West Somerset Railway General Discussion

The TRPS (via Talyllyn Holdings - a Charity) owns all 750 shares in TR Co (thanks to the late Jeremy Wilkinson). They are legally distinct operations - but the Society still manages to fund the TR Co (Statutory Company by 5 July 1865 Royal Assent to the Act of Parliament) - surely a rather more complex set up that the WSRplc /WSRA

 

Are they 10p each?

 

Given the number of references to the "West Somerset Free Press" on this thread, I went looking for the paper's circulation on the Audit Bureau of Circulation February 2019 Half Year figures.

It doesn't appear - which suggests that the circulation is either too low to register or that they do not submit their numbers for audit. The latter is interesting (if it is the case) as it's the first figure that advertisers look for.

 

Was that photo in the snow taken this week?

 

What's interesting to me is that they seem to be claiming to have plugged the current hole, but there's nothing really on a recovery plan.

 

Surely it’s less complex. There is no question what the role of each organisation is and, like the FfR, the operating company is both supported by and controlled by the charity.

 

And in the end, how complex a railway's set up is and how many different groups are affiliated to it isn't really the issue IMHO. The problem on the WSR is that the overarching railway groups have no clear defined purpose with overlapping functions leading to inevitable friction.

 

And this is simple in comparison?!? https://www.gwsr.com/news/gwsr_links/affiliated_sites.html

 

Yes! If you read my post I said how many different groups there are doesn't come into it, it's how clearly defined their purposes are that matter. The vast majority of those links are either departments that come under the Plc or loco owning groups based on the railway. I don't think those should be counted as part of any "complexity", and even if you did, that is immaterial to my point. They all have a clearly defined purpose with no overlapping of function. It is the duplication of WSRA and WSR Plc activities that causes complication, confusion and wastage.

 

Can you quote some examples to back up what you say? The individual station groups each care for a specific station.
I really do not recognise the scenario you describe.
Robin L.

 

Two independent locomotive restoration workshops for a start, under different management structures. However well they co-operate, that’s a very different situation to having one organisation with total management control operationally, and the other with responsibility for fund raising. At the very least, it means dividing the available work between them becomes a matter of intra-organisation negotiation, rather than simply a local management decision based on resources and capacity.

Tom

 

There has to be one; maybe it is in the notes GWR Man took which awaits 'official' approval for release here. If there is not then it seem quite likely the WSR will be back to square one in a years time. I guess one 'plan', which is public, is the hopes that the 4000 shareholders will pour more money into the pot.
There will be more changes I believe, not everyone will like them. However the line has to have objective changes to survive.

 

Is there so little work that they are squabbling over it??? I don't thinks so. There are plenty of locos awaiting restoration in the queue. If there is a problem it is surely a lack of capacity, not over-capacity.
Robin L.

 

Are more news on visiting diesel gala guests please

 

Shops, catering, running of trains, overhaul of locomotives, owning of locomotives, owning of rolling stock, charitable status, volunteers, employees, trustees, directors, marketing, I think that's enough to be getting on with. It may well be that not all of them currently generate friction and might even work closely together and that's great, but at the end of the day it's all duplication and extra costs, and I can see little advantage in it in many cases.

Every time this comes up and I and others make comments about the overlapping nature of WSR groups someone will always bring up station groups when I've consistently said that clearly the organisation of the WSR station groups works well and they're always well turned out, and as they have a definite defined purpose don't fall under any criticism I have anyway.

 

1.2.19

 

My point about station groups was that when you strip them away, there are really very few groups. As for the activities of the PLC and the Association, I expect the Association would say that their activities are raising funds. I know it is historic, but I take your point.
Robin L.

 

%hat's really what I was alluding to, otherwise it's a case of pouring more good money after bad. I know I keep on about the fall in passenger numbers, but that's really the nub of the problem and so far there doesn't seem to be a plan to do anything different to deal with it.

 

Indeed, which comes back to what I said in the first place that how many groups there are isn't the issue. DEPG is another example of a group that has a clearly defined purpose and remit so despite being separate works perfectly well. Historic reasons are interesting explanations for the current situation but no reason not to have ambition to change in the medium term. (I've long accepted that it's not a short term solution as it would be impractical probably not possible in the short term.)