West Somerset Railway General Discussion

The difference is Mr Smith at WCR doesn't want or need our money to sustain, save and run his business the WSR does. If as heritage railway or any other organisation wants people to donate their hard earned money they have to be wholly transparent in their information sharing. Heritage railways aren't secret boys clubs or the holders of state secrets, it often feels like it though but they still hold out the begging bowl wanting our money to dig them out of the latest hole poor management has got them into.

Run your railway like a efficient business, not a personal private occasionally open to the great unwashed trainset or go bust simple really, the Llangollen Railway are on the very end of the knife will they see 2022 as a operational railway who knows, will the WSR who knows? but I for one wont be handing over my money to either that's for sure.

 

I take the view that let those who wish to cause problems, cause problems. If work is being undertaken in a safe manner than there's no issue. The agency who the 'incident' is raised with will investigate will do so, find no issues then move on.
The more times reports are made, and found to be nothing more than trouble causing the less likely the receiving agency are to take them seriously and eventually mark complaints as unfounded from the start.

 

The SVR, NYMR and MHR have fantastic official YouTube channels now, the level of engagement is fantastic they've (SVR) have now received a donation from me.

 

I just have that feeling that WSR plc didn't try very hard to run trains. One thing I learned at school was that one excuse for not having done one's homework was better than several!

 

I have been trying to work out if kilmersdon has managed to stop at every station at the line. It will be easier to do in its new railway as its shorter and less stations.

 

Heritage railways rarely run non-stopping trains, so it's fairly safe assumption to make that any loco hauling a passenger train would have stopped at every station. The only likely senario where a loco would not have stopped at every station where it is based would be if the line was extended while the loco was out of ticket.

 

O/T I've sent on your appreciation to Lesley Carr, SVR's head of communications who's the person responsible for organising this. On her behalf, thanks

Patrick

 

Oooo Look!!! Engaging with your supporters and giving a pleasant (and unsolicited) response all within 24 hours...

WSR Senior Management, are you looking? Can you see anything you might like to try?

 

No, there is a separate thread for that and has been for months, or is it years by now?

 

It's a time-hallowed British tradition, wanting your customers to just shut up and hand over the money. Back in the 70s, Robert Robinson summed it up in an piece entitled "Customer, Beloved Enemy".

 

The SVR's general manager also referred to 2999 as a guest 'vehicle'.

 

I doubt Kilmersdon ever called at Doniford, even Stogumber, while on the WSR. Happy to be corrected.

 

They actually ran trains post March 2020. Something various other railways didn't.

 

There was WSR TV too that was started around this time last year, but that seemed to die a death.

 

You are correct. But it took them until christmas to run something, how many months later than other railways that target a similar geographic area?

 

All railways are unique.

 

Oh no, more old ground! Can't the WSR have some fresh controversy so folk here don't have to reheat more old ones!

As far as I remember, the WSR came out with some largely unconvincing excuses as to why they couldn't run anything at all, including their largely TSO fleet (despite other railways in a similar position managing), and the Minehead crossing (plenty of other railways have successfully run 10-20 mile round trips from nowhere to nowhere in considerably less attractive scenery in less touristy areas). What they didn't mention, but @Steve has done since, is that if the WSR had tried to operate, it's likely that they'd have had a tap on the shoulder and a stern look from Mr ORR before a slow serious shake of the head saying "I don't think so". (I hope my vague generalisation reflects the situation as far as it goes Steve and I haven't mis-cited you!) Again, Covid spared WSR management a lot of blushes, as allegedly the new management were supposed to have had all that under control by now in their "JJP saved the railway" narrative.

 

That is my understanding of the situation as it panned out last year; this gleaned from third parties who I have no doubt were close enough to know the reality of the situation. I think all the reasons have actually been mentioned on this thread at different times but I'm not going to list them. Anyone who wants to know will simply have to read through the thousand or so pages and seek them out.

 

Unfortunately, as in the wider world, there will still be those who will not accept this, as it conflicts with the "official" narrative, and the "official" narrative couldn't possibly be wrong, could it?