West Somerset Railway General Discussion

They might not say anything to you, they just wont come back again!

 

Granted! But I'd expect we'd have picked up a complaint or two somewhere along the way, and to my knowledge we haven't. Admittedly I don't go through all the feedback forms, but I'm usually on duty for a good few days around Christmas as it's one of the few chances I get these days!

 

Heritage railways are often used by Stag / Hen parties. I had the experience of 6 generally well behaved females consuming champaign from a rather large bottle. There was an almost constant trafic between the compartment and the nearest loo. Being in a compartment helped nott disturbing other passengers.

There is also the question of on train catering. Land sited catering outlets are legally required to provide toilet facilities. What is the case for trains?

 

A very good question, and one I've never considered. Another related issue:

Our on-train buffets are often described as licensed but are of course exempt from such requirements as long as alcohol is only served to travelling ticket holders. No doubt buffet car staff are suitably trained to avoid selling alcohol to customers before the train sets off, just in case that customer has no intention of travelling. I wonder if this is negated when berthed in a station that IS licensed?

 

I'm surprised that, in the discussion between 'free fall' and retention no one has mentioned the problems of getting a "Linear Discharge Consent" from the local council/EA for discharging on the track. If you do discharge and haven't got one you need to check out the HRA and EA guidelines smartish.

The same form can be used for approving smoke from lineside burning. So if your lineside clearance guys/gals have bonfires you also need one.

 

Ithink the answer relates to "bonefied travellers" who may consume alcohol as long as they are travelling. basically if there is a loco on the front you can drink even if you can only go up the head shunt. As to any conflict between licenced premesis e.g. King and Castle and the Railwaymans we need a licencing expert as many buy from the pubs to take on the train

 

Having been through the process of acquiring a premises licence, I suspect the issues of station pubs are as simple as whether they have just acquired an "on licence", or have also acquired an "off license" entitling them to sell for consumption elsewhere (which may include the train). Those consulted as part of the application process may have had input on the rules to be applied

 

My thoughts on toilets is similar to the buffet cars, have one carriage converted to toilet & changing facilities incorporating a retention tank in centre of each rake.

DJB.

 

Hi loco roster shows D7017 on QB and D7018 on QB.

Anyone know if double headed or t+t

Or one on each journey

 

I think that's the wrong comparison. On a bus, pretty well everyone is using it essentially to go from A to B; a utility service that is a means to an end. For a heritage railway, the journey is for many people the end in itself, and (unlike the bus), most will have paid a premium fare.

So comparing the train with a bus is the wrong comparison when thinking about facilities and value for money: you should compare with other leisure pursuits, such as visiting a stately home. Ultimately, it is hardly significant whether having paid your money, you are taken on a journey from A back to A; or shown a room of historic furniture or an ornamental garden. You wouldn't say to someone at a stately home "sorry, no toilets, you should have prepared yourself accordingly"; nor should you assume the same at a heritage railway.

Of course, the logistics of providing adequate toilets are complex if your attraction is mobile rather than fixed, but that shouldn't detract from the fact that in terms of visitor experience, for a heritage railway the right comparison is with other leisure days out, not with other transport systems. Heritage railways are essentially leisure attractions, not transport systems.

Tom

 

That’s disgusting- they say they have something called train stations.

 

Tues 16th

 

"train station" is a perfectly correct term.... on American railroads.

 

Presumably they also have boat stations.

 

You have to remember their main station (Paignton) location. Adjacent to the main line one (with toilets) and the bus station, no toilets.
The majority are visitors and do need simple directions.

 

Lifeboat stations of course.

 

Boat stations is where you go before boarding a lifeboat and abandoning ship.

 

Someone I know around here also uses the term "plane station".

 

And of course there is also a play station.

 

I’m finding this very tiring.

May I suggest that contributions are limited to operational matters and those specific to the West Somerset Railway.