Gloucester Warwickshire Railway

No it is you who are the idiot for not understanding, as I am sure every mature member of the public must, that this is a volunteer organisation.

It is not Disneyland, where a fully salaried marching band will salute every customer who turns up 24/7.

Just to run a basic service takes a full rosta of volunteers and these guys have to run two such services at the momnent, so get off your high horse and cut them some slack for God's sake.

You obviously have never done any volunteering yourself or you would understand this.

 

I have yet to visit this line, but as a move to Gloucestershire is due in the not-too distant future, I am very keen to pay a visit before too long. The pictures I have seen look lovely. I'll make sure I don't turn up on a Monday or Friday!

When comparing this line with others, it strikes me as quite impressive that considering it was 10 miles in length before the Chicken Curve incident, so far it has been operated entirely by volunteers.

However, one question mark I have is when Chicken Curve is fixed AND Broadway is reached whether it will be possible to continue on a 100% volunteer basis and without 7-day a week running in the peak season. Broadway is a gem of a village and a real magnet for tourists, so I would imagine that opening through to Broadway would have a similar effect on the railway to that which occured in 1995 when the Swanage Railway reached Corfe Castle:- pasenger journeys increased sharply - indeed, the whole nature of the line was changed. I'm sure that the GlosWarks would love to be able to record passenger figures on a par with those at Swanage, but this would mean running a lot more trains on a lot more days, which (I would assume) would mean employing paid staff. I would be interested to know what the current thinking is among the GlosWarks volunteers.

 

The current edition of the GWSR magazine covers the need for full time staff & mentions the current (fixed term) employment of a member of staff as well as acknowledging the previous use of staff paid by a major benefactor on GWSR work.

The adage of being 100% volunteer has been inaccurate for some time.

 

With regard to those complaining that it offers a bad image to the general public, one thing that doesn't seem to have been mentioned so far is that surely any member of the general public looking to visit would check it is open first? Whilst most enthusiasts would think to just turn up, most members of the general public would confirm the opening times before visiting...

 

I wouldn't count on it. Speaking from experience at other railways you would be surprised how many people will just wander along for a look on the 'off-chance' that something might be going on.

 

Well, I for one would always check if an attraction is open before packing up the car and transferring the whole family there, because, as those with kids will appreciate, it's akin to moving house every time you go on a trip anywhere with a young family!!

 

I don't agree - many members of the public will see the brown signs on the roads and follow them to the railway

 

In fairness to the GWSR they do now have a large sign ( at Toddington) where the station approach meets the public road, saying "open" or "closed". The situation I related was two or three years ago when I was outside the locked gates yet could see the 9F and Truro in steam at the far end of the car park, and it was a volunteer member of staff at the station who--over the platform fence and a locked wicket-gate to the platform-- told me that yes they were "open", but only for the driving course participants and their family/friends. I said I just wanted to access the shop for a specific purchase but was told that was not possible.

On balance I concede that if they are not open to the general public, then they are not open, and that is fair-enough. I agree that if you are travelling to any venue, be it a railway or anything else, you do check if it would be open when you got there. Like the original poster, I called as a stop on a longer journey, not as a planned visit.

I will be there when hopefully next summer they reopen the full line as one entity, and in response to an earlier poster, yes, I have donated to the appeal.

 

Although deviating from the debate of this thread it would appear to be a sensible thread to pose this question regarding the Gloucestershire-Warwickshire Railway.

Can anyone who has first hand knowledge of the railway confirm whether or not GWR Royal Saloon 9007 is now at the railway or not. The VCT GWR 9007 Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's Saloon built 1945 still records it as being at Carnforth where similar 9006 GWR 9006 Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's Saloon built 1945 is also believed to be located. This has been the subject of recent debate as to its current location and status but interestingly the NRM website has recently been updated with regard to 9007 GWR 9007 royal saloon - Our collection - National Railway Museum implying that it remains part of the collection and is now on loan to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.

If 9007 is indeed at the railway does any one know when it arrived and whether it will be on display to the public at all?

 

A good first days public operation today over the fully reconnected 12 miles. 5542 doing the honours with the dmu. Tomorrow (Sunday) sees the same two but also joined by 7903 on a Sunday lunch train. Both steam locos face south and this gives some new photo opportunities north of toddington. Gold cup race duties to be shared between 5542, 7903 and 2807.

 

Given that I made comments earlier in this thread (in 2011) about the Toddington gates being closed on a non-public service day, let me with the benefit of hindsight change my position. It is easy enough to check the timetable and if--even in the Summer season-- a railway is not open on a particular day then the facilities, ie shops, cafe, are unlikely to be open, and so there is little point in casual visitors expecting open access all areas. Volunteers are not going to fully man the site if there are no public services. They may be present doing behind the scenes work in preperation for operating days, but that does not mean they want the odd casual visitor wandering around. As a say, the "facilities" will not be operating.
Last week, returning from the North back to Hereford we called at a garden centre in the West Midlands for a coffee and sandwich,( knowing that our usual port of call, Kidderminster Railway Museum, would be closed) Then despite driving down Comberton Hill past the SVR Kidderminster station we did not stop, because no services were running and the car park gates by the museum would probably have been closed. Same thing as at Toddington really.

Going back to the GWSR, it pays to check the timetable before assuming they are open, even in the summer.

Like others, I wish the GWSR a successful new season, and look foreward to visiting this year, starting with the next Gala.

(Can someone with local knowledge confirm that the adjacent garden centre at Toddington is still closed?--For my wife's benefit!)

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I don't think you can assume that facilities will not be open on non-running days. The South Devon Railway, for example, advertise their refreshment rooms at Buckfastleigh to be open virtually all year. Other areas of Buckfastleigh may not be open (I don't know) on these days but it pays to check even if you just want to call in for a cuppa.

 

Point taken, but I was only referring to the GWSR and the SVR.

I suppose in a recognised "holiday" area, some railways, including the SDR, must have found being open even on a non operating day as worthwhile revenue-wise.

Depends on the circumstances, and staff availability, at each location.

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