West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Other proposed railways would have reached the harbour - at least one proposal went on to Porlock!

See http://www.wsr.org.uk/r-proposed.htm for an interactive map showing most of these proposals.

Steve

 

Oh, the perils of only checking Wikipedia without referring to railways' individual websites.....That'll teach me!

As Martin so kindly didn't mention (Second serve.... Howard has NO challenges remaining!), "River Torridge" has, of course, been based at Swanage for over a year, although it hasn't been "River Torridge" for considerably longer.

I'm just off to try and edit a Wikipedia page. If I'm not back in an hour, send a search party

Edit: Apologies all round for sewing confusion. It seems I can't even blame Wikipedia..... dammit!

 

Super photo's of some of the most important people on our wonderful railway on Mr Edge's site today,
http://cgibin.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?h=Latest+pictures&t=pics

 

Some cracking shots there. Very atmospheric!

 

I suspect you will have taken it into account in your considered judgement but for the benefit of others:

Manor 4-6-0 with tender 108 tons 18cwt
9351 2-6-0 with tender. c.101 tons
51xx 2-6-2 tank 78 tons 9 cwt
45 xx 2-6-2 tank 57 tons.

If we take 35 tons for an average MK1 coach; compared with 4561 a 51xx is moving the equivalent of 2/3 of a MK1 extra, 9351 1.25 extra and a Manor one and a half extra coaches.

Another factor to the advantage of the small Prairies (45xx) operating to 25mph limits is coupled wheels 4ft 7.5 inches compared with 5ft 8inches for the others.

Regarding the 4561' 4110, 7821 fund raising initiative, your support would be welcome. Much energy and enthusiasm has gone into developing this initiative. We need to likewise enthuse the outside world please.

Michael Rowe

 

Thanks.

I look forward to getting behind the fundraising initiative.

It is just that, at the moment, it does not appear that the relevant questions have been answered and I do not understand the logic of restoring 4561 as the first of the three.

But I have an open mind.

Robin

 

The past is a different country, and not much to be gained by analysing why some decisions were made and others not. Instead, the question should be to decide based on what condition each loco is in now: on that basis, given that significant work has already been expended on 4561, it may well require the least work now of the three, i.e. would represent the quickest route and least additional cost to getting one of the three working.

Tom

 

Did Shakespeare have to put up with this sort of barracking every time he improved our mother tongue? What is this anyway? Have a Pop at Howard Day? It's victimisation, is this. I'm going to complain to a modera...... Oh, Right....that's just typical.....

 

With the problems encountered with the steam loco fleet availability recently, I wonder, could the WSR perhaps consider a Lottery restoration appeal to restore a loco from the National collection? The MHR have successfully taken on both 850 and 925 which have been mainstays of the Ropley fleet in recent years.
92220 Evening Star would be a prime candidate to work longer trains over the challenging route. She also has celebrity status for the Lottery appeal. I don't know what the NRM decision is on 92220 ever running again but I am sure a lot of people would be glad to see her in action again.

 

You might think that 4561 is well on by the amount of time and money spent to-date which is a matter of record.

What is not so clear is

How much work, much of it new that remains to be done.

How much it is going to cost, what the time scale is and how the funding stream is planned

Who is going to undertake the work and the engineering lead on this project.

No doubt Aldfort will be able to provide details of this project and Mr Maunsall how the funding plan will work in more detail.

I am sure the WSRA membership will be interested as will others actively engaged at Minehead on loco maintenance and overhaul.

Current Minehead engineering projects are putting 9351 back together ASAP for next season to be followed by some work on Norton Manor while the boiler is away.

Additionally following the evacuation of Dunster West Sidings last Sunday, there are plenty of wagons at Minehead should anyone feel the need to enhance the WSR freight sets.

Mess room talk is that once 9351 is out and about 4110 will be progressed.

SO lots going on at Minehead that will provide motive power for the WSR

4561 seems a long way off and when complete will still be a small GWR with small water tanks that will knock itself about pulling 7, 8 or 9 coaches no doubt running out of water before it gets to BL

A detailed review is required to ensure that the effort expended in fund raising, engineering activity and time delivers something that will help the WSR by detailed consideration of the options.

Jeff Price

 

Sorry if this sounds pedantic, but if talking about a National Collection loco, wouldn't it be up to the NRM to make any application?

I'd imagine, with as many 9Fs kicking around as there are (is one still masquerading as "Evening Star"?), 92220 would have been pretty low on the list. Add to that the slight issues with 60103s restoration still fresh in many minds, and it might be a tad 'sensitive', politically speaking, for the time being.

 

If all the locos are capable of doing the same job on the WSR I was thinking then the one that needed the least money spending on it therefore the sooner it could be revenue earning . Tom put it far more eloquently .

Paul K

 

Apologies, I should have said the WSR in conjunction with the NRM.
I picked 92220 because of her S & D connections. If a loco was selected for such an appeal they would have to consider the selling points of the particular loco to the general public.
What other suitable large loco's from the NRM would there be for the WSR or indeed any other railways to operate on behalf of the NRM?
850 and 925 are loaned to the MHR for the SR connection.

 

I note there have been a few changes to the board of the plc recently, which are noted on the wsr.org.uk site, but there is no mention there of the resignation of the finance director. Is he being replaced?

 

Would a large loco like a 9F be necessary on the WSR ? Yes it would be very capable but would it be economic , larger engine working easily or a smaller engine working harder, I'm not just talking fuel consumption , I know there are people far more in the know than me , just asking !

 

unless he's trying to 'stitch' you up?

 

But, regrettably, they are not all equally capable, from my understanding.

Rumours abound about the quality of some of the work done on 4561 to date -I listened to two WSR engine men discussing this on Minehead platform only last week - and it is by no means certain that it is the most straightforward of the three to restore to working order.

Proper information well in advance of this year's WSRA AGM will, no doubt, be a priority for the Trustees. I have every confidence that Aldfort is working towards that.

Robin

 

Why does having smaller wheels give an advantage over the larger ones? All other things being equal, the only advantage of small wheels is that you can get the same tractive effort with smaller cylinders. A steam engine produces maximum torque at minimum speed. Smaller wheels mean that rotational speed is higher for a given speed and, with a steam engine, torque (i.e. T.E.) falls off as rotational speed increases, thus the T.E. of a smaller wheeled loco will fall off faster than a larger wheeled loco.