West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Apart from the charities and Council, who are shareholders, would any of the other shareholders actually pay any interest, many purchased their shares ages ago, as donations to save the railway, and probably show little, or no interest today , many most likily have died, and their heirs will not know they have shares in a heritage railway . any letters regarding AGM's etc, will most likily just not be replied to . passing their proxy to the chair.

 

But how would you feel as an SCC taxpayer that your money was going towards the West Somerset?
A council that is supposedly short of cash propping up 'choo choo/puffer/old steam trains' (take your pick of which one the local rag/tabloids would use)
Whilst things like housing, social care, schools etc have been cut to the bone, not really a vote winner is it?

 

Absolutely Ian. In my time with the commercial hat I remember working with hundreds of local B&Bs and hotels and holiday centres (yes even Butlins!), Southern National buses, British Railways, local special event promoters, local attractions, DATA, EATA. Also expanded the Santa trains, introduced the dining trains and other special trains.

I know my successors took on even more, including building up a very good steady trade with coach tour operators.

It is easy to bash the efforts of hard working, innovative staff and volunteers. Have a thought please for how a throwaway, populist comment can be hurtful to those in scope and maybe even lead to walking away. Is that really what the bashers want?

Steve

 

At the moment, much work is needed to make up for the lack of track maintaince from past years, I would think that for a new operator, getting the licence and running trains will be some way down the list, as making the railway safe to operate has to be the first priority , I'm not sure on this, but wouldn't the ORR have to inspect any new set up, before it can operate , to ensure everything's being ran in a safe manner ? so it would take quite a time, anyway before any new operator could start to run trains.

 

Interestingly many closed lines in the Unites States have re-opened. Types of freight train traffic have changed considerably. Coal movements have decreased in some States and increased considerably in others. Passenger traffic has been the main casualty over the last half century, but container, oil and other tank car commodity trains have become the reason for many re-openings and major line improvements some which have included raising tunnel heights and doubling tracks.
Had Harriman lived in the last quarter century, despite his comment being true, I reckon he would have spent those $2 if he saw the opportunities.

 

Not right. The chair only gets proxies if specifically instructed. If the AGM letter is ignored and not replied to, then that is an abstention.
Ian Coleby

 

As an owner, no, because the safe operation of the railway, including all the equipment on it, is the responsibility of the railway, not the owner.

If you hire a locomotive, whether that is for an extended period or just a few days such as at a gala, it is the responsibility of the railway to ensure it is safe to use: they will do that by a combination of physical inspection and study of maintenance records. Quite often a visiting loco attending a gala (i.e. short-term hire) would be steamed before the gala, partly as an inspection, partly to assess operational capability (especially for an unfamiliar type); partly for gauging purposes if that was not otherwise clear.

For a visiting loco, the actual operation is also the responsibility of the railway, though how they manage that may be subject to agreement between operator and owner. At one extreme, the owner may provide a crew and the railway would provide a pilot driver for route knowledge: that would not be uncommon for an incoming mainline charter working through the line where the mainline crew would stay on, but pick up a pilot at the junction with the heritage line. At the other extreme, the operator may provide crews and the owner remains remote; or the owner may desire to have a footplate representative when his/her loco is in operation. I've known all scenarios. Quite frequently, a visiting loco comes equipped with a primer on its operation, particularly where that might be quirky or otherwise unfamiliar; the owner may also have conditions on a range of issues such as how it is cleaned to how it is disposed.


Tom

 

This seems to have been an unfortunate aspect of Western Region policy specifically. Compare stations like St Ives, Exmouth or Looe with, say, equivalent Eastern Region stations like Cleethorpes, Whitby or Saltburn. On the ER the railways were simplified but the station buildings survived and in many cases found new uses.

 

Taking your first few words, for the benefit of those without your in-depth knowledge on which such statements are made, could you kindly provide a list of the "much work is needed to make up for the lack of track maintaince [sic] from past years".

Kindly step up to the plate and back your fine words with some details. And I mean details not just "I have heard".

Steve

 

One of my favourite railway photos I've taken myself is of a loco being watered from a garden hose - but I've always been wary of sharing it because it was a visiting loco and I thought it might have been under a "treated water only" condition!

 

A few years ago GWR Halls were operating on the WSR but they're now considered too heavy for the line. Does that count as a lack of maintenance issue?

 

Certainly over here in Anglia the line from Lowestoft to Ipswich still survives c/o Mr Fiennes despite being a basic railway as do the station buildings. I'd certainly recommend a visit to the Cafe on Wymondham station

 

Thank you for clarifying that, Ian. I've seen several references here to the two charities combined having insufficient shares to have any impact on the Plc but that always seemed to be tied to the supposition that the Chairman had a huge number of proxy votes at his disposal. In fact, given that, as Martin has noted, many of the smaller packets will have disappeared as far as voting is concerned and that there are very few holders of even moderate sized blocks then perhaps the issue is not as clear cut as some think.
Can anybody provide the figures for proxies given to the Chairman at the last AGM ?

 

By no means consider this as approval for what appears to be a lack of planning allowing a stream service opening, or the apparent behaviours of the PLC... but...

Having a young family, if I was in the area, that offering would actually appeal. It would keep the family entertained at an attractive price point for an interesting activity.

However only operating at weekends I'm not sure it would compete with other only open at weekend attractions, when most holidays we necessarily spend both Saturdays travelling, leaving only one Sunday for a "weekend only" activity

Disclaimer: Despite holidaying in the area we haven't visited the WSR... too long a return trip to keep the children entertained, and at the expensive end of our budget for a spontaneous day trip. We visited the L&B instead...

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

Useful to the WSR reopening debate and not confidential, they've been open that decisions won't be stuck to and changes will happen as they learn more. There's also a 'Restart' App for staff and with all the relevant info, latest copies of docs etc. plus interaction between railway, staff (and each other).

One thing that struck me as a principal difference. At the earliest time a Gold/Silver/Bronze command was set up with strategy at the top level with Chairs/Directors et al, but operational decisions devolved a level. The WSR has information seemingly coming more from the PLC board, on the SVR it's more often than not communicated from the GM.

No right or wrong answers, but it has a different feel.

Patrick

 

Yet you claim you don't want the railway to be closed.

Or are you one of these who expects something for nothing.

 

I think you are confusing two lines. The Paignton & Dartmouth Railway also runs steamers on the Dart, and is not easy to view from the road over much of its length.
The South Devon Railway runs up the Dart valley from Totnes to Buckfastleigh and is reasonably easy to view from roads.

 

I would say so.

If we are allowed that opinion that is.