West Somerset Railway General Discussion

We are where we are. Sometimes I do think we worry too much about things and need to just concentrate on making the WSR even better...

Steve

 

Probably because they wanted the station near the railway.

Ok. sorry, I'll shut up now...

Steve B

 

How much does the WSR sell the option of not doing a complete round trip? Obviously the tickets are available, but this might not occur to many passengers who might need the suggestion planting in their head beforehand. Various lengths of day out could be written up as different itineraries together with suggestions of what to do at the stops suggested.

 

Has it always taken so long to get from one end if the WSR to the other? I may be wrong, but I don't recall it taking this long a few years back. As someone else said, an hour and a half to do 20 miles seems excessive and that's presumably why youngsters (and adults) could lose interest.
Is this caused by longer dwell times at stations, more requirement for crossing trains than previously which presumably takes longer, or what's the reason?

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Probably to be near the railway

 

You are right about selling trips that are not "whole length". The WSR has been doing this since it started.

Check out the WSR website

Steve

 

A limited stop service might help - but it does complicate timetables and might end up taking just as long.

My view is that the length of journey in miles is not a problem for our passengers but the length in time is...so anything we can do, esp at crossing stations, to bring the journey time down will help alleviate that. For example, a smarter method of crossing trains would help.

Steve

 

I blame the people who built the villages - why didn't they put them nearer the railway to start with?

 

I went to the WSR on Wednesday with my oldest son, and did something we had talked about for a while, walking from Blue Anchor along the coast back to Minehead

Absolutely delightful - and you could have started at Watchet - the Steam Coast Website isn't much help. Sadly the route doesnt appear that 'Bike Friendly'

Again another thing that can be used to draw in passengers, single tickets to BA/DN & walk back to Minehead?

Also something for Golfers who want to visit the 19th hole at Minehead?

 

Absolutely. In 2014 I was ask to create this map for a WSR leaflet. I wonder if the leaflet is still available...



and before that, this map for an earlier leaflet (is that still available?):



Steve

 

You did kindly provide these a while ago but there isnt anything obvious either at stations or on the WSR website

 

Let's hope the relevant WSR folks do something about that

(Thanks to your story about the coastal walk, I've also posted the map to FB and Twitter as it might inspire a few of the thousands who follow those pages to follow your footsteps @johnofwessex )

Steve

 

Really nice maps. 11/10 Steve.

 

I fear that the West Somerset Railway is far from unique in seemingly having constant need for timetable amendments, or perhaps a belief/desire for constant timetable recasts.

The fact is the geography of a line can't change - yes, there can be 'tweaks' like new crossings or signalling arrangements, and such things as extensions or extra passing loops - but once such changes have been made, then the new 'facts' remain the same, however much people wish/hope it will and different criteria can create different timetables!

That said, demand can evolve and hence service pattern may need to change but section times etc. remain set.

I would be surprised if the journey length is too much of a problem for the West Somerset - people seem perfectly willing to take longer journeys to a destination than they might if they were just wanting 'a train ride'. Ensuring passengers know where they can break their journey to make a day out of their ticket is also important in successfully promotion. I am surprised if it is seen necessary to lengthen turnaround times at Minehead as I would have expect this to be a destination people wish to spend some time. BL I can see would be different, but other, more attractive locations along the line seem to exists for passengers starting at Minehead.

Steven

 

I wonder what the saving might be between a Pannier , small Prairie and a Manor , are there any other alternatives ?

 

A large prairie, or 2-6-0 conversion? LMS 4F? I've always thought that the WSR could make good use of a 57XX, just as the SVR seem to. It all boils down to making the best of what you have, though.

 

Little off topic but did pass the line to WSR.

Today’s royal duchy with black 5 44871 and 37706, my picture.

Called in BL on way home and delighted to see S160 back in service. Ended up following it to minehead.

 

IMHO the WSR has far more varied scenery than many other heritage railways , MH to WT , Wlt to CH and CH to BL . Along with the varied terrain this is what makes the WSR so special to me .

 

By a "smarter method of crossing trains" what do you suggest? The problem seems to me to be the antiquated business of exchanging tokens etc... However if that is replaced by a more modern signalling system you end up with something like the Paignton and Dartmouth which is still a lovely steam railway but has lost some of the heritage aspects such as manual signalling. If you replaced all the signalling on the WSR with automatic colour-light signals controlled from a central panel in Minehead it would probably all run a lot quicker but it wouldn't be an authentic heritage railway any more!

 

Totally agree but this may be lost on the average 5-10 year old who has been stuck in the same seat for an hour and a half on a hot day!