West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Fair comments all, but my expectations are set by other attractions I visit. I've therefore tried to avoid being influenced by how it came to be as it is, but how I respond to it.

 

Quite right too. And yes we too-close people need to pin back our lugholes. But it's fair for folks to explain how things came about on this thread.

Steve

 

What is in control of the railway is to remove the 'NO this NO that signage that greets a first time visitor at the MD end, and BL at the MD end, is it only because of these signs that we are not plagued by skateboarders and cyclists? Hard to believe you are approaching one of the best steam railways when you are at MD seafront.

 

35B sums it up quite well. I don't mind driving through the industrial estate so much though. That is the most pleasant part.

I normally arrive on the bus so have to make my way through the car park to the grotty loo block and then back again. My feelings on the catering facilities are well known. Quite frankly the Bishops Lydeard experience is akin to arriving at a circus in a muddy field with portaloos alongside as you walk to the big top, emphasised by the PA announcements regarding where you can spend your money and on what.

Bishops Lydeard is the gateway for the majority of WSR passengers and, quite frankly, it's not adequate for the job due to it's lack of facilities, appearance, and capacity. It creates a dreadful first impression. Unfortunately I don't think there will be any appreciable progress in sorting this out until the PLC's board gets a prolonged period of stability and it rises up the agenda.

 

Just out of interest. Does anyone know the ratio of passengers starting their days at Bishops Lydeard and Minehead?

 

I don't have any figures, but my guess, based on observations of the loadings of the first trains from each end would be 2 - 3 times as many from BL as MD.

 

Dean Forest Railway?

 

The Battlefield Line. Worse car park, longer linear scrapyard.

 

There was a brief discussion of origins & destinations on page 195 et seq.

https://www.national-preservation.c...ilway-operations.508987/page-195#post-1762333 or thereabouts.

 

As regards coach painting (I may have posted this before, if so forgive me):

THe WSRA have a policy of using the correct paint and more importantly a couple of coats of finishing varnish. This makes painting a longer and more costly process but does give a finish which can be spruced up mid term but rubbing down and refinishing the varnish coat.
However this is a costly process at close to £5000 per coach including repainting the roof.
And before you all shout - yes it could be done cheaper and quicker if more volunteers came forward to learn how to paint correctly. Or it can be done cheaper by using cheaper modern paint and modern techniques. The results of this route are self evident if one looks around the railway.

So you pays your money and you takes your choice as they say. Anybody interested in learning how to paint rolling stock or locomotives authentically let me know or pop your nose into Williton Works and ask for the man in charge.

 

I nearly fainted at that 'til I realised it would be paid staff! Our quick repaints come to about £500ish with all volunteers, and can be achieved in a month or so. That's with Williamson's paints, but we've given up with varnish as it kept staining the cream, so we couldn't do what you do to refresh coaches, the varnish would have to completely come off, and that's a pain to sand completely off. If I lived closer I'd be delighted to lend a hand and brush, but sadly university took me even further away than I already was. :/

 

By chance I saw a wooden bodied carriage being re-varnished today after just such a rub down. Inside it was gently warm. Outside it was snowing. Very bizarre contrast!

PH

 

Sadly, and I am only exaggerating a little, Minehead seems to be plagued by warrior cyclists who use the pavements when they can, sometimes claiming they are entitled to do so. I have had to advise several young men that cycling onto the station platform is not acceptable, for reason of the safety of the elderly and the children amongst others. It helps if one has a notice to refer them to. A biker or skateboarder who runs himself over the platform edge onto the tracks not only risks hurting himself, but also risks delaying the service until the wreckage of body and machine is dealt with. [As happened to a driver of a mobility scooter last season.]
When I was a little lad, being allowed by my mother to ride my bike on the road was considered a sign of growing up, but it seems to operate the other way round now.

 

While I'd challenge the detail of your costing you have exactly the right idea of the problem.
I'd agree a £500+ materials coast is about right. You need to add on the cost of utilities, messing facilities, protective clothing, asset depreciation for things like access equipment, admin (even for volunteers in the modern age) H&S compliance etc, etc. to get to the real overhead cost. But granted if it's done with paid labour this is still a massive slice of the costs.
Probably why I bang on about needing more volunteers so often!

 

Mr Aldfort sir,

The guards and TTIs would be an excellent source of volunteer labour. Have they been approached ?

 

The Bishops Lydeard station is under the control of the WSRA and not PLC.

 

Is it? I would have expected only the buildings used by the shop and the QB were leased to the WSRA and that the operational areas etc. would be under WSRplc control but am quite happy to have my assumptions corrected if the facts are different.

Steven

 

So

Why guards and TTIs in particular? So would footplate crews, signalmen, station staff, buffet staff, track maintenance staff etc, not to mention all the volunteers who have yet to sign up!

 

Those groups are familiar with the mechanical aspects of rolling stock which is reasonably important.

 

I thought we were talking about painting carriages? The only mechanical knowledge required would be which moving bits not to paint, I would have thought!

Steven