 

The NYMR has a very good income steam offering footplate rides and one is on offer on most Mondays-Fridays. We do have one driver who was particularly antagonistic to such people on the footplate; he drives on the big railway and considers such to be a dangerous distraction. After a couple of bad experiences with him steps had to be taken to make sure he is never rostered on the diagram which includes the footex. Personally, I enjoy having visitors on the footplate and helping to make their experience an unforgettable one. Even Tom, although his experience was probably unforgettable for the wrong reasons!

 

Speaking as footplate crew I agree with this and also much else that has been said.
A few thoughts may be helpful.
It should be born in mind that most seasoned crew get their fair share of training turns. That is to say a turn where the crew are required to take a trainee cleaner or a fireman who is on official driver training. So we are used to running with three on the footplate. Of course there is a big difference between taking a cleaner and taking a fireman but the critical similarity is that the cleaner has had full safety training and knows how to behave.
Most crew also get the odd footplate pass passenger from time to time. This can range from friend of a crew member to Antiques Roadshow cameraman. Usually it's no problem.
Where things will become more problematic are an inexperienced crew on an unfamiliar loco who need all their focus to operate. A footplate visitor in these circumstances might (and I stress might) make the crew a little more uncommunicative.
There is also a balance to be struck. A good crew , familiar with each other, will not feel the need to chat that much and communication may well be restricted to the minimum of "calling" signals and crossings. If this is not understood then a footplate visitor might well feel a little left out. Some crews are undoubtedly better at recognising this than others. The other extreme is a loco that is proving difficult to work for whatever reason. This again will require more focus from the crew and is a circumstance where I can imagine a footplate passenger possibly being an unwelcome distraction.
The other thing that I should mention is the preparedness of the visitor for a footplate ride. I've even done SEC taster courses as a fireman where our guests do not appear to have read the instructions about the type of footwear and clothing they need to bring with them and to wear on the footplate. Anybody riding on the footplate should understand that it's essential to follow all the instructions provided both before and on the day to ensure the safety of all footplate occupants. In the modern world there are few places like a locomotive footplate that most people will have experienced. There are no seatbelts or safety harnesses, there are trip hazards aplenty not to mention a raging fire and a lot of shovel action, quite alien for those unfamiliar with it.
Let me finish by saying that 99.9% of the time it's a real joy to have visitors to the footplate either before the start of a journey, which happens all the time, or during it which can only happen with the proper passes and proper authority. I'd also commend the Steam engineman courses to those who fancy having a bit more of a go, it's how I got interested, it's also a great day out and if you do all 5 it is a progressive learning experience. (Until you sign on as a volunteer cleaner, like I did, and realise how much more there still is to learn, not to mention how dirty the job actually is.)

 

Making sure a visitor is prepared both prior to the visit and before mounting the footplate is de rigeur. The case I mentioned earlier was observed by a fellow volunteer who, prior to retirement, was in charge of a substantial visitor attraction. He knows how customers ought to be treated and was unimpressed by how the particular visitor was ignored by the loco. crew during a stopover. The experience of @michaelh sounds remarkably similar.

PH

 

Very well said indeed. What I wonder is why did the OP not take steps to deal with the matter at the time rather than bearing a grudge for twenty years? A lot has changed in that time.