West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Cleeve Abbey and Old Cleeve are two different places, in opposite directions from the station.

 

Appeal total update on Facebook: £170,343 (last update was 14th December at £167,424)

 

Quite, if the station isn't staffed, what does it matter if there is nothing much to go to in the vicinity? The Plc have to maintain the station whether it's open or not, unless they want to go for the "Beeching Look" and the additional running costs of having it as a stop are pretty close to zero.

 

Lost half my post. Can't be bothered to type it again.
Apologies

 

WOW !!!

 

No need to fret. Mr. Jones-Pratt has announced ''a record-breaking month of Santa Specials and new Winterlights trains brought in around £271,000 and £204,000 was clear profit''. <BJ>

 

On that sort of profit margin I cannot see why any Heritage Line would ever need to make any appeals for cash.

 

Indeed, there's obviously no need to give to any appeal ever with that kind of performance! Of course, what that message doesn't say and can't say is that it's measured on direct costs of operation, and makes no provision for the indirect cost of providing a railway for them to operate on.

 

Or cost of legal fees defending various decisions that have been made in the last few years

 

Law Firms (even those in Clitheroe) are not cheap

 

If my O level arithmetic and memory serve me right £204,000 won't go very far in paying the £500,000 needed to keep going for the next year unless similar spectacular profits can be made from part full midweek trains throughout the summer season,

 

That is what profits are for - or should be!

 

To be fair, the NYMR's YMJ appeal is edging up by similarly unspectacular amounts these days - but it does at least stand at ca. 9,700,000 in total (admittedly a lot of that being grants, but I'm sure that it doesn't include any savings from switching energy suppliers!

 

Time of post noted. Can't say I blame you!

 

I think there are quite a few grants in the WSR's total, too.

 

What with special measures dictated everywhere by the covid situation, unpicking precisely what's come from where and why ought to keep our statistically inclined membership busy for a while.

 

As regards the financial situation of the WSR, going forward, time will tell, A lot of things can change , just one mistake, can wipe out any gains made, just as a good season, and careful management can ensure survivability, There is still a lot that could go wrong, this is going to be a tough time for all railways, People will be very careful with what leisure money they have, and for some families, that means not spending, unless its an special occation, We are not out of the woods by any means, Covid is still an issue, and its going to be compounded by rising living costs, people will be watching their out goings very carefully, and places that can offer better value for money might do better than places like the WSR,
If a day out at the L&B, or ESR Offers more to do, at a more affordable cost, potential customers might opt to go there instead.

 

Well no, it’s ought to be quite simple. Loans by the Government are not part of an appeal total (because they have to be paid back). Furlough support of staff wages by the Government is not part of an appeal total (that’s just like a change to Government taxation arrangements, in essence). Cost savings from utility and other suppliers is not part of an appeal total (that’s just the normal ebb and flow of your budget process: if the railway wants to count that as a donation to the appeal, perhaps they’ll add the massive hike in coal prices on the way as a debit …) DCMS and HLF grants, and smaller ones from other bodies could be counted, though beware double counting: if hypothetically one of the support bodies raised £10k and gave it as a grant to the plc, then that is £10k of new money donated to the railway, not £20k …

It shouldn’t be rocket science: nowhere else I know would include a budget saving made by renegotiating a supply contract as a donation to an appeal.

The question of the railway’s long-term financial viability is opaque. The £200k or so listed as profit from the winter services is what you’d expect in gross terms; for most railways that is the kind of boost to cash flow you get which then tides you over the January-March period where normally outgoings are high (due to high levels of maintenance work underway) but income low (due to sparse or no service). If the WSR isn’t keeping up with its maintenance backlog then it is doomed, though not necessarily imminently.

Tom

 

All true Tom, if only visible to those with direct access to 'the books' i.e. few among our number.

 

Talking of finances, has there been any physical work carried out on Williton goods shed yet? The scaffolding has now been up for over a year, i hope its not on hire ! Also i note from a picture on Steve Edge's excellent website wsr.org ,more expenditure needed on the down end door on Dunster goods shed !