West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Fine, if that’s really the case then forget the two Jeeps and call it what it really is - a goods train.

Better still, forget it all together (for this event) in my opinion.

To support that suggestion I make the following observation. On the Sunday the first public service out of Minehead was the Hymek at 0820. The next was the steam service at 0915. I suggest that those departures are probably too early for many of those wanting to go to Watchet and the other stations to enjoy the ‘40s events.

The following service was the so-called ‘military train’, so no opportunity to travel on that one.

All of this meant that for many folks the first chance to travel up the line from Minehead was the 1115 service, the 3-car DMU with limited seating. Arrival at Watchet would be just before midday, so half the days gone already.

We know that many of our passengers base themselves at Minehead and I suspect that some will have been disappointed.

Incidentally, those who started their day at Bishops Lydeard did rather better. As well as the ‘early’ departures at 0830 and 0915 they had no less than three service trains before the Jeep carrier disrupted their opportunity to travel.

 

I have mixed opinions about goods trains running during galas.
On the one hand a goods train makes an interesting working to photograph & film, and provides the wagon restoration group an opportunity to showcase their efforts.
On the other hand the goods takes up a passenger path which reduces travel options.

 

It only takes up a passenger path if you've got a rake of coaches otherwise sat around underutilised.

 

A goods train is going to take a path whether it's on a gala day or not.
There are generally more trains on gala days, so passenger travel is less limited.
So it's a judgment call whether it attracts more visitors or not. I suspect it does.

By the way, the jeeps on the goods train were decoys.
What you don't know & I'm not at liberty to divulge was the contents of the closed vans.
They were on their way to a secret destination "somewhere in England".
Which is why there were two guards vans with armed soldiers on board.

 

Developing the Strategic Reserve then?

 

Looking forward to goods train during autumn gala.

 

A goods train can run without using a passenger train path of it runs part of the line to take (very realistic) refuge in a siding during a run round or other gap in the timetable. Flighting of trains can also produce paths without losing a full hourly (say) path to goods.

Steven

 

So am I, despite my earlier comment.
As I said, I have mixed opinions about goods trains, but I don't dislike them.

 

It should fit quite well in with the gala theme.

 

I get your concern, but I'd guess that were demonstration freight turns hitting 'the bottom line', there'd be far less of 'em!

One of those things we like to shout from the rooftops is that our movement provides 5he ambience of days gone by. In this age of endless processions of fixed formations (mostly MUs) and trainload freight, the sight of a loose coupled freight, once as evocative of our network as the local passenger train, is one lost to the 'big railway' and probably never seen by anyone much under 50 years old. The freight vehicles themselves are historic artefacts and thank Bob there are the dedicated folk to restore them .... and operate them.

How complete can any railway recreation be without any reference to freight working?

 

Indeed it should.

 

I remember early in year a visiting pannier needing to be double headed on services with Hymek as it could take more than load 4 on its own. How does is effect the gala with 4 panniers.

 

A pity that the ASG conflicts with Ffestiniog Victorian weekend, so I went to WSR yesterday. D9526 was a treat on the 11.00 from BL. The crew kept inspecting the innards whenever we stopped, which concerned me, but all seemed to be well. Then the mogul 9351 back. Nice day out. The WSR has something for everybody!

 

But is it recreation, or recreation?

 

However we may justify our collective obsession, isn't it all?

 

Whats the position with 7752?

I thought it was going back to Tysley bit is has stayed

 

It’s certainly with us for the ASG, October 3rd to 6th.

Beyond that maybe someone better informed can say.

 

It's re-creation, of course!

 

Probably just bad timing on my part but when I went along to Minehead station on the Saturday of 40s weekend I spent about half an hour there The only locos on view were the Barclay shunter (1970s) by the buffers and the class 14 (1960s) standing on empty stock. No steam on shed, nothing happening on the railway, just some singing on the platform. It looked very empty, maybe a bit of theatrical goods shunting would have provided some interest?