West Somerset Railway General Discussion

It is three directors chez nous (loco; rolling stock; infrastructure), though currently the loco director is covering the role of chairman (or vice versa...)

What is welcome, and to give credit where credit is due, the latest issue of Platform did outline the responsibilities of the current directors, as chairman; vice chairman; engineering and infrastructure; safety and external liaison. Though perhaps surprising is that there appears to be no explicit directorial responsibility for operations, finance, commercial, marketing or communications, amongst others.

Tom

 

I believe the rest of the heritage railway movement is pleasantly pleased that they are not like the WSR.

 

I think the level of specialism involved on railway matters often goes unappreciated. As a south-west region committee member of the IRO and a long standing CILT member, it is a privilege to assist junior operators gain those qualifications and learn the lessons these days.

The equivalent rolling stock, permanent way and structural qualifications are equally onerous and valuable.

There are generally two extremes of reaction to a crisis. One is the duvet-over-the-head or bunker approach. The other is to reach out to those with useful skills and experience and empower them to find and implement solutions.

My brief extends across a wide selection of the heritage railway world at the moment, (and, for that matter the National network and ordinary business and public service) and there are gradations of approach between the extremes visible across the country.

Robin

 

And no doubt you'd rather not say where you think the WSR Plc board currently lie on that spectrum between Bunker and Reaching Out?...

 

I find it better to state the facts and let others opine. I have held the fundraising brief for the K&ESR Board for approaching two years and, as has been announced, have taken that on the Chairmanship of a working group on that for the whole WSR fairly recently. Both organisations are a long long way behind the Bluebell, where my last act as a Trustee 20 years ago now, was to appoint the spectacularly successful Roger Kelly. Other notable good performers in this area are the Ffestiniog, and the Isle of Wight, with the NYMR and the Swanage coming into contention.

We can all learn and all do better.

Robin

 

Even more surprising when you realise that neither are there managers in post in parallel roles, not even furloughed ones!

The official website's woefully out of date Corporate Information page lists one Jeff Berry as 'Board Finanace Advisor' (their spelling, not mine). He must have left the Railway unannounced.

Frank, it would be most helpful to replace the out-of-date website info with these excellent notes published in The Platform. Even better if the most recent AGM minutes could be updated and the old PDG link removed. Worth advising the board accordingly?

 

Something like this perhaps?

 

Steady on, let's not aim too high! Love the name of your C&M head. Perhaps he might let us use 'Changes' as our theme song. The lyrics are quite appropriate.....

 

We used to have Dave Clark as our head of C+W as well, and he used to play drums in his youth!

 

I met the head of drainage a few years ago, and was suitably impressed

 

Meanwhile...things are beginning to stir...thank goodness.


WSR 2-6-0 no 9351 undergoing a steam test on 22 July 2020 in readiness for shunting duties and turntable demonstrations at the Living Railway Museum Days at Minehead Station on 25-26 July 2020.
© Paul Orrells
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence. Any re-use of the above image must conform to the requirements of the Creative Commons Licence.

Visit wsr.org.uk for all the latest pictures

Steve

 

Whoopee do!

For an extra 30 minutes or so drive I can get to the Lynton and Barnstable, or get to Paignton where GWR Locos have been hauling punters for 2 weeks.

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway has done similarly, with pretty much full bookings, indeed over bookings on most trains. Everyone who can do (particularly families) are now off on holiday to the West County after the stress of lockdown.

The WSR PLC board seem to have mismanaged all this. It does not require any special skills - it is common sense. That is singularly lacking in so many respects.

The absurdity of letting PW staff 'go', when work was still required on the track between Minehead and Blue Anchor is mind boggling. They could have been retained and paid via a targeted appeal as Tom has outlined, as inter alia his example of workshop staff to complete a loco repair.

Platform 2 contained no specifics as to what work was outstanding on the PW. It contained no specifics as to work on S&D loco '88' - it wasn't even mentioned!

No update of any progress to resolve the 'Notice to Quit' over Washford, as the legal clock ticks away.

 

Wasn't there some mention of duvets in an earlier post?

 

Unlike many other heritage railways, the WSR has no tunnels or major viaducts, so there will not be predictable "big ticket" infrastructure repair projects such as that recently undertaken for Falling Sands Viaduct on the SVR. There will be on-going work to maintain the buildings, signalling, track, short bridges, embankments, drainage, etc. But as you suggest, I would have thought this would generally be funded from the routine repair and maintenance funds and not require provisions such as those for 10-year major overhauls of locos.

The WSR inherited "Blue Route" status from BR(WR), which mandated an axle-loading limit of 17.6 long tons. That applied until the mid-1990s. The WSR PLC Annual Report and Financial Statement for 1995 (available on Companies House web-site) records that:

"1995 saw us make great strides in further upgrading the track. This has been evidenced by our being permitted to increase the axle weight of locomotives to 23.5 tonnes, so enabling us to accept and operate heavier steam locomotives than in the past. This major track work is being further progressed in 1996."

Through reference to the historic galleries on Steve Edge's most excellent web-site, it can be confirmed that this was indeed a watershed moment in the types of locos that were permitted on the WSR. Steve's gallery for 1995 includes photos for the first time of really heavyweight locos on the WSR - Duke of Gloucester at Bishops Lydeard and a Peak diesel at Williton.

http://cgibin.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?h=Pictures+from+1995&t=1995pix

In the same year. Bishops Lydeard up platform was lengthened to take longer trains. Traffic was increasing - from 128K passengers in 1995 to 203K in 2005, before reaching a peak of 226K passengers in 2009. The WSR was a growing business in those years - so when and how did things go wrong?

There was a problem during 2008 with incorrect rail-head grinding, leading to a temporary ban on use of locos with long fixed wheelbases. The Norton triangle development took place roughly 2007-12 - was it in competition with other infrastructure needs for money and manpower? The WSR was, like other heritage railways, affected from 2009 by the economic down-turn, but the WSR family had the additional issue that the era of personal feuding and infighting began around that time. This must have diverted much time and attention from the task of actually running the railway. It does appear true that infrastructure repairs were falling behind. Evidence is that the 2017 Annual Report & Financial Statement says that extra money had to be spent on track repairs prior to the visit by Flying Scotsman (Two different figures are quoted in the Report - £186K and 250K).

 

In other words W.I.B.N. in wanting to use oversized machinery and internecine strife were taking their toll.

 

I spent the Sunday behind the pumps pulling pints and there was nothing mentioned of any significance. Apparently the tenant being evicted approached the ORR to get details of the incident and the ORR are reportedly baffled and annoyed that a false statement referring to them was placed in the public domain. It was news to them in the same way that it was news to the tenant.

Perhaps CAMRA ought to make an official enquiry and offer their services given the long history of successful events where they have played a central role.

 

Thanks for the information.......I think thats what I said the other week & my info was not trusted by a few on here.....

 

Paignton are a business not operated by volunteers, not just the railway, but ferry and boat trips. This is their peak season.

Lynton and Barnstable run over half a mile of track, it's a bit different to a standard gauge 20 odd mile line.

The statement said PW staff have advanced their career as they have found new employment. The WSR PLC didn't let them go. Nobody is bound to a company.

 

Indeed, though my willingness to look elsewhere for employment has a lot to do with the signals coming from my employer. Based on what's been said on here, I don't find it hard to believe that trained staff might have looked for a more secure berth.

 

They could have been looking for new jobs anyway. Many people use heritage railway skills to jump up to the 'big railway'.