West Somerset Railway General Discussion

For some railways maybe, but not all of course.

 

I see that the WSRA has published the WSRplc reply to he Baily report on its website. Does this mean that the WSRA and WSRplc are"singing from he same hymnsheet" or will a separate response from WSRA be forthcoming in he near future?

 

Hopefully the Bailey Report was on Friday's reconvened PDG agenda and these replies are first indications of concensus. We now have replies from the plc and WSSRT, and eagerly await the WSRA view.

 

I could name several people I know who work very hard for the National Trust as volunteers and are totally committed to it, but are not members. They get members privileges [visits to other NT properties, discounts in the shops] and quite likely spend the money they save on membership fees by supporting through donations or not charging travel expenses.

 

Looking ahead, and on a practical issue....

It is reported that the MHR, as/when it reopens, will require all passengers to wear face-masks on the basis that the railway is a form of 'public transport' and therefore they want to follow the Gov guidelines.

Leaving aside the question of whether or not the WSR is legally a form of public transport, or simply (say) a tourist attraction, it may well decide to require the wearing of face-masks by passengers anyway in order to protect its staff (eg on the platforms, TTIs on trains etc etc). So what will it do if families turn up without them?

1. Would it have the power to compel passengers to wear them or else leave the premises?
2. Would it provide boxes of disposable face-masks at each station for passengers to use as a precaution? If so, how many boxes will it need and whence will it source them all?
3. How is going to handle and dispose of all the 'contaminated waste' from the masks discarded by passengers after they disembark?

I am already seeing discarded face-masks (and other things <g>) amongst the post-weekend litter in our local park, will this become the new blight on our landscape ?

 

The GWSR has also said that all passengers will be required to wear face masks when it starts running again on August 15th.

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Tom
You say that ‘Heritage railways exist primarily for the benefit of their members...’

Not for me and, I suspect, not for very many other volunteers. But I guess many others do see it this way, and I think this difference in view (and approach) is at the heart of much of the debate in the last several pages. I get most pleasure from my involvement when I see a family having a great day out doing something they may not easily be able to do otherwise, and to know I’ve had a bit of a hand making that happen. If that didn’t take place I wouldn’t have stuck around for 35 or so years. Much as I enjoy seeing my friends and colleagues on the railway, that wouldn’t be enough.

Also you can be very sure that in our case Somerset County Council wouldn’t have taken much interest if they thought it was only some folk enjoying their hobby for its own sake.

So being a commercial railway isn’t a bit of a nuisance to enable me to enjoy my hobby - being a successful commercial heritage railway, that is recreating an historic operating railway and making it work financially, is the whole core of what it’s about. But I have no problem with other people having other motivation so long as they don’t end up destroying the whole thing we are trying to retain.

Frank

 

By ‘Heritage railways exist primarily for the benefit of their members...’ I mean the members should be driving the strategic objectives of the railway - because if they aren't driving it, what are they for?

In many cases, those objectives may encompass operation: for example, the strategic objectives of the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society are to "preserve and operate" the railway. [My emphasis]. So I don't see anything against operating a commercially viable railway. Where the strategy comes in though is to what kind of railway. For example, suppose a hypothetical operating company said "to make this work commercially, we are going to strip out all mechanical signalling and steam locos, and buy a Pacer which we'll operate on basic infrastructure". That may go against the reason why many members had joined the railway in the first place. Hence my view that the strategy has to come from the membership, which the operating subsidiary then delivers within the constraints of financial and regulatory compliance.

Tom

 

DfT have confirmed face mask wearing is mandatory on heritage railway trains and aboard main line charters, except when eating and drinking.

 

If I were to make one suggestion, might it be worth trying to find some 'outside people' presumably they need not be from a heritage railway background to oversee the process?

Somerset County Council seems like an obvious starting point.

I detect in the PLC press release possibly an unseemly rush to create a charity that suits the desires of the existing board.

 

Exactly, although if I may be so bold, pacers are a poor example - we all know that wouldn't be commercially sensible for a tourist steam railway, as well as being miserable for enthusiasts (and everyone else). But yes, essentially, it's the membership that forces (or ought to force) the difference between the Paignton and Dartmouth with its colour light signalling and all Mk1 and DMU trailer coaches and, say, the Bluebell or the SVR with authentic signalling and vintage carriages.

 

GWSR is apparently providing face masks to all passengers who require them. There was talk of them being branded, don't know if that will come to pass or not though.

 

And it's that difference that is precisely the concern quite rightly expressed about this report by @60044 due to the experience of the NYMR under the report author's leadership.

 

I agree with your last point. It is not up to the Plc alone. The Plc have a big part to play but it is not for them to dictate how this progresses as that would be to continue as we are. It will be interesting to see what the PDG discussed/agreed last Friday. It is the PDG who should be setting out the broad aims of the proposed reorganisation. For me, this is the opportunity (literally) of a lifetime to get the WSR's cock-eyed organisation right. We need a new, membership-based charity with its commercial arm. The present Plc must accept its current dominant role has to change big time. The new charity's mission, choice of trustees and ultimate strategies must be strongly influenced by its membership. Or we may as well not bother.

Steve

 

The IOWSR have stated that face masks will not be required. This is on the basis that visitors will book a compartment, which will only contain members of the same party.

The IOWSR are in a very fortunate position In this respect, in having almost entirely compartment stock.

 

Not sure how that can be legal as the law is written. Still maybe it is down to the Peoples Republic of Vectis to come up with their own laws.

 

This is broadly true but persons travelling alone, if asked to share a compartment with another solo traveller, will be asked to wear a face mask. The website explains all.

 

Branded!! what the face masks or the Passengers
Getting back to the WSR, the real question is this, will the vested interests, that have over the years brought this whole shambles to the railway, now put their collective ego's to one side, swallow their pride and put the railway first? if I'm honest, i don't think they will, to many people used to not being told what to do, to having their own way, over all three organisations, and what about the S&D museum Trust, whats their fate, are they part of this, or is their fate already decided ?

 

I would suggest that the concerns expressed by @60044 are his own and are no widely shared by the vast majority of active volunteers at the NYMR. He has for a long time expressed the view that the Moors should concentrate on its NER and LNER roots and has long criticised the management for deviating away from this ideal. Alas in my view it is not a very realistic ideal and I for one enjoy the Moors for what it is, namely an exciting and dynamic steam railway which has impropved its performance significantly in recent years. Unlike the Dartmouth Railway it is very volunteer orientated at all levels and the necessary mix of paid staff and volunteers generally works well. That is not to say all is sweetness and light - it never is in life, or on any similar railway - but the morale on the railway is currently better than I remember it in the last 30 years. Despite the sincerity of @60044's views I do not think they are representative of most of us who volunteer on the NYMR.

Peter

 

The GWSR are also using mostly compartment stock, and selling tickets one group per compartment. Face masks still required, although how easy this will be to enforce once a group is in its booked compartment I don't know. A job for the TTI, Alex?
I shall simply be on the platform checking the pre-booked ticket and directing the group to the correct door for their booked compartment, I guess - if I get rostered, I am over 70.

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