West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Just wondering how busy the WSR has been since reopening?

 

The Contractor is not Amec.

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It's a weight issue, the protecting signal would need 2 main arms, 2 calling on arms & two ground disc signals, with 6 signal machines. The area is on soft ground and the structure would sink, as the area is so near the sea. A light weight Multi spect signal is cheaper and a lot lighter.

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In the latest edition of the "Journal", the Plc takes the line that the questionnaire was circulated to 8311 shareholders and only 391 responded. So the WSRA, with 2,037,370 shares, counts the same as me, with 2,900 and it completely glosses over the fact that a high proportion of shareholders either are completely inactive or are no longer alive. It reminds me of the line in "Silent Movie" where one of the stars the filmmakers are hoping to recruit proves impossible to get hold of. When asked how they are getting on with this, the filmmakers reply "he hasn't said "no"".

 

The ORR will never agree to a signal being passed at danger. A SPAD

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That's a like for like renewal.

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Indeed John, I do understand that point. My point is that I do not believe that any group on the WSR is safe if they do not provide funds when the PLC asks, regardless of whether they are able to, legally or financially. The SDRT eviction should be sufficient evidence for anyone.

 

Please don't accuse me of being the grammar police. I think you've rather the missed the point of what I was saying, which was actually in defence of Chris Pratt. It had been suggested that his whole post was clear and error-free, and therefore any inappropriate word must be deliberate and malicious. His post was not error-free, so the conclusion was wrong.
I am dyslexic, which is why I've learned to read through my posts and note the little wavy red lines. For a carpenter, a lack of ability with language has no bearing on my ability with wood, but I don't think misspelled quotations would give my customers a lot of confidence, so I check. Measure twice and all that

I have never been certain which is the truly correct rule for this, but as I usually get called Rosso/Rossi/Roscoe for the past 30 odd years, and we didn't actually have Christian names at school, its never been needed

 

There is no further evidence more damning than the Billy Bunter-like character who thinks he's running the show.....

 

Signals are passed at danger all the time. There used to be 16 reasons why you can in the rule book. For the vast majority of them you need the signalman’s permission to do so. If you pass a signal at danger outside those allowed, that is a SPAD.

 

Still no news on ID card removals.

Is there not considerable evidence of the WSR plc board not maintaining the Quantock Belle fleet of carriages?

So once again a pattern emerges of the WSR plc board divesting itself of a financial liability - exactly what happened with the SDRT and loco 53808, and 44422.

Vintage bus tours to Minehead - I wonder who will provide these? (Hopefully properly fully fuelled this time).

 

Just dropped in for my monthly check on NP. For me, the only post that is remotely "on target" is by lineisclear @ 38080.

Whlie I'm here I wonder if I might renew my appeal to members of the WSRA to give some consideration to trusteeship? I think we'll be supporting the WSR for a long time to come in one way or another but what I know for a fact is we won't be able to do that without Trustees on the board. Refreshing the trustee board to meet the challenges of 2022 and beyond is essential to the future health of the railway. We need those with the skill and the will to work on the £1M annual fundraising target. Don't be fooled by the noise, this figure is going to remain the same irrespective of who is asking for it. About the only thing a charity can't do in the current structure is pay the direct operating costs of the operating company. All restoration work is probably fair game - else how has the WSRA given over £200,000 to rail renewal projects in the last few years? How did the Association support the return to traffic of 9351 in 2019? How did the Association support the rolling stock refurbishment program in 2020 /2021?
The only "elephant in the room" that some of you wish to eat "one slice at a time" is the gap between what the Association has historically raised in a normal year (up to around £300k) and the clear £1M that is needed. The door is open for you.....

I'll get my coat!

 

Being a trustee is brilliant, hugely rewarding, manageable effort, and provides an entirely different perspective on things you previously thought you knew.

If the WSRA are looking for trustees, then it's a great opportunity to turn some of the strong opinions held here into meaningful efforts in support of the railway. Nice change from some still relatively recent previous years to see the Association drawing in candidates as a positive, rather than defensive activity too.

Simon

 

I would support this. As far as the WSRHT is concerned, our objectives cannot be fulfilled if the railway ceased to exist. So, as Mike says, we can do pretty much what we like to support the railway. And it is a very clear distinction between the railway and the plc. They are two different things. We cannot pay the staff costs of the plc, but we can pay for things to keep the railway operational.

As regards trustees, one thing that has come out of the pandemic is that meetings can be held virtually. So even if you live remote to Somerset and can only rarely get here, you can still be a trustee and attend the meetings online.
Ian Coleby

 

I'm surprised that you define what's possible in so limited a way - I'd have thought that even staff costs could be covered, provided that they are incurred in support of the project being supported.

 

Well indeed, you illustrate why it is difficult to define. You will know that the trust pays the wages of the educational co-ordinator.
Ian C

 

I didn't, but am delighted to hear that my membership fee helps support that important role.

 

I'm sure we have been here before

Let's suppose a locomotive was being restored in the company workshop, using paid staff. If one of the charitable groups felt it was within their remit to support that restoration financially, it would be legitimate to pay not only for materials but, for example, for the time spent on the restoration by e.g. a skilled machinist. That might look like "paying the wages of a company employee" but it is no different than if the loco was being restored off site by an external company, although that seems to raise fewer qualms.

It would not be acceptable to pay the wages of a duty fitter as that is a legitimate operational expense for the operating company. But once you cross the line that says a restoration (as opposed to maintenance) is legitimate for the charity to support, then that includes any costs incurred in the restoration - including paid staff. You would want to ensure there was a properly auditable system of time recording such that if a particular member of staff split their time between being a fitter and a restorer, you only paid for the hours they spent restoring things. But there is no absolute prohibition to say it can't happen.

As always, frame the question so that the answer can be yes, not no ...

Tom

 

And pray what happened to @Andy Norman ?

 

The WSR's loss is the S&DRT's gain it seems.