West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Thanks for clarifying Ian. I asked as a couple of earlier posts mentioned non-revenue movements. Can I assume the industrial units at BL visible on Google Earth, flanking the WSR, aren't owned by the railway?

 

The WSR does not own or occupy any of the buildings to the east of the station in the Broadgauge Business Park, but the one building you can see to the west of the station is owned by the WSRA and is used by the maintenance team and also has some meeting rooms.

 

In BR days there was a passing loop at Kentsford, about 1 1/2 miles east of Washford, but with no platforms. I think it's a 'WIBN' project on the list for restoration in the distant future!

Whilst a loop at WD would be possible, it might not be very long as the downhill gradients start at the ends of the platform, which can only accommodate 7 coaches (or loco + 6) on the relatively flat part at the top. I presume you are thinking of constructing a platform in the yard for up trains?

 

A railway is more than its motive power. The WSR has steep gradients, variety of attractive scenery, splendid country stations and above all, it retains the atmosphere of a GWR country branch line. Certainly, I enjoy a steam trip over the Settle & Carlisle, also the Welsh narrow gauge, but I get just as much, if not more, out of a trip over the WSR. The WSR has much that simply cannot be found elsewhere, except possibly the Severn Valley.

And the Minehead to Washford times seem perfectly reasonable to me -
1220 MD-WT 1255 - plenty of time for lunch and a walk around the town, possibly a walk up the path to Washford, and catch the train back from there.
1526 WT-MD 1600
Staff availability permitting, perhaps Minehead shed could be open for visitors to have a look before getting on their train? This seems to work OK at Bodmin and Buckfastleigh.

 

I think the record of the WSR as a whole over the past decade, given all the infighting and poor management, is actually pretty amazing. If they can keep going through all that, just think what a railway it would be if everyone at the top sorted themselves out.

 

I believe a strength of the WSR is the ability to offer a variety of different experiences as there are so many different potential customers.
There has been much discussion regarding the pivotal role played by Watchet. It is a very useful break of journey location for families, with plenty to do to fill a couple of hours, with a wide range of eating places, two museums, lots of shops with visitor appeal, and the harbours to explore. [Lets hope they clear the mud out of the marina!] So the ability to have an hour or two there is an attraction.
But there is also a market for people who want the 'ride on a steam train' experience, but who don't have a great deal of time. ['We need to get back sooner so Freddy can have his swim' , or 'We are driving back to Birmingham today' . etc.]
The 30 minute journey from Minehead, with an option to wait 20 minutes on Watchet platform before coming straight back, is surprisingly popular. With an hour travelling you really do get to enjoy the steam train experience, and you get back just as soon as if you had taken a shorter ride. and its more miles per pound. [There are limited occasions when trains cross at Blue Anchor, when you can make a and dash from one platform to the other. Not good with kiddies or granny]. The nervous passenger ['quote- do we need to get off before we come back'] can be cheered up by the fact there is only one platform at Watchet and that 'the return train cannot leave Watchet before you get there.' [Unless they re-time the service to cross at Blue Anchor of course! A rare occurrence.]

 

It might be true that a railway is more than its motive power but there again this is only partially true. How many locomotives are on the WSR? A search for details of the locomotives to be found still reveals a locomotive that it does not want, actually two engines. There might well be a couple of engines nominally on the books as it were but it is in no position to use them. Shall we look at the SVR, perhaps not, but they can run RA9 locomotives and so it goes on. You need the spice to add life.
The railway might have steep gradients but other lines do too and steeper, they have their scenery and attractive stations and though you might retain the atmosphere of a GWR country branch line you are not on your own here. Where you are on your own is in maintaining another atmosphere and those who blindly support the line have been exposed to it for so long that they no longer notice it. If you live in an area you become desensitised to what is around you that a visitor will readily notice - think visiting rural agricultural areas when you seldom if ever leave the suburbs.
A steam trip has to be realistic and trundling along at 20 - 25 mph might be realistic for some scenarios but it is most unrealistic for others. On the narrow gauge the standard of performance required is very high, frequently higher than it was in pre-preservation days. For standard gauge if you want to experience a realistic performance then you have little choice other than to choose the mainline.
The WSR has very little that is desirable that cannot be found elsewhere. Sadly it does manage to have some things that you wouldn't particularly want to find anywhere.

 

Do you seriously think more people travel BL-WT and WT-MD than a full line return?

Like you say you have no data, but I very much doubt that is true.

I do not agree a loop at Washford would increase that much flexibility if you wanted to run trains only to Watchet. You then have a problem at Dunster.

 

I'm sorry but what a load of tosh. It's almost like you've never, rarely or not recently been to the railway.

Yeah the website is out of date on the locos front, but to joe blogs 7828 is Henry. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. Dartmouth's page was out of date until recently.

WSR can't be a mainline running at 75mph, nor can it change it's geographical location to Cymru, so these comparisons are pointless. Locos work pretty damn hard on the WSR, in both directions for sustained periods of time.

The gradients on offer, yes there are steeper in some places, however MD to BL locos face 1 in 65 for 2 miles and 1 in 80 for 6 miles, no other railway comes close other than NYMR which is about 400 miles away. Bodmin has 1 in 37 but the locos barely do 5mph it seems on times. Swings and roundabouts.

MHR is steep but it runs from a field to a field, through some fields and an embankment. It's an alright line, I'd go back, but the scenery is no better than the WSR.

The SVR can run RA9 locos yes, but has severe restrictions that means no double heading of even medium sized locomotives. Swings and roundabouts.

 

If the railway feels Watchet is a destination then it really needs to do more than put "Tickets for travel between intermediate stations are available to purchase on the day from our booking offices." at the bottom of the website fares page after the fares.

It took two visits before I even noticed it (thought they were still only doing return trip fares) and I look at a lot of railway websites. Having looked at £30 adult £15 child, most would be put off thinking it will be a high price, but why if not then have to go somewhere (MD or BL) on the day to find out if it is cheap enough or too dear for what you want to pay.

These days surely the aim is to attract as many passengers as possible, and remember most of the time these will not be enthusiasts. So as nice a the stations may be, or how steep the gradients are it may be of only a passing or no interest at all.

 

Somewhere along the way I blinked...and missed about six pages! I've had to skip to the end in order to catch up, so apologies if I've missed something, but....

On the subject of 'use' of Washford as a station or not:-

1. I have made the point before, and it is even more important now with the demise of the S&DRT presence, that in all honesty there is not a great deal by way of 'tourist attractions' in the immediate vicinity of Washford and its station to encourage passengers to stop off there. I would be only too happy for people to prove me wrong !

2. I can recall occasions in the past when the WSR complained about the lack of days when the station itself was opened and manned. At one time IIRC they even tried to appoint their own Station Master , which turned out to be a very short-lived experiment. It would seem very strange therefore if they were now to decide not to man the station, or even convert the building to non-railway uses, given the fuss that they seem to have made about getting it back.

 

Washford is hardly Las Vegas, but there is the Old Cleeve Abbey just up the road, and Washford Inn. The WSR could advertise the playing fields as a good stop off point for families with children.

The WSR do plan on staffing the station.

 

I think the phrase is "clutching at straws" - and that's despite forgetting the very nice walk up the mineral railway.

When my kids were the right age for that kind of stop, playing fields up the road (and across a green A road) were not a good draw to a destination - we would tend to have kept looking. And if I want a pub meal, I can just stay aboard a few more minutes to Watchet, where I have a choice.

 

Oh, I very much doubt if you are sorry.

You are undoubtedly wedded to perpetually defending the totally indefensible. When you have excavated a deep enough hole you have to know when to stop because to continue simply makes the escape from the hole the more difficult if not impossible. The WSR likes digging holes too so this aspect of the line must make you an ideal supporter.

The big question for the line is how does it balance the books. How do you propose to pay the bills? You need more fare paying passengers and associated revenue streams and you are not going to get those in the light of rapidly increasing energy costs and inflation impacting everything else which might be seen as an excuse for the now but the railway has always struggled for passenger numbers even in better times. How much might the members be willing and able to contribute and how much would they really need to find? Do you have any wealthy backers who could lose a 6 figure sum on a regular basis?

Where do you get the money that you need in order to continue to exist?

 

You are going on mute now. Yes I even forgot the mineral line walk. So there's plenty to do in the area, and there's no pub all but on Watchet platform.

 

As a booking office clerk at Minehead I often had people asking what they could 'do' at different places. Generally people who do not read notices. I moved heaven and earth to encourage people to take a return to Washford and visit Cleeve Abbey, which is an absolutely delightful location. I made little leaflets to show them how to get there from the station and detailing all the train times to get back. The majority were put off by the need to pay to get in, and by the fact it was a 10/15 minute walk. [The children would not want to walk that far!] What a shame!

 

Over the years I have stayed at B&Bs in the WD area, visited some of the attractions - and pubs! - in the area and - sorry WD, but been distinctly under-whelmed.

Yes, there is Cleeve Abbey - been there, done that, very nice if you like that sort of historical site, but not something that would attract me back at regular intervals.

Yes, there is the WSMR walk - been there, done that too walking from WT to WD and getting the train back and being shocked at the cost of a single from WD to WT But I wouldn't want to go to WD specifically to do that walk regularly.

Yes, there is the Washford Inn, but last time I went in there I almost had to fight my way thru' the group of 'lager louts' blocking the entrance and one sample of their wine put me off their bar-keeping for life. Maybe it's much better now, but why take the risk when I could go to the White Horse instead?

There is also Old Cleeve itself, a nice little village/hamlet and lovely old church, but no easy route without walking along the narrow lanes (or has that been improved recently?).

But of course, unless I go by car, then there is the problem of walking to/from the station and the outlying places on roads which frankly are either far too busy and/or too narrow and none have pavements. Unless you 'just happen' to know the back footpaths and side-roads from the station into the village - and you take you life in your hands if you try to walk to Billbrook!

 

A simple (in my opinion) solution for Washford station. A request stop as Doniford . would allow for those who want Like me .to walk the Mineral Line or visit Cleeve Abbey.