If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

West Somerset Railway General Discussion

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

  1. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2015
    Messages:
    1,826
    Likes Received:
    3,871
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Is there any other explanation for why something whose need was known so long in advance has taken so long to actually get started?
     
  2. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2013
    Messages:
    10,440
    Likes Received:
    17,938
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cheltenham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Behold, new material to disect! https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/news/detail/the-platform-newsletter-march-2021

    On the whole, it presents a positive image of the railway, which is encouraging. There was not a single "dig" at past events which was refreshing. Let's hope that that in itself won't be worthy of note one day!
    I see the WSR will soon have some HR policies again, so that's good. Hopefully no more volunteers will be unceremoniously chucked out from now on. A pity it took so long and was too late for some.
    Meanwhile the Plc revolving door boardroom continues to live up to its name...

    Some constructive suggestions for improvement @FrankC , some words from the WSRHT wouldn't go amiss, and it would be desirable for the newsletter on the website not to simply be a series of images, not least because all the hyperlinks don't work, and nor can you copy/paste them. Also, if you click on "Newsletters" on the WSR website, the only thing that shows up is one from 2017, it would be good if all the more recent newsletters could be found there, as they're all still in the general "news" stream but just harder to find.
     
    3ABescot and Miff like this.
  3. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2011
    Messages:
    25,486
    Likes Received:
    23,719
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Grantham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I echo those sentiments - and on the format, I commend to @FrankC that the newsletter is either published as a downloadable PDF, or in properly web native form. The current scanned in format doesn't do justice to the content.
     
    Miff, RailWest and flying scotsman123 like this.
  4. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2008
    Messages:
    7,498
    Likes Received:
    5,455
    Agreed it’s easy to publish as a PDF and would avoid the pen type line mark on some pages.
     
  5. FrankC

    FrankC Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2009
    Messages:
    468
    Likes Received:
    2,110
    The points about publication are well made, and we’ll have some discussions about how we can do better. So far as news about the WSRHT is concerned, that was entirely the fault of the editor, who has received a reprimand, and lost a week’s pay.
     
    tom-bex, MellishR, snappertim and 4 others like this.
  6. Snifter

    Snifter Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2014
    Messages:
    1,628
    Likes Received:
    4,210
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Very refreshing. Let's hope that prediction comes true as it will be evidence of a developing maturity. Petty retributions would only serve to make those responsible look childish.

    Onwards and upwards.
     
    The Dainton Banker likes this.
  7. nick813

    nick813 Well-Known Member Loco Owner

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2010
    Messages:
    1,503
    Likes Received:
    1,503
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    poole dorset
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Should be interesting how the travel between BL to Wll can be marketed and at what cost.
    I will not be holding my breath.
     
  8. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2009
    Messages:
    8,068
    Likes Received:
    5,164
    The WSRA section says "Focus now turns to the administration of the (DCMS) grant". If that's the grant under which the work must be complete by the end of this month, that seems to be leaving it very late. But this whole section may all be old news, as it also says "The matter of the sale of Promotions is now concluded", which I thought happened some time ago.
     
  9. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2015
    Messages:
    1,826
    Likes Received:
    3,871
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Under "Business Development" it states:
    ”at the end of January 2021, £430,000 of the £865,000 grant had been committed/spent. The submission for the next 40% of the grant went in on 12th February.”
    If they can claim against committed costs, they have a fair chance of getting all the money by the end of the month. The money will only have to leave the DCMS coffers by the end of the financial year and the DCMS have to be satisfied that it will be spent on what it is supposed to be spent on. It doesn't look as if DCMS want to see actual invoices.
     
  10. jnc

    jnc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2012
    Messages:
    1,511
    Likes Received:
    2,706
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Western Atlantic
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I took that to refer to the payment to the WSRA for Promotions, about which there was some problem, the details of which I have mercifully forgotten.

    Noel
     
  11. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2009
    Messages:
    8,068
    Likes Received:
    5,164
    That was also my recollection, but I thought the problem had been finally resolved a few months ago, not very recently.
     
  12. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    Re Cultural Recovery Grant, it's all received wisdom but I'm aware of another which has received instalment 2. It is preparing documentation for to claim (so it was explained to me) the remaining, 3rd instalment by 31st March.

    Patrick
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 14, 2021
  13. City of truro fan

    City of truro fan Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2015
    Messages:
    783
    Likes Received:
    84
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Honiton
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    One new idea could be to get a train to run around the triangle as this would make an ingesting feature for people to come and have a go on. I found it interesting as you arrive a different way looking than when you left. It would mean there’s more to do without going to minehead as this is where people really want to go. More tricks would be thought up to make them stay at bishops Lydard and spend more money on the line
     
  14. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2011
    Messages:
    3,803
    Likes Received:
    7,439
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    West Country
    That might be do-able, but need some effort. The triangle is not signalled or passed for passenger working, so there would be a need for competent hand-signalmen to clip/unclip each of the sets of points every time a train passed around it.
     
    malcolm imps likes this.
  15. Bayard

    Bayard Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2015
    Messages:
    1,826
    Likes Received:
    3,871
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    That could be part of the experience.
     
  16. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2011
    Messages:
    3,803
    Likes Received:
    7,439
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    West Country
    Maybe, but it will also add to the manpower which will need to be rostered.
     
  17. daveb

    daveb Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2005
    Messages:
    943
    Likes Received:
    484
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Wimborne, Dorset
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    The south chord (on the Barnstaple line) is used for brake van rides during the WSRA Steam Rally. In 2019 Andrew Barclay 1219 was used for this. During a gala a few years back (sorry, can't remember which one) an auto service was run from BL to Barnstaple Junction and then along the Barnstaple line to the west end using (I think) 5542. It came back the same way as, apparently, the curvature on the west chord is too tight for passenger stock.
     
    malcolm imps and jnc like this.
  18. Downline

    Downline New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2020
    Messages:
    137
    Likes Received:
    288
    Location:
    Somerset
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    The points get clipped on the south chord when the brake van rides are running so its (as I would describe) a train on its own separate line, so hand signalling isn't necessary. Theres probably a more railway operational term to that!

    Theres a few photos of mainline locos and support coaches running round the west chord, so it doubt that it would be an issue for a loco and autocoach. Probably the reason for only running along the West chord is as Railwest described, manpower. Otherwise you will be clipping and unclipping a few number of points over quite a large area, which will probably mean a 'quick trip' around the triangle turns into quite a long ordeal.

    Might be a good idea and achievable man power wise for the odd special here and there?
     
  19. martin1656

    martin1656 Nat Pres stalwart Friend

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2014
    Messages:
    17,609
    Likes Received:
    11,222
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    St Leonards
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    With the railway operating only as far as Williton, has any thought been given to operating to NF to give more of a trip, as it is normally not regularly used for passenger use, only special occations, and turning movements, is the section currently passed for passenger trains?
     
  20. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2013
    Messages:
    10,440
    Likes Received:
    17,938
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Cheltenham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Don't forget that Bishop's Lydeard to Williton is still a good 10 miles or so, equal or more than plenty of other heritage railways! I can't see running to NF being of much interest to anyone except track bashers really.
     
    jnc, Bluenosejohn and Jamessquared like this.

Share This Page