West Somerset Railway General Discussion

This isn't a WSR plc project. They can update on others. It be like me asking to update my facebook on the building work I had done on the roof of the house by external contractors.

 

Your comparison makes no sense and it makes no sense to keep railway supporters in the dark about a project on "their" railway regardless of who is paying for it.
I suspect you will disagree with me no matter what I say, so I will leave it there.

 

You will also disagree with me.

Many railways do not provide updates for their projects, particularly as they progress, it's often down to in-house magazines and the like several months later.

 

WSRA web site seems to have crashed.....can anyone please confirm ! Thanks

 

It speaks volumes for how bad things may be in West Somerset that a webcam going offline could lead to this kind of discussion. While I disagree strongly with much that @JBTEvans posts, and have at times distrusted his motives for doing so, I think he's probably more or less right in this case. But the consistent failure of the WSR plc to understand the value of communication is depressing in its consistency.

 

They seem to have a new web site.

 

I got my information from Steve Edges wonderful WSR Website, The news item about the upgrade of Seaward crossing dated
4th March 2021 certainly refers to contractors
Quote- "Later this month there will be a full extensive testing of the new CCTV system. The main phase of construction will
then shortly commence. All through this preparatory work, detailed discussions have been taking place with the Office
of Rail and Road (ORR) who have to give official permission for the work to proceed and the crossing to re-open.

The various activities of the project have to be dovetailed with each other, but this has proved particularly
difficult during the Covid restrictions period. But WSR, Somerset County Council and Contractors staff have all been
working closely together, including having regular detailed technical meetings in order to maintain progress despite
Covid issues. This partnership working will continue and intensify until the project is concluded." end quote
Obviously the contractors and WSR S&T staff will be working closely together with this project.
I thoroughly recommend the WSR (I believe (Mis) quoted as unofficial is regularly updated with news items and topical pictures, so it is my guess that we will still be able to view the progress with the construction work albeit not live!

 

This is true and only underlines how some in the hobby/business do not understand the effect of maintaining good publicity. It takes very little effort to post up regular reports on the progress of projects; they don't have to be as regular and detailed as the Broadway Extension blog was (marvelous though it was !), a simple short report will do. This helps to keep the organisation concerned in the news and thus attracts interest and support.
In this particular case, it was stated that the railway could not run services into Minehead until the crossing upgrade was completed. It should be obvious that this is a matter of interest and concern to all those who care about the railway and that providing updates on progress can only be beneficial. So why not do it ?

 

With regards to 53808s overhaul, if I've understood this correctly at some point in the past the owning group of the locomotive has signed an agreement with the WSR to operate their loco on the railway over the course of the 10 year boiler ticket, in exchange for when the time comes a full overhaul by the WSR to return the loco (potentially) to the loco owning group in as let condition?

The point in time is rapidly approaching that the agreement, and overhaul are ending/work needing doing - the WSR tell the loco owning group they can no longer fund the agreed works to return the loco to them in the as let condition, i.e. boiler ticket fresh for another 10 years operation, but will return it in 10 years use with an expired boiler ticket unable to steam.

An element of the WSR say they can overhaul the loco to the agreed condition, but only on the basis that the WSR can use the loco again on a long term (potentially full 10 year ticket) period, ignoring the fact the WSR has already had the agreed usage out of the loco already, so agreeing to another usage period would effectively be buy one decade, get another free of operation.

Does this sound on any level at all like the method of working any organisation should partake in, let alone one of the UKs premium heritage railways ?

 

Perhaps true, but we've done this to death before, and I don't see what good can be done by going over it yet again.

Noel

 

Does anyone know when the model railway at Bishops Lydeard will be able to open again as I imagine lots of people will be wanting to see it after so long. It is one of the better thing at the railway hopefully they won’t ever get thrown out as it’s a big railway to move

 

I have already read that news item, but thank you anyway for sharing again. Although I am unsure what part of my post that is in response to.

In terms of your last sentence, yes I totally agree. Regular updates and photos via a website such as WSR.ORG.UK would be good, which could then follow up with an in detail report on what happened in the in-house magazine. Thats the sort of happy medium you see from other 'premier heritage railways' and other similar organisations

 

I would suggest that you ask the WSRHT.

 

Or the Taunton Model Railway Group, depending on which of the model railways at Bishops Lydeard he's referring to.

 

Indeed they do.

I notice however that on its Home page it states
"Our Mission is to support and promote the heritage of the West Somerset Railway."
Without some further clarification, is there not perhaps a risk of ongoing confusion with the new WSR Heritage Trust?

 

As a businessman, I'd make sure I had a good lawyer with me when negotiating anything with WSR plc.

 

The issue is not what needs to be done and why. The issue is why several years elapsed from when the need to renew the crossing was identified before planning started on exactly how to go about it.

 

I am not sure I would be negotiating anything with the WSR PLC until they had shown that they were able to fulfil their sides of contracts.

 

I still cannot see why there are any issues. I don't think that the WSR,SCC or ORR would make such information public. The existing AHB has still functioned up until now and obviously planning for the full lifting barriers and associated CCTV and revised signalling has been taking place behind the scenes, and now being implemented.