S&D Railway Trust

Yes it would take a lot to move everything they have done good stuff to do at washford I remember they had working signals that you could have a go with there was a cabin you could go in and pull one off. People like thise things as museums can be boring so they need money to take this with them to I agree. Hopefully people can volunteer lorry’s and that to help them move and volunteer like the old days before all the paid staff ruined the volunteering in some places as I’ve heard from my friend that one railway is now having no volunteers on the weekends it’s sad

 

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Ray.

 

I know people in Somerset are a bit strange, but I didn't think they were into that sort of thing.

 

>>>I’ve heard from my friend that one railway is now having no volunteers on the weekends it’s sad...
Probably the case with most heritage railways and likely to get worse if the COVID-19 restrictions are tightened/extended. Unless you live on the doorstep, travelling to work at a heritage railway is unlikely to be classed as essential.

Experience with the move from Radstock to Washford in 1970s showed that sadly, without very careful packaging and documentation, very useful/valuable/historic items could go 'missing' or be misguidedly thrown away as scrap :-( Please do not underestimate the sheer amount of work that will be required - it is not simply a case of undoing lots of nuts and bolts and putting it all in the back of a fleet of lorries.

>>I remember they had working signals that you could have a go with there was a cabin you could go in and pull one off.
Ah, the 'Midford' exhibit - a good example example of the sort of thing which may well succumb to a move away. It could be dismantled and taken away in bits (that's how it came in the first place), but there after you would need:-

• a structure in which to re-erect it (the current exhibit was shoe-horned into the old GWR box),
• the knowledge and expertise to do the reconstruction. Those originally involved are no longer there. AFAIK at the moment there are probably just 3 people in any way actively involved with that exhibit, only one of whom is reasonably local. Two of them AIUI have age/health problems (no offence chaps!).

I suspect that rebuilding 'Midford' would come a long way down the S&DRT's list of priorities at any future site. It may well be that the pragmatic decision will be made that it has 'served its purpose' and would not be re-created.

Incidentally the current exhibit is in need of much repair/refurbishment after 40-odd years of service. AIUI the signal-box structure itself needs a new floor and other work.

 

I would not be so sure.... I know of one town-centre Somerset signal-box where it was alleged that the signalman conducted an affair with a local lady in full view of anyone who could see in through the windows

 

I think that was just after you’d had a ride in the beaver coach ...

Tom

 

In the Armed forces it used to be known as the Five Knuckle shuffle.

 

Well, we shall just have to wait and see... I feel that the Plc has grabbed a tiger by the tail without thinking about what's at the other end. Arrogance maybe?

I understand that if the eviction is legally contested then the eviction is held in abeyance until a decision has been made. (Please correct me if I'm wrong) We all know that the wheels of the legal system turn very slowly. Whatever the financial situation of the two parties are now (or were as reported in their last set of accounts to Companies House) it is going to cost both parties a significant sum. The question only time will tell is, I believe; Will the S&DRT have the funds or receive sufficient donations to allow them to continue the action while, at at the same time, will the Plc have the funds or receive sufficient donations to continue the action and be able to continue to run the railway at the same time?

The S&DRT day to day running costs appear to be almost insignificant when compared to the cost of running the railway. Is this going to be a case of "Who cries 'chicken' first"?

 

Talyllyn suspended all voluntary work 23rd March. The SVR was not expecting any volunteers to be on site, with the injunction "Stay in, stay safe and I look forward to welcoming everyone back when this is over". I'm sure most railways are the same.

As at around a week ago some few paid staff were still working, within the restrictions, I'm not sure of the position now.

Patrick

 

I’d wondered about Niemöller too, but reading that made me realise the utter gulf between the two situations.


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And those bank balances may also limit the room for negotiation.


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Or, as I alluded to above, will the S&DRT have the funds to not contest the legal action and move all of their stuff?

 

I suspect they thought that it would be an easy target. A few old men with a declining membership, easy to bully. It is easy to kick out individual people and to get in your character assassination in early and paint them as malcontents, etc etc, and so it has been with the S&DRT and 169.

 

Except any attempt at character assassination has failed miserabl; the majority of people seem far more sympathetic to the S&DRT, and those few that aren't can't bring themselves to actively push forward the lines put out by the WSR, but merely to try and play down its effect.

 

Maybe the can't but I have made a donation the them and would be happy to donate more if and when the need arose as far as legal costs are concerned. Not sure about moving as RailWest said that another costly affair.

 

The only other good thing would be if a railway really wanted there stuff they would pay to help them move there but most of there stuff is useless to other railways sadly

 

Bullies always go for the weakest first, but what ever happens, the fall out won't just effect the S&DRT, it will effect the whole railway, because you then either tow the line, and hope the chairman don't decide your also a Cuckoo, later on, and send you a solicitors letter, the problem is with only a 9% shareholding none of the supporting charities are really in a strong position, if the chairman can somehow spin it to the rest of the shareholders, that what he is doing is for the best, that having charities not controlled by the PLC is a hinderance, you will also find yourselves pushed out, and in the WSRA's case, he has the x6 to use as an example why you should all go, the only hope really, if the board can't sack him, is to let him send the railway into oblivion, then regroup, merge, into a single supporting group and then get into talks with the council, and the banks to save what you can, and set up a new operating company, but one where the charity has to hold 51 percent of the share capitol, and you have a combined board . it will be painful, but at least some of the line will be saved .

 

To be ornithologically accurate of course if the S&DRT was a Cuckoo in the nest then they would be the ones ejecting the WSR from the nest!

 

Very good point, so who is the Cuckoo, that's installed its self in the WSR nest ?

 

To be completely ornithologically accurate: a cuckoo can't drive a steam engine.

They can work the regulator and reverser with no problems, but their oiling round is just so slapdash they never pass out.