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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Discuție în 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' creată de gwr4090, 15 Noi 2007.

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  1. bristolian

    bristolian Member

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    Clan Line ran over the southern part of the S&D on March 6th 1966, the final day.
     
    bristolian, 21 Oct 2022
    #43181
  2. 1472

    1472 Well-Known Member

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    Do we? - where are these plans & how are they to be funded?
     
    1472, 21 Oct 2022
    #43182
    JBTEvans apreciază asta.
  3. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    Okay, you’ve got me there!!! Thinking about it a bit more, I suppose I meant the SVR has a history of big maintenance projects, which have been funded by various means and leave me with the confidence that the current issues will eventually be resolved in the main.

    Unfortunately, I don’t have the same confidence in the WSR, the reasons are quite simple -

    1. The railway historically deferred maintenance programs due to its financial position.

    2. There is no clear plan (at least not publicly and I acknowledge it could be different behind closed doors), and it seems some of the aspirations have been around for several years now and in all that time we have seen nothing that is working towards them. There seems to be several things that are continually pending review when they are mentioned in communications, with no further progress.

    3. Financial issues - The railway made a loss last year, so the money isn’t coming from there. There was an appeal, which faded into nothing it seems. The appeal was supposed to be part of a wider program to generate £5 million in 5 years. At least some of the money from this was for ongoing maintenance so where exactly is the money coming from?

    I realise that you may think it’s easy to be critical and point out flaws, I agree it is, but, I do want the WSR to be successful, it’s a railway which has many merits. Some things don’t add up though such as the above and are concerning.
     
    Pete Thornhill, 21 Oct 2022
    #43183
    Matt37401 apreciază asta.
  4. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Andy,
    Do you know what you're talking about?* We've heard from so many other experts on the subject on this thread that the infrastructure is collapsing, the railway has no maintenance plan, nothing has been done for years and there's no money to implement one if they had. In any case, its not worth doing any of these things because the railway doesn't need to be anything other than a blue route and the only reason all this would have to be done in the first place is so that the chairman can run his locomotive.


    * For the avoidance of doubt, this is tongue in cheek.;)
     
    Steve, 21 Oct 2022
    #43184
    Mike West apreciază asta.
  5. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Resident of Nat Pres

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    So which one as I have been to neither in about the past 5 years?
     
    Gladiator 5076, 21 Oct 2022
    #43185
  6. Aberdare

    Aberdare New Member

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    Taking your points in turn.

    "Do you know what you're talking about?" - Busted! I've been found out at last! How did I get away with it for so long?

    "the infrastructure is collapsing" - Not that I'm aware of. There may be some aspects that are deteriorating faster than desirable but that is common in most businesses.

    "the railway has no maintenance plan" - Because a plan is not published doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Work on PW etc continues so there must be a plan.

    "nothing has been done for years" - Certainly plenty has been done, even in recent years. "Has enough been done in recent years?" may have been a more valid question.

    "there's no money to implement one" - I am not aware of the management accounts details so cannot comment, but if work has taken place then money must have been spent.

    "In any case, its not worth doing any of these things because the railway doesn't need to be anything other than a blue route and the only reason all this would have to be done in the first place is so that the chairman can run his locomotive." - As previously stated upgrading to Red route will eventually become the inevitable consequence of undertaking the necessary replacement of the Blue route infrastructure as it needs replacing, irrespective of any need for Red route status.

    My own opinions.

    Andy.
     
    Aberdare, 21 Oct 2022
    #43186
    Dog Fox, 6960 Raveningham Hall, used2be și alți 6 apreciază asta.
  7. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    If some of those are based on my comments I’m afraid you’ve put words in my mouth although the input is most welcome!!!

    "
    I never said the railway has no maintenance plan, just no public one as you have clarified. This isn’t conducive to fundraising for an apparent funding shortfall which was my point.
    My comment was that maintenance was deferred historically, a fact stated by your current chairman when he took over. If you look back you can see the statement for itself along with the ones that talk about needed £1 million a year to fund both outstanding and ongoing maintenance. If that is not correct then why did he mention it in the first place? It’s interesting that part seems to have gone quiet or was it a case he was mistaken?
    Have a look at companies house (the link is further back in the thread), the latest accounts are there for anyone to view. I am not aware of any other funding source apart from the seemingly defunct appeal unless the WSRA are about to bung a load of money in. Where exactly is the money coming from then?
    In my case I think a gradual upgrade is indeed sensible as you say. However, it was presented as a priority which makes such suggestions inevitable.

    If you look at the historic traffic levels you can see that the railway achieved the same levels prior to the upgrade to a red route. For a railway fighting for survival, I would argue that if it worked then (and profitably) it should work now. If the work being done is going to lead to the eventual upgrade via default I am up for that but unfortunately it wasn’t presented that way, rather as a priority for survival which my opinion is that isn’t the case.

    These uncertainties lead to questions. I cannot fault the people on the ground, they do a great job and I’ve always enjoyed my visits to a good railway who have some great volunteers. However, you have a railway who describe in their financial reports the amazing innovation of the GM for coming up with a steam in lights program, something that other railways have done for several years, along with the poor public engagement and marketing, it does inevitably lead to such questions I’m afraid, especially when mixed messages have come out over the last few years which make it hard for anyone to understand the real picture.
     
    Pete Thornhill, 21 Oct 2022
    #43187
    Hirn, Fish Plate și The Dainton Banker apreciază asta.
  8. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    That all reads as a good coherent programme for maintenance of the infrastructure. If you're well informed about that, can you say whether it should cost a millions pounds a year (as mentioned recently in this thread), half a million a year (as reported a few years ago) or some more modest amount?
     
    MellishR, 21 Oct 2022
    #43188
  9. 1472

    1472 Well-Known Member

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    Perhaps it is time to update your first hand knowledge?
     
    1472, 21 Oct 2022
    #43189
  10. lynbarn

    lynbarn Well-Known Member

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    Surely it has to be an unwritten rule that it is to keep any railway in the best possible condition, if that means up grading as you go so be it, how that is done is something the Trustee have to come with such a working plan so everyone knows what is going on.

    Colin
     
    Last edited: 21 Oct 2022
    lynbarn, 21 Oct 2022
    #43190
  11. alexl102

    alexl102 Member Friend

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    Unless you know something I don’t, this seems unnecessarily rude.
     
    alexl102, 21 Oct 2022
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    Matt37401 apreciază asta.
  12. Downline

    Downline New Member

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    Some valid points, and I hope it will be a case the railway can upgrade to red route through necessary replacements. However if these works are completed just in time for say a 4-6-0 locomotive starting with the number 4's arrival, then a few feathers are guaranteed to be ruffled.
     
    Downline, 21 Oct 2022
    #43192
  13. D7076

    D7076 Well-Known Member

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    Not really if you’ve not been to either in the last 5 years it’s time you revisited….or if not interested don’t comment .
     
    D7076, 21 Oct 2022
    #43193
  14. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Resident of Nat Pres

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    You have obviously have no idea of my wife's and my medical conditions which I have mentioned on here previously. Suffice to say with two years of semi self isolation for her needs I have had Covid and still have pneumonia meaning I can currently have no jabs.
    I have not even travelled on the line I can see from my lounge for 10 months.
    So yes I would love to travel on both lines but it is not going to happen any time soon.
    So I ask again which one do you mean?
     
    Gladiator 5076, 21 Oct 2022
    #43194
  15. D7076

    D7076 Well-Known Member

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    Sorry no wasn’t aware .SVR is the line littered with TSRs.
     
    D7076, 21 Oct 2022
    #43195
  16. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    More than happy to be granted a footplate pass for a ride on either railway my friend :)
     
    Matt37401, 21 Oct 2022
    #43196
  17. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Manners, my friend, what do they cost?
     
    Last edited: 22 Oct 2022
    Matt37401, 21 Oct 2022
    #43197
    26D_M și alexl102 apreciază asta.
  18. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Depends how far they are into their boiler ticket but anything up to £800K :)
     
    Steve, 21 Oct 2022
    #43198
    Miff, howard, CH 19 și alți 4 apreciază asta.
  19. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    The spell checker on my phone says a lot about me, doesn’t it? :)
     
    Matt37401, 22 Oct 2022
    #43199
    Miff și 5944 apreciază asta.
  20. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

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    Did no-one but me read @1472's comment as a friendly invitation to visit the two lines in question?

    Edited for clarity.
     
    Last edited: 23 Oct 2022
    Bayard, 22 Oct 2022
    #43200
    SebWelsh, Steve, Mike West și alți 4 apreciază asta.
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