West Somerset Railway General Discussion

They probably don't need it now that they have a better loco - 80080 - in on hire. After all which would you rather have?

Peter

 

Well done JJP !

 

So do you know this for certain or are you just speculating on past form? Is it not possibler that the agreement was terminated by mutual consent?

Just asking.

Peter

 

Supporting a distant relatively newcomer that an iconic loco will attract custom.

 

Reputation, or lack of it ........ carries a lot of weight.

 

Yes just to clarify, there are no plans for Guest Engines for the April Return to Minehead weekend. Visiting locomotives are being considered for the Spring Steam Gala which is May 5th to 8th.

There is no minimum requirement in terms of number of locomotives for a gala. Timetables are written around expected number of locos, engines will not be hired just to fill a slot in the timetable - they need to be commercially attractive to sell tickets. Quality over quantity.

It is not likely that any diesels will run at the Steam Galas and vice versa (except perhaps in the event of a failure.)

Gala announcements will come soon.

Seb Welsh GPT Chairman

 

Unless there is any reliable comment from the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway I see little point in speculation

 

But that would be contrary to all NP tradition.

It does seem odd that an agreement covering several years has ended after just a couple of months, but that sort of thing often happens in business as circumstances change. I'm just hoping it was a mutually agreed ending.

 

I find it rather interesting that the railway terminated a number of loco contracts for various reasons only to then hire in the Chairmans loco.

I can see a number of people not being too happy about this!

 

I was told about this move some time ago. As regards to 'under cover accommodation' the two leading charities were offered under cover accommodation back in 2019 , A Grade 2 listed building in the East Midlands. estimated cost at the time was between £250K-300K for dismantlement transport and rebuilding. The project was lead by one Trustee of each of the Charities. Both are no longer Trustees due to the divide and conquer attitude of certain person/s. This project is now on the back burner with little thought or action by the two charities. So it goes.

 

A bit longer than that, to be fair, the above announcement was dated Nov. ‘20. Still a lot less than the 2025 envisaged at the time - but I’d imagine it’s possible for loco agreements to include break clauses with at least a required period of notice.

 

I think JJP has announced somewhere in the press that Kinlet Hall is expected to be back in working order later this year. What are the odds that a "reappraisal" of the WSR track and bridges will be made that allows it to run there after all!!??

 

Way back when, what locos were employed on those summer specials* which originally necessitated platform lengthening at Minehead?

*i.e. earlier than Classes 35, 42 or 52

 

.... and what better place than Washford could there possibly be to keep them, with the line upgraded and a lovely compound it's a win-win

 

Fair enough, but then why did 6960 have to leave the line because it was "too heavy" ?