West Somerset Railway General Discussion

But it's not just those, is it? Taunton was resignalled 30-odd years ago by BR, in an era that assumed much less need of flexibility. That makes the job expensive; more so if you put in extras like access to the down bay or run round facilities for WSR loco hauled trains.

That's a step - or two - above what others have done. Given what others have said about the early days of the WSR, I can well see why this particular cobbler is sticking to its last.

 

Correcting what you refer to as "the geometry of existing trackwork" involves a fairly major relay of the West of England main line. AFAIAA, the problem lies in cost cutting by the original railway builders which resulted in an overbridge that crosses the railway at an angle, but not at shallow enough an angle to avoid the track making a double curve to pass beneath it. With the line speeds at the time, this wasn't a problem. However now it is and, when the northernmost track, the one that the WSR would use to run into Taunton, was lifted, the curves under the bridge were eased by running the main line over the trackbed of the disused line at this point. I am sure that NR would be very unkeen to put this kink back into the line. This has always been a major stumbling block in the way of the WSR running into Taunton on its own metals.

An alternative that Somerset County Council explored many years ago was re-opening Norton Fitzwarren station, so that the WSR and BR could interchange there, but this met with little enthusiasm from BR, who liked stopping their trains as infrequently as possible and were convinced that any passenger who used a reopened station was a passenger who would have used another station if that station had not been reopened. However, I do think that this option offers the most realistic one for a NR/WSR connection.

 

Do you mean something like an 8 coach run round in a terminal station with loco headshunt capable of taking the largest loco in use on Britains railways?
Have you been to Whitby?
OK it cost a bit but it has been done once so why not try again.

Signalling well we are working on that.

 

Bit of a difference between Whitby and Taunton though isn't there?!

 

Less Vampires certainly......(at Whitby....)

 

As someone from Swanage, please believe me, you just don't want to go there!

Its way way more complicated than you can possibly imagine, it will cost way more money than you can possibly imagine. It will change your railway in ways you can't foresee and won't like. You will regret it.

Your railway is long enough. Concentrate on what you have and doing it better. The future will bring enough challenges without going looking for them. There is no crock of gold in running out on to the main line.

 

That's more like it; a bit of positive lateral thinking! There was stuff in the local press yesterday on the back of the government's PR campaign/Brexit distraction on rail reopenings about revived hopes for an Exeter - Taunton local service serving new stations at Wellington & Cullompton. Hopefully the WSR big cheeses are aligning themselves with this campaign, and promoting the case for a Norton Fitzwarren interchange station.

 

I am pretty sure those who are responsible for operating the WSR know this and, through heritage railways associations, have discussed it with those railways who have ventured out on the the national system. There was a brief attempt at running steam operated trains from Paignton to Dawlish (from memory) which lasted a couple of summer seasons. When it ceased the suggestion was made that maybe the then called PDSR (now DSR) take it on. They did not take up the suggestions.

 

You mean the Dawlish Donkey's? That Past Time Rail, the 1st year in 1998 they weren't particularly successful (things like Bad Weather, snow at Easter(!), incoming charters not running to meet the shuttles, (1450 and load 4 wasn't it?)) But looking at what they've become (Torbay Express) there's obviously a market there to be tapped. As ever we are drifting from the subject!

 

Just another WIBN project that has a snowball's hope in hell of coming to fruition. The local Councils have no idea of the reality of what they are proposing in costs or practicality. The fundamental principle is that short distance lines like this only work in large conurbations with a large population. Even then they rely on heavy ongoing subsidies. At present Somerset County Council cannot even afford their existing subsidiies their of Park and Ride or rural bus services. The chances of them being able, or willing, to subsidise a hugely expensive local rail service are zero.

 

So, ploughing on .....

On the first Saturday of the month the excursion from Exeter picks up at Taunton, runs to BL before becoming a scheduled WSR train taking one of the DMU paths . Those taking the option of paying a little more can alight at BL and take a steam service. Once it arrives at MD it then runs a return trip to Taunton again using an existing DMU slot before forming the return excursion to Exeter.

On the third Saturday of the month the same thing happens but the excursion comes from Bristol.

I would suggest that once a system of operation, promotion and advertising is established it could be rolled out on a regular basis and would not be too onerous - say in comparison with renovating a single carriage.

It is nice to hear other positive suggestions for what might be economically viable services that would enable rail travel between Taunton and Minehead. I think I have now heard all the reasons why it can't be done.

Of course if finance IS the driving factor we could contract our services to the Minehead / Williton portion of the line. After all, if our passengers arrive by car they can just as easily reach WN as BL and the line would still be a length comparable to others in the field .......

 

Whitby was a sleepy little branch line with four trains/day. It cost about £2.5m to build a platform, put in a loop and install a ground frame. quite a bit different from working on a main line. Yes, Taunton is quite feasible from an engineering perspective. The likely costs just won't add up to make it a viable project, though.

 

The signalling cables thing is a tragedy.

The WSR (or a senior funtionary of the WSR plc) was asked specifically whether the route should be protected when the cabling was installed. It could have been put in on the downside at no additional cost to the WSR was implied. To the astonishment of those dealing with matters from the National network side, the answer was ‘no, never be needed’.

Moving that cabling alone would now cost several million pounds.

The relevant individual is still a significant WSR personage.

Robin

 

Coastal railway regeneration has just come up on Question Time. Seems to be a burning topic at the moment.

 

Whatever we think of the Chamber of Commerce and their crazy ideas, this is why they are looking for a rail link -

See Paragraph 5
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/social-mobility-in-great-britain-fifth-state-of-the-nation-report

Using Google Street View historic images (this is neither perfectly accurate nor necessarily complete) the following Minehead retailers have closed in the last eight years -

Park Street
Gerald David & Sons / Jenny's Deli - butcher
Greetings Plus - gifts/cards
Frasers - shoes and fashion
Bistro 16 - restaurant
Farley's Den - hardware, gardening, wool
S&A Linens - materials - Park Street
Out of the Blue - fish - Park Street
Daisy Chain - arts and crafts - Park Street
Stead & Simpson - shoes - Park Street
Bellus Lingerie - lingerie - Park Street
Toni's Tops - clothing - Park Street
Blockbuster - video
The Parade
AJ Hartgen - butcher
Store Twenty One - clothing
Carol Anne - medium
Thornton's - chocolate
J Jones & Son - fruit and veg
Clark's - shoes
Quality Seconds - clothing
Curry's - electrical
Richardson's - estate agent
JAG - phones
Nova Homes - estate agent
Holloway Street
Bonique - gifts
Cor Blush - shoes
Esperit - ladies hairdresser
Jaflong - Indian & kebab
The Filling Station - pizza takeaway
Look Lush - sunbeds, jewellery
The Barbers Shop - gents hairdresser
Aura - ladies hairdresser
Pinocchio's - Italian Bistro
Friday Street
Minehead Adventure (Clark's) - shoes -
Jack Hobbs - outfitters - Friday Street
Sugar and Ice - cakes - Friday Street
Bailey Mac - coffee shop - Friday Street
The Avenue
The Last Few (Exmoor Country Interiors) - bookshop
The Gentry - barbers
The Retreat / Peri - restaurant
Minehead Pizza House - pizza
Finishing Touches - florist
Willows - restaurant
Occasionally Yours - gifts
Emma Louise - clothing
Jaws / Pip's Fish - fish and chips
KFC - chicken
Once upon a Cupcake - cakes
Pomander - gift and holistic
£ Preserver - poundshop
Minehead Toys and Models - toys
Atlantis - furnishings
Favourite Things - gifts
Novel T's - tee shirts
Glad Ragz - clothing
Roly's Fudge (1) - fudge
Minehead Gifts - gifts
Toy Ahoy - toy
??? - shoes (now Proper Job
Exmoor Film & Digital / Polish - food
Bargain Booze - off licence
Edge - clothing
Somerfield - supermarket
Food - bakers
Witches Cauldron / Sunflowers - restaurant
Pinkilicious - fancy goods
Alliance and Leicester - building society
Julian Graves - foodstuffs
Blenheim Road
Moniques Fashion - clothing
The Frock Exchange / Grace at No5 - clothing
Green Undertakings - funeral directors / The Sewing Room - clothing repairs & alterations
Baby's First - bric-a-brac?

 

Then they had better think of something sensible to do (and soon) rather than wasting the world’s time with their Rail link nonsense.

Robin

 

Some of those I've never even heard of. A rail link would not have halted time, the people aged and retired. Some would never have gotten off the ground no matter where they were. Some were far too 'off the wall' you wonder what the heck they were trying to flog. Some simply relocated in the town. One had businesses elsewhere in towns with a rail link, it didn't keep him on the straight and narrow. Others were duplicated throughout Minehead.
The greatest obstacle and ultimate downfall of nearly all of them was the sheer cost of rental and business rates, not the fact that there is no direct rail service.

 

It is happening all over the country. My local pub (owned by a PubCo - asset strippers) have applied for planning permission to demolish it and build houses, more than once. They commissioned a report to say the business wasn't viable... and guess why? The PubCo charged £45k p.a. rent, and the local rates were £42k
Sharks like this, and local councils will kill the goose which they think lays Golden Eggs.
Robin L.

 

The business rates are effectively set by central government not the local Council. Most of the bunesses that disappeared were of doubtful viability from the the start. Minehead is primarily a holiday destination and has a high proportion of retirees. The mix of businesses reflects that. Also it simply is not a commuter town.

 

West Somerset Railway - Then and Now #142

Blue Anchor 1951 / 2017

Gerry Hurfurt’s shot of 4110 running in with a down train at the east end of the Station. How long before we see her run again, I wonder? The wartime pillbox still retains its holiday cottage camouflage in the 1951 View.

And 46 years since being last used, the telegraph pole is still there.

Copyright Gerry Hurfurt / Robin White

1951


2017