West Somerset Railway General Discussion

I suggest that had a bus run out of fuel at any other railway event in the same circumstances then it would not have attracted any comment

 

Agreed, it was a simple mistake. Easily resolved and no harm done. Not something that justifies pages and pages of comments on a railway forum.

 

I thought "Steam Beano" was common parlance

 

Would any other bus operator have sent out a vehicle with a defective fuel gauge, without either topping it up, or ensuring the gauge is reading correctly,?
I am of course assuming there would have been a defect report filled in last time it was in service, that should have indicated there was a fault, and action taken to inform drivers not to rely on the gauge. imagine if it had been on a tourist run out round the villages etc, possibly away from any filling station, on a general hire, , Crossville lost its licence because of illegalities in its recording of maintenance reports and was taken to court by ORR because of it, now they put out a bus on a public service with a faulty fuel gauge , it does not install anyone with confidence does it?

 

What a way to run a bus (railway)!!

 

I didn't think any vehicles needed a licence plate at the front in the USA.

 

If true I hope they do not expect to be paid!

 

Not with me I had not heard it before!

Obviously I do not speak to the right people here in Swindon

 

Probably, but in the context of significant doubts over the management of that railway, an incident that does nothing to dispel those doubts. And, without necessarily agreeing with @martin1656 says in post 28909, something that also reminds us of the regulatory issues that have been associated with the chairman's bus operations.

 

Isn't this just perpetuating a minor issue for the sake of it? Speculating on what might have, possibly, potentially, could have happened. In fact nothing did happen except an old bus ran out of fuel, the matter was quickly dealt with. A minor fault and / or somebody miscalculated just how many miles to the gallon greedy Bertie was drinking. No one was hurt, people made it home, the world continued. Nothing to see here, move on please....I'm no fan of the WSR's peculiar management style but surely the focus of the successful weekend should be on congratulating the people involved and looking to build on it.

 

At the risk of going even further off thread, over half of the US states require front and rear license plates to be displayed on vehicles. I think its 20 or so states/territories that only require one to be displayed on the rear of the vehicle.
Have noticed the variations on cars I have hired over there.

 

Traffic Commissioner didn't think it a minor issue when maintenance standard reports were falsified

 

But a very useful Midland Engine that was essentially part of WSR history

I hope it will return but suspect it will not with the possible exception of Galas!

 

I'm surprised that a closed railway needs another loco.

 

I think it just very sad that something as basic as running out of fuel on a bus that was meant to provide pleasure trips should provide ammunition to detractors and does not reflect a positive light on the event organisers. Has nobody in West Somerset ever heard of 'the six Ps'?

 

Only on this thread could a minor operational problem produce such comment. Road vehicles, commercial and private, run out of fuel. On the big railway there have been instances where lack of fuel has caused a failure. Sadly such comments overwhelm the factual and informed information that is posted and the well judged comments from a few contributors. Some on here unfortunately seem to enjoy just fuelling the flames as opposed to constructive debate.

 

Again, hashtags aren't a thing on NatPres, curious that two new posters have used them in quick succession today...

However, welcome to the forum "Chunk6960", always refreshing to have a different point of view. As I said earlier, many so called keyboard-warriors are committed volunteers, both on the WSR and i the wider heritage railway world, who have serious concerns over current management. A bus running out of fuel is a small incident. If it were isolated, it probably wouldn't even have had a mention, or if so only a humorous aside. But unfortunately rightly or wrongly it is being viewed in the context of the current WSR chairman's previous run-ins with the bus regulator in the course of his own business.

There are of course much bigger problems on the WSR than a bus running out of fuel. Such as it's recent inability to stick to contracts; ref the HR policy, Washford site, 7F overhaul etc. and the WSR's apparent unique inability among premier lines to run trains in these circumstances. If we've collectively here managed to completely get the wrong end of the stick over all of that I'm sure we'd be delighted to find out. In anticipation more than expectation...

 

I noticed that he has been registered since 2007. No mention in all that time of thirteen years as a Member of the many posts that were very supportive of the old WSR, which as we know started to become a different railway after the freehold debacle.
No one has to stay a Member here and maybe the comfort zone of Facebook suits some people with 'yes' men, wearers of tinted spectacles and propaganda as a diet.

 

At best embarrassing!