West Somerset Railway General Discussion

As has been explained, you really need to think of it as if Foxcote had never left the WSR, the timing is merely unfortunate in that respect. Thanks to @Martin Fuller for the helpful explanation on that front.

 

I think it was explained up thread that the move was long-planned, and only delayed due to the onset of COVID-19 immediately before when it should have moved. Certainly if there is going to be any return to a steam service next year - or even for Santas - having three locomotives would seem a bare minimum (probably rather less than a bare minimum). So if you believe that at some point operations will resume, then you also have to assume that the loco will see plenty of use.

Tom

 

Just for the record:


No stalking required.

 

Ok let’s think of it that way, as if 7822 never left the railway. The Plc then decides there are one too many locos and one has to go. Why would they choose to get rid of the long term (40 plus year) resident, rather than the visitor on a short term contract?

Serious question.

 

If the orr took his licence away goes he have a new one or are there legality questions to be asked about the use of said buses over the weekend,which go beyond if said bus is road legal to start with.

 

Quite.

 

Over the last eighteen years I have been working as a bus driver. I have worked for two large bus companies. Neither has relied upon fuel gauges, or maintained them.

With the First company over eight years most of the buses I drove when I started had no fuel gauges. I did occasionally (mainly on rail-replacement services) come across an occasional bus with a gauge but was told to ignore it as they were not maintained.
After three years we received a batch of new buses with fuel gauges (the bus company had not requested them, it would have cost more to remove them). This had the effect that when a driver reported to the controller on taking over his bus that the fuel gauge was in the red, he was told to ignore it and carry on. He got eight and a half miles (of a nine and a half mile route) and ran dry on a narrow road with many parked cars causing traffic problems, not the drivers fault.

None of the buses at my current employer are fitted with fuel gauges.

Common practice at most big operators in the London area is to fuel every bus every night, brim full, and record fuel usage. Based on the fuel usage records my First employer restricted certain buses to short duties, but otherwise the tallies of buses fuelled were checked each morning so that any which had somehow slipped through without attention could be recalled for fuelling.

I believe some small operators used to routinely use the 'broomstick' dipstick method of checking tank contents.

With many large operators drivers have no part in fuelling, the fueller will also check and top up oil while the diesel pump is running.


Even a big operator's systems can fail. I ran out of fuel twice in service. First time was a fuel solenoid sticking, there was fuel in the tank. Second time the bus ran dry halfway round a roundabout and I had to wait for a man with a van to bring fuel (drivers not permitted to attempt refuelling!)

 

Vintage is generally accepted to be built in the 1919-1930 period. Veteran is anything that pre-dates that. Many years ago I used to buy and sell old cars through Exchange & Mart. There were sub-headings for veteran and vintage in the cars for sale section for cars in those date categories.

Damory VRs are used on the Glastonbury Festival park & ride services. They were still in evidence last year.

 

Looks pretty well regulated ready for tamping to me. But then I don't get out on the track very often.

 

Whoever took it away the serious question is how is he running buses without one , or does he have a new one.

 

But it is said that buses always come in threes, so passengers can always get on the ones behind!

 

Correct Barry, but as I mentioned those dates are interpreted very loosely by many.

 

I believe that the licence that was revoked was held by a now closed-down company, rather than the individual. The bus used last weekend is owned by a different company. That's my understanding at least.

 

It's not unknown that the first time you realise a gauge isn't working is when you run out of fuel, especially if you aren't the only driver

 

I wish 7822 was earning as much this year as 88 is going to.

Serious food for thought.

 

that old trick interesting thanks will have to do some more research.

Not sure how it can be allowed to run the same buses with the same faults under a different name.

How can it be safe to have him as head of a railway.

 

Just noted on WSR FB:-

"So today we had the honour of welcoming the team from ‘Salvage Hunters’. A great day filming and some great coverage to come for our Railway! We even managed to do a few great deals!!"

So, I wonder what - or who - they managed to flog off ?

I recall seeing a previous episode of SH where they went to another heritage railway and bought various items. These included some rare signs which I knew to date from their early days, and IMHO therefore had historical value and ought to have been put in their museum rather than sold off. What was worse, Drew proposed to break them down and sell off the component parts separately

 

Thank you Martin, yes, that is why people are concerned, its a question of as your second paragraph so well illustrates, of is this person a fit person to be running this railway, one thing going wrong can be put down to chance, but when things keep on coming to light, it makes you question the management style .