West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Probably, although that hasn’t stopped the overhaul of 4561 happening. Indeed in a press release recently 4561 was described as being ‘a smaller loco and therefore ideal for the line’

I guess it’s whatever story suits them at the time!

 

The Bailey Report is a concept for Achieving Change is somewhat different and if the WSSRT is anything to go by there is considerably more strife to come with more than few broken eggs along the way!

If John Bailey really wants to achieve Anything he must instigate a Working Party with the PDG at its heart, but would anybody listen if he did?

 

Maybe some WSSRT Members have read how much the WSRA have spent on legal fees recently with the debate over 4160. At the same time the WSRA ask for donations!!

 

Another 1 and a third pages about WSR in this week's Railway Herald magazine!!

 

Someone has asked why WSR can contemplate running Santa trains but not a summer service. May I suggest some factors which may tip the balance :-

1a] The planned service, is BL to Williton and return, and for Covid security reasons no one to leave the train at Williton. It can probably be operated with one loco, one set, one crew, doing two or three return journeys depending on demand. Set will need disinfecting between trips.

1b] So the issue of the Minehead level crossing is not a problem.

2] The Santa services from BL are always far better supported than those from Minehead and tend to be fully booked well before the event. [Access to the seaside is not one of the Santa attractions.]

3] Bookings tend to be family groups rather than singles or couples, so it could be easy to sell 'compartments' to families, and to organise social distancing between bays of four seats.

4a] The number of services can be adjusted [add trips, cancel trips] in the light of the number of advance bookings- something you cannot easily do with a normal whole line timetable.

4b] So you do not risk running half empty trains up and down the whole line as you might have on a cold wet day in September.

5] Only two signalboxes to man and one station to[BL] staff. While some volunteers are still reluctant to risk their health this could be an issue.


Whether the Government will allow anything of this sort remains to be seen. Likewise whether travellers will be prepared to wear face masks if there is a requirement to do do.

 

I think the point is that all of that could have been applied to running trains during the summer.

 

To be fair, most of these benefits could also have been achieved by running a pre book only summer service along a section of the line.

Santa trains are more profitable though, which might tip the balance.

 

A quick rundown of people I’ve mentioned
Geoff Hudson was involved with the Class 50’s during the rundown of them during the early 1990’s, there are 5 class 50’s based at the SVR one of them formally based at Williton.
Phil Swallow is Taw Valleys owner but also has connections with the Diesel Traction Group, and has written cheques and helped fundraise for the SVR. Helped out with the 50 Alliance when 50007 was available for purchase.
And LSL is Jeremy Hoskings organisation based at Crewe, various items of stock are in store at Kidderminster for them, various locomotives of his have paid visits to the SVR including 4489, 46100, 70000 and the latest is 37190.
The A1 trust also seems to have a good relationship with those at Comberton place, Vintage Trains has sent its 47 to be repainted at Kidderminster, GBRf is happy to have to 50007 and 50049 wearing its corporate image...
You’ve made a good point in that you’ve said Somerset doesn’t seem to have the engineering expertise that the West Midlands has yet you then mention Cranmore?
What happened to the tie up with Bridgwater College?
I don’t want to get into a willy waving contest about what lines best, but the point I’m trying to make is the SVR does seem to be able to maintain decent relationships with various groups whether its someone like Network Rail or Bewdley Brewery.

 

What like you Alex?!!

 

Good grief no, if it were "my" railway I'd consider it, but it's not my place to do that. People like @SebWelsh and @Maverick on the other hand, that's more like it. It's a massive shame for the WSR they appear to have been intimidated to stand down as candidates, and indeed either don't volunteer any more or are seeking opportunities on other railways.

 

Anything interesting? I seem to recall there was a bit of fuss that they hadn't bothered to get anything from the candidate trustees' side last time.

 

Maybe I am missing something here but what about the Santa issue?

I mean, how do you socially distance Santa? Elves etc? Small children are walking, talking disease vectors.

Santa in a mask misses the point, Santa in visor is scary.

I’d also suggest Santa might be in a vulnerable age group as well.

Temperature checks and tests for all before meeting Santa?

I appreciate that Santa has been socially distancing all year in the North Pole but even so.

 

I have yet to be Accepted by that Facebook Group but with 62 members it must be a bit of echo chamber!

 

Is the

Is there any point with 62 members?

 

I hope that having planned it that Boris won't a complete lockdown then!

 

The one referred to currently has 1251 members. I think you're banging on the wrong door!

 

I think I'm largely in disagreement with your basic argument above. I've nigh on 60 years involvement with the heritage railway movement and, in my experience, the majority of volunteers come from the semi-professional and professional fields, rather than what you refer to as blue collar workers. A lot of these people are not bothered about having positions of power and are quite content to get on with mundane tasks. Many others are extremely interested in doing work that is totally opposite to what they do in their normal profession and there are many competent machinists in the ranks of those who spend a large part of their working lives in an office. Like most rest and relaxation, it is doing something different from the day job.
Distance from conurbations is not an obstacle, either. If it was the Welsh narrow gauge lines and many others (i.e NYMR, NNR, ESR and even the WSR) would never have got off the ground and survived. There is a difference in the type of volunteer in such cases, though. Where the railway is close to a large population, volunteers are more likely to attend for odd days whereas those lines more remotely situated have a greater number of volunteers attending for several days at a time.
I can't comment about farmers generally but I do know some farmers who are very involved with heritage railways.

 

One Scottish one springs to mind!!

I'd mostly agree with you, but with the caveat that I think you do need a critical number of people who know what they're doing to begin with to make the wheels go round, metaphorically. Depending on how good you are at managing your volunteers that critical number might be quite high or quite low. Certainly on the GWSR though if you took away all the ex-GCHQ staff and ex-RAF officers we'd be in serious trouble! The Cotswolds is a nice place for senior professionals to retire to, and we have quite a lot of those which is rather useful too. I don't get any sense that there are too many "chiefs" though, sure we have lots of people "managing things" but virtually all departments have a management committee as well as a HoD and deputy to help spread the workload, and of course they're all "indians" too to use @ross 's analogy, doing normal volunteering stuff.