S&D Railway Trust

*sold

 

Why on earth would you think it might have been sold just because no one answered your question? The answer I suspect, as usual, will be "it'll take as long as it takes".

 

It would be good to have a working engine as it would help for moving to another railway. They would probably prefer working ones than just carriages

 

As @flying scotsman123 says it's a pretty big jump from no answer on Nat Pres to assuming that the loco has been sold! You do know that not every preservation group is represented on here?
Anyway maybe you could just ask the S&DRT directly? It took me about 3 seconds to find their email address: info@sdrt.org

Keith

 

I can see it now, Kilmersdon trundling down the A39 with all the S&D's stock in tow, very handy!

That's extremely cruel to whoever has to monitor that email address!

 

I'm still confused (as ever!) over the lease, Ian Coleby stated a while back that he signed the 50 year lease yet in another post he stated he signed the 25 year lease? Both are in this thread somewhere. Which is it?

 

Clearly I haven't seen the actual lease document, but in the 2017 accounts for S&DRT (available on the Charity Commission website), the Chairman's report for the year ending 2017 says:

"Our long-term security at Washford has been an issue for some time with the existing lease due to expire in 2020. Negotiations with WSR plc have been protracted but, in December, the plc Board approved a new lease to run for fifty years."
​

Tom

 

Perhaps in reverse, which'd make negotiating that hairpin bend 'interesting'.

 

Thanks Tom. So it was signed in April 2018, Ian just got the lease length wrong in one of his posts. ( They were in separate threads not both on this one).

 

Get my wife to do it, her reversing is legendary.

 

Indeed, and I think he acknowledged he got the 25 years wrong and that he should have written 50 years in another post, somewhere!

 

It seems rather obvious to me that the sensible thing to do would be for the Plc & S&DRT to re-negotiate the 25/50-yr lease.
This would give the Plc a graceful way out of this unpopular predicament & they'd both avoid all the substantial legal costs.
Judging by recent financial reports on file, I don't think either entity can afford to do anything else.

 

Given the comments in the most recent Memo issued by the Chairman, he would seem to be in no mood to renegotiate anything. He just wants them to leave - no ifs, no buts :-(

 

I am clearly no expert in Company Law but it seems to me that given the current situation there may well be issues over the Directors Legal Duties were they to continue to attempt to enforce the Notice to Quit and of course the S&DRT Trustees are in my view obliged to mount a defence.

This whole sorry saga may well be the final straw that breaks the WSR

 

Or to quote an old Madness song "one step beyond"

 

If that's so, it may very well be the only solution, that in order for change to come, the old way of things, and the personnel, at the helm, all need to all go, so that there can be a rebirth I would hate to be a director/ trustee in any of the West Somerset Railway organisations right now, as when this is all over, there will be no railway, to be a member of, and no need for any supporting organisations, but that may be a blessing, as it would enable a fresh start and a fresh look at how you organise a new beginning hopefully with a single unitary body

 

I would imagine, that, in the fullness of time, it very well could be the Chairman who has to leave, - no ifs no buts, either by EGM, or because his actions have left the railway insolvent and in administration.

 

I don’t like everyone’s saying it will close but it could be good like I said if kilmesdon worked as it would let them run trains along not all the line but until the water runs out and then the S&D could stay If they have a carriage

 

Maybe Lloyds Bank would have a say in the matter, particularly with insolvency, as Lloyds appear to have more than a passing interest in the assets and freehold and leasehold matters of the WSR.