WSR S&D Spring Steam Gala, 5-6 and 10-13 March 2016

I was the Guard behind the 9F on the Saturday morning you speak of, we were delayed waiting for Templecombe/4F at Blue Anchor. Some slick station work (at both ends of the train) helped to claw back some time on our way. As you mention, the cancelled trip to Norton Ftizwarren allowed us an on time departure from Bishops Lydeard, doing our bit to help recovery.

As my colleagues here have all said, we as the staff care about timing as much as our passengers. There's nothing I hate more than late running and I take pride in being able to do my bit to keep trains to time. It's a real team effort and I think we all do as much as we can.

Thanks to those in support of our efforts, I hoped you all had a good time. And as others have said, those who are being critical, please do come and volunteer your time to keep the show going, it is phenomenally hard at times and we're always happy to involve extra 'expertise'!

Ben

 

I was at the Gala last Thursday and Friday and I thought it was great. Highlights for me were a trip on the 08:45 Goods from BL on Friday and the Tea & Cake at Stogumber both days. The trains were pretty good too, and I am hoping to build up the "SLL on Tour 2016" gallery. https://picasaweb.google.com/116839141471298057728/18SLLOnTour2016 If you have a few good photos of Manston, Sir Keith Park or Templecombe in action, please could you email them to me at nicksidmouth@gmail.com Full (c) acknowledgement will be given. Please include a caption. Thanks, Nick

 

Sorry, those walkie talkies make everybody sound like daleks! I am not so sure about time keeping not being important however. I appreciate it is difficult to run a railway and any volunteer has my full respect in whatever area they carry out their duties in.

 

If you are referring to my post, as I stated swapping locomotives would not have mattered in terms of milage nor end of day location. Both engines were crewed because as I said 80043 was brought off shed. I can't see the problem unless possibly 88's crew had ran the MD-BL trip with 34070 in the morning and had the next BL-MD-BL round trip rostered for them as well, then yes timing could be an issue, but even then the crews could possibly swap over. Tbh the amount of messing about it took with 88 at Minehead and 80043 getting in it's way, I would imagine no more than a 30min BL later arrival would have happened if it had taken the train after it was due. By delaying trains further that definitely increased volunteers shift length because it went from around 15mins to 35mins delay at that point.

I think what happened yesterday proves really that trying to run the hourly service with just six engines, turning them all at each end and trying to double head doesn't really work simply because there isn't enough time.

 

Thanks

I did NOT say that time keeping was NOT important. In fact my signalman colleagues would tell you that I am hotter on delay reporting and intervention to sort out time keeping than many. Two illustrations. (1) On Saturday evening it was recognised that the new motor point installation at Williton is still bedding down, and so on Sunday I was at Williton as potential hand signalman for the first two crossings in case I was needed until the S&T were on hand - I was not. But (2) Imagine a late coach party arriving at Bishops Lydeard just at departure time of a steam service on a normal day. Would you suggest that the train be sent out on time in the sight of 50 folk getting off their coach?.......of course not.

In my time with the 'big' Railway I was in at the start of 'delay attribution' which then was a way to identify problems / potential improvements and later, under privatisation, became a legal / financial stick for various parts of the railway industry to beat other parts up with.

Railway timekeeping is very, very important, but it is not everything, especially on a Gala when particular events, engine combinations and the like have been advertised.

kind regards

Robin White

 

Most trains now use the bay so that the engine coming off can be turned easily. Some trains yesterday were diagrammed to come in, turn, take water and go back out all in 25mins. However the bay water tower isn't yet commissioned so engines had to go between the bay and main via the level crossing and return to go back onto the stock. Plus within this they had Kilmersdon shuttling up and down to the section starter so that had to clear the line as well.

 

Not quite right.

The Bay tower is commissioned, and was working when the Gala plan was written. It has, apparently, developed some form of fault that could not be fixed for the weekend. One of the factors for the 'washup' analysis.

Kilmersdon's runs always took second place to anything affecting 'main line' operations.

Robin

 

Thanks for your update on the water tower, it does makes sense now why there were a few engines due in and out again if it was expected. Apologises!

 

Isn't hindsight wonderful!!
TBH the turnarounds are tight to turn and take water etc but can be done, the problem comes when the train is late in and goes back with the same loco, maybe this is something that will be looked at, it might be better to always swop locos at each end but then people will most that s visiting loco only does x amount of miles.
It's the classic you can't please everyone all the time!
Robin F.

 

Nothing to apologise for - why should you have known? Unlike the old WSRA Trustees, most folk on the WSR are happy to answer a straight question with a straight answer....

I still can't quite believe the show we have had over the past couple of weeks. Do we really HAVE to send them all back? The two special moments for me were (1) double headed 7F's going past my house on Wednesday, and (2) coming up with a reason for a wrong-road movement through Blue Anchor to get Manston as the 'Thunderbird' onto the Taunton end of the stock that 'Templecombe' had had to leave there. I am not sure that has ever been done before in the present company's life.

kind regards

Robin

 

Anyway here is my video, not too many shots if you haven't got much more than 5mins to watch a video -

Photos - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jbtevans/

 

Can the WSR keep 92214?!

 

I understand that 7F 53809 is staying at the WSR for an extended period. Can anyone confirm? <BJ>

 

Very special for me, a 9F.

I remember the late 80's / early 90's when the coming of 3205 and then the loan of 'Evening Star' marked the start of the climb of the WSR to the wonderful railway we have today.

One little story, told against myself, as all the best stories are.

In the 'Evening Star' year, we had a defective crossing gate at Williton and were saving our pennies for a new gate, but in the meanwhile, were using a length of rope with some bunting on it as the 'gate'. Hard to interlock signals with a rope, so we were flagging the trains away towards Bishops Lydeard from Williton. The DMU arrived from Bishops Lydeard and I made the necessary entries in the register and issued to BL to WN train staff to the driver of ES standing in the up platform and retreated to the box to display a green flag for the train to depart. All seemed well.

And then I looked down to see that I hadn't changed the south end points. Eeeeek. Trailing, so not a derailment risk, but the P.Way and the S&T would not have been pleased.

Amazing how quickly you can roll up a green flag, rush up the box steps, change the points and saunter back down again to unfurl the flag as if nothing had happened.

Fortunately, the driver had been FAR too busy being photographed on the footplate of 'Evening Star' to have looked in my direction......

Happy days.

Robin

 

As promised here is my video from this past weekends action!

 

It was my job to do the bunting when my Dad was the signalman and I was doing the booking office!
Well I of course offered to do it!
Of course those were the days when it was 'allowed' for a youngster to do it.
Robin F.

 

Here are some of my pics from the weekend, once again, thanks to everyone for putting on a great show!

 

Traveled on the Thursday, information for people in and around stations,about delays couldn't be faulted,
Unfortunately the same can't be said for the weekend where I took a bit of photography in, The railway says that people lineside are the eyes and ears of the railway,
But I see it as a two way street in return for that ,it cant put someone too out of the way to provide information on how things are running on social media.
Maybe something to take on board in the future.

 

To be fair, I'd imagine station staff are quite busy enough as it is, without stopping every now and then to update the world at large that a train is a bit late, and I'd imagine passengers on the platform might get a bit irritated to see staff seemingly busy on their phones or other devices. Not to mention the appalling signal along much of the line, for me anyway. Robin's alright in her box at Minehead, but more often than not I couldn't get any signal, so would have been pointless anyway.

 

So because it would be pointless for you it would be pointless for the rest ?
Theres a lot of backroom staff who could do it once they get reports of late running etc, Also helps people who might not be there first thing and might want an afternoon on the railway decide weather or not to attend,