West Somerset Railway General Discussion

The PW team would be right to ignore that suggestion.
All you will get is series of rail breaks due to you having instigated a stress raiser in the rail.
Never ever damage the rail by using an angle grinder or other similar tool.

 

Indeed, hence the smiley face.

 

Do they operate over the full length of the WSR or just that bit from the Main line to the triangle?
Also the track conditions that the machines are designed to work over are far worse than normal running line conditions.

 

Faulty logic. That is jus a very short section of the whole line. Much of the rest does need extensive repairs and maintenance. Think culverts and bridges as well as trackbed. This is not something that has happened suddenly. AIUI there is a serious backlog of R&M to be caught up with as well as ongoing work.

 

Perhaps it's a case of "once bitten, twice shy"?

http://www.route-one.net/articles_print.php?title=Crosville_in_trouble_over_vehicle_repairs

 

The 9351 Blog has been updated.

Funding shortfall is now only £2,000. Only £1,600 with gift aid.

Close the gap!

Robin

https://www.wsra.org.uk/category/9351-blog/

 

Let's imagine for a moment that you are right and there's perhaps just a mile of track in need of relaying - that's £1M or thereabouts for starters. I think you need to remove your head from the sand! The WSR has no history of relaying its track in the same way as the NYMR or SVR has, around a mile a year and yet it has run heavy trains and locos year in and year out.. Just because trains have been running over it doesn't mean it isn't close to being life-expired.

 

Some years ago the then WSR Civil Engineer ( ex BR Western Region) brought in a rail grinder to eek out the remaining life of the rails. Yes a (big) mistake was made in not following up and removing any burrs caused by the grinder but the intent was sound to buy time to allow rerailing in a phased manner. Since then next to zero rails have been renewed just sleeper replacement with second hand concretes so it should surprise nobody a lot of money now needs to be spent in a short time. Seems like the then board and directors concentrated on the mistake and forgot about why it was done in the first place. A lot of years have passed since the stone trains when ever larger locos have been used on a longer and more frequent basis.

I think Myth 3 is a Fact not Myth.

 

Thanks for the link. Finally - Lots of clear information about what's going on.

However... I still can't understand why these details are revealed to the general public in a magazine article rather than in a comprehensive statement on he WSR website. The WSR has repeatedly been 'behind the curve' in releasing news about events - usually after things have happened. Put this together with a complete lack of information about current events (apart from that meeting attended by the 'lucky' 350) from the company and I have to wonder if anyone in the higher echelons of the WSR is capable of getting news out on time, or do they think there is no need because no one would be interested?

 

And most railway volunteers can attend without a change of clothes!

Robin

 

Maybe you can explain to me. What is the difference between the 'general public' reading the information in a magazine, which they can purchase at their local newsagent, and reading it from the official website, which anybody with an Internet connection can freely access.

 

Given the near financial collapse of the WSR recently, I wonder how this, if at all, has changed.
https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/news/detail/wsr-bid-to-link-with-taunton-in-2019
Presumably those bidding and the WSR completing ORR requirements should mean it is still in the pipeline. If it brings more revenue to the line it has to be welcomed.

 

The chap organising that organises a steampunk festival roughly every other weekend somewhere in the UK, if my Facebook feed is anything to go by - he's been blocked by more than one FB steampunk group for spamming adverts for his never-ending festivals. I think this one was going to be in Llandudno until he had venue problems.

 

In general yes, but the particular quotation concerning the state of the WSR's track is very relevant to the present discussion.

 

Have you read the other thread in detail? The discussion has been picked over in detail. The costs are far more than just track repairs. The moderators split it off into a separate thread with good reason. Most people have respected this action.

 

I have not seen the SVR or NYMR lines for a while so have no reason to doubt that thy are maintained at a high standard. You don't have to travel too far from Somerset to see a well maintained line - just follow 4110's journey to its new home. Accepted that the Paignton line is a shorter line to maintain, but it has its areas (coastal) needing high maintenance and a tunnel. The WSR length, is its Achilles heel in my view.

 

I see BT is closing its MyDonate charity platform this coming summer.
https://www.btplc.com/mydonate/News/MyDonate/
https://mydonate.bt.com/events/locomotiverestoration/440833
Presumably the WSRA will put in place an alternative fund-raising platform?

 

The relevance of the comment here surely is that recent revelations appear to undermine MRLG's claim - yes, perhaps also relevant elsewhere but also to the discussion here that many (not just MRLG) assumed all was well but now we are told it wasn't.

Steven

 

The SVR has relaid many sections of track but still finds a need to enforce tempoary speed limits prior to certain lengths being placedd in the programme. Relaying is done mainly in flat bottom on concrete or steel sleepers and welded where necessary.

The WSR is not alonee in deferred maintenance. The Bluebell having concentrated on the extension are now working their way through track replacement

 

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