West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Any more plans to put up the second water column by the turntable?

 

Is that the parasol column in open storage on wagons near to the level crossing at MH?

Regards

 

See current top story on http://www.wsr.org.uk/news.htm - the more books sold the quicker the water tower goes up )

Steve

 

The new column will def. be a help esp. on gala days, & enhance MD station.
Also good to see on the web site & on a video there, is news that the footbridge is going ahead at Williton as last.

 

Any more news of this footbridge?

 

Watchet Footbridge is being demolished. See WizzerTV on www.wsr.org.uk

Steve

 

Modified planning permission approved at Station Farm development (links with new museum and carriage shed for heritage carriages project). See www.wsr.org.uk/news.htm for brief details.

Steve

 

The West Somerset Railway will shortly be launching a brand new web site which will feature an integrated on line booking system. Online Ticketing, a division of Wilson Digital Media produced the vTicket booking system for heritage railways and the WSR has chosen to adopt this well proven system. The system will allow WSR customers to book tickets in advance for special events, services as well as standard day Rover tickets for the 2011 season. In addition the system provides the WSR with a new web site and email newsletter system. In tourism terms having an online booking capability is essential and is expected by customers. This means the WSR can now compete on a more even footing for visitors and bookings. Customers who book online will receive a printed ticket in a West Somerset Railway branded ticket wallet. The system is due to go live by the end of February 2011 and will become one of the key promotional/commercial tools for generating publicity and income for the West Somerset Railway.

Steve

 

On 16 March 2011, local residents try out a mock-up of the chicane proposed to replace the current gates at Govier's Lane Crossing (footpath) at Watchet.

See first instalment at WizzerTV

Steve

 

A couple of interesting aerial views of the Norton Triangle:
http://www.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/gallery8a.cgi?h=Snapshot&p=2011/04/070411_2_por
and
http://www.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/gallery8a.cgi?h=Snapshot&p=2011/04/070411_1_por

Check out the Norton Map for locations and layout of the Triangle.

Steve

 

It looks like the next major dvelopment at the West Somerset Railway will be the extension of Williton loop - currently the shortest on the line. Subject to the usual caveats and availability of funds etc, the tentative plan is to install a new rail bridge over the stream at the South end of the station in November, and then follow up with new track and signal works next January/February including rebuilding of the level crossing and moving the loop points south of the A39 road bridge. This will then allow two ten coach rains to pass in the station, thereby undoing the cutbacks implemented by BR in March 1968. The work has been facilitated by the erection of the new station footbridge which is due to open soon. Additional "outer" home signals are also planned in both directions, and these will give much needed added flexibility, allowing shunting to take place in the station while trains are in section approaching from Blue Anchor and Crowcombe. The new layout will also allow trains to run into the station simultaneously from both ends.

David

 

Good!

 

Has there been any news on whether the DOWT event was successful for the railway? It would be interesting to hear how the railway has done out of the event, and whether Thomas still has the same 'pull' to younger passengers.

On a (slightly) unrelated note - did anyone else note the S&D-esque pairing of 'Thomas' and 'Gordon' on Sunday? Looking at pics on wsr.org.uk, it seems No.88 doubleheaded the Jinty on the last departure out of Minehead on the Sunday - presumably to work it back to BL for onward road movement. No.47298 was never allocated to Bath or Radstock (being allocated to Northampton, Willesden, Bletchley & Sutton Oak) - however with some imagination, it isn't hard to forget the blue liveries... Suddenly its a busy Summer Saturday in July, and Bath's stressed shedmaster resorts to using one of his 3F 0-6-0Ts to assist a 7F over the Mendips, with a heavy passenger train...

That's a little daft I know - but it creates some atmosphere, at least for me.

Cheers,

Phil.

 

A full report will appear in Online on the WSR staff website (today I think) and a brief report is ready for wsr.org.uk to appear soon after. I think you will like the report )

Like your S&D thoughts!

Steve

 

So is Online no longer in the public domain? I obviously noticed that it wasn't on the PLC's new website.

 

That is the current policy as I understand it. I have also removed links to earlier editions from www.wsr.org.uk

It is, after all, a publication for staff, so if you have a WSR staff id you can access it via the staff website. Hey ho!

Steve

 

Steve

I can understand the WSR not wanting Online to be for general release, but what about Members? Is there any chance that us members could have access? I always found them very useful for info in between editions of the magazine.

 

Good point. Sadly, there's no secure website for WSRA members.

It may be worth WSRA members contacting the Plc (and the WSRA) asking for Online to be put back on the Plc website which would allow me to reinstate the links on my news page.

Steve

 

Thanks for that Info re Online Steve, wondered what had happened to it when the website changed. I will drop them an e mail in next couple of days to see what is forthcoming. DH

PS Glad Thomas appears to have been a good weekend - plenty of people in the photos.

 

Latest vid on WizzerTV covers a Steam Engineman's Course (Taster) during which we take a trip in a brake van to Norton from Bishops Lydeard on a rainy day...

( Link to WizzerTV is on the left hand menu of www.wsr.org.uk )

Steve