West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Chaps, I was at that meeting and we had the benefit of three respected engineers covering both loco and infrastructure providing advice if memory serves.
It is also worth noting that even had the advice been favourable the membership of the WSRA would still have had to vote on the matter and 4561 is regarded with deep affection by many of them.

 

44422 was originally based and restored at the Churnet Valley. Similarly 6695 at Swanage. I don't, however, remember the reasons for their leaving and transfer to the WSR. Can anyone enlighten me?
Ray.

 

This may help.
https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/44422-lms-4422-br-44422/

 

I feel sad to hear that 44422 is to leave Somerset - was an S&D regular. But if finance dictates, then that's the way it has to be.

 

The WSR is not the Somerset & Dorset Railway - even though it sometimes pretends that it is.

 

Just a tick, to avoid any confusion, 3850 departed the WSR, with full agreement, just a matter of weeks before the end of her boiler certificate so that she could see out her last few steamings in the company of 7820.

Mike Solloway

DMLL

 

And if the WSR is terminating the contract, that presumably means that they are losing any benefit from the cash that they have spent up till now on the overhaul.

 

They obviously think it's better to cut their losses now.

 

6695 was on its way to the WSR from Swanage for a gala when an incident with the transporter damaged the loco. It was taken in to Williton for assessment and has remained there ever since, gradually being overhauled.

 

£180,000 was included in respect of the capitalised cost of work on 44422 in the plc's fixed assets as at 31 December 2016, so presumably there will be a (non-cash) write down of that order, say £150,000 if they have amortised it. The Chairman's Report for 2015 (somewhat ungrammatically) refers to a 25 year hire. I guess there must be wiggle room to terminate the agreement without significant further cost.

 

Maybe but its not doing their reputation anygood.

 

The operational pool of locos for the operating season is looking quite small at present 3 locos

 

I think it was simply a case of the WSR offering a more attractive deal to the owners of 6695 and 44442 than where they were already. More security - 25 years, a more attractive financial and repair package perhaps.

When locos cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to overhaul, there isn’t much room for sentimentality. The deal which best covers the costs is often chosen.

As the WSR has found out to their cost, perhaps these deals were too generous.

 

Williton station and depot looking particularly scenic due to a snow storm this evening.

Views thanks to the Railcam.uk camera. <BJ>

 

Who are the people at lydeard? Climbing across the tracks and wandering down the platform? Ive only got a small screen . Anybody able to get screenshots?

 

7828,6960,53808,7822 & later 9351 looks more like 5 from where I'm sitting. OK 7822 & 9351 may not be available for the start of the season but the peak requirement is in high summer when 3 steam per day are needed & they are expected back before then.

 

Three people. A man, a woman and a youngster entered the down platform from the carpark to the right. Waited briefly in front of Keith's office then the youngster jumped down onto the tracks and crossed to the up platform. The man and woman crossed the line via the barrow crossing and followed the youngster past the shop and cafe.

 

Thanks, I thought it would be something like that.

 

Yup. I couldn't see where they had disappeared to. Hopefully it was innocent enough and there is no damage done.

 

Agreed, but with the set-up at Washford the WSR is the nearest we have. Of course, Midsomer Norton and Shillingstone on the S&D itself are both doing a great job, and are well worth a visit not least for their original S&D stations, but neither are likely to afford S&D locos the kind of long run that the WSR does.