West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Not sponsored then? (That would explain the gnomic comment)

 

More money being wasted at the WSR …..yawn . D7612 reported on the back of a lorry this evening heading west on the M5 en route to the WSR diesel gala. <BJ>

 

That explains why the wife said she seen a Rat on the M5

 

7822 is black is it not? 3 manors yes please

 

Going West? Is it on the correct road? The M5 is generally considered to be a north/south road.

 

What is it with the constant moaning about nothing Dennis?

For an alleged WSR supporter you dont appear to have anything positive to say?

Robin

 

Robin, here's a tip for you. Posts like this from you - as a prominent WSR person - are much more detrimental to the WSR than questions like the one you are responding to.

Accusing people asking reasonable questions of "moaning", or questioning their allegiance, is really not good PR for the railway. It's certainly unprofessional from someone who feels they deserve to hold a position of leadership.

As I mentioned the other day, this also applies to your newspapers, with your automatic characterisation of people as "moany" or "angry" because you do not agree with them

 

I simply post as the Man on the Clapham Omnibus , OK, Person (Of Gender) on the D2

The WSR is in financial difficulty

Moving loco's is expensive

But sometimes necessary

However some are arguing that there are more loco movements than is strictly necessary, for an event that is at best financially marginal

Now it may be that either the WSR has got a good deal on some of the moves, or someone has been kind enough to defray the costs, or that some of these moves are in fact needed

But we dont know, if this is the case then it would help if that could be confirmed

 

We will have to agree to disagree.

My personal view is that criticism is fine and welcome, especially when coupled with positive action.

But moaning for the sake of it in a destructive way, just drags everyone down.

I was signalman at at a WSR station not long ago, and a contributor here, who also claims to be a WSR supporter, turned up, spent over an hour moaning about everything under the sun in full hearing of members of the public, and then left. The reaction from a regular volunteer who had had to endure that was ‘I don’t know why I bother.’

There are no shortage of opportunities to make positive contributions to the WSR.

Robin

 

Robin, my post was about an observation, are you up in arms because you are a signal person? It may be time for you to back away from the railway!! Rather than being abusive, you could have come back with an explanation as it was a question.

DJB.

 

I’m not ‘up in arms’. I would suggest you consider ways to help rather than raising such matters on a public forum.

We must all take responsibility for our own actions.

Robin

 

Fair comments, but sometimes less can be more. The post you bit at showed its author in a poor light; your post shifted the focus to you, and not to your advantage.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

To be fair Robin, you could have answered the question by giving a little signalling MIC on the correct procedure / sequence for operating a traditional level crossing, something that would not only have been of interest I am sure to many of us here, but also could act as an explainer to the operational constraints of running a railway. Many activities and issues on a railway turn out to be considerably more complex than might at first be apparent to a lay observer; education is a better strategy than becoming defensive, IMHO.

Tom

 

I think the original question was a very valid one as being delayed at a crossing by ‘grown ups playing trains’ must really wind some motorists up. Unfortunately Robin we are coming to the stage where your apparent, and I repeat apparent, knee jerk reactions to comments that you disagree with will turn you into a laughing stock. Already in Kent “Don’t say that, Robin White won’t like it” is becoming common currency.

 

In an attempt to return the conversation back to a more positive theme, please take a glance at the DEPG's fine efforts to return Hymek D7018 to service.
http://cgibin.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?h=Latest+pictures&t=pics

Graham Perry and the team must be congratulated on the quality of the bodywork and paintwork.

Thanks to wsr.org for the link. <BJ>

 

Meanwhile away from toys & prams it is good to learn that 7822 is currently southbound on the M5 Motorway.

 

As there has been no answer from any WSR signalmen, here is my take on the subject. At present there is a 5mph temporary speed restriction through Blue Anchor until the ballast at the Up end of the station under the new points is renewed. The Down Home signal which admits down trains into the station cannot be cleared unless the gates are locked closed to road traffic, even if the train cannot continue to Minehead because there is still a train in that section. This combination means that the gates have to be closed to traffic for longer than usual.

 

Ian.

As an ex-wsr person who was only the footplate not a signalman I’m partly guessing here so it may not be correct. I believe it’s about overlap space for the train. The down Starter signal is as you know immediately in front of the crossing gates. If the train over runs the signal even by a few feet it goes across the crossing so in order to take the risk away of ploughing through the gates and hitting cars the Down Home back round the corner (the first one you see from the train coming from Washford) can’t be cleared unless the gates are locked against the traffic. Certainly every time I was on the footplate coming into the platform whether the Starter was cleared or not the gates were closed to the road traffic. Also the down Home is always cleared to the train at the last minute as you approach it, I guess to cut down the time the traffic is stopped, there is a ‘magic tree’ seen from the footplate in the field on the left. The signal is at danger as it disappears behind the tree on the left hand curve and then usually is cleared by the time you see the signal appear out the other side !!

 

Yes, Andy, the bit about accidently overrunning onto the crossing is an additional reason! As a retired guard, I certainly remember the 'magic tree'!

 

Dennis,

A very valid question and, as someone who spends much of his life in residence at Blue Anchor, one that I have often pondered.

It deserved a better response than the absurd one offered by our resident signalperson.

Thanks to those who made sensible replies; I now understand the procedures.