S&D Railway Trust

I'm not so sure that it makes a scrap of difference WHERE or where or where or where or where the PW depot is located along the line.
It only affects how far plant has to be transported to the worksite. So if there is a month's worth of work at BL, then DR-BL is a nuisance; but if there's a month's worth at MD, then DR-MD is very convenient. WN-BL or WN-MD is a lesser nuisance but both ways.
It's only been said 1,000,000 times already, but if the Plc withdraws the S&DRT eviction notice, 99% of this nonsense will be resolved.

 

It would not be a catastrophic lesson 'of' the preservation movement, rather a salutary lesson 'for' other members of that movement on how not to do it.

 

While the gala idea is perhaps something of a red herring to throw people off the main topic of discussion. It would be perfectly feasible to expand the existing model of train running.

So people book onto a 'train which is their train for the day' this allows for staggered starting times - enabling social distancing at starting point/end point. You cap your numbers, all tickets have to be pre-booked. Maybe you only allow boarding at one station.

Let's say the ticket is 2 complete round trips (could be more could be less depending on length of line)

Rather than changing trains - sets change locos at either end of the line - hence you travel behind a variety of locos.

At a station where there is space, there is a stop over where ' socially distanced activities/events' are set up for visitors. As this is a non-boarding/starting station numbers can be controlled. A fixed time stop perhaps an hour-90 minutes, maybe the other sets run non-stop through the station etc etc.

My point here, is that the fundamental principles that lines have adopted to run their services do not preclude expanding the service on offer to run a 'covid' gala. If people don't like what is on offer then so be it. If sales are poor then you can cancel and hopefully there won't be massive losses.

If in the end, a load of people want to gather in a field and take photographs and not social distance, I don't see how that is different to people crowding on a beach, or crowding on a field to take photos of a railtour.

As with all these things, it takes some forethought, some flexibility and some thinking differently.

 

It seems to me that what has kept the movement going is that at the end of the day everyone has got paid, up to now.

Were the WSR to go bust it might make outside suppliers to the movement a bit more cautious to say the least especially as mis-management rather than Covid is involved, it may of course also take some other business's with it were it to fold.

 

I doubt it Alex. It would signal to all the successful and progressive lines to continue what they are doing well and be wary of what can happen when resting on laurels and poor management decisions occur. It should also ring warning bells to those other lines that are in or heading in a similar direction to the WSR.
The whole heritage arena (not just railways) has been on a crest of a wave and too many that should not have opened in recent times have done so. Covid-19 has become the time of reckoning and rose tinted specs should be binned along with used face masks.

 

I suspect that because of the emotional attachment many people have to lines, when there have been crises in the past, donations, extra volunteer efforts etc, have enabled lines to survive and recover. This does however, paper over the poor management structures and chronic lack of accountability within the sector.

The reality is that it was inevitable that it would come to pass that a line would run into financial trouble and would then be met by the perfect storm of poor management structures. This is a maginified version of PR or the Binbrook Crab. Moreover, I would suggest that many lines are vulnerable to this.

For many lines, the words of John Bradford should be ringing in their ears 'there but for the grace of God go I'

 

It has to be remembered that no business is to big to fail, Should the WSR go under, I believe it will act as a warning to others, that your business has to be on a firm footing, and with everyone pulling in the same direction,
Luckily, most other lines are not ran like the WSR . Most are ran by boards that reflect whats best about heritage railways,

 

I agree with your post, so gave it a 'like'. However, I'm already missing the WSR terribly. I really hope that somebody will yet come to the rescue, but it is difficult, especially in the present gloomy economic situation, to see the WSR being reopened in its full glory.

Very sad, but if others take note and avoid getting into the same situation, then at least it will have done some good. Very thin consolation for the loss of what I used to see as the best of all the preserved lines. And I have a nasty feeling that others, even ones not mired in internal strife and bad management, will not survive the pandemic.

 

WSR Spring Steam Gala 2021 has been announced as featuring BR Standards. This suggests a substantial budget exists for the event and that a Covid-19 event management plan has been formulated?

 

Bearing in mind the last few months experience, I would expect that any loco owners would be wanting payment in advance.

 

Fro

Please forgive the noddy question but what is "PR"?

 

If you haven't got anyone qualified to operate the PW kit then location of the PW depot is a bit of a moot point.

 

I fear that is far from being the case.

First, the likelihood of the current plc board indicating that it is content for the S&DRT to remain at Washford strikes me as being negligible.

Second, even if the notice to quit were now to be withdrawn, it is possible that the Trust has already committed itself to re-location arrangements that are irreversible.

Third, the Trust may already have reached the conclusion that its relationship with the WSR is beyond salvation, even if it were possible to reverse any re-location arrangements it may already have made.

Fourth, a pattern of behaviour on the part of the current plc board has been established. In 2018 it freely entered into a binding agreement to allow the S&DRT to continue in occupation of Washford for 50 more years (and let's have none of that “Oh but the lease was void for reasons we can't tell you” nonsense). Less than two years later the plc has resiled from that agreement and has also threatened a breach of its agreement for overhaul of the 7F. In the unlikely event of the notice to quit being withdrawn, it is inconceivable that such behaviour would have no impact upon the view the S&DRT board now takes of anything said by its opposite numbers in the plc.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

 

Peak Rail, I assume....

 

and these are not the only agreements that the plc has gone back on.

 

It seems as though some of the volunteers at Shillingstone are keen to welcome the Trust and a plot of land seems to be available on the proposed extension of the running line. Although it seems a few feathers have been ruffled.
I am not sure if this is viewable by all.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/219542254878861?ref=m_notif&notif_t=group_activity

 

Aside from doing loco swaps, this is essentially what the SVR's initial recovery service offers - "your compartment for the day", boarding at the terminuses, and a visit to an intermediate stop where you can watch other trains running through without stopping. The length of run varies from 1 to 1.5 full round trips.

 

that might be the best solution all round, it would enable the trust to hopefully go on to better things, and have something to aim for, and I would imagine the greater preservation world would give them all the support they need , and frankly, I'm going to upset some on here, but I don't actually care if the WSR survives or not,

Its 100 per cent the railways own fault, its members elected the boards that run its various organisations, yet sits on their hands, when it is busy trying to destroy its self from with in, certain directors, and trustees, ( they know who they are) allowed this to happen, the best chance of rebuilding (Coombes) was thrown away, in favour of more infighting, and now your evicting a friend of the railway for 45 years, that's un heard of, based on what ? Prejudice ? old regional fights that should have died years ago, A board members ego? , you could not make it up. To be honest , the loss of the WSR would serve to be a lesson .

 

I wonder how many others here - and on other fora and social sites - are slowly coming to realise that the WSR is, to them anyway, a lost cause.
A simple comment, such as "We are working to find a solutions to the Washford matter" would have been more helpful, but we got braggadocio instead plus the anticipated mediator (or whatever he was supposed to be called) set course on a much wider and less relevant to Washford, course.
I believe some of Robin Coombes report was taken on board by Paul Whitehouse as Chair of the WSRA, but to the PLC it seemed irrelevant.
Somerset CC might find use for their trackbed as a road as new housing developments take place!