West Somerset Railway General Discussion

On webcams, maybe a non-streaming shot might be acceptable? The CVR in Staffordshire have a network of nine cameras which refresh at 10-second intervals, Maybe somewhat jerky, and possibly a low-budget solution, but who could object to a still picture which would still show the watching audience what is happening there?

See http://home.btconnect.com/cvrailway/webcams/webcam-froghall.php


Jim O'Brien

 

That`s a very considerate and sensitive viewpoint. Not. Because a very small number of enthusiasts would like to very occasionally watch a train pulling into or out of a station, you have just suggested that any householder affected by some pretty poor positioning of a camera should go to the expense of redesigning their property`s back garden. You may have money to burn. Don`t assume others are in a similar situation.

 

Great news 4110 Appeal Update: Today we passed the £70,000 mark and currently have over £71,500 pledged. Excellent progress! If you haven't done so yet and have been thinking about it please make your pledge to gwr4110@gmail.com. We're getting closer to securing the future of 4110 for the WSR on a daily basis.

 

I might be inclined to contribute if I thought the PLC was sympathetic to the plan, but all we have been told is that they have no definite plans for using the loco if it does stay and, crucially, that they are refusing any extension of the deadline for the sale. I said upthread that this seemed a rare opportunity for the PLC to have their cake and eat it, but they seem not to see it that way.

 

Glad to hear the fund raising is going well.

However I still find it bizarre that the plc have chosen to sell the loco and therefore continue their heavy reliance on hired in locos, rather than keep 4110 as an asset for the future.

 

Apparently they need the cash more - and now.

I wonder if lack of agreement over this move was part of what was behind the board upheavals earlier this year?

Noel

 

Perhaps unavoidable if they need the cash now. In the longer term though, not a positive move.

I know the Bodmin railway nearly sold 5552 in the early days because they needed cash. Fortunately they decided to keep it, and they are now in a very strong position in terms of owning their own locos.

 

I am very sorry but I don't understand the 4110 appeal at all! If the WSR PLC needs an injection of cash quickly, then surely there is a better way of achieving this?

If the WSRA and WSR were properly conjoined as per the TR board and TRPS (Talyllyn) then this kind of sell off of 'the family silver' would never occur.

This surely calls into play once again the Coombes Report that set out quite explicitly the dysfunctional set up of the WSRA/WSR PLC.

I may be naive but to my mind the WSR PLC needs to make an appeal to members/shareholders/ anyone to help it out and provide ready cash - not sell off an asset in rather pantomime circumstances.

The analogy is that WSRA sells the moribund 'Ditcheat Manor' to bail out the WSR PLC - which of course it would never do due to the dysfunctional set up of both organisations. Or it could simply transfer to the PLC sufficient funds from it's reserves same as the TRPS has done many times to TR Co, but this is also dysfunctional in the case of the WSRA and WSR PLC.

To suggest that a group of loco volunteers and others should buy 4110 from the PLC to bail it out seems quite bizarre to me!

Cheers,

Julian

 

I haven’t been asked by anyone involved with web-cam-gate for help, assistance or advice.

I do have specific, relevant legal experience but as (1) it is conceivable that I might be asked and (2) I am a WSRA Trustee, I would rather not comment in detail.

Much has been said on this thread that is sensible, some less so. A guiding principle ought to be ‘neighbourliness’ on both sides. Something I always think about when dealing with MY neighbours.

Robin.

 

Time, then, for a little distraction. As I have been ‘grounded’ for a few days with a leg injury, I don’t have any vintage vehicle or aircraft photos available.

So try this item which came through my letterbox a few days ago...

I have a full set of bound WSR Journals back to Issue 1 in 1976 but would be delighted to add to my collection of the much rarer Newsletters that preceded them.

Robin

 

"Determined idiots" - nicely put

 

Well put

It might of course be worth saying that exactly the same point applies in connection to smoke emissions which have caused some controversy on the Swanage Thread.

In addition to that of course, as any lawyer or police officer will no doubt know, whilst the neighbours might not manage to get you on what you are annoying them with they may well manage to get you on something else if you get on the wrong side of them.

 

Today’s edition of the West Somerset Free Press quotes Paul Conibeare as saying the the resident’s concern was that conversations might be overheard and that the feed had now been restored without sound. Is this in fact the case?

 

https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/cctv/

 

Only the one facing Minehead, the other is not publicly accessible. Sound was on both initially then just prior to the south facing being cut from public viewing on the Railcam site it was muted. That is completely understandable, surely nobody would argue that silent streaming in this case is necessary (although one person did state that yes it would have sound as they are the most popular for viewings when I queried it months ago) . Is it possible that the major stumbling block is the fact that there is a portion of ground visible just beyond the waiting room roof? The picture is a screenshot I have taken from a YouTube video,

 

(EBIT). = (BOS + D) - (TIS)

Where
EBIT. , 'earnings before interest and tax
BOS 'bums on seats' revenue, both farebox and other spending.
D. 'donations'
TIS costs of: running 'Trains', maintaining 'Infrastructure', 'Salaries'.

The PLC is operating where (EBIT) is negative ie they are consuming cash.
BOS has been static for some years ( although I believe revenue per passenger has increased)
D whether by cash or share purchases has been significant but for instance only c.20% of those
shown in the 2017 NYMR accounts. ( help from the WSRA has been small)
TIS all three costs have increased significantly.

Hence the PLC's pressing requirement for cash (reserves have been run down)

It appears axiomatic within the Heritage Rail movement that if you wish to seek funds in a
hurry then locomotives are the best catalyst. (This was why some of us set up the three loco
fund raising, which following changes in WSRA Trustee Board Membership appears to have lost impetus)

Similarly people prefer to pledge/donate to a specific fund rather than to a 'general'
fund. ( To minimise concerns that the raised funds may be dissipated to other causes
or worse still within general overheads)

I empathise with Julian's concerns and those of others . However for the above
reasonsI believe the initiative from the loco department deserves our unconditional
support.

Michael Rowe

 

Yes, the stream from the camera facing Bishops Lydeard is no longer available for public viewing. The camera facing Minehead is still available; however, I am surprised that the symbol at the top right of the screen suggests that sound from that camera has been disabled because it has not. I haven't viewed it today, but when I watched arrivals and departures yesterday there certainly was a sound feed.

Stef.

 

If the WSR Plc doesn't have the resources to own and restore 4110 in its own right then the next best option is for the loco to be owned by a group of dedicated supporters, hired engines should be at the bottom of the list of preferences. The NYMR has been fortunate to build its owned fleet, supported by NELPG and the B1 and Essex Loco Societies, and has recently attracted 80136 and 92134 to the line on long term agreements, so it has secured its motive power position and no longer has need of hire locos. In fact, it managed without the J27, which did a lot of early season running but moved to the Wensleydale for the peak summer season and when Lambton 29 is returned to service I would expect that too to be leaving for a summer holiday elsewhere. It can therefore be done, the NYMR having been a long term user of hired engines till recently.

 

If the WSR is indeed in need of funds as reported taking the £ 120k externally offered cash up front, assuming this is a genuine offer, and the £ 50k spare cash readily pledged by supporters towards the purchase of a loco far from restoration as a loan, would produce £ 170k now which would go a long way if used productively. WSR already has other loco projects to pursue., the 4110 purchase seems to have been an optimistic mistake.

 

If 'hired engines' are deemed to be at the bottom of the list then how would the new loco owning group proceed? Restoration will be costly - and I suspect protracted. If and when achieved, hiring would be the principal method of recouping some costs and maintaining the loco.
Hired locos will still continue to be a feature on the WSR, it appears, for some while. The new chairman and probably one or two friends are loco owners plus 4561, when it emerges, will I expect, be hired.