Which railways will still be with us in 10 years?

Others have said worse remarks than myself, yet you have a go at me, not that I am having a go at you.

It is reality I am afraid , not just the Bluebell as others are having the same problems.

You know who i am so may I have the pleasure of knowing who you are?, or do you always hide behind another name?.Better still do we know each other?.

No offence to you, just asking.

Regards
Chris Willis[/quote]

I'm sorry for the delay in responding, I didn't know there was a time limit.
I know you are not having a go at me, but you are at the Bluebell, thats why I responded.
I did meet you once at HK. Just ask Wardy who I am next time you see him. No hiding behind another name, poser is an old nickname from my younger years at the railway. I have signed as Dave G on other posts. Dave Gillam in full for your information.[/quote]

Thank you Dave, yes we have met once.

I should make this clear if I may?, I love the Bluebell Railway as much as you and the next man. I still have a great many friends there and will continue to do so. I have nothing against the members , the Society, and the board which may suprise you ,(and a few others as well proberbly.

It would be wrong to go into any other details, however I refer you to Martin "Scatchers " E-Mail from a few days ago on Bluebell Yahoo groups which said something along the lines that there are a few Directors with thier own agenda, his words Dave not mine.

I truly wish the Bluebell all the luck in the world.

Best regards
Chris Willis

 

I'm sorry for the delay in responding, I didn't know there was a time limit.
I know you are not having a go at me, but you are at the Bluebell, thats why I responded.
I did meet you once at HK. Just ask Wardy who I am next time you see him. No hiding behind another name, poser is an old nickname from my younger years at the railway. I have signed as Dave G on other posts. Dave Gillam in full for your information.[/quote]

Thank you Dave, yes we have met once.

I should make this clear if I may?, I love the Bluebell Railway as much as you and the next man. I still have a great many friends there and will continue to do so. I have nothing against the members , the Society, and the board which may suprise you ,(and a few others as well proberbly.

It would be wrong to go into any other details, however I refer you to Martin "Scatchers " E-Mail from a few days ago on Bluebell Yahoo groups which said something along the lines that there are a few Directors with thier own agenda, his words Dave not mine.

I truly wish the Bluebell all the luck in the world.

Best regards
Chris Willis[/quote]

Hat off to Chris! And the next man!!!

Cheers

Andy

 

All this banging on about the Bluebell surprises me. IMHO it was one of the first to start (if not the first) and will be one of the last to go.
Sadly (again IMHO) ones that might go under include Embsay and Bolton, Rother Valley, Telford Horsehay and Northampton and Lampart.
Don't misunderstand me, I'm not wishing for it to happen they just don't seem to cut the mustard.

 

Mustad? do you mean mustard?.

CW

 

Spelling now corrected. If the wires go up on the GWML it would almost certainly screw up Didcot completely. Perhaps they should consider relocation in the longer term.

 

But where?, and can you imagine the sheer physical effortto transfer what is at Didcot in what might be a short timescale?

Regards
Chris

 

You two aren't keeping up with each other; are you?

 

Sorry, been a long weekend volunteering.

Regards
Chris

 

the only way that electrification woud effect didcot is when having to move anything that is over the network rail hight limit for going under the wires , what would be more of a problem is loss of the site because network rail needed parts of it so where could they go, the triangle at nortonfizwarren would be a good site, plus giving the gws the chance to streach its locos legs on both the wsr and mainline it would be ironic if the increase in rail travel lead to the loss of didcot

 

One thing I have been discussing with someone by PM recently is where are the people going to come from who are going to run these railways? By that I don't mean the day to day operation, but at making decisions at a Board and Trust Council level?

For example, how many of your railway's younger volunteers would be interested in taking a day out to sit in meetings, or to field phone calls at all hours of the night about the railway? And more to the point, how old is your railway's current youngest Board/Council member?

 

I agree with what you are saying, but the other side to that coin is, when are the older volunteers going to acknowledge that younger people exist and welcome then to take an active part in 'their' railway's development? There are far too many railways being run by egos and empire builders who are unwilling to show others how to do the job or to open up their clique to let others feel welcome. I know that there are a few railways who make the effort (although it would be interesting to know if the younger volunteers are just used for the dirty jobs and never allowed to progress), but I have come across this problem numerous times at different volunteer organisations.


Keith

 

Why does a CEO or director have to come from inside the railway? A manager is a manager is a manager whether it's running a biscuit manufacturer or a railway. He just has to know how to make a business work and can delegate the finer points to those with specific knowledge.

 

I'm not sure that every manager is the same. A manager on a preserved railway needs to know how to work with and manage volunteers as well as the permanent staff. As I understand it, a few years ago the SVR found that not all managers have this ability.


Keith

 

Although I am a frequent critic;I must say in fairness to the board, that error was corrected PDQ. The replacement doesn't come from a heritage railway background but seems to be doing fine so far.

 

Thats a very good point Chessie. A good manager is someone who can delegate the right jobs to the right people, knows how to talk to people and not talk down to them,and knows when and how to say thank you to volunteers who have greater knowledge and experiance than they do, and above all listen to what others have to say.

It doesn,t take rocket science to work this out, but as Keith has so rightly pointed out they are some directors and Managers whose positions have gone to their head and will not back down or think they know everything. Some even think it is their Railway to do what they like with it because they have usually failed tn their own private careers.

Just my opinion.

Chris

 

Just to be clear - I wasn't having a go at the SVR! The same mistake could have (and possibly has) been made by any railway.
The new(ish!) SVR manager does seem to be doing a good job - I thought he had come from within the SVR actually, so more power to his elbow for managing things so well!


Keith

 

I appreciate your point, but still where are these directors going to come from? If they are going to be paid, then most railways are in the lower pay bracket for people of that sort of managerial experience, and how many railways will be able to afford to do this? Most of our major railways already have their full time, day to day managers on a paid basis, but at Board level I would imagine the majority of directors are volunteers.

If they are going to do it as a volunteer, then there will have to be some form on inducement to doing it in their spare time if they are not already from within (and I include in that the so-called 'armchair members') the railway.

Then you have the issue of who is going to be a director/trustee of the charitable trust. I know a number of railways have rules within their constitution preventing the directors of the Trust, and therefore the senior body, from being in paid employment and receiving remuneration from the subsiduary trading company (for example, see the Swanage Railway Trust's mem and arts at www.swanagerailwaytrust.org.uk). Unless younger people are forthcoming, then there is every chance that this could lead to a vacuum at the top in years to come and a limited number of people with suitable/sufficient experience for these posts.

I hasten to add that this is a worst case scenario, but something that railways need to at least bear in mind.

 

Yet on New Year's day (or was it January 2?) when I went there the trains were full and standing! That suggests to me there's a fair amount of local support for the railway, doesn't it to you?

With an area like Cornwall (whose permanent population would fit into one of the larger London boroughs), business is always going to be seasonal and reflect the numbers of tourists visiting. The last couple of years haven't been great for Cornwall as a whole, but the signs so far are that this year things could be better if hotel bookings and the like are anything to go by.

I'm not a member or volunteer at the BWR but there's a very definite focus on improving the facilities and getting the fundamentals spot-on which is bearing fruit, and their management team is very switched on. I disagree with you: I think the BWR will survive, and indeed, thrive.

Andy Roden

 

I wouldn't like to say for sure if the BWR will survive or not. (It deserves to survive a lot more than some others IMHO).

One thing for certain is others mentioned here will fold which might help out those others near the threshold by diverting members and customers IYSWIM.

According to its web site the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway may be in trouble. Others that looks decidedly shakey the last time I visited them was the Northampton & Lamport Railway along with the Epping Ongar Railway. The Bramleyline doesn't look too healthy either. This isn't an exhaustive list.

Don't get me wrong I'm not wishing for their downfall. I'm trying to be realistic.

I think the only one I'd not wish well is the Painton & Dartmouth, yet I think its pretty safe. It seems to have lost its way excluding volunteers from all but the mundane of tasks.

 

They are control freaks and proberbly making a lot of money for themselves too.

There are a few more Railways like that.

Regards
Chris