West Somerset Railway General Discussion

I already did! see #7331

 

His bangers 'n' mash were served in an unadvertised Yorkshire pud. Seemed appropriate.

 

..... served "IN" or "TO" an unadvertised Yorkshire pud?
or both?

As for a review - you can't beat a Quality Breakfast on the Quantock Belle.

 

Unless of course you managed two of 'em, usually only achievable by partaking on consecutive days.

Seems the dining car was full of Nat Pres sorts last weekend. I met quite a few!

 

Butter as well as extra cream? Our formidable stewardesses will be ready for you if you try that on the QB.

 

I would have had have little issue with renewed modern signage at occupation crossings. But none went there.

These signs were put up without regard to heritage (e.g., CH where perfectly good heritage signage was already in place at a manned station), without apparent sensible thought (e.g., MD Box walkway, sign at Stogumber originally placed on a position that made visibility worse) and (in my view the cardinal sin) without consultation with Station Masters or other relevant individuals (signalling Inspector for MD Box walkway). It was as if aliens had descended.

A classic example of 'how not to do it' on a heritage railway, of which we have had a few too many recently. I look forward to the reshuffled WSR Board g'getting a grip' and will be the first to praise that when / if I see it happening.

Robin

 

West Somerset Railway - Then and Now #92

Bishops Lydeard 1972 / 2017

The other significant point of reference at Bishops Lydeard is the road over bridge at the north end of the station.

The pioneers at the WSR may have taken over a complete railway and not started with a bare trackbed like some other schemes, but there was still plenty to do.

Copyright Nick Jones / Robin White

1972


2017

 

I basically agree with this, hence my sending "like" save that if there is evidence that people regard traditional signs as mere "ornament" something brasher may be needed in places. One such example has been cited already.

PH

 

We arrived from Swanage in time for Sunday's 0940 up train from BL and so decided to partake in the ADB - very good they were too.
We probably wouldn't have booked in advance case we didn't arrive in time and in fact the spontaneous nature of our decision made it all the better.
I got the impression that wastage wasn't an issue, the dining car was full when we were in there. (But i do take your point - no one wants to buy food in advance and see it go to waste)

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No doubt you prefer your pasty to contain carrot!

Stef.

 

LOL! I seldom eat pasties and have no preference for or against carrot. For the record I have not eaten a cream tea since I was a child though I am tempted to try the Stogumber variety.

 

The Stogumber cream tea is highly recommended. I had a free day between turns at the Late Summer Weekend so I took an early UP departure to NF and then alighted at Stogumber on the DOWN trip to try this delicacy. It was a big scone with a lot of jam and a lot of cream. I did not eat again until much later in the day such was the magnitude of the feast. The tea was also excellent and plentiful and included in the price.

 

Stogumber station really is a marvellous place. I always tell folk who have never visited that if they can't chill out there there's no hope for them. On our visits during the ASG I declined the cream teas because I couldn't resist the home made Peach and Almond cake.

Stef.

 

The manning at CH seems to cease quite early. Every time I have passed through on the 1630 service ex Minehead the only staff has been the signalman unlike all other stations.

 

We volunteers at CH usually leave after the last down train (and the crossing up train when it runs). We have found the number alighting from the 1630 MD is more often than not zero, so mostly not worth waiting for. My experience of travelling on the 1630 MD is that quite a few other stations are unstaffed for that train, including Watchet.

 

Thanks for that Ian. It as not intended to be critical just following an observation by Robin white about the station being manned. The additional sign there is uneccemsary.

 

Since new signs at the BL end of CH platforms have been in place, we have noticed a small increase in the number of members of the public using the board crossing at that end. There have always been 'For staff use only' signs which people used to respect, but now people do not seem to notice them but instead only notice the new 'Stop, Look, Listen' signs and assume they can use the boards to cross.

 

The new sign implies conditional permission whereas the old sign implies prohibition. I agree with Robin that not much consideration was given to locating the new signs. A pure waste of money.

 

I think it's time the Heritage Committee was re-activated - as has been mentioned several times before.

 

So the conclusion would be that the new signs have decreased safety?

Robin