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S&D Railway Trust

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Andy Norman, Feb 24, 2020.

  1. ikcdab

    ikcdab Member Friend

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    I think you are overstating this.
    "Senior people are being dismissed." I havent seen this. Don't believe it's true.
    "Other senior people are resigning with immediate effect "to spend more time with their families"", one person has left (not plural) and that was from the association not the plc.
    "locomotive owning groups are being asked to leave the railway and take their engines with them", not true.
    "other groups are being served with notices to quit", one group, not plural.

    On the other hand lots of good things are happening too...but these don't warrant a mention....
    Ian Coleby
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2020
  2. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    Very fair comment, though I think the owners of 44422 may query your view on locomotive owning groups.

    However, my impression (yes, from afar) is drawn inexorably to the specific, undesirable, behaviours that seem to crowd out the good things.
     
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  3. std tank

    std tank Part of the furniture

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    and 6695.
     
  4. MattA

    MattA Member

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    Reading the above, I feel that I might need some clarification on how the agreements regarding 6695 and 44422 ended up being terminated and what motivated the engines' owning groups moving their engines elsewhere (although I am aware that the CVR already had a certain fondness for the 4F, stemming from when the engine was previously resident there).
     
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  5. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Don't start getting excited too much. 44422 - as anyone who has been involved with it will know - needs some repairs before it can run again. WSR informed the 4F owning group of the situation, and that due to their current position could not finance these in the current climate. And so the 4F owning group went about to ensure the locomotive's long term future. An EGM was held, changes in the board, and after a period of discussion the locomotive has been relocated to CVR. The locomotive now has a positive future, and the WSR can concentrate on doing whatever it's priorities are. There's nothing further to add really.
     
  6. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    It seems to me that there are in total an awful lot of 'issues' doing the rounds over the management of the railway.

    A number of these fall into the category of either 'unfortunate' or within the grounds of what could be reasonable.

    However there is firstly the withdrawal of the HR policies relating to volunteers, the Andy Norman case, which could have been very simply resolved by giving him 'Due Process' and now the decision to issue Notice to Quit to the S&DRHT at Washford, coupled with a very intemperate press release.

    The particular concern being that the cost of attempting to evict the Trust could be huge and with no guarantee of success. Not only that but it could potentially bankrupt the PLC at a time when its finances are stated to be parlous.

    I suggest that withdrawing The Notice to Quit is an obvious starting point if the PLC Management wish to be taken seriously.
     
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  7. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    Well perhaps if the railway stopped doing stupid destructive things then attention could be focused on the positive things.

    Posters on NP didn’t create the situation on the WSR that led to:
    locos leaving/being forced out
    People leaving/being forced out
    Groups leaving/being forced out

    Nor did they:
    Write the press release that called the S&D a cuckoo in the nest
    Withdraw HR policies covering whistleblowing

    All of those things are the WSR’s doing.

    If the WSR and it’s supporters don’t like negative publicity, then maybe they ought to look at those whose actions are creating situations that people can write negatively about. Deal with the people creating the situations and you might well have a solution, and then the positive developments might get the attention that they deserve.
     
  8. Piggy

    Piggy Member

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    For the avoidance of doubt or clarification of confusion, please note SDRT is based at Washford, not SDRHT ........
     
  9. Premier.Prairie

    Premier.Prairie New Member

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    Lots of good going on even in the group that has notice to quit!!

    See https://www.facebook.com/autotrailer169/ note also no 'dirty washing' to see. Trying to sort this out behind the scenes.
     
  10. WishIHadAName

    WishIHadAName New Member

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    Would look nice at the SDR if not though!
     
  11. bluetrain

    bluetrain Well-Known Member

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    Entering pedant mode .....................

    I believe that the SDRT actually resides at Buckfastleigh:

    https://www.southdevonrailway.co.uk/sdrt/

    It is the S&DRT at Washford.

    Just hoping there isn't another one in the vicinity of Stockton & Darlington!

    ................... Exiting pedant mode.
     
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  12. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

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    True, and it's also the S&DRHT at MSN. And for those who mentioned the S&DRMT previously, that was the predecessor of the S&DRT charity which preceded the current S&DRT company:)

    And of course they are related to the S&DJR which ran in Somerset and Dorset and not the S&DJR which ran in Wilts, Hants and Dorset but not Somerset.
     
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  13. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Tom (Just for a bit of light relief ...)
     
  14. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

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    OK, perhaps "dismissed" is not the right word, however the longest serving member of the Board of Directors joined in September 2018, since when every member of the board that he joined has resigned. Did they all decide to spend more time with their families?

    I was referring to the Railway as a whole. I doubt if our hypothetical volunteer would realise there was a difference.

    44222? 6695?

    S&DRT and the autotrailer group?

    This is a common complaint, but the facts of the matter are that it only takes a few people to keep the thread updated with the good things that are going on on the railway, which is something that, by and large they manage to do quite successfully, although this does appear to have tailed off of late, certainly nothing to compare with the magnificent efforts of the group behind the return to steam of 9351. Nat Pres is not a newspaper, there's room for both types of comments. If lots of good things are happening but aren't mentioned, then that reflects badly on the people who know about them, not the people who don't know about them but do know about and are moved to comment on, the less good things. By and large, these are not the same people. Apparently, there is a ban on volunteers using social media. If this is the case, I expect that has had some effect, too.
     
  15. michaelh

    michaelh Part of the furniture

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    This thread is just becoming an echo chamber - about 20 people just keep agreeing with each other.
     
  16. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    While of course you would never be a nodding dog for anyone.

    Just out of interest, why is the eviction of the S & D from Washford necessary for the survival of the WSR?
     
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  17. jma1009

    jma1009 Well-Known Member

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    I have reviewed Ian Coleby's post's over the last month or two.

    20th February Ian posted "It does seem a great pity that the SDRT have been given notice to quit".

    21st February Ian posted "It's a pity about the SDRT"

    Then same day, something rather bizarre posted by Ian:-
    [My emphasis]

    Does this mean Ian Coleby, having signed off a new 50 year lease for the SDRT in 2018, now supports the WSR PLC's 'Notice to Quit' against the SDRT? Despite his hollow feelings of 'pity', that on one interpretation seem to be crocodile tears! At one point Ian goes onto say he doesn't want the PW depot moved from Dunster to Washford, but wants a carriage restoration facility at Washford (WSSRT?), and by implication instead of the lovely set up the SDRT currently have, and by implication supporting the WSR PLC's 'Notice to Quit' served on the SDRT.

    I don't think I have ever encountered such shifting and evasiveness on here from someone who ought to know better having signed off the SDRT's new 50 year lease. Come on, Ian, you have some direct questions asked of you previously on here and it behoves you as a long standing WSSRT Trustee and ex WSR PLC Chairman to stop this nonsense.

    Cheers,

    Julian
     
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2020
  18. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    there clearly has to be something in the water in Somerset, the railway it would seem cant stop falling out with its self, and from an outsiders perspective, looking in, seems to lurch from bad decision, to Bad decision, is it the structure of the railway, or that the wrong people seem to get power and use it towards their own ends and objectives, first the 6+1 and the WSRA, then the WSR PLc, wanting to evict the S&D Trust. if this goes wrong, and ends up in court, it will bankrupt the WSR, and then what? receivership, selling off the assets, if the S& D trust have to move, imagine the ill will that would cause, its an everyone will lose situation, 88 will almost certainly be moved elsewhere, either that or run until its boiler certificate expires, then given back to the trust with an 10 year overhaul to pay for, that will certainly end up in the courts if the WSR break the agreement, like they have done with over engines, no one wins and everyone loses.
     
  19. aldfort

    aldfort Well-Known Member

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    …That would be the WSR plc, the WSRA and the band of staff and volunteers that work on the railway assisted by the generosity of those who support the Railway. A team effort. Just sayin'

    Like a lot I do read these threads every day. I generally only contribute when there is something to say.
     
  20. jimbrettell

    jimbrettell New Member

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    So, I walk into WH Smith's and start perusing the steam mags as usual and straight away spot 'eviction of Washford group'. Blimey I think, 'not the WSR again!?' What is it with these steam preservation guys and falling out? I'm that rare thing around here, a pretty ordinary member of the public, an expert in nothing railway-oriented, but just a lover of railway heritage. Being retired I have the time to travel around and enjoy the fruits of skilled enthusiasts engaged in wonderful endeavours at keeping alive an important part of our industrial and social history. I'm never going to be an active volunteer, but I'm definitely a potential passenger, member, donor, investor and legator.

    I've spent hours trawling through the contributions of late on here and they are mightily illuminating. I've re-visted the Coombes Report; scanned a loco business case; read press releases, statements, empassioned letters and testimony and as a result feel able and qualified to make some observations. Firstly, it seems pretty clear to me that the financial problems faced by WSR Plc are but one direct consequence of disharmony. I've never re-visted following the previous absurd and reprehensible shenanigans because there's nothing more effective in putting off some people than unseemly squabbles conducted by competing egos, and it takes time to recover from a negative public perception.

    Secondly, I was however impressed by the Coombes process, the purging of protagonists, outbreak of openness and seeming healing of wounds that looked to provide a good omen for the extended WSR family to work together on a shared vision and a sustainable future. I would probably have been returning in the expectation that the outbreak of peace and harmony had begun to bear fruit and exciting developments were at last on the cards at various sites along the line, but news of recent financial problems did not engender sympathy in me, rather suspicion and unease. It should probably go without saying that these feelings are generally very effective barriers to successful fund-raising.

    Thirdly, it's pretty clear the WSR Plc has declared war on a significant number of its supporters and have decided to engage in a potentially expensive and likely unsuccessful legal battle which will do absolutely nothing to improve its public perception, financial position, success in fund-raising, retention of volunteers and support from the community, public bodies, private enterprises, potential donors and legators. From where I'm standing it's an absolutely astonishing path to set out on and destined for utter disaster in terms of this wonderful railway being able to survive, let alone flourish.

    So, what can be done? Irrespective of the dysfunctional legal arrangements that have so effectively helped create and foster this patently untenable situation, there has to be some realisation that it is only by means of a process and desire for mediation that this unseemly and escalating gulf can be halted and hopefully repaired. It's surely time someone put a call in to Robin Coombes?

     

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