West Somerset Railway General Discussion

The WSR Infrastructure Department have wasted no time in getting on with the 2017 winter works.

There are two significant projects; (1) a 'big dig' at Minehead to install drainage under the station throat and (2) the next phase of the Williton re-signalling.

Folk will remember the photos taken from Williton footbridge last year to illustrate the relay there.

Below are some photos taken today to set the scene. I will update as I can during the 'closed' period.

Please note that the Minehead station throat site in particular is a significant worksite and access around the level crossing is restricted. The photos have been taken from public areas or a place of safety with permission. I have chosen locations that I believe will allow folk to follow the work as it takes place.

Robin

Minehead Seaward Way Level Crossing looking towards the sea.




Seaward Way level Crossing looking towards Dunster




Seaward Way Level Crossing looking towards the station.




From Minehead signal box looking towards Seaward Way




From Minehead signal box looking towards the station




Williton signal box with the old block shelf removed.




Robin

 

Robin, thank-you for someone keeping us utd on the works.

DJB.

 

More rubbish tonight on the hysteria site, I see.

 

Next thing you know they will be blaming their demise on hacking by Putin. Fortunately no-one believes them any more, even if they ever did.

Sent from my Lenovo TAB 2 A10-70F using Tapatalk

 

I note that some of the chairs have been picked out in white.

Also I thought you put collars on levers, not a stepladder..................

 

It pains me to mention them for more than a moment, when the Railway is getting on with important stuff like the works pictured above, but I did notice the statement that:

'It is illegal to transfer out an asset from a charity for anything other than the market value.'

Does this mean they have had a change of heart and will be handing themselves in at their local Police stations given what they did with the 4160 shares?

I think we should be told.

Robin



I

 

I was about to make a similar point.

I can't believe anyone could write that stuff without realising the irony or hypocrisy of their words!

 

Fair enough! I'll bow to your greater knowledge. I'm assuming nothing agreed yet, it'd be difficult to commit to anything April onward with no guarantee of a ticket to run on. '12 is in superb condition for a loco nearly 10 years in, I'm sure it'll be popular wherever it visits.

 

Most likely they are on about the QB been run by the PLC and not the WSRA, as the WSRA will make less money from it but it should be still far more than with the old guard when they were trying to run it.

But it is put in such a way that they have shot themselves in their foot because when they they should think before they press the save button on the web site what they have said and give themselves a.

 

All it shows is that everyone was right to kick them off, they can say what they like on their web page, its not going to effect the WSR in any shape and form.

 

Oh dear, it appears that someone has again stopped taking their medication. At least they have had a sudden burst of clarity and now realise that trustees have a legal obligation to get the best possible value if assets are disposed of. Appointing trustees who then purchase them at an uncontested price doesn't quite fit the bill. I expect that key individuals will have saved copies of what (in my view) is an admission of guilt.

Edited to add : How on earth can a value of £6M be put on the land at Norton Fitzwarren ? It's a flood plain with a view of some electricity pylons and a railway line. AFAIK, there is no planning permission for building houses so at best, it is farm land worth about £8k an acre which can be used from time to time as a boating lake.

Thanks for the photos Robin, the amount of work being undertaken is staggering and it deserves to be publicised. Well done to all involved !

 

It's also interesting to note that they have picked up on the point about Trustees being potentially personally liable for their misdeeds, although it doesn't seem to have registered that it may apply to them too!

 

One wonders under which accounting regime you achieve a valuation of £14k-odd as being a fair price for 30% of 4160 Ltd. (presumably based on the "par" valuation of the shares), but £6,000,000 for the Norton Triangle site?

Tom

 

Thanks for posting the work site photos, always of interest.
I see someone else has access to the spray paint can that sprays dashes.

 

I saw a report not long ago which referred to a study of the potential harmful effects of living under or adjacent to high voltage power lines. Damage to the human brain, accelerating the onset of dementia among the elderly was one of the concerns.

I believe there is such a power line across the Norton Triangle, though I haven't photographed it specifically. (Pylons are not really my interest, apologies to those who study such things). Perhaps this would reduce the prospects of new-build houses selling there? (Brain frying at no extra charge...........)

Should reduce the value of the undeveloped potential building land somewhat? How about a nominal £1?

 

More than one if you look carefully!

 

It is also contaminated ground .......

 

It has never stopped builders constructing under / near power lines. On one site potential putchasers were told by the show house staff "when the houses are built I am sure they would take the lines down" Pure speculation on the land agents part but the purchaser only heard "the lines will be removed". The farmer had a double whamy. First he sold a permenant eament to CEGB then sold the land for building pocketing both lots of cash

 

Some years ago I saw a report on the ITV news about a group of people who found that if they stood under a high voltage power line holding fluorescent tubes the tubes would light up just from the power radiated from the overhead cable.

 

It is amazing the way that numbers add up when one wishes them to prove certain things. The trouble comes when facts intrude into the matter...