GWSR General Discussion and Operations

No, bridge 8 takes the B4632 over the line at Stanton and has had a traffic light for quite a while now. We are under pressure to remove the lights.

The cutting at Winchcombe is currently occupied by contractors repairing the slip caused by someone building houses close to the cutting, and then routing the rainwater into the ground in our direction.

Further along at Dixton (using the same closure) we are replacing rail at Dixton.

It's all go during the winter closure!

There was a heavy snowstorm first thing, but it didn't deter the lighter-uppers, and our two Santa trains ran to Winchcombe on schedule.

 

Thanks for the helpful reply! Glad the Santa trains got off to a good start

 

Ah I see! Thanks very much Glad to hear the house builders are bearing the costs.

 

I suppose so.

 

Good news, just seen on the GWSR website that the £200K for Bridge 8 has been raised and the appeal is now closed.

Sent from my SM-A202F using Tapatalk

 

Why do we always slam the door on appeals as soon as the amount is reached? This is not a permanent fix, it's another patch, it rolls the problem further along ahead of us. We were here 13 years ago.

 

Essentially because if you are a charity and you are raising into restricted (ring fenced) funds, you can only spend on what the appeal describes. So if you need £200k to repair a bridge and raise £250k for the "repair the bridge appeal" because you leave the appeal open, you can't actually do anything with the surplus £50k. You get faced with the choice of leaving it redundantly in your account, or offering to return it to the donors (and hoping they say "please keep it and transfer it to your general fund").

Of course, you could make the aims of the restricted fund broader (for example, an "infrastructure" fund, but people often get less willing to donate as the aims become broader and less clearly defined.

So there is a balancing act: if you make the description of the restricted fund tighter, people can see the immediate benefit but you have to accept that anything raised beyond what you need has to be returned - or at least offered to be returned. Alternatively, make the terms vague and people may not be so willing to donate.

There's an important bargain that is struck when fundraising: the donor gives you money, but in exchange they have an expectation that you will spend it on the thing they donated towards and not on anything else. Breaking that trust is perilous, which is why there are tight controls around the use of restricted funds.

Tom

 

I interpreted Breva's comment to mean that the current appeal was to provide a short-term fix and temporary answer to a problem which, sooner or later, will need addressing on a much larger scale. In that scenario I tend to agree with him that the appeal could be left open as any funds surplus to the amount needed at the moment could go towards the longer term goal of permanently fixing the problem. In that respect there would be no contradiction as the "surplus" raised would still be used for the same purpose and I would think most donors would be happy with that.

 

https://www.gwsr.com/planning_your_visit/visiting_gwsr/travelling_on_the_gwsr.html

Post Christmas services sadly cancelled.

 

35006 storms past Hayles Abbey this morning with some cracking whistles from the footplate crew.

 

A few moments later, P&O pulled into P2 at Winchcombe.

You can see fireman Steve offering the token. It was certainly steamy and blowy today. Lots of happy Santa customers. Reduced numbers due to Covid spacing requirements, but still cash in the till.

Post Christmas trains cancelled though :-( Covid again.

 

Great video Adam! Thanks for sharing

I was down on Wednesday as well - was great to see 'P&O' running. The (relatively) newly overhauled class 47 was looking super too!

Here's my video from the day. Hope you enjoy it! Comments and feedback welcome




Also, an unrelated question, but on several of the photos from the 40th anniversary gala I've seen the headboard 'The Deva' being used - I was wondering what this refers to? I assume it has some connection to the anniversary? Thanks in advance

 

Locking at the GWSR blogs recently, looks like they have a very busy two month ahead. Some bits I’ve picked out below.

Major repairs to the road bridge over the railway covered by the £200k recently raised in a month
Significant repairs and civils work to land slip south of Winchcombe due to the new houses built at top of embankment. Covered by the builder insurance I believe.
Extending the canopy on the north end of Broadway station building in platform 1. To join up with the new passenger bridge steps. Scaffold up this week. All volunteer labour and material waiting like a coiled spring!
Numerous p way works replacing life expired rails, sleeps and at least a couple of complete points
All plus the continuing work in carriage and wagon, Usk building, loco prep and repairs, lineside clearance and drainage works etc. etc.

All the above to be ready for March start of season trains. They always manage to this stuff done in time, even with only a handful of paid staff. Good luck and I hope the weather is kind.

 

Anyone know why the Broadway webcam is down at the moment? Really wanted to check on the progress of the canopy extension work.

 

See Tuesday's report (towards the bottom)
http://haylesabbeyhalt.blogspot.com/

 

We will be working more frequently on the last part of the canopy, so I will post on the blog more frequently. There will be an update later today, for example, so you will see not only pictures, but get an explanation.

This was the situation this morning. We called a halt at lunch time, due to sleet, rain and wind. Back tomorrow.

 

Apologies, only just spotted this. Back in the early days the GWRT ran a number of rail tours, one of them being the 'Deva'. The son of one of the founding members of the railway was the driver of 7903 that day, the headboard was dug out of store and well, there you have it...!

 

Well glad you got snow, it was just complete rubbish in the South East!

Anyhow, Facebooked the GWSR Steam Fast page couple of days ago to ask when they are going to update the page as they have something happening in the platinum jubilee weekend, still nothing.

TBH I won't be attending, it would be practically suicide to travel from Portsmouth to Cheltenham, there and back in one day, relying on our rather unreliable rail system.

 

Err.... You're complaining about lack of information on a gala 6 months away, which you then go on to say you won't be going to anyway? You are being unreasonable. More information will be released when things have been confirmed. Bothering people who monitor our Facebook pages won't make that happen any quicker.

 

1. Not complaining, stating a fact.
2. Not being unreasonable, just checking if the information they told me is correct.
3. I don't bother people on Facebook.

I do worry about events AND SOMETIMES become obsessive about said events, but at the end of the day, I am only looking out for the happiness of my fellow enthusiasts, If a huge event goes without a hitch, I am happy that everyone is happy, if it doesn't go well, I am sad that everyone is sad.
Railway and otherwise.