West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Agreed but you have to do something with it or at least have a plan to do something with it or otherwise it will languish at the Outlet here in Swindon forever.

Sadly no one here even talks about it!!

 

Don

don't forget his work on finishing the Mongrel 9351!

 

The WSR's loss was the GWSR's gain!

Won't be thrashed on the flat either

 

The engine's not lost, it was just hiding in this tunnel:



It does seem to be making a certain progress up this slope though

 

Remember it well from 1974 and tackling the brambles on Blue Anchor Station on my own!

It does become soul destroying after a while especially when the weeds grow back as they inevitably do unfortunately without weed killer!

 

The argument that you can’t do a Q&A with a virtual conference is BS.

Another excuse to stifle potential criticism.

Zoom has a raise hand feature - in order that hands are raised. Those without working microphones can ask their questions in the chat feature and the moderator/person running the meeting can then ask those questions.

This is up there with we can’t run trains because we only have TSOs

You could go back there now and it wouldn’t be much different.

 

I did try - not very successfully - to jot up the SDRT membership figures. It must be over 800 now.

It owns some 5,000 or so shares in the WSR plc, and has had a presence on the WSR since January 1976. At the time the WSR plc board sent a message to the SDRT how pleased they were to have them and provide a "permanent home" and how the restoration of Washford station was "splendid".

The SDRT installed electricity to the station, repaired the derelict station etc.

The 3 way turnout from Radstock shed they paid £600 for in 1976.

'88''s first proper run after restoration had Paul Conibeare as fireman in 1987.

Something stinks when '88' was used so extensively during 2019, then after the railway closed it was first intimated to the SDRT that the WSR plc board wouldn't pay for it's overhaul - subsequently confirmed in the 1st May position statement.

My personal view is that the SDRT has contributed a great deal more to the WSR than the WSSRT has over the years and it has always had a greater following than the WSSRT and larger membership.

The existing board of the WSSRT ought to be very careful at the moment especially as they have a 'dodgy' lease from 2017!

 

Strangely enough, I have never owned a locomotive.

Mind you, a Trustee Board I Chaired bought Ditcheat Manor at the request of the WSR plc at the time as (1) a potential answer to the then loco shortage and (2) a loco in reserve for the future.

It wasnt 'comdemned as unuseable'. Unfortunately the previous owner had not kept the paperwork sufficiently well to persuade the relevant authorities to extend its boiler certificate. And yes, it needs an expensive overhaul. But find another Manor for sale.

When the present WSRA Trustee Board have completed 4561, 7828 is presently next in the queue.

And unless I am much mistaken, 7828 wasnt in prospect when 6412 was sold, so you are remembering that bit wrongly. But I could be wrong as this is all long ago.

It would be lovely to see a post or two not written in green ink...

Robin

 

It's inevitable that the SDRT would have a larger following given the "cult" nature of the SDJR. For more than 40 years, the membership of the WSSRT was limited to a maximum of 50 by its articles and it was only in the last few years that this was relaxed. Why do you think we have a "dodgy" lease, there has never been any suggestion about that anywhere else.
Ian

 

If you think that would help then the WSR is doomed to continue on its current trajectory until it goes bust.
Why should they be chucked out just for having a different view? Why not let the members vote and decide?

 

I believe it is thought that the S&D Trust lease was drawn up in a similar way to the WSSRT one, at a similar time, no doubt you will correct me if I'm wrong as I think you were Plc chairman at the time. The logic therefore goes that if the S&D lease is questionable in its legality, so too is the WSSRT's.

 

Very much his prerogative but I was very surprised to see an immediate like of this from @ikcdab

Patrick

EDIT: The 'like' is no longer there 23:29

 

Will that do Ian? @ickdab

 

A very poor reflection. Obviously he has very different views about the best way forward, but Ian always came across to me on this forum as a reasonable person. Endorsing such unreasonable views however isn't really on.

 

And this, Ian?

 

Possibly one of the stupidest suggestions I've seen on this forum, and I've seen a few. Ian, shame on you for liking it.

 

Or maybe it is because the S&DRT is the leading S&D society.

There is an irony in a GWR based society accusing another line of having a cult like following. Obviously no one involved in the WSR would ever want the WSR to be a GWR/WR only line with no interlopers from any other companies or regions.

Actually, your use of the word cult is interesting, I normally associate the word with a bunch of deluded people who follow a leader who claims miracles of salvation and promises to lead them to the garden of Eden, but who never actually does and gets very upset whenever anyone criticises or points this out.

Oh wait...

 

Would have gone bust last year until JJP saved it from going so.

He is not the problem, the reverse takeover from the trojan horse will cause more harm then good.

 

OK great, JJP saved the WSR last year. Don't you yearn for the bickering to end though? Chucking people out is not the answer, it only makes things worse, yet that is what the chairman has persisted in doing, with organisations, engines and people. *That* is what causes more harm than good.