West Somerset Railway General Discussion

I'm for anything that runs on rails

Well as my chum @Snifter has already stated, the details of commercial arrangements will not be shared here. If you are a WSRA member or a Plc shareholder then I recommend writing to the respective chairman or coming along to the next AGM and ask there.

Your last point reflects the changes you have made to your "reopening thread" which now better defines what you mean by "open". Thank you for doing that.

I didn't see an apology from you for saying I reckoned the stone trains meant no need now for pass trains on the WSR. But then we are where we are Just to make it clearer to you and others, I would really welcome the WSR doing some kind of passenger-carrying service in 2020, even over short distances, providing the revenue covered the costs of reopening and the cost of running such a service. Running at a loss, or taking risks, would be a very daft thing to do.

Steve

 

All grist to the mill! If it makes money to help the line survive, all well and good.

 

I was always under the impression that the stone trains were the WSRA's operation, with a fee paid to the Plc for use of the railway beyond BL and the WSRA getting the income from selling the clean stone. If I'm correct, that income is probably the cause of covetous eyes from the Plc who will no doubt think it should all be theirs. Ifa fee for the use of the railway is indeed paid, though, perhaps it should be withheld until the purchase price of Promotions is balanced out?

 

1000 posts ago, probably far more, on NP - on a WSR thread - it was suggested that the decontamination clean up after cessation of the ballast trains will be a quite expensive affair. If that is so then the financial remuneration needs to be good.

 

Since you were replying to my post, I would like to point out that I didn't say that the Plc should cease to exist as an entity (that holds the LRO etc.) but that it should not remain in its existing form, i.e. be restructured, but remain the same legal entity. Otherwise I agree with all that you say, with the caveat that the more diverse the eventual structure, the more it is split up into individual and separate groups, the more possibility of internecine strife there is. The formation of BR is a case in point: after nationalisation, everyone on the railways worked for BR, but in their minds they were still working for the GWR, the SR, the LMS etc. with all the old rivalries preserved intact.

 

It would be far better all round if the debt was settled quickly. An idiot may be tempted to start playing games in an ever escalating tit for tat and it would not end well. A sizeable slice of a sizeable something is always better than nothing of nothing. That said, past form is hardly encouraging.

To be honest, asking for details of the arrangement will result in a very uninteresting answer, unless it has radically changed. If you want to guess the nature of the deal then what share would two mates agree on ?

 

The Plc has always dealt with the operation of the train including collection of access fees. The WSRA have dealt with the stone once dropped and sales thereafter. There have been revenue-earning opportunities for both parties. The 2008 arrangement remains largely as I have described although tweaked with mutual agreement over the years. That may have changed recently and I admit I do not know the current arrangements as these are not settled (says he carefully!). I'll ask.

Steve

 

More detailed coverage in the latest Steam Railway Mag. This edition's headings include:

- 500-signature petition is 'mischief', says West Somerset

- WSR back in the black - but cutbacks possible

- HRA completes review of S&D Trust saga

- West Somerset 'unlikely to run again' until 2021

Non-payment of the debt to WSRA missed copy deadline. Probably just as well.

On the shelves this Friday.

 

There's the page and half in Steam Railway today regarding redundencies and a spokesman saying that the petition calling for change is 'mischief making'
Just your usual day in Somerset really.

 

Mischief making? It takes one to know one they say.

 

If my memory serves me correctly the stone operation was handed over to the PLC about 3 years ago.

DJB.

 

Well quite,but 500+ signituries can't all be wrong can they?

 

I was tempted to ignore your posting but then I am damned by my own silence.

I refer to your para "you are forever reminding us......"

For the record I assume this refers to my post No.26253 when I wrote "I remember that when
faced with turning round small companies............"

That is not how I earned my living, ( part of attempting to grow a specific business
by inter alia acquisition.)

For the record : I was a Chemical Engineer. I suppose technically I still am but
somewhat Fe2O3/Fe3O4. ( more the former, I lack the controlled corrosion of
the latter)

I was a University Apprentice with an Oil Company: then worked in their Research
Labs - then a Development Engineer with a process contractor to the gas Industry,
- a member of an Industrial and Power Generation Boiler Contractors Special
Investigation Team. I then spent over 20 years in the Water and Waste water
projects sector. At various time I was a Sales Engineer, Field Sales Manager,
International Sales Manager, Divisional Director of an International Project
Division within one group Co. I then had a three year stint as Business
Development Manager for the Group, charged with seeking growth by acquisition,
partnership development etc. Then a joyous two years heading up a Harvard
style 'Skunkworks ( c. Lockheed ) followed by a stint managing the Asian
(in practice the Far East )Operation which included bringing together
three Commpanies and numerous offices into one operation.
Following this I became MD of the whole Group t/o > £ 100 million EBIT
c £6 million in the early 90s, which by then had a new owner.

I left after , three years, it needed new blood. I then became Special Projects
Director for a billion £ plus t/o Civil Contractor, specifically bringing them
into the BOO, BOOT arena. ( I had previously spearheaded the $900
million Izmit water supply scheme, a classic BOOT. )

At 55 I decided enough was enough, I had worked at one time or another in
40 different Countries, whilst being U.K. based. Well over 100,000 air miles
per annum begins to pall. I had many interests which I have been fortunate to
have spent much time on since.

None of the above qualifies me to be an expert wrt the WSR. It does however
prove that I am not merely someone who earned his living as you imply.
The Peter principle might apply !

Oh , by the way I do not subscribe to your hypothesis. The prospect of
adding to the inherent risk that the Plc will not survive 'Covid' is
IMHO not justifiable.

Michael Rowe

 

Next time you get a feeling from my excitement, perhaps it is best you keep it to yourself

Well, if some lines can do it and make it pay then great for them. Others have said they can't. The WSR's current stance, I understand, is that it can't.

Your last point is quite right in my view and it applies to any line with furloughed staff.

Steve

 

I see within this article the supposed issues raised to the ORR over the Beer Festival at Washford, which the ORR have confirmed never actually happened has now mysteriously morphed from being about distracting staff to people sitting on the rails in the yard.

How many more versions of this Fake News are we going to see?

 

There has it appears been a third version of the ORR's involvement (or not) quoted regarded Washford's use in the last 10 days as well.

 

Yes, that one and many others. I note you didn't let another opportunity pass you by. I didn't know about your collection of airmiles which of course, adds greatly to the discussion. I'm glad you brought that one up.

 

If there had been issues at the beer festival brought to anyone's attention the entire CCTV records could have been scrutinised. The whole of that area is covered by numerous cameras.

 

It rather does beg the question who is indeed 'mischief making?'