West Somerset Railway General Discussion

This was recognised in the feasibility report on reopening the Manchester & Milford line a few months back, which I think was the first formal feasibility study to address this issue outright.

 

Norton Fitzwarren would be a far more appropriate site for a Park and Ride considering the proximity of the housing. It would be then away from the heritage!

 

Most certainly an improvement on the recent 'total silence' but is hardly inspirational on direction or how it will finance itself until the income flow is re established.

I would like to see a plan for the future and a clear cut proposal on future finance.

Plans can always be modified but the fact there is one would be more encouraging even if they were aspirational at this stage

 

Well if you go to the FB page of the railway you can have that at MH. On the mobile site they advertise the living museum as 25/26/27th between 10 and 1, on the desktop site it is described as 25-28th. How many could turn up and find a closed site? As far as I know they were alerted to the errors but it hasn't been changed yet.

 

Hello Frank,

A typically evasive post from you!

I happen to be of the view that if Ian Coleby had remained as Chairman of the WSR PLC we wouldn't be in the current mess.

There would have been no 'Notice to Quit' over Washford, no humiliation of Paul Whitehouse on 18th February, no press statements that have been beyond belief in their incompetence. No reneging on the agreement with S&D loco '88'.

And as a result donations would be flooding in.

I haven't a clue why you support the current WSR PLC chairman - many of us on here cannot understand the logic of what you did, and continue to do

 

A polite request Julian, I don't speak for others but please don't presume to speak for me. Thanks

Patrick

 

Thank you Patrick, I've edited my above post to reflect your comment.

 

It needs to be said: JJP is the ONLY show in town and he did SAVE the WSR from Liquidation at the price of all the Previous Chairman's qualities

Which one of those is more IMPORTANT?

 

The world is full of folk who think they are indispensable. And the history books.

Robin

 

Agreed Robin, no one is indispensable, but are you saying that JJP and the work he did THEN in 2018 did not save the WSR from destruction?

Surely you would give him credit for doing that, or would you?

His subsequent behaviour has got nothing to do with that fact surely?

 

I am quite happy to give praise where due, and appreciate that some decisions, such as those around 4110 & 44422 fall within the remit of what was reasonable.

I am also aware that there had been many years of under investment in the infrastructure and this if course was due to the structure of the railway and its inability to raise funds to make the investment needed that could not be funded via the fare box. That must be the responsibility of previous board members over many years.

On the other hand however there is the matter of the Washford eviction notice and associated press releases, also the Solicitors Letter sent to the Headteacher of Stogumber & Crowcombe schools. These fall into the category, in my view, of bringing the WSR into disrepute and raise questions about the judgement of the board.

 

This forum is not the place to discuss individuals in any level of detail.

I am certainly supportive of the WSR plc Board’s need to ensure financial and Regulatory propriety.

Robin

 

I think the full quote includes the comment that if you think you are indispensable then if you were to snuff it, your job would be advertised before your funeral was advertised.

 

Just to add to this, on Google there is an article from Bristol TV which says of JJP as a "Local Legend" what praise eh.

 

It is also the case that history is written (or re-written) by the 'winners'.

 

If the method of saving the WSR was principally by selling the family silver and cooking the books, er, I mean adjusting the accounts to exclude contracted liabilities, then was JJP the only game in town? Couldn't anyone have done this, assuming their moral compass allowed?

My definition of the only game in town would be someone who came in with oodles of readies and left the WSR in a safe financial position.

 

Out of interest what makes you say the decisions concerning 4110 and 44422 were reasonable?

Looking at the facts:

4110 could have been sold to a bunch of very enthusiastic loco department volunteers who had raised the asking price, and could have gone higher if they'd been given the chance. But instead it was sold off the railway at the 11th hour, creating much disillusionment and bad feeling. In what universe does that count as a good decision?

44422's long-term run and maintain hire agreement was seemingly torn up and the loco sent away. Was this another example of the WSR reneging on an agreement/contract? As has happened with the HPC funding. As has happened with the sale of Promotions. And as is now being threatened with 53808.

These are the hallmarks of 'reasonable decisions', are they?

You are right of course about the Washford eviction notice, and the solicitor's letter to the headteacher. All very much bringing the WSR into disrepute and very much raising questions about the competence of the board and its advisors.

 

• ‘Les cimetières sont pleins d'hommes indispensables.‘ Charles de Gaulle.
  ‘History is written by the victors’ attributed to Winston Churchill.