West Somerset Railway General Discussion

And I really can't see the point of many of the repetitive posts on this thread, which comment on what has happened but suggest no further action.

As I said before, you might as well be walking around your local shopping centre with a placard.

 

Neatly summed up.

 

...and you sound like a stuck record. You keep saying the same thing and no matter how informative a response anyone makes to your mantra, you don't change it. It seems to me that the only response that you will accept is "Sorry, we were wrong, you were right, the board is doing a grand job, salvation at the hands of these financial geniuses is just round the corner."
Judging by some of your "off-script" responses, I don't think you are merely a troll or a shill, but you are increasing starting to read like one or the other.

 

It's always a good idea to replace someone with questionable loyalties with someone who is sound, Citizen Smith.

 

Can anyone think of a way of achieving structural reform when both the PLC and the Steam Railway Trust are actively resisting it?

 

Well I see that this slanging match is soon to reach both 2000 pages and 40000 posts and in that time has achieved even less than the WSR's million pound appeal. I'm not sure that another 2000pages/40000posts will fare any better, but I don't suppose that will stop the zealots who regularly post on here. Personally I'm not convinced that Nat Pres is the way to save the railway but some clearly think differently. Good luck to you all.

Peter

 

Bankruptcy.

 

I'm not sure that's entirely true. NatPres was instrumental in 2 democratic attempts to set the WSR on a better course. The one with the WSRA and the X6 was successful, eventually, whilst the one with the WSRHT sadly was not, but both were pretty big events where NatPres made a big difference. There's also been numerous smaller things where comments on NatPres may well have led to action, although it's difficult to prove. The WSR's social media output was dire for months but when I and a few others mentioned it here, suddenly it was a lot better. Coincidence? Maybe. But there have been several similar things with various press releases and other bits and bobs that have been changed after comment on here.

What undoubtedly is pointless and achieves nothing is yet more posts moaning about how pointless this thread is.

 

That is a very interesting reply, as I would have thought ordinarily "insolvency".

 

Yes, this thread is pointless. Just like a bunch of guys talking football in the pub is pointless- except if I went to the Wheatsheaf and started talking about trains I'd get no response because everyone else will be talking about silage or IT.
This is a talking shop. No one expects it to be any more than that, neither do the football fans expect Giuseppe Managieri to change his squad based on their opinions. In isolation, however, many WSRA or WSSRT members might assume that all is well on the WSR because our individual misgivings must be unique. At the talking shop, we find that our opinions are not unique.
Sadly it was the WSSRT members who do not visit forums who were then persuaded by the existing trustees to kill off the only practical attempt at making changes.

As to this:

We did try to organise some action for real change. Look how that turned out. Now, as a member of both WSRA and WSRHT and a supporter of the WSR for 8 years, I have decided to cease all financial support to the WSR. I want the best for the line, I really do. However I do not believe that propping up the PLC while it pisses away our donations on lawyers and HR consultants, and persecutes competent railway workers who are perceived as a threat, is a good idea. I doubt the PLC will change just because its not getting £500 a year from me. I expect they will carry on just as they like for as long as they can. At least my hands will be clean

 

I would agree with that idea to provide the board with a hard hitting reality check of the situation they have put the railway in. However, it's never going to happen. There was a post yesterday (which I can't return to view for some reason) about disconnection between the board and volunteers/staff, and people continuing as normal if they are not being bothered on a daily basis. I think this is currently the case.

Speaking to some WSR volunteers recently, I understand the board are rarely seen around the railway, and the rare individual that is will only speak to those who bow to them as they walk by. Also, an interesting blog I recently discovered made note of the commercial director (or soon to be director) as travelling incognito on the rail replacement service recently.

To me, it doesn't seem like a board which is in touch with the rest of the railway. Of course, some may be choosing to stay away out of choice due to the virus, but why are those who can be present not show a face, talk to the people on the ground, instead of "showboating" on the footplate of an engine? Businesses don't really progress or succeed when those at the top don't and wont listen to the views of those at the bottom, I'm sure many on here have worked for those types of companies and can relate.

For the benefit of change, they need to urgently. But for the sanity of the people keeping the railway running successfully day to day, they need to stay well away.

 

Terse and telling.

 

I'd agree with you that Nat Pres not is the way to save the railway. Unfortunately nobody seems to have any solutions other than those already canvassed on here.
Any suggestions ?

 

Yet again you refuse to answer a straight question. I've done you the courtesy of treating your comments as genuine but, given your continuous evasiveness, have to draw the same conclusion as @Bayard that you are just trolling. How pitiful !

 

No one should take this post as agreeing that anyone is trolling but the usual advice about not feeding trolls is usually sage.

From a professional standpoint, I often find in court that question that a witness is unwilling or unable to answer is often highly telling.

Readers of this thread will have seen the failure to answer a simple question about safeguards for WSRHT funds. By virtue of those non-answers I will today be reducing my monthly covenant to the minimum to maintain membership.

 

The Plc runs the Railway. It has "power" by virtue of that. It can do whatever it feels is necessary. Regardless of who is on the board. I joined the WSR's volunteers in 1976 and there have been exceptionally good Plc boards and, shall we say, not so good Plc boards. There have been many "messes" left behind by those who eventually gave up "power" and moved on. But as things stand the health (or otherwise) of the Railway is 100% aligned with what the Plc do. Nothing will change that. Until the structure is changed. Whilst many of us want change, it will not happen unless the Plc agree to change. Which takes me back to my opening lines on this post. 'Bailey' gave us the first ever glimmer of hope of change. It forms the basis of the argument for change. The Plc's earlier views about 'Bailey' cannot be ignored by them. I come back to my steadfast view that discussion and persuasion is the best way to achieve change.

Steve
wsr.org.uk

 

Personally, I would regard a senior person travelling incognito as a good sign; keeping in touch with the customers is always key.

 

I would like to note the leaving the WSR for a new role of one of its full time paid staff, Stuart Nelhams.

Those who know Stu will know he joined the WSR as a teenager and then basically never went away. After a while they gave him a job and now as a forty something he can be described as the Swiss Army Knife of Heritage Railways. He can do anything operationally and admin wise, he has driven everything ever invented steam and diesel as a Traction Inspector, ran the SEC Courses, did the rostering, trained most of us in all the dark arts of the footplate, invented the timetables and diagrams and sorted out the million and one issues a large heritage railway throws up daily in a calm and positive way.

He can be described as one of the small team on the ground that make the trains run, paid for 5 days a week and always working 8. Most importantly he is one of the nicest blokes I’ve met and always looks after people first and foremost. I’d like to publicly thank him for looking after me when I joined the WSR and came up through the Loco Department ranks, he was always a pleasure to work with due to his positive can do attitude where he helped with issues such as unlocking the operational issues with things like the first 1940’s Weekend.

Stu has taken a role as General Manager of the L&BR and this is a great step for him in his career, opening up new challenges and opportunities, hopefully I’ll catch up with him there soon. Most certainly this move is the WSR’s loss and the L&BR’s gain.

 

A gentleman in the finest tradition. He will be very successful wherever he goes.