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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by gwr4090, Nov 15, 2007.

  1. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    I’m curious as to what the right way would be in your judgment.


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  2. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    Given his age, his resignation or retirement is in many ways not a surprise.

    Sadly however given the situation on the WSR it will inevitably give rise to much speculation.

    However that old saying about paranoia springs to mind
     
  3. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

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    And the right way is what?

    You want the discussions to help the railway, I am not sure how stopping discussion is the way forward? Or do you want only certain types of views expressed and those that you decide don't fit with your definition of 'helping the railway' to be banned?

    Seems to me that what you actually want is posts that only align with your views.
     
  4. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    I’ll ask a genuine question Anne if I may, what is the difference in discussion here to elsewhere?
    How could we improve it?

    The reason I ask is you seem keen to stop a debate taking place as you do not agree with it but have no suggestions on how we could do it differently, remembering of course this a independent forum not affiliated to any railway in particular.
     
  5. nine elms fan

    nine elms fan Part of the furniture

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    Too much scrumpy. :confused:
     
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  6. Snifter

    Snifter Well-Known Member

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    The last sentence in paragraph 3 is rather clear to me.
     
  7. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    I am sure we all wish that was all it was
     
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  8. ross

    ross Well-Known Member

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    Over and over, I am reminded of events elsewhere a couple of years ago:
    One team had the disappointment of their new-build pacific dropping its valve gear at high speed.
    Another team had the disappointment of their brand new new-build Baldwin damaging track.

    Team 1 put out a steady, cautious trickle of information, accepting responsibility and not seeking to blame anybody.
    Team 2 went very quiet and attempted to suppress all discussion, speculation and comment.

    Previously, Team 2 could do no wrong in my eyes. That particular episode left rather a bad taste, and my support, whilst it continues, is not quite the same.
     
  9. bluetrain

    bluetrain Well-Known Member

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    The WSR seemed in the past to find enough people to serve as directors, but it may be that as the older ones retired, fewer came forward to replace them. In the specific case of the WSR, I also wonder whether some potential candidates are deterred by the toxic atmosphere that now seems to envelop the railway.

    It is obviously a demanding job to be a director or trustee, particularly of an organization that has got into major difficulty. I think that the WSR is crying out for leadership that, not only has the business and management skills normally required, but also exceptional skills in the areas of diplomacy, negotiation and mediation, able to soothe conflicts and reconcile warring factions. A tall order.
     
  10. Paulthehitch

    Paulthehitch Well-Known Member

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    Sadly, the railway has not exactly helped itself. Most places in a similar pickle would endeavour to. It would not be too late to try.
     
  11. bristolian

    bristolian Member

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    Hasn't the Railway done itself enough harm?. This is an open forum for discussion of all-things, in this case all things related to the WSR.

    Just because the wider enthusiast public can see the harm that the WSR is doing to itself (and others), that should not justify some who don't like to see these things discussed in a manner that's seen by them as being negative to the WSR, wanting to have the option to discuss those things withdrawn.
    This is a country where freedom of speech is allowed. Perhaps the WSR (and those trying to pull the wool over people's eyes) should look inwards to themselves first, and accept that they're themselves to blame.
     
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  12. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    If this refers to yesterday’s “press release”, which appeared and disappeared in short order, could someone post either the text or a screenshot for those of us not able to see it in time.


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  13. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    These days I'm from Wiltshire though Alex, so not sure if the prohibition was specifically aimed at me! Does seem though that there is a clamour in certain quarters to re-implement the old "200 mile rule", but recast as a ten mile rule ...

    More generally about re-opening: I can't see how the current strategy of eking out what financial reserves exist while generating zero revenue ends in any way other than disaster once the money runs out. There are significant costs in running a railway which are incurred whether you run trains or not, and that will be doubly so when the furlough scheme winds up in the next couple of months and you start having to cover your staff costs. (For August, the employer has to start covering pension and NI costs for employees on furlough even though they cannot do any productive work for the employer while furloughed; in September the employer in addition has to cover at least 10% of the salary bill as well; in October it will be a minimum of 20% of the salary plus the full pension and national insurance costs).

    Those railways that have chosen to open have undoubtedly taken a risk in so doing, but those with high staff overheads and no significant other sources of income seem to be betting on a near certainty that at some point, without income the cash will run out. You just have to hope that that moment doesn't come before next March.

    Tom
     
  14. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

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    Tom has hit the nail on the head, even when closed, and not operating, it still costs money to run a preserved railway, and, if your not getting money in, through donations, , through revenue, then that money will run out, Now, I'm unsure as to what the plan is with the WSR, If indeed there is a plan, to ensure they can survive until March 2021..
    Andy Norman did at the start post some very disturbing information, that had been past to him, indicating a plan to in effect buy out the company by a very small group of people , if it went into receivership, that I'm afraid is becoming a more likily scenario , either by design, or by the ineptness of the management. and it all comes back to how did one of the people who floated this plan get to become a board member, then chairman?
     
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  15. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Final thoughts from me on Bob Meanley.

    This is obviously not a good time for him to go but as has been said already, he isn't local so supporting an enterprise at that kind of distance must have been hard. Let's hope that the undoubted good that he will have done over his time on the WSR will have left some legacy on which the engineering team can build. Let's face it. Irrespective of financial and other issues on the WSR, you need a high quality workshop to be able to run anything, even if it's just up and down a station yard.
     
  16. 60044

    60044 Member

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    I think Bob Meanley's departure is the least of the WSR's concerns. For many years now, pre-dating his arrival by some time, they have had a relatively small operating fleet with a high level of reliability, suggesting that the MPD at least has been well up to speed. What they desperately need is a good marketing manager and a chairman strong-willed and diplomatic enough to steer them through the corporate reorganisation that they so desperately need to tie the various factions together and get them working as a team.​
     
  17. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    Perhaps one of the problems with recruitment of directors is that there are a lot more posts to fill on the WSR because of its setup. If the supporters groups were rationalised perhaps there would be enough people to go around....

    Keith
     
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  18. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    After yet another pointless report can I make one thing incredibly clear

    At no point has there been a single criticism of the work @bob.meanley has done with the loco and engineering team at the WSR . As a forum I believe he is held in the highest of respect . I am privately led to believe he has also tried to act as a voice of reason in some of the more contentious decisions the WSR has made that have formed the majority of the discussion on this thread . i fear his loss to the board will be far worse than people realise

    I am sure every member will join me in wishing him all the very best

    As i have repeatedly said I see an awful lot of regard held here for the volunteers of the WSR. Those volunteers may feel the forum is against the WSR . it is the polar opposite we all want a successful, highly regarded WSR that will be with us in the years to come

    Finally I was on a facebook group last night . If the WSR thinks its treatment is unfair here , the vitriol pouring forth made Nat Pres look tame . The resolution is not to suppress discussion but understand the concerns , change tack and do the right thing
     
  19. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    I have heard similar
     
  20. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    And with moderator's hat off, can I add that the biggest mistake people can make on social media is to dismiss a view that they don't like as just background noise and to be ignored.

    They are absolutely right in one sense. A minority view can attract attention from other minorities and this can grow to something that is out of proportion to reality. On Nat Pres, although some people do tend to 'bang on' a bit that is not generally the case. And those few who come on here to make mischief under different guises are eventually discovered and weeded out.

    So a bit like Trip Advisor reviews, look first at the number of posts, then ignore the extremes at either end and read the rest. Over 4 million views on here should be telling the custodians of the WSR something. And in my view, only a fool will dismiss that as hot air. The country's pioneer standard gauge heritage line has only a fifth of this number on an equivalent thread. Just saying.
     

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