West Somerset Railway General Discussion

The times on the WSR are provisional and subject to revision. They will be updated in a day or two.

David
(Minehead signalman and line controller on Saturday)

 

No not simples just stupid. I was acquainted with an ex Cheltenham driver (sadly long deceased) who lost part of his leg falling under the tender wheels of a 2251 class loco doing just that. And he was a career railwayman.

 

Only a fool would do that.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa..._data/file/411122/110216_B012011_Foxfield.pdf

Guard tried to board the brake van in a moving goods train, slipped on the step & was dragged then fell. Dislocated and broken shoulder. That doesn't heal quickly.

Upshot was that, after the RAIB report, the ORR investigated & found other procedures amiss, so slapped an Improvement Notice on the railway.
Railway then had to revoke all crews' competency certs & had to re-assess them.

As their rule book contained an entry forbidding the Guard's action, I can't help but wonder where that left him. Feasibly without compensation, & if his employer was unsympathetic, possibly looking for a new job.

Yes it is. Try running that procedure past your insurance company & see what they think of it. When they've stopped laughing, expect a very interesting quote.

Doesn't matter. It's not the 'Glorious Years' any more. What does matter is what's in the Rule Book applicable to your railway, & your railway's SMS statement - nothing else.

No, it just means you haven't had an accident yet.

Simples? No, such an action is Stupids. It's a hobby. It's meant to be fun. It's not worth risking life, limb & the possibility of losing your livelihood over some wistful notion that you're somehow recreating a Golden Age.

Pete S.
C&W Dept.,
GWS Didcot.

 

Flattered to see I get a small mention on page 28 of Steam Railway this month under the title 'WSR appoints White to overhaul operations'.

Career history not quite correct, though...

Robin

 

100 x this. ^^^
Not much gets me cross on the footplate but a fireman or who ever jumping of my engine while I'm driving gets a telling off. It's against the rules, it's dangerous and these days you are more than likely being filmed.
There are people watching videos posted on the intertubes to see what we are up to.
The same goes for speeding incidentally.
When I go for a train ride of any sort, I normally have my GPS watch on. I'll put money on not being the only one, because smartphones.
37 mph behind a diesel on a major railway this month was too fast.
There are eyes everywhere nowadays.

Russ.
Driver, Bluebell Railway.

 

Hello,
Slightly of topic.....
Could someone take a complete photograph of the newly repainted GWR 139760 Mink Van residing in Minehead.
The photograph on Mr Edge's web site has the roof and wheels cut off.
A copy for the GWR 813 Fund web site will earn the photographer a credit and a thanks.

Email
gwr813 at g male dot com

Cheers nick

 

Sat. Visiting 47, 73 to BL and double headed 7fs and 35 on DMU path.

Sun. GWR 150 to minehead. 35 on DMU and classic car run.

Brilliant mixed traffic weekend.

 

Any chance of considering the siphon g currently at dunster next?

 

Hello,
The Siphon?

Nick

 

This one, http://www.gwr813.org/pagew12.html

Overtime i go past it, i think it would look great with a lick of paint.

 

Why? Why aren't you looking out of the window enjoying yourself. That sounds like you are looking to catch someone out, presumably, someone you don't even know.

I started to notice a few years back, people , always male, coming up to the engine at Kidderminster and saying, "Did you know you were doing xxmph at so-and-so, according to my GPS?" My usual reply was along the lines of, "No, the engine doesn't have one of those. Did you enjoy the ride? Good. Excuse me."

jtx
Driver, Severn Valley Railway

 

Oh dear.
No I'm not trying to catch anyone out. I like to enjoy all all aspects of my train ride including the speed. Technology used wisely can enhance the experience and no, I don't have smart phone. As it happens I know some of the Drivers on the line I'm referring to as well as one of the Inspectors who happened to be there day.
If I'd wanted to make a big deal of it I would have . In writing.
You've rather proved my point about there being people on the train who know exactly how fast you are going.
It only needs one of them to report it to make things very difficult for you.
Do you feel lucky?

Russ Keep it under 30 of Sussex.

 

Hello,
Yes the Siphon could do with some paint, also a lot of new timber and a new canvas roof.
Would make a great bike carrying vehicle or store.
Funding? Yes it is there.
Any sort of organisation for wagon restoration on the WSR ....not sure.
Will say, anyone interested in helping forming a weekend wagon gang please PM me.


Nick

 

Just the sort of visitor every preserved railway needs . (BJ)

 

I would have thought that West Somerset Restoration would be a good starting point.
Try http://www.wsrestoration.co.uk/index.php or admin@wsrestoration.co.uk

 

I think the point about operations being much more frequently recorded these days is well made. When I started volunteering (not too many years ago), people would watch what you did, but relatively few would be filming or photographing. Nowadays, you can pretty well guarantee that someone somewhere will be doing one or the other, such is the ubiquity of camera-equipped smart phones. Admittedly most such photos will go no further than to be shown to family and friends, but you can pretty well guarantee that if you do commit a faux pas, someone somewhere will have documentary evidence.

I'm sure most of us who have been on the forum for a while can remember a low-speed derailment at a heritage railway, captured on video, which went viral on YouTube. I've just checked: the video showing the actual derailment is approaching quarter of a million views; a subsequent video of the loco on the ballast is well over a hundred thousand views.

That's not an argument to say we should exercise more care now because of the presence of cameras: we should operate safely regardless of whether we think we are being recorded or not. But it is an argument to say that there is a far higher likelihood now that any transgressions will be captured, and possibly discussed online. Fortunately, I'm not at the lofty heights of driver, but I can fully understand why a driver might get grumpy about what happens on their footplate. As for what occurs on other railways: it's inevitable that if you are involved in operations, when you visit another railway you will look at it through the lens of your own knowledge and experience.

Incidentally, and to bring this back to the WSR: the first time (as a passenger) that I can remember being aware of someone speed-recording a train using a handheld GPS device was on the WSR. On that occasion, lack of speed was the issue rather than too much; the occasion was the time City of Truro almost (but not quite) came to grief between Blue Anchor and Washford. That was I think about ten years ago, and it was obvious then that what was at that time a relatively high-end, expensive device, would only fall in price and proliferate in availability in the way that all such portable electronic devices do. I still had film in my camera and measured every shot against the cost of developing; within twelve months I had a digital camera and in effect photographs became free, and therefore ever more prolific.

Tom

 

Tom,
This is not entirely a new problem. When I worked on the KESR back in the 80s they had rigged up a commentary point at a Thomas day. I was marshalling a rake of the heritage 4 & 6 wheelers. This was the commentary I had to shunt to.

"Did you know these are the fat controllers favorite coaches - I do hope the scruffy shunter does not bump them "

Needless to say the buffers just gently kissed

Dave

 

Some interesting comments over the last 2 pages showing both ends of the enthusiast spectrum.
Clearly some people would love to see it all being done the old fashioned way. (There are even oblique references to this in old BTF films, - Fully Fitted Freight comes to mind.)
There are also clearly enthusiasts who seem to have embraced the modern age and want us to observe all the rules to the letter all of the time.
As volunteers we all know two things, that the rulebook is there and that we have a duty of care to or visitors. We know what happens if we transgress the rules and the risk that is being taken , either personal or corporate.
I'll say this, most comments I hear from enthusiasts are along the lines of "give it some welly - we want to hear it bark!" or "Lovely spirited run up the bank". I'll leave you all to decide if there is a line and where that line should be drawn.

 

A reminder of the opportunity to travel from Taunton to Minehead and back this Sunday (19 June) with GWR.

Take a return trip from Taunton to Minehead with GWR this Sunday


An invitation from GWR to join the 'WSR Away Day' product launch charter on Sunday 19 June 2016. GWR say:

"Running from Taunton to Minehead and return, you will get the chance to sample the longest preserved ine in the country from one of our green Class 150s.

The trip will include a launch party on arrival at Minehead with special guests in attendance and an on-board trolley service with proceeds going to charity. On the return, subject to conditions on the day, there will be a visit to the start of the former Taunton to Barnstaple branch* at Norton Fitzwarren.

The special leaves Taunton at 11.15am, Bishops Lydeard at 11.35am, then arriving Minehead at 12.55pm. The return leaves Minehead at 3.15pm, Bishops Lydeard at 4.30pm, arriving back in Taunton at 5.05pm. (Kindly note the revised time of departure from Minehead from that shown on previous news items)

Etickets, available at £25.99 per person, are available to buy at wsrawayday.eventbrite.co.uk "

(* if time permits, the special will traverse the three-quarter miles of the old Barney Branch which forms part of the Norton Triangles.)



Steve