West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Imagine a GWR branch line with a Hall, Manor and Castle. Superb.

 

A branch line?

 

People are getting agitated about a coach which has been moved out of Williton works [after a long time in there, I hear] being replaced by a steam engine in need of some restoration which has gone in.

Please help an interested but only partially informed bystander.

Is the establishment at Williton a workshop or a storage facility? Or both?

Does it cover its costs by providing safe storage space for rent , or doing restorations for paying customers? Or both?

Who owns the Autocoach?

Are they paying rent for it to be in there? Does anyone pay rent?

Why has it taken so long to restore it - hopefully they are not taking their time in order to keep it safely under cover?

Obviously WSR does need proper cover for much of its rolling stock, but surely Williton is a works, not a carriage shed?

 

Now there are some VERY interesting questions!

Since people from official circles of the PLC or WSRA no longer bother to post on here, it could be difficult getting answers to those questions.

All I know is that the Autocoach and 6695 (both volunteer projects, as I understand it) seem to have been turfed out in favour of the Chairman’s unrestored Castle which until recently was at Tyseley. So the person to ask is perhaps the Chairman.

 

Yes true needs a King

 

I think my point may have gone some way over your head.

 

Please note this auto coach was been worked on by three to four people two days most weeks and, parts been made for it off site on other days of the week as well, so it wasn't just been used as a storage shed for the coach. The coach sides and roof is about 90% new so this is the reason it is taking so long to do it. Yes there are some engines/part engines in the Swindon shed where the working parties are from 0 to 3 times a year so are good as using it as a storage shed.

 

Thank you for this helpful feedback.

 

Yes, Par - Newquay on summer Saturdays. The single track to Kingswear even took Kings and not just on summer Saturdays.

 

There's one slowly coming together at Minehead.

 

Having also had part to play in a recent shunt of the Swindon shed at Williton, vehicles moved out of the shed have been replaced with those that are there for immediate work. I put the Hawksworth saloon in the place the autocoach stood and the Castle remained outside.

Perhaps the rumour mill could also subside during these winter months...

Ben

 

Rumour mills never subside, they're the closest thing to perpetual motion that there is!

 

I was very surprised to see, after you said that, that Black Monkey Bridge was a masonry arch as such structures are so much stronger than the metal bridges also to be found on the WSR. Is it in poor condition or badly built?

 

How about a GWR branch line with a Hall, Manor and King?
Left to right, 6960 Raveningham Hall, 6024 King Edward I, 7828 Odney Manor
Robin L.

King Edward I running round at Minehead - Spring Steam Gala 26th March 2012

 

I can remember glass "tell tale" pieces being fixed to Black Monkey Bridge in i think about 1988/9 to see if cracks in the bridge were getting any worse, no significant movement was detected in the next 5 years or so, but i have no knowledge since then.

 

Which ones which?

 

I sighted a Large Prairie (?) in Great Western livery southbound on the M5 between J24 and J25 at 1615 yesterday. (I was N bound so only a passing glance). Anybody know anything about this?

 

The lining panel on the tender looks slightly smaller than normal. Is that prototypical?

 

They are all in private hands as far as I know