West Somerset Railway General Discussion

But all icing is worthwhile providing it adds value and interest - we want those people to return for other events don't we?

 

Possibly more than you think I see a fair few go past my place of work on the way to Ely to the Colas depot there.

 

53808 to Mid Hants for the remainder of its current boiler certificate https://www.sdrt.org/images/files/news/joint_press_release_240720_final.pdf

 

I hope that the Mid Hants opportunity allows the SDRT to earn a reasonable sum to go towards the next overhaul. You could also read this as confirmation that there will be no work for the locomotive at the WSR for quite some time. I await the next move.

 

Blimey, that's a shock. Well, who can blame the S&DRT I suppose. I can't see it ever coming back. Just a few years ago the WSR was in dire need of locomotives. Looks like they can't give them away quickly enough now! What is becoming of this railway?

 

It is hard to adequately express how sickened I was when I heard this news.

Robin

 

From a business perspective the arrangement works for both sides, the enthusiast in me remembers a trip behind the 7F on the WSR in 1989 and how long she has been associated with the line. Sad day for sure.

 

That is a shock. Whilst 53808’s future at the WSR has been called into question recently, I didn’t expect a definite decision quite so soon.

Quite a surprise that the MHR want it too. Given the current situation and the financial pressures it’s causing for all lines. It’s not as if the MHR is short of working locos at the moment. (Having said that they seem to have been using Thomas on service trains recently for some reason, which isn’t ideal).

So that leaves the WSR with only 2 home based locos in working order? Not a great position to be in for any potential reopening.

I suppose it remains to be seen if 53808 returns to the WSR after the future discussions the PLC says it wants with the SDRT. Depends on the SDRT’s relationship with the PLC at the time, and I’m sure other offers would be on the table.

 

Well the WSR have already admitted they intended to break the agreement to overhaul 88.

Just adds to the list of locos they have broken agreements with and or driven away.

4160,44422,6695.

All very well owning a pair of locos to replace them, But not when you can't run them , Cause they are too heavy.

Good luck to 88 and the SDRT,

I'm sure them and the MDR will make quite a bit of money off this move.

 

The press release states it is being moved elsewhere to help fund its next overhaul, which confirms that the WSR certainly won’t be paying for all of it.

If the WSR want it back in future perhaps an agreement would need to be done which sees them fund the overhaul on a pro rata basis, for the time they used it. Topped up by the fees earned from the MHR.

 

I certainly wouldn't enter a 25-year lease of the loco to the WSR...

If they are trying to kick the group off the line, I wouldn't be in a hurry to let them have the loco back.

I'd tell them too urinate up a rope, After I'd found work for the loco elsewhere and somewhere to overhaul it to.

After this news if I had any stock and or locos on the line, I'd be worried cause it seems like you could be next to be told to pack up and go.

 

Why overhaul the engine on the WSR, afterwards, Ropley has all the facilities and a very good boiler shop , So someone's ego wins out, Goodbye WSR been nice knowing you, this means that the S&D TRUST must be looking to relocate at some point so what price on the reputation on those people involved railway family ? I'm not sure if this family actually exists , if it does it's in name only.

 

Though the immediate (very short term) financial picture is that the WSR will be paying staff in August to complete the winter work on the loco and then deriving no benefit from that outlay. So it is more cash outflow right now that generates no return income for the WSR.

Good luck to the MHR though - even with the loco near the end of its ticket, hopefully they will get some good mileage out of her; she seems historically to have been a reliable performer hitherto.

Tom

 

Last had an overhaul 2016? don't they do 10 year tickets anymore ?

 

Well Robin, sorry but the organisation you support only has its self to blame

 

Frankly, the owners should come to some agreement with the MHR to overhaul the loco at Ropley and not concidering allowing their loco to return to WSR,

 

Was much discussed up thread - boiler ticket expires in the autumn of 2022, as per the press release.

Tom

 

We went through this a few (!) pages back, I thought the same and was corrected. The 2016 overhaul apparently didn't include boiler work, purely mechanical. The last boiler overhaul was in 2013.

Well. Sad news for the WSR. I will be pleasantly surprised if, assuming the current management are still in place when the time comes, 53808 ever comes back for the overhaul.