West Somerset Railway General Discussion

I don’t want to alter the status quo. We are very fortunate to have ALL the locos we see on the WSR. Everyone has their favourites and as steam enthusiasts we all benefit from the efforts of those who keep them running..

 

Not wanting to pour cold water on anything, but would suggest that confirmation of locos is better than simply requesting them.

 

Please don't get me wrong Brian , no way no how am I saying that Southern locos shouldn't be on the WSR . It is just I wouldn't make the effort to see them . There was a time in the mid 60s as a train spotter when I was very happy to see the Merchant Navies and the like rolling into Temple Meads from Southampton I now assume when all steam on Western Region had long gone

 

Isn't that the same for all Pacifics ?

 

it would appear that the event in september is not going to happen, but maybe april of next year.

 

The West Somerset Railway plans to run a week long Atlantic Coast Express event next April. It had been intended to run it this September but provision of key locomotives was beginning to look challenging. WSR Vice Chairman, Frank Courtney, said:

We need to get this right and offer as close to an authentic ACE express as it is possible to do on a 20 mile West Country branch. We think we need at least three Bulleid designed locos, preferably including at least one Merchant Navy and two light Pacifics. Putting the event back will give us more time to get these in place.

 

Shame

 

I seem to remember many many moons ago a similar event on The WSR ......they renamed a lot of the current stations to SDR Stations. Is this going to happen again?

 

Tempt me not.

 

I am a Great Western fan and as a 13 years old , I travelled from Penryn to Plymouth North Road for the great sum of 3/9d half day return in the early 1950's to Train Spot - and there I saw my first Spam Can 34016 "Bodmin". The sights to be seen that day were wonderful - blue Kings - my first "Saint" - 2949 Stanford Court. Although GW always comes first, it is enjoyable to see any different locomotive and the first view of a Spam Can does remain with you! I would certainly welcome seeing one on the WSR!

 

Neither shot is enhanced by the orange plastic fencing...

Robin

 

Do you remember part of the station canopy being demolished by a shed connecting rod?

 

Try this one for size....... https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/26446773405/

Or maybe this one........ https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/29733050060/

Or even this one........ https://www.flickr.com/photos/duty_druid/35468939080/

 

Now here it appears you are saying volunteer = enthusiast. I don't necessarily think that the two are the same. I volunteer, but I do so as a hobby and because it's social, not because I am particularly enamoured with any aspect of 'old railways', so I definitely don't fit the 'enthusiast' description.

While I heartily agree that all volunteers are enthusiastic - especially if they have to get up at silly o'clock in the morning to do their chosen duties - I don't think all 'enthusiasts' are (or may not even make) good volunteers.

There seems to me to be another type of person some would call an 'enthusiast' who, while they will happily follow a certain loco around the country or travel from gala to gala, they will also happily pour scorn on anything they don't perceive to be 'right' and seem to take pleasure in pointing out any little inaccuracy whether the reason for that was a genuine error or a bow to modern H&S or improved passenger facilities but, strangely enough, they never seem to have the time to get stuck in and help.

While the price of their ticket may be of some value to wherever they visit, it is nothing compared to the value of the hours of labour and professional skills of the volunteers.

So let's not confuse the hard working and enthusiastic volunteers with the "here today, gone tomorrow" (and "wasn't that paint on the fence completely the wrong shade of colour") so called 'enthusiast'.

 

You've gone for the stereotypical enthusiast there, fine, I've certainly met plenty, but there are also plenty of enthusiasts who do make good volunteers.

At the end of the day it doesn't matter, to say "Oh it doesn't matter, most people who buy tickets won't notice" may be true on the face of it, but ignores the large contributions made by people who *do* notice.

 

How absolutely true.

 

A couple of thoughts come to mind here.

Firstly, it's very common online, whenever someone says anything critical of any railway, in an enthusiast arena, to see the "you're just an armchair enthusiast, you can't criticise if you don't take part" attitude. In general I think it's an unfair thing to say, in most cases. Yes, there are people who fit that category, but the majority of the time the people making the accusation have no idea whether the person they are talking to has any practical means of volunteering, has health issues, or even already is a volunteer. I recall once reading a post on this site accusing me of being an armchair enthusiast, whilst I was putting my feet up at the end of a 9- or 10-hour operational turn!

Secondly, there are probably many visitors to railways who aren't railway experts but are experts in other related fields and could offer something useful. I have friends who are experts in vintage uniforms, or historical funeral practices, or the history of typography - I'm sure that to the latter a huge amount of signs on heritage railways are very jarring! I've also been "that person" regarding trains at non-railway sites (if you ever visit the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford see if you too can spot the model locomotive that is clearly mislabelled; or has anyone else ever spotted the National Trust "Victorian Post Office" with a possibly GWR-made telegraph instrument?) Saying that all visitors are going to be either railway enthusiasts, or average people who just want to enjoy the ride is potentially going to ignore a lot of interesting and knowledgeable feedback from enthusiasts of other fields.

 

Sadly true. That orange fence is tricky to avoid at Ropley due to its proximity to the running line, and other photographers lined up along the fence. With hindsight I should have Photoshoped it to a less offensive, and obvious, colour.

 

Certainly so. I recall a"lady who lunches" who had no knowledge of trains but when it came to railway clocks knew about things such as "deadbeat escapements", "Harrisons maintaining power" and other features of high end examples. It suggests to me that railways could do worse than assemble displays covering the ways of life in former times which would go some way to compensate for the inauthentic carriages and motive power I grumble about from time to time. This would involve something a bit more than displays of "luggage" that get stuck outside for too long in all weathers.

PH

 

I'd rather swap them for an S & D 2-8-0 rather than a manor.