West Somerset Railway General Discussion

That is a shameful description of the facts and totally ignores all of the underhandedness of the WSR in the way that they've dealt with this. Like I said way back at the beginning, evicting the S&D Trust was always going to upset some people, but the way they went about doing it ensured that it upset as many people as possible. I'd say it is the thing even the most loyal JJP supporters feel a little uncomfortable about, not the S&D Trust leaving per se, but because of the poor behaviour of the railway in doing so.

 

Time for you to wake up then.

 

On that point, a mainline connection isn't a pre-requisite of getting in mainline maintenance equipment, nor of hosting an NR training course: such equipment can be transported by road. A lack of mainline connection doesn't preclude using such equipment, though it may make it more awkward.

Any attempt to discuss infrastructure though has to recognise the fact that the ORR required the WSR to replace 120 rails last year, without which they would not have been able to reopen. It seems rather perverse to criticise one railway's ride quality on the grounds that it apparently cannot host a Network Rail training course, yet ignore the looming infrastructure problems on another railway that has a huge backlog of repairs needing to be undertaken and seemingly no funded way of carrying them out. Motes and beams, perhaps.

Tom

 

The NYMR is rail connected and hires in tampers from time to time. They usually arrive by road.
The comments about GWSR ride quality compared with WSR are interesting. I made the same observation On Nat Pres a while back.

 

Firstly, thank you to FS123 for giving a bit of background to DMLL at the GWSR, we've been made to feel very welcome there and the railway has benefitted from gaining new volunteers who in addition to DMLL activities also carry out various other roles within the railway. We have also benefitted from GWSR volunteers helping us, it's a two way street.

Noted with interest amongst all of the somewhat interesting GWSR bashing that you happen to hightlight the two visits that 7820 has made to the DSR. Considering your level of interest with the WSR it is somewhat surprising that you seem to have failed to notice that 7820 has visited on no less than three occasions since 2014, these included two summer seasons when the WSR was rather in need of motive power.

Also worthy of note is that it was exceptionally kind of the management of 'that' railway you dislike so much to allow 7820's release to enable us to assist the WSR, they didn't have to say yes. We like to consider ourselves helpful and team players within the heritage railway movement where we have (we hope!) many friends.

Though interestingly you portray DMLL/7820 as a stray cat/ of no fixed abode you may also be surprised to hear that 7820 has a long term contract with the GWSR, any external visits having, as above, to be with the full agreement of that contract holder. 3850 has a restoration agreement which benefits the railway and again benefits us as it is a location many of our volunteers can get to easily, it is also quite likely once completed that she will form a part of the GWSR fleet.

Hope that helps to give a clearer picture,

Regards,

Mike Solloway

Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd.

 

One of the main reasons for road delivery of tampers is that they are not permited to travel on network.

 

Take it you've never been to Kidderminster then!

 

Understanding the recent spat between them and a loco owner provides the context.

 

>>>> Imagine if somehow the S&D trust ended up at Midsomer Norton with loads of support and donations from enthusiasts (bearing in mind the popularity of the S&D in general, and the sympathy the trust is getting)? If that extra money was added to the Midsomer Norton outfit's funds, it could well mean the railway there being able to dig out the tunnel at Chilcompton, and head towards Shepton Mallett, boosting the status of that railway.

As has been pointed out already, going to MSN is not that simple. For a start, 'heading to Shepton Mallet' is not just a question of money, and digging out the cutting to Chilcompton tunnel is not something which can be compared with the Bluebell's extension to East Grinstead. Secondly, if you are an organisation being evicted by your landlord after 45 years of supporting their railway, would you want to go to somewhere run by a body whose Board is busy evicting some of its members and associated groups simply because they disagreed (on the basis that they were damaging to the 'ethos' of the railway) with some of its plans. Out of the frying pan into a potential fire ?

 

Don't tell the WHR/FR, whatever you do. At 37 1/2 miles they might be so discouraged as to close themselves down.

 

Geographically the G&WSR is in a far better location than the WSR. The Cotswolds are a very attractive area and a tourist destination in its own right. Within easy reach of large centres of population from most points of the compass whereas West Somerset is somewhat on a limb.
Incidentally I have been to all the places along the G&WSR line ( and close by) but never west to any place along the WSR.
Another difference seems to be that the G&WSR passenger numbers (before Covid) are increasing whereas those of the WSR are decreasing.

 

I think a lot of shareholders would be the same, in that they wouldn't just sell up.


I'm not the only one saying that the long-term structural issues need sorting now, because once the season starts there may not be the capacity to do so, & those very issues, now that external bodies are involved again, may well have a negative impact on the ability to have a 2021 season.

 

Actually, when next I go to the WHR (whenever that is) I will avoid going further than Waenfawr. The journey from there to Caernarfon is IMHO a trudge. Someone I know has similar sentiments about the NYMR.

 

Or extend the WHR to Bangor using the former Cambrian trackbed (as discussed during reconstruction in the '90s) and maybe go Blaenau to Trawsfynydd on what was once intended to be NG prior to the GWR involvement? There seems to be Grant Aid for rail reopenings available, according to this Government.

 

Most of us on here believe, on the basis of the information that the parties involved have chosen to provide, that the person in charge has made a series of very wrong choices.
Post #26575 indicates that there may have been a very belated change of heart, but we await confirmation or otherwise.

Pursuing that imaginative analogy; what if Dr Fred believes that the best cure for any ailment is blood-letting?

 

There's 22miles of WSR, & 3miles+ of that is south of BL. About 14% of the length, 3 bridges.
Is there regular enough activities on just that stretch to pay for it?

I could understand having a length of non-revenue track to a major p-way depot, or carriage/loco storage etc, if it enabled you to free up space at station sites that could be made revenue earning, or enabled the starting of services at that end as well.


As for the actual services, Minehead to Williton is an obvious candidate for a regular shorter service. Would be about an hours round trip, so there could be a service every hour or 90minutes, using one loco & set of carriages.

 

It would be interesting to know which bit of the NYMR the person you know doesn't like. Every section is different in terms of the scenery it passes through.

 

If you'd donated via the WSRA or WSSRT they could have claimed the gift aid.

Any actual data on that?
Do all lines without a mainline connection have poor ride quality?

It's not just down to the track either, the carriages have a role in ride quality.

Why don't you give, & reference, the numbers?
Anyway, what matters is whether those customers are profitable.

As for just a round trip, isn't that what 90%+ of passengers everywhere do? Why does it matter what sort of trip the customer makes as long as it pays the bills.

That would be the registered charity which has a lease on the Washford site...
that have renovated & maintained the station, saving the plc money.


Trying to break a contract has consequences.
Kicking out a charity will have consequences.

If you can't understand that, then you are part of the problem.
If you can understand that, but simply don't care, then you are part of the problem.