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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by gwr4090, Nov 15, 2007.

  1. rodders154

    rodders154 Member

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    If you have had the report for over a month that shows bad faith on whoever gave it to you and will make dealing with them even harder. It shows lack of trust and poor business knowledge and for you both to confirm you have copies show how little you know about being a responsible person and not being fit for any position in any organisation.
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2020
  2. nanstallon

    nanstallon Part of the furniture

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    It is clear to me that the plc is playing silly games, holding onto a report for a month before showing us a redacted version, which excludes the main issue! There is nothing in it, which would persuade me to give any money to the plc or anybody else apart from the S&DRT.

    The day that I hear the Notice to Quit has been withdrawn is the day I fish my wallet out of my pocket!
     
  3. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

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    It is only provisional. There is a potential clash which might see the date brought forward a week or two.

    Robin
     
  4. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    As opposed to whoever authorised it to be published on the WSR's official website, sent out a notification to over 20,000 people on Facebook, everyone with an email address on the share register and everyone on HOPS; and then took it down again after a few hours? Would you say that that shows how little the authoriser knew about "being a responsible person and not being fit for any position in any organisation?"

    You can't have it both ways. Someone in the plc with access to the report is either playing silly games, or is incompetent.

    Tom
     
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  5. Paulthehitch

    Paulthehitch Well-Known Member

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    Whoever "broke trust" here is not @Maverick.
     
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  6. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Hard to imagine any general member of the public from Exeter and especially Torbay bothering to seek out the WSR with the DSR on their doorstep and the SDR just up the road. And if you live in Bristol and want a day at the sea then Weston would probably be your destination not Minehead.

    The one thing that the WSR just cannot do is change where it is. It could change what it does. It could also shrink and not try to be all things to all people. Sad, in a way that Watchet, that is a destination from Minehead (circa 4k residents before the tourists?) doesn't offer more space and opportunity for trains to terminate and reverse.
     
  7. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    I'm not sure what to make of it anymore, confidential documents that should not have been published without agreement, were published without said full agreement, a report that seems to not address, or mentions the reason it was set up , ie the eviction of a member of the railway family , on what looks to be very dubious grounds, potentially unlawful grounds if proper measures have not been observed such as notice of intent etc, If it does end up in a court room, I would not be surprised if the PLC, and others, end up being savaged by the judge, and have a very high financial problem there after, in the way of costs, and damages, that they can't pay .
    What is the ideal plc/ charity set up in the eyes of those currently serving as directors in the PLC? a compliant charity that just does what ever those directors demand of it? hardly a shared organisation?
    And what does this report do to the reputation of the HRA, its supposed to be neutral, even handed, above suspicion and reproach if this report has been done to be one sided, and found to be, it can only harm the standing of it.
    As an interested outsider looking on, one who knows what it feels like when your railway is split and fighting its self, its almost as if everything your PLC board does plants the seeds of its own demise.
     
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  8. nick813

    nick813 Well-Known Member Loco Owner

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    who is John Bailey?
     
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  9. Andy Norman

    Andy Norman Member

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    I do struggle with some of the old guards opinions sometimes? Whilst I do agree that it was not good for it to be leaked by somebody I'm not sure how you can then say that two of the many people it was leaked to can't ever be fit for any position in any organisation because an email was sent to them without I hasten to add anybody asking for it (because people didn't know it had been sent, after all it was confidential to only four people)?

    That's a bit of leap isn't it, people didn't ask for it to be sent to them and lets not forget a decision was made by the group of people concerned not to put it in the public domain as would have been easy for any of us to do if we really were 'trouble makers trying to ruin the WSR and get it closed' as people who share your views about 'us' claim on a regular basis.

    However I will take your point. This of course means by your own words that the people who did leak it to the public (the PLC) are in your words "not fit for any position in any organisation" Ok to be honest I would struggle to argue with you there.

    Lets narrow it down a bit for you and stop a rumour before it starts and somebody puts out another press release blaming somebody else for something they did (again). It was not the S&D, there that's down to three sources for you to look at.
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2020
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  10. rodders154

    rodders154 Member

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    It is a PLC report therefore it cannot be leaked by the PLC it was published not leaked
     
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  11. Alan Kebby

    Alan Kebby Well-Known Member

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    Indeed. Butlins offer their guests the chance to buy tickets for a ride on the WSR, accompanied by the Skyline gang. However these tickets only take you as far as Watchet. Butlins must consider the cost, journey time and destination of Watchet as a more attractive option for the family market than travelling the full way to BL.

    The WSR is arguably too long. One thing that has struck me on my visits is the high loco requirement. 3 or 4 locos required in steam to maintain a timetable of only 4 or 5 trains in each direction per day.
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2020
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  12. Andy Norman

    Andy Norman Member

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    The HRA Representative asked to come and see if the HRA could help 'defiuse' the situation between the PLC & the S&DRT as a mediator. He sent the confidential report to the PLC, WSRA, WSSRT & S&D Chairmen suggesting a way forward which involved structural change. I can PM you the PLC statement containing the report which they put in the public domain and then removed an hour or so later if you want a copy to read.
     
  13. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Speaking personally, on the occasions when I have travelled to the railway for the day, usually at a gala, that has been exactly the issue. So usually I have parked at BL - driving to Minehead makes no sense at many levels - and often never went beyond Watchet, or even Williton.
     
  14. Is it too much to hope that the four intended recipients of this HRA report get together to discuss and debate it, involve their other PDG colleagues as suggested, then come to concensus and agree a considered response?

    Surely this is exactly the purpose of a Partnership Development Group?
     
  15. Andy Norman

    Andy Norman Member

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    Sorry I'm going to have to disagree with you there. It is an HRA Report and sent in confidence by them to the PLC and 3 others. In my opinion marking it Confidential and Not for Publication means exactly that, and you would need to gain the permission of all five people before breaking that confidence otherwise nobody could trust anybody. However that's just the way I would see my responsibility if somebody had sent me something like this, others can take their own views on who is trustworthy in a difficult situation.

    Personally if it should have been put in the public domain it should have been published just as the wording of the report and stated it was published with the agreement of all concerned. As it stands how can any of the other 4 parties trust and speak freely to the PLC who act to suit themselves, again there is a trend here ?
     
  16. nanstallon

    nanstallon Part of the furniture

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    One would hope so. But the plc seems to be so high handed with others, that such discussions are going to be difficult. In my life, I have so often come across the types who just want to have everything their own way and to lay down the law to those they consider to be their inferiors. The plc seem to be of that ilk. Having said some uncomplimentary things about them, I really wonder whether they will confiscate my shares and ban me from the WSR, even get the ever sycophantic police to remove me from any road bridge overlooking the line - I hope that is an exaggeration!
     
  17. pgbffest

    pgbffest New Member

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    But surely the high loco allocation depends on what you are trying to achieve. Managed to find a 2018 PTT on Google and for most of the year, two steam engines do the job, with the occasional DMU thrown in (which makes sense as it means you can do an hour stop-off for example in the morning / afternoon and then move up or down a bit as required). Tues to Thu in June a third steam loco appears for one round trip with a break at Minehead. I suspect very much, looking at the time it runs, that was the Coach Party train as it operated Tuesday to Thursday between a morning tea break and departs just after an afternoon one. This keeps your prime services, free for the ordinary passenger at full price fairs. In late July, in a High Summer period the DMU does a little bit more which allows a cheap running train for those who want to spend a little longer somewhere before coming back. I'd argue that's not a high locomotive requirement, but a fairly good business model doing it like that.

    Now, of course, the issue would now be whether the June / July extra steam needs to run if the Coach Party traffic is now minimal for a while. Butlins probably sell tickets to Watchet because if you ask the person selling them, they can go "it is a really pretty fishing town with a really picturesque harbour" whilst if you sold a ticket to BL you've got to say "well it sort of lands in the middle of nowhere, there is a village there, but it is a 10 minute walk and there isn't much there" and that one doesn't sell tickets (I'm generalising here, I know there's a Mill and a few other bits). You could potentially also weight the fares for the Watchet Trip if the demand is high enough.
     
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  18. pgbffest

    pgbffest New Member

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    That's one of the faster sections of the line, so I'd hardly call it a trudge. Granted there is coaling that takes place at Dinas (which the public like to watch for some reason - never understood why) - there are some nice views in that area, but you need to know the line to know where they are.

    Both of those lines are now earmarked for potential useage (or rebuilding in once case again). The Bangor 'extension' has only ever been people talking in the pub more than a serious proposal, it became more hyped when the WHR 'mileage' started at the 20km mark. For some reason, I don't think Morrisons would like having their car park bulldozed!
     
  19. Roland Bushell

    Roland Bushell New Member

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    Not entirely sure what the problem is here. I have just opened it from the link on the e-mail sent out to shareholders - just chose Chrome rather than any other option.
     
  20. granmaree

    granmaree Member

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