West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Agreed, when it is a real question of life and death and instant action has to follow orders, but that is not usually the case with an organizational administrative crisis when there is time to explain the situation and bring people up to speed with the reasoning, taking in their concerns. There is also the question of experience to take into account : in the scenario you paint the fireman is usually less experienced than the driver and trusts that the driver knows what they are doing. If a manager or director is new to a position they may not have a full grasp of all the implications and nuances of a decision and need to listen to the advice of more experienced workers of whatever "rank".

 

Your last puts me in mind (sorry, can't remember where I saw it) of a brand-new, very junior officer in a combat situation who told his ranking, very grizzled, non-com something to the effect of 'if I say something silly, catch my eye and we'll sort it out'.

Noel

 

Which I think was one of Andy's points?

Noel

 

As the fundraising lead for the K&ESR Board and the WSRA, IMHO grants ARE absolutely essential for the future.

Robin

 

This is of some interest:

photo 7 of a DMU being unloaded.

http://cgibin.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?h=Latest+pictures&t=pics

 

You sort of make my point in your first sentence. By the time we had a new chair in place the railway was past the point of discussing strategies. I've worked in organisations in crisis where I judged there was time to save things and take people on the journey with me and I've worked in organisations so deeply in crisis that I've literally been asked to make an immediate start (and I do mean the same day) in sorting problems out. If you find yourself in this latter situation then until you've steadied the ship "command and control" is often the only way. Team theory will tell you much the same thing. You don't know the quality of the team around you, much less the voices clamouring for attention with their own ideas. Unless you are superman you normally don't have the time to listen and discuss matters. As I offered previously there are always two sides to a story and I'm not taking sides in saying that, just offering some perspective.
I'm not going to post more on this subject as I don't see in what way it helps to move the railway forward? Nothing is static in the life of any organisation, it's an ever changing picture. All any supporter can do is to try to leave the organisation in a better state than they found it. That might be as complex as root and branch re-organisation or as simple as making sure the rolling stock was smart and up together.

 

tree on line between washford and watchet, first up train not got to williton yet

 

The 1015 BL is still at WN at 12 .10 due to the tree down.....

 

I am surprised it is still there with passengers hanging out of the windows ( at 1235). Would it not have been better to take the train back to BL?
Just noticed before posting loco no longer on train, going back?

 

WSR just posted this on FB:
West Somerset Railway
18 mins ·
SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT 02/11/2019 12:25:

The 12:30MD & the 12:40BL have been cancelled, we currently plan to run the 14:30 MD & 14:40 BL as normal.

More updates when we have the information.




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West Somerset Railway
38 mins ·
SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT 02/11/2019 12:02:

Due to a tree blocking the railway at Watchet, all services are currently suspended, The P-Way department are currently at the scene dealing with the situation.

An update will be posted when more information is available.

 

12:50
10:55 just arrived at Williton.

 

13:00
Judging by the WN webcam
Some passenger-swapping going on & both trains being rotated to head back from whence they came.

 

Mike. I understand the point you are trying to make but it took the person concerned much more time, energy and resources to bully me out of the WSR Project Manager positions I held and then when I wouldn’t accept the gagging order to suspend me from Volunteering as well as it would have done if I had just been left to fire a steam engine in peace. This included the use of an expensive external resource at the time when the money was tight when all that it needed was an adult conversation, and the aggressive emails continue to this last week (it seems the person concerned does read Nat Pres after all!!!), again this takes up more time that should be directed toward saving the WSR.

I had (which in fairness to you, you may not be aware of) stated in writing back in Jan 19 that I accepted that whilst I disagreed with the direction of travel and some of the actions taking place I would step back from my involvement with WSR Management in order to give the new Chairman the space he told me was vital. I only asked to be left alone “to Volunteer on the footplate in peace” (happy to send you the emails if needed). However that was not enough and much time and effort was wasted in continuing to push me out whilst saying to everybody we needed more Volunteers to run the railway.

However as you rightly say time to move on from this as this has to be about the long term sustainable future of the WSR not me, you or the Chairman. I do hope that some of my work can be used even as a starting point for others to take forward and thank you for the acknowledgement that a part of my work has been taken forward by the WSRA, its very good news that its grown wings and somebody is taking it in a different direction than we intended, that's a good step forward.

 

Given the lack of any explanation of the other side of this story, it does appear that the Chairman either doesn't care at all about alienating volunteers and violating his own organisation's procedures, or genuinely believes that his actions have been for the greater good but sees no need to explain himself. In either case, why would anyone choose to work with such a person, let alone work under him?

 

I definitely recall December but not that it was date specific!

 

Thank you - missed that so you confirm it was not date specific at the EGM!

I wonder how disconnected Shareholders get their information?

 

A very interesting document and you have to ask why it was not apparently adopted albeit even in a modified form? Unless that is there is or was an alternative and viable proposition. Undoubtedly all will be revealed on December 14th?!

 

Surely that is why you have employed a specialist Mike?!