West Somerset Railway General Discussion

DFR is not up-to-date!! I say that as a member of said railway!

 

It Looks as if the WSR needs someone to keep their website up to date. I wonder if there is any WSR member on here that would be willing
to take the task on?

 

Not forgetting that a well supported YouTube channel can also generate some income. According to the Social Blade website (that reports on estimated user advertisement remuneration from Websites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter etc) SVR could currently be earning between £138 and £22k a month, MHR between £12 and £197 and Ffestiniog £2 to £27 . The revenue is variable depending on which advertisers chose your channel and how much they will pay.

WSR TV, (being still in its infancy) comes in somewhere between 40p and £6 monthly

 

So, A recap, As regards change, there will be no change, Carry on like before chaps, So everyone except the board of the PLC accepted change is needed, but some how, because shareholders did not respond in enough numbers, there is no change, whats the definition of insanity? Is the acquisition of gaining power and retaining it of a greater value to some, than the railway its self? between them the WSRA, and WSHRT did hold enough votes to have pushed for change, So, what method was the shareholders approached by, Post, On line, Email ?
I would say the lessons have not been learnt, and given the very precarious state of the railways finances, as they were turned down for further funding, they really need to put their house in order, the Llangollen might not be the only casualty to happen to the heritage railway world, and After their self inflicted problems, Explosions', and bad feeling its created, there will be no movement to rescue it, Indeed by kicking the S&DRT off the railway, the WSR may have done them a favour, as they will in some form now survive and hopefully flourish in their new homes, If the WSR goes under, its finished, and its internal wars , mean there will be no phoenix to arise from the ashes.

 

The last few posts about railways' websites/social media highlight some of the futility of trying to keep enthusiasts informed. There's always someone who will point out some apparent inaccuracy without ever actually thanking them for trying to keep them informed - or indeed offering to update the information for the railway.

Also, there is the regularly-quoted question of the "value" of informing enthusiasts, when compared to other income streams.

When you consider the other issues faced by heritage railways (not just during COVID), producing an updated list or roster of operational locos or a video about last month's work in the loco shed may not be their highest priority for staff/volunteer time. There is also the matter of having the relevant skills to do it.

Be grateful for the information which is provided and maybe reduce (or stop) the instant criticism when the railway tries to be helpful.

One forum member's views do not represent the opinion of them all.

 

If every supporter of the WSR was as thin-skinned and lacking in determination as you, the WSR would never have been rebuilt and Minehead station would be a supermarket. Luckily 99.99% of the population don't consider that one person criticising a website on Nat Pres is sufficient reason give it up altogether. Also luckily there are very few people like you who consider themselves perfect and not in the need of any criticism, constructive or otherwise. Sadly too many of this select tribe appear to be running the WSR.
For a organisation like the WSR, giving out information is not "trying to be helpful". It is a vital part of its business. It should be done properly. As a part owner of the business, why should I not point out to those who are appointed to run that business on my behalf where they could do better, or do you consider I should just hand over my money and leave them to play trains however they want, in peace?
In any case, a wise management should never ignore or discourage criticism. It really isn't difficult, even in West Somerset, to sort the valuable criticism from the worthless and with no feedback, or only praise, no-one can really tell what's going on. That's not a good thing, just ask Nicolae Ceaușescu.

 

If everyone is too busy to provide accuate information on the website, couldn't someone at least delete the inaccurate information?

 

And then expect the money to come rolling in when the next appeal is made? Hmm...

 

That would be a truly terrible shame; as I've said several times, the WSR should be an absolute jewel in the heritage crown, a complete branch line through some beautiful country. A complete disappearance would be an irreparable and incomparable loss. We'll see.

Noel

 

What is there to be grateful for for out of date and non useful information? It’s like buying a newspaper today for the football results last weekend.

 

In fairness the MHR site was giving very little information about their current gala. What is the timetable? What about disabled passengers in wheelchairs? Nothing! We will still go down but won't ride the trains. A family picnic at Alresford will have to do.
And volunteering to help with the website won't do any good as the WSR turned down a very good offer many years ago. Plus a volunteer webmaster could only put up information they are given.
The WSR need to sort this out, but I doubt it will happen. Far better go to Steve Edge's site.

 

The reasons for the relative silence from the Watercress Line website have been explained extensively on that thread.

The timetable is available on that thread too. Arrangements for disabled passengers are as normal on the railway and facilities exist on most trains with the exception of the shuttles.

Sent from my SM-A405FN using Tapatalk

 

So the WSR management haven't got the time/skills/inclination to run a reasonably regularly updated website.
Or the time/skills/inclination to allow a volunteer to do it (If @Lenny above is correct)
And even if they did some folks are not sure how accurate/reliable/timely their content might be.
So they are just leaving it up to independent @Steve Edge to show them how the news content could/should be done.
If I was in their shoes I'd be seriously embarrassed about such a poor performance.

 

We’re not on about the Mid Hants though in this instance are we@Lenny ? Regarding the event that’s going on there and why has all been explained on another thread with @21B who’s been prepared to stick their head above the parapet and communicate with the public on the event that’s going on there.

This is something that those in Somerset need to realise, it’s not just enthusiasts that they need to engage with. It’s the general public.

Regarding the Mid Hants it’s rather nice that there’s been open and transparent communication from a railway that’s actually running trains.

 

Ah, silly me! I forgot that suggesting an alternative view on this thread would lead to the usual personal attack, despite me having no link with any of the WSR tribes.

Maybe, one day, some of the more outspoken members of this forum will allow others to have a different opinion. They don't need to agreed with what's being said, but neither do they need to respond in such an aggressive way.

 

You've quoted your own post, so its hard to know what you're referring to. Assuming it's @Bayard's reply to your previous message, it's noteworthy that you didn't actually answer any of his points. I don't think calling someone thin skinned is particularly aggressive, especially when you chose to join the debate and as a long standing forum member will be well aware of how WSR topics normally go.
Bearing in mind that there have been very few volunteer opportunities for the last year or so, surely its not beyond the wit of even the WSR management to get some supporters to go through the website and make a list of enhancements/corrections/broken links etc. and pass them onto the webmaster? These are the easy management tasks, who knows what would happen if something tricky like a level crossing replacement came up. How long would that take? Oh hold on....

 

I think it a bit of an over-reaction to claim that you are being personally attacked by anybody. You are, of course, entitled to your opinion but I have to say it is confusing to try to follow your thinking.
In your post #34026 of 25 Oct '20 you said, in reply to a posting by Frank C : "My comment wasn't a joke, but a sarcastic suggestion. You're original post referred to NatPres as "not really a sensible vehicle for PR". If you want to rely on your own newsletter for communications, then perhaps you're missing various tricks when it comes to PR. You have a HUGE following on this thread, and it might be nice to read some positive fund-raising news from time to time, rather than snide comments about the quality of the discussion on here (which you have contributed to)." but now you seem to be taking issue with people who are making the same points as you made in your earlier post. If you have changed your views, fair enough, but it would be helpful to understand your reasoning.