If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by gwr4090, Nov 15, 2007.

  1. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2014
    Messages:
    15,330
    Likes Received:
    11,666
    Occupation:
    Nosy aren’t you?
    Location:
    Nowhere
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Which is pretty much what those in charge keep coming out with despite evidence to the contrary.
     
    ghost and Piggy like this.
  2. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2005
    Messages:
    9,635
    Likes Received:
    8,303
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Alderan !
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    i don't see many posts defending those currently leading the railway ,nor presenting any coherent case that the path chosen is the right one

    I'm more than happy to see one so we could have a proper discussion
     
    Fish Plate, 35B, ghost and 2 others like this.
  3. Piggy

    Piggy Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2020
    Messages:
    250
    Likes Received:
    327
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Somerset
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    That may simply be because it is difficult to defend the indefensible ......
     
  4. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2014
    Messages:
    15,330
    Likes Received:
    11,666
    Occupation:
    Nosy aren’t you?
    Location:
    Nowhere
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    We could always have a ‘roll around’ on the platform at Minehead if you fancy a proper discussion Martin that’s how things are supposed to be in Zumerzet.
     
    jnc and flying scotsman123 like this.
  5. 3ABescot

    3ABescot Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2019
    Messages:
    340
    Likes Received:
    606
    Location:
    Herefordshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    And JohnofWessex asked "Good or Bad"

    It's a general discussion with Andy Castledine (operations consultant and WSR Non-Executive Director) of Micro-concessions, as suggested in the Williams-Shapps plan, using the WSR for examples.

    The main problem seems to be Health and Safety, and the involvement of the Office of Rail and Road. The conclusions are that it will involve "very deep pockets and a lot of expertise" and "is going to be ferociously difficult.

    I won't comment on the specific WSR examples as plenty here are more involved, but it seems to me that the ORR seems to spend an inordinate amount of effort on the Rail side and not enough on the far more dangerous road side.

    It's a two page spread and there's plenty else in Modern Railways, as always.
     
    Derek Riley likes this.
  6. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2005
    Messages:
    9,635
    Likes Received:
    8,303
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Alderan !
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    thanks for this . Given what is portrayed as a less than convivial relationship between the WSR and ORR I'm cautious in what the WSR examples are. will look out a copy and have a read
     
  7. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2014
    Messages:
    11,247
    Likes Received:
    17,947
    Gender:
    Female
    Occupation:
    Barrister
    Location:
    Stogumber
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Thank you. I have read it over lunch.

    It all depends on whether the solutions adopted for reasonably required safety considerations are based on spending money or using the experience of the available highly qualified volunteers.

    If it’s Plan A, we should shut up shop now.

    Robin
     
  8. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2005
    Messages:
    9,635
    Likes Received:
    8,303
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Alderan !
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    and of course not helped when experienced , highly qualified volunteers are not made welcome
     
  9. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2014
    Messages:
    11,247
    Likes Received:
    17,947
    Gender:
    Female
    Occupation:
    Barrister
    Location:
    Stogumber
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    My membership of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and transport was conferred on the basis of a presented and assessed paper entitled ‘Cost Effective Monitoring for Management’ which compared the resources applied to and results achieved in timekeeping/operational monitoring and management of the London - Bristol main line train service with that applied to the Bristol - Severn Beach service and how both could be effective with the coat cut according to the cloth. Lessons there somewhere…
     
  10. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2015
    Messages:
    1,826
    Likes Received:
    3,871
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Surely, all they need to do is put out another appeal.
     
  11. Snifter

    Snifter Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2014
    Messages:
    1,628
    Likes Received:
    4,210
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I think that if you are considering examples of alternate views not being accepted then look no further that a particular page on facebook. If you have a non-compliant viewpoint then you are out on your ear. No debate is allowed as it may encourage the faithful to think for themselves.

    I reckon the the crime that caused some of the 10 to be subjected to the most ridiculous kangaroo court is that the membership of the supporting organisations would be asked to think for themselves and make a decision on implementing Bailey, or some variation of it. The PLC kicked the original proposals into the long grass on the basis of a mythical 6 figure sum, no doubt as accurate as Diane Abbott's homework. Any attempt to discuss those proposals or god forbid, give them some traction, was deemed to be dangerous.

    The great irony is that the PLC are saying that spending £100k (probably £20k or less) to make winning grants and increasing revenues via gift aid was too expensive. Instead, let's have your money so we can spend much more on converting the line to cope with locos which neither the PLC nor the WSRA possess. Remember, no independent thinking is allowed.
     
    ghost, ross, jnc and 2 others like this.
  12. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,103
    Likes Received:
    57,432
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    In that light, there was a comment in the latest issue of Bluebell News from the Bluebell Railway Trust that noted, in sources of income, "[Gift Aid] is usually worth about £100,000 to us each year." (my emphasis).

    The breakdown of where funding had gone was interesting as well, with over £1.1m spent by the Trust on the track in the last five years, amongst many other projects.

    Clearly changing the overall corporate structure of the railway (for example, in line with the Bailey proposals) doesn't automatically mean that the railway will suddenly become successful as a fundraiser: you still have to do the hard yards of active fundraising. But the current structure is I believe a very strong disincentive to donors. In other words, the structural change is a necessary, but not complete, step.

    Tom
     
    ghost, Sunnieboy, jnc and 5 others like this.
  13. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2008
    Messages:
    7,498
    Likes Received:
    5,455
    We will be able to see how much of a disincentive it is sometime today, as being Monday, it’s appeal update day.
     
  14. Piggy

    Piggy Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2020
    Messages:
    250
    Likes Received:
    327
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Somerset
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    One way to concentrate the clown's attention would be for all staff and volunteers to report sick on the same day ....

    Who would like to propose a date ?
     
    Keith_Gold likes this.
  15. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    21,065
    Likes Received:
    20,775
    Location:
    1016
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    And although @Jamessquared is probably too polite to mention it, the Bluebell seems to have recognised some time ago that it also had a track and infrastructure problem but not 20+ miles of one.

    So what has it been doing? Raising funds and taking action over a period of time that someone else will have a better handle on than I.

    Let's face it. Who on earth wants their loco to run up and down a line where at best a few springs are broken and at worst....?
     
  16. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2011
    Messages:
    25,493
    Likes Received:
    23,731
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Grantham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    This armchair member of BRPS has also noticed how Bluebell have had significant continuity of management, thought seriously about governance and succession planning, and have had very effective people in key roles.

    That's not to about how good the Bluebell is, but an illustration of indicators of factors, taken together that help drive sustained success.
     
  17. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2006
    Messages:
    5,922
    Likes Received:
    3,829
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    East Grinstead
    Agreed,and this illustration from Bluebell News shows the high level responsibilities of each organisation and indicate that they are working together.
     

    Attached Files:

    jnc, 35B and staffordian like this.
  18. staffordian

    staffordian Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2012
    Messages:
    1,501
    Likes Received:
    2,134
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    The Potteries
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    All that time and effort wasted on the Bailey report etc, when all that is needed is to nick a diagram from the Bluebell ;)
     
  19. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2011
    Messages:
    25,493
    Likes Received:
    23,731
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Grantham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    To be fair, I think what matters is not the diagram, but what it actually represents.
     
    Hirn, jnc and Paul42 like this.
  20. Railpassion

    Railpassion New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2021
    Messages:
    14
    Likes Received:
    42
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Andy Roden's report contains yet another version of the level crossing story.
    Apparently Mr Castledene says that the existing crossing could simply have been replaced on a like for like basis.

    But that was never the case.
     

Share This Page