West Somerset Railway General Discussion

All of which says that it is not just B&B, ice cream and coffee vendors who should have been benefiting from the line.

 

Before people get too excited at the prospect of having e.g. apprentices carrying out the work on the carriages, isn't the point that apprentices are primarily being trained? So if you have an existing workshop with skilled craftsmen able to progress the work, then having apprentices is both a source of more resource and an investment in future skills of use to the business. But if you don't have the workshop to start with, you can't just take on apprentices into a vacuum and somehow imagine that in a few years time there will be a stream of restored carriages rolling off the production line. Who will supervise them and manage the work - and indeed, how is it fair on them apprentice who is there primarily to be trained within a primarily working environment?

I can think of several lines where apprentices are employed and carrying out a very high standard of work. But it is within the context of already having well-established workshops; not as a means to get a slow project moving. Some of the comments here seem to be making a logical leap from "we need more people working on these carriages" and ending up at "the charities could sponsor an apprentice". You can't really do that if you don't already have a well-established workshop and project structure for those carriages.

Tom

 

Indeed, often apprentices are seen as a "get out of jail free" card to make WIBN projects sound more feasible. However, the way @Andy Norman outlined it made it sound to me more like the way the H&B group I mentioned earlier are going about it, in effect, rather than the WSR taking on apprentices, the WSR would simply provide work for them to do, guided by their own tutor/lecturers, with guidance about how coaches go together (for example) from the railway but not actually requiring any WSR workshop staff to supervise these apprentices.

 

At least newspaper can be recycled

 

Ross whilst I’d say there’s some truth about there being so many blue collar workers within the SVR’s catchment area, but why are people like say Geoff Hudson (former area fleet manager at Laira), Phil Swallow (IT background), LSL (How many loco’s steam and diesel have gone to run in between Kiddy and Bridgo?) prepared to give up time, money and expertise and support the SVR?
Would it be that the SVR has a good track record in things like professionalism, fundraising, communication and maybe not airing dirty linen in public?
I appreciate that I’m biased towards the SVR because I’ve spent so much time there as either a customer or volunteer but why is it that when this railway says it’s going to do something it’s never a question of if, but when?
Or is it a case of success breeds success and people want to be associated with it?

 

Regarding the HPC project page 9, of the report details the purpose for which the grant was awarded.
Certainly lots of people in the area have benefited from various grants.
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/63754275/hpccf-2020-annual-report

 

Are we certain that trains will be involved in the "Christmas is coming to the West Somerset Railway" http://www.wsr.org.uk/news.htm#2175 ? It doesn't actually say that they will.

 

On Facebook a WSR official has said trains will run between Bishop's Lydeard and Williton.

 

OK. I don't do the Facebook page.

 

I see what you mean. Maybe another event like the recent ones - a kind of open day with Father Christmas.
Now who has the physique for being Santa I wonder. I don't subscribe to F/Book s have not read about the BL to WL bit. Given some snow the trains could be hauled by reindeer?

 

It looks like the ESR will have the pleasure of JJP visiting them for a ride behind 5542, judging by the comment from him on the 5542 group Facebook page.

I’ve often wondered what the story was behind 5542 not being based at the WSR, despite the 5542 group being set up by WSR supporters. No doubt that is another can of worms though.

 

I expect the official line is/was that the WSR need bigger engines. They're not the only WSR loco group no longer at the WSR either though...

 

I thought the task of Restoration was manifest on their acquisition.

Acquiring them is one thing Restoring them is something quite different and precious little thought seems to have been given to the latter

As I have said many times I hope I live long enough to be able to travel behind 6705 at the very least!

 

The WSSRT ought really to be pleased it has had new members applying and also new trustees up for election rather than 'buggin's turn'.

We have seen in the last few days how the WSSRT old board has pretty much failed in so many respects and has become a cosy little club, and a poodle of the WSR plc board.

The fiction of remaining 'independent' has been exposed for what it is.

Compare with the IOWSR with a fully equipped C&W workshop under cover and with all facilities - same as the Bluebell.

In contrast the WSSRT hands over a cheque to the WSR plc board for £35,000 in January then gets lottery funding for new covers for it's GWR carriage wrecks and lottery funding to re-vamp it's museum at BL.

I still find the pics of Chris Austin with Lady Gass somewhat cringeworthy

 

I was at Cranmore on Sunday, 4110 was dismantled, frames cleaned and painted, work clearly proceeding with an all volunteer team.

 

I do not know anything of these people. Are they retired? It doesn't matter. What I was implying was that the Birmingham area has enough capable indians (METAPHORICALLY!!!)to work for a few chiefs. I also do not know if there are so many people at the SVR now who are in engineering. It believe it was the case at the start.
The comparison with the ESR : Both ESR and WSR are in similar demographic areas. I think WSR has more retired money. North East Somerset is not famed for engineering, these days, so quite how the ESR has gone from being David Shepherd's garden railway in 1979, offering little more than a brake van ride to nowhere, to the industrious railway restoration contact business that it is today, I cannot say. Where did they get their people, vision, leadership?