West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Might I suggest, to avoid confusion, that you adjust your profile which currently says you do not volunteer.

 

Everyone’s entitled to have their say but if you have, in fact, gone elsewhere maybe it’s time to draw a line and move on?

 

This thread is getting boring now.

 

Andy - while I always read your postings with interest, I'd challenge the point that you are "still not able to enjoy the hobby of your choosing" - assuming that is you mean footplate work. There are other railways out there, and indeed you make the point that organisations are in competition for volunteers, so I can't imagine that there aren't other places short of footplate volunteers. From your stated location of Bridgwater, the East Somerset Railway and South Devon Railway are reasonably close, but even Toddington is within about 90 minutes. Hell, I'm sure you would even be welcome if you wanted to make a weekend of it over in Sussex (and, before you say too far - I know at least one volunteer on the WSR who travels from there, generally doing a block of days together I believe). The point being, if what you want to do is footplate work, there are other possibilities.

I'm not making any comment on the rights and wrongs of the situation, but just noting that in your hobby as in anything else, sometimes you have to decide whether to stay or to move on. Better to do so without burning bridges behind you, in my view.

With regard culture - again, I can't deal in specifics, but my hunch is that in an organisation that has hundreds of volunteers in myriad roles in different departments and strung along a railway 20 miles long, I doubt that there is a single "culture" - rather, pockets of people and practice, some insular, some more welcoming, and presided over by a "They department" (*) (all railways have one of those; I believe at one point you were a member of the WSR's "They" department yourself) that is trying to do its best with inadequate resources and time.

(*) As in: "who is going to do that?" "'They' will."

Tom

 

Maybe not "they", but "somebody" as below.

 

If as Aldfort says, more local recruitment will be attempted, then why did the attempt to set up a local Taunton Group in 2017 fail after a few meetings.

At the last of about four meetings, Andy Norman was speaking to inspire volunteers.

If it failed then, what will be different now?

 

Given the increasing demand on many people's time, some railways are finding the need to recruit from the pool of people who are not actually railway enthusiasts.

Some retirees are looking for something to fill their time now that they no longer need to work. Various charities and volunteer dependant organisations are of course competing for this pool.

Railway enthusiasts can presumably be expected to find a railway to volunteer at if they have the time. The other non-railway volunteers need to be actively sought out.

 

Oh dear and the induction training film will be "Oh Mr Porter". Stogumber will re-named "Buggleskelly" and what goes down on the up, comes up on the down.

 

If this is supposed to denigrate non-railway enthusiasts volunteering on heritage railways you have a very closed mind.

 

When I joined a signalman training course back in 2009, I came from a railway background. From Southern region in 1974 through to leaving Railfreight Distribution in 1997. Together with previously volunteering at Quainton between 1974 and 1997, this helped me get through the course.

Most of the other trainees were either current or retired railway staff or heritage railway volunteers. There were however a couple of trainees without any prior railway knowledge, both recently retired, living fairly close, and looking to volunteer somewhere.
The lack of previous railway knowledge made it a bit hard for them to get through the course, one dropped out and settled for crossing keeper duties which required less studying of rules. The other continued the course, but failed the written exam, he decided to continue as a crossing keeper and also station staff, he is now happily volunteering as a stationmaster.

The mainline railways have always had to take trainees "off the street" and train them up to a safe standard. Heritage lines have had the benefit for many years of enthusiasts who have gained some of that knowledge in their own time. Increasingly in my opinion, they will need to provide this training from "straight off the street" level to volunteers with no previous railway background.

Edit:spelling

 

✔️

 

I think that is very true.
At my railway I would say about 75% of the C&W and Diesel midweek volunteers on a Wednesday ( can be well over 20) are retired folk who are not died in the wool railway enthusiasts but are interested in heritage things in the generalist sense of the word. The biggest draw actually is satisfaction of repairing 'things' from woodwork to overhauling injectors and the club atmosphere of the mess room. Railways need to cast in a bigger pool these days (not just railway sector publications print and electronic), realising there are other fishers doing the same trying to catch the same.

Brian

 

Whilst the above is perfectly true, fortunately, plenty of those activities which add so much to the ambience of a line, if not always to day-to-day operation, are "hobby-able" in their own right. We should never overlook the 'social element' which can attract folks who aren't necessarily interested in railways, per se. Taking care not to obsessively categorise all potential volunteers solely in terms of railway-specific enthusiasm might go a long way to promoting different categories of opportunities by presenting a more inclusive social network.

Then again, for those who'd perhaps not, for whatever reason, find an open ended commitment attractive, project-specific opportunities might present a more enticing prospect. Sometimes, it's as much how things are approached and if the heritage movement has proved nothing else (which it has), it's that we've a wealth of lateral thinkers.

Away from specialist craftsperons (chippies and cabinet makers, metal bashers, upholsterers, to name but three) needed to restore and maintain kit, other abilities add to the 'overall visitor experience' (horrid term, but can't think of a better one) which draws the happy hordes .... just look at the fine flower beds which enhance so many locations - a special shout out here to the those who've made Minffordd's down platform look so especially lovely over the past few seasons - and hows about those heroic bakers of tasty comestibles, sold at many a railway eatery?

So, why not more cross-pollination with other local organisations and interest groups? I'm forever banging on about anchoring our lines firmly in their communities and establishing mutually beneficial relationships with, for example, the local WI, Scouting and Guides (and Cadet Corps), gardening / photographic / birdwatching clubs and societies (to name but a few) could expand support for all concerned. Who knows? One of those "everybody man the pumps" situations we've all experienced might even prove less daunting with the goodwill spread wider.

Anyone for hedge-laying?

 

Project based opportunities seem to be preferred by some.

At the KESR those who have joined the 4253 team are going great guns, many of their volunteers were existing operating volunteers who had taken no part in engineering previously but do now. They are so successful at keeping that team together that they sometimes do work on other projects than 4253.

 

We have seen the same in West Wales. Some new volunteers were attracted to the TVR28 project and we have seen greater integration into general work for MPD and the railway generally.

A specific project is often a good start and paves the way for more general involvement and the greater good,

regards

Matt

 

Right... I have just spent many hours wading through dozens of pages in order to catch up on this thread after the festive season. The vast majority of it is nothing to do with WSR Operations. Can I request posters not to post here if it is not a WSR matter?
RobinL

 

Well you can ask - the moderators have been asking for years without much luck so far!

 

In the last couple of pages can you point out the Non WSR items?

 

Seems to be a discussion on volunteering generally, the mods could always move to a new thread?

 

Meanwhile, back on the West Somerset Railway today...