S&D Railway Trust

From Dec 2019 Pines Express

“It has been a challenging year for the trust. This is due, in no small part, to the ongoing financial difficulties of the West Somerset Railway. The main way in which that has affected us is the extended closure of the line at the beginning of the year, causing a lower footfall at Washford and a consequential reduction in museum visitors and shop sales. It has also delayed plans to develop the site. We would have liked to have begun construction of more covered accommodation but obtaining permissions from the WSR has proved a slow process. In addition the WSR plc has stated that it cannot guarantee having the necessary funds for 53808’s overhaul due in 2025.”

So clearly the WSR plc was both preventing the S&D from developing Washford, and implying that it would not pay for the overhaul of 53808 before the letter was sent.

 

As a S&DRT member I have always considered them to be a fully paid up WSR 'family' member. They had a seat at PDG meetings after all.

Comparison has been drawn with the D&EPG, another WSR family member that I am also a member of. I haven't looked for actual mileage accrued but suspect 53808's is similar to the diesel fleet's total mileage run on the WSR, at least while the 7F is available for service.

I therefore suggest both groups are of a similar status within the family and both contribute significantly to the whole, but in a different way to WSRA and WSSRT, another two organisations I am a member of.

S&DRT are not a cash rich organisation and almost certainly not in a position to contribute any significant funds to the Plc's coffers, even if a way theoretically exists.

The two beer festivals staged at Washford were both plc events from outset. These events came about at the initiative of WSR's Gala Planning Team with support and encouragement from WSR's commercial manager of the time (he had left by the time of last year's festival). S&DRT hosted these plc events and waived their site fee in 2019 to support the plc financial position. Profit (and invoices) from the sell out event was always only ever going direct to the plc. (CAMRA handed 100% of the takings direct to Minehead cash office). S&DRT made a very small element of profit from food sales but that was it. CAMRA provided bar equipment and volunteers to run the show free of charge. It was a pleasure to work with colleagues from S&DRT and support the plc in such an agreeable way.

I am extremely unhappy about the present situation and hope for reconciliation. Perhaps the new GM (a former CAMRA member, hope he still is!) will have a view that might just be taken into account.

Barrie

 

deleted post amended.

 

Which narrative please?

 

This is where the confusion occurs : Few people are asking for special treatment of the S&DRT, what is concerning is that the Trust appears to have been given notice to quit, in breach of an agreement signed only two years ago, and with the only explanation of the reason being some vague accusations that are being strongly refuted by the trust and seriously questioned by a number of reasonably well informed sources. What many have been asking, in lieu of any better explanation of the Plc Board's actions, is that the Trust's position as an independent but friendly organisation be recognised and they be given a fair hearing. At the moment the actions of the Plc look like a kangaroo court with the Trust being charged, judged and found guilty without any opportunity to put their case.
I realise you are not a member of the Plc Board but you keep trying to persuade us that their actions are reasonable. As I've said before, a little evidence in support of that view could go a long way to settling this matter one way or the other but none is forthcoming. Perhaps you can persuade your contacts to be a little more forthcoming, in their own interests ?

 

Thanks for the quote. I haven't seen 'Pines Express' for quite some time. Maybe this former S&D Circle member should rejoin The last bit of the above seems a tad over-egged. Not sure the Plc could be seen as preventing anything just not going at the pace the S&DRT wished to go. The bit about 53808 kinda underlines the Plc's financial position. If only the S&DRT could have found a way to chip in, somehow.

Steve

 

Hilarious! Full marks to the narrative compiler - more than a few grains of truth there.

 

With respect Steve, what you're saying is that the S&DRT should fund the upcoming tender overhaul and the heavy overhaul of the 7F after the plc have used it (with no hire fees paid) for 10 years and contribute to the railway's emergency funds and keep paying their rent (or increased rent), all because the plc has got itself in a mess? Don't you think that's a little unreasonable?

If the plc continue to use the 7F until the end of the current agreement and then simply hand it back to the S&DRT without overhauling it, contrary to the running agreement, I could see another court case arising and I don't think even the most ardent WSR supporter could support the plc.

Keith

 

Sory about that RW. Post amended. I blame the brilliant sunshine .

 

Exactly, all with the only income presumably as membership subs, with there not being any daily steaming fees?

 

Well, there may have been a jump in subs recently - but likely they'll all be going to solicitors.....

 

Bloody hell Steve, you sound as if you've been completely brainwashed. The majority of us are deeply saddened regarding the present WSR affairs but you really need to open your eyes to what is happening at the railway.

Sorry for the rant. <BJ>

 

Majority? - really? - where is the evidence of that? (unless you refer only to the occupants of this echo chamber).

 

Of the people who are actually aware, I think a majority against seems fair. You can only go by comments we see, and unless you know of great swathes of people who actively support this decision (as opposed to would rather not voice an opinion either way for fear of being kicked out) then it seems a reasonably comment. We've even had a couple for people who have never felt moved to comment on WSR matters here before, and it's not like there hasn't been anything else to comment on in the last few years! Lastly I really don't think this is an echo chamber, there have been numerous disagreements about aspects of the WSR here, from both within and outside the volunteer/member base. That makes it all the more noticeable that people actively supporting this decision are few and far between.

 

Pines Express didn’t say that the Plc had prevented anything, merely that it was a slow process, which suggest the Plc was lukewarm about the proposal. Probably because it’s relationship was already deteriorating.

As a bewildered observer it strikes me that the WSR is entirely unable to present a cohesive united front to its supporters, the general public and other stakeholders. Who did what and when 40 odd years ago is largely irrelevant, the most pressing issue is the Plc is in a financial pickle and it needs positive goodwill, benefit in kind and hard cash from as many sources as possible.

The Plc Board has displayed unprofessional and commercially immature behaviour by embarking on its course of action with the S&DRT in the manner that it has done. Aside from the public relations debacle, I wonder what legal advice they've received because with my commercial property hat on it looks to me like they are embarking on a high risk and costly legal course of action.

Trying to remove a paying tenant because they allegedly aren’t making enough of a voluntary additional financial contribution to bail out the landlord is a ridiculous way to operate. Failure by the landlord to engage with the tenant to address the landlord’s concerns, to put the allegations in writing, or to try and agree a resolution is even more ridiculous and morally questionable.

There’s a common theme in the heritage railway sector of poor managerial ability and personality issues. This is often compounded by weak checks and balances that allow a small number of people to dominate the organisation. With so many conflicting demands it’s impossible to keep everybody happy all of the time of course, but some heritage railways seem to be far better at squaring the circle than others. I’m involved with a railway in Derbys that is sadly being held back like the WSR because of organisational and personality issues. It’s the common themes of costly legal battles diverting energy and money away from addressing deteriorating finances, declining membership and now Covid 19.

 

What I would like to see though is a coherent reason for the decision to evict the S&DRT, which in particular needs to contain a legal justification that would allow the lease to be terminated

 

An excellent summary

 

In other words, guess what's coming. I would be talking to the lawyers, ensuring that the current contract is tighter than a duck's bum.

 

Now that Lawyers are involved, this is not going to end well, it further re enforces the impression that the currant way the WSR is run is a dead end, that it is unable to act as one railway, and the only time it does, is when it suits the organisations, ie when they do actually work together, for instance, the 7f on a train of WSR owned carriages staffed by volunteers who are WSRA members, but the PLC it appears, , or should I say the board, and those controlling it, for what ever reason seem to have other agendas, that go against a one railway, and it would seem the plan, is to give the S&D trust its engine back, in need of a full overhaul they cant afford to do, and no steaming fees, hardly the action of a one railway approach is it?

 

I would imagine those within 'the learned profession' might beg to differ!