West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Re earlier ......"Petrol and Diesel" Post#40732.....Nice composition Robin, was the car an MGA?

 

Thanks - ‘Iris’

'Study in blue'

 

Nearly got it's cloaking device working there I see, Robin!

 

Nice. Very nice!

 

Where do you think the idea for 'adaptive camouflage' in 'Die Another Day' came from?

 

Just a thought ........


The donkey told the tiger, "The grass is blue."

The tiger replied, "No, the grass is green ."

The discussion became heated, and the two decided to submit the issue to arbitration, so they approached the lion.

As they approached the lion on his throne, the donkey started screaming: ′′Your Highness, isn't it true that the grass is blue?"

The lion replied: "If you believe it is true, the grass is blue."

The donkey rushed forward and continued: ′′The tiger disagrees with me, contradicts me and annoys me. Please punish him."

The king then declared: ′′The tiger will be punished with 3 days of silence."

The donkey jumped with joy and went on his way, content and repeating ′′The grass is blue, the grass is blue..."

The tiger asked the lion, "Your Majesty, why have you punished me, after all, the grass is green?"

The lion replied, ′′You've known and seen the grass is green."

The tiger asked, ′′So why do you punish me?"

The lion replied, "That has nothing to do with the question of whether the grass is blue or green. The punishment is because it is degrading for a brave, intelligent creature like you to waste time arguing with an ass, and on top of that, you came and bothered me with that question just to validate something you already knew was true!"

The biggest waste of time is arguing with the fool and fanatic who doesn't care about truth or reality, but only the victory of his beliefs and illusions. Never waste time on discussions that make no sense. There are people who, for all the evidence presented to them, do not have the ability to understand. Others who are blinded by ego, hatred and resentment, and the only thing that they want is to be right even if they aren’t.

When IGNORANCE SCREAMS, intelligence moves on.

 

Well, we’ve had 24 hours of nonsense. Maybe we can back to the real world.
I’ve been at Blue Anchor for 11 days. I’ve spent 3 days travelling on the trains, once at the 1940’s event at twice at the Mixed Traction weekend.
I shall go away with a feeling of optimism; the trains were well patronised on the Sunday of the 1940’s weekend. Yesterday was fairly quiet but today was amazing. I travelled with a friend (a NP poster) from Stogumber to Blue Anchor. We wanted to be at the front of the train, close to the locomotive, but the only seats vacant were at the very back of the train. Okay, many of he seats were taken by a coach party, but as a WSR supporter it was very encouraging.
As I said to my friend when I left the train at Blue Anchor. if this is a railway that’s about to fail there will be many disappointed people.
Sincere thanks to the WSR and its staff that do such a wonderful job.

 

Just had two days on WSR for D7018,my first for two years and ones I’d feared may never happen.
Staff all friendly and welcoming ,stock refreshed and clean .
Yesterday appeared quiet and today not busy on the eight trains travelled on apart from the afternoon train to Dunster (due to reserved coaches for a coach party and cream teas ) and the return from Dunster was full as in passengers sat at all tables .

 

Having read that line again I feel I should correct myself. I am certainly not suggesting that in my opinion the WSR will fail.
What I should have said is that I think that those who predict a failure (and maybe hope for it) will be disappointed.

 

Completely agree. The railway looks excellent and the trains have been well patronised. I traveled last weekend and was very impressed with the whole look and feel. The latest chairman's newsletter gives more details of the finances and strategy. It is optimistic but realistic and gives a lot of positivity for the future.
Ian C

 

Until you remember that we are constantly being told that fare income, however well filled the trains are, is never enough - and that's from lines that are ostensibly not in the financially murky and stormy waters that the WSR is lingering in.

 

If you think there are a lot of WSR critics who want the line to fail, I reckon you're very confused. Most people in that group have, I expect, never even met the main protagonists there, so any negativity is not based on personal animosities (as most of the intra-WSR ill-feelings seem to be); rather, they're so upset because they think the line is at risk of failing - i.e. a failure is not what they want.

Noel

 

I for one do not want the WSR to fail, I do however think whilst it and it’s current management continue to navigate its current course something will go bang at some point.

 

Can you name anyone on here who hopes that the line will fail? Many of us do fear, and some of us expect, that it will fail because of inadequate finance and various management failings, particularly inconsistent messaging and alienation of potential donors. Some of us hope that, if it fails, that happens sooner rather than later, when more of the assets may be saveable.

 

If people wanted the WSR to fail why would they spend so much time suggesting and supporting alternative ways of doing things and ways to improve the financial performance and management of the line?

If people wanted the line to fail it would surely be more effective to say 'f these guys and the horse they rode in on, not my clowns, not my circus' and let the current management run the railway into the ground and not give them ideas or the benefit of experience from other lines or walks of life.

But I am curious, how are critical posters on an internet forum responsible for:

i) The mismanagement of Seaward Way and the financial hit caused?
ii) The eviction of the S&DRT and the loss of a valuable engine?
iii) The failure to run last year and the financial hit caused?
iv) The problems with SMS and ORR?
v) The infrastructure issues and the inability to finance their remedying?
vi) The decision in a financial crisis to spend a 5 figure sum on lawyers to persecute volunteers?
vii) The failure to implement Coombes and subsequently Bailey to improve the governance and financial situation of the railway?
viii) Poor public communication and the breakdown in the relationship between stakeholders?

Stop playing the victim. There is only one group of people who are going to cause the failure of the WSR and it isn't posters in an obscure corner of the internet.

 

As ever, as soon as anything negative is said about the management, , note i say Management, not railway, the " usual suspects " surface again, to spring to the defence of said management, its almost like Being in North Korea, say anything that shows the " dear leader" in bad light, and you end up in serious trouble, luckily we don't live in an Totalitarian regime and have the freedom to disagree, its a shame people on the WSR, don't .

 

History is littered with examples of companies that went on putting out an excellent product right up until the day they went bust.

 

On occasion, it's been precisely the excellence of a product which led to ultimate failure.

For the record, all else aside, I sincerely hope the WSR continues and prospers. It's a wonderful railway. Show me a line anywhere without it's share of 'issues', operational or otherwise.

 

Tender T2061 for Odney Manor.

Following on from lots of photographs of bits of plate work held together with nuts and bolts, yesterday we started to put in a few of the multitude of small rivets that will eventually hold it all together.

It began a bit slowly but after getting into a rhythm we later peaked at 3 rivets a minute.

Photos taken by Steve Ryall.

Andy.