Teifi Valley Railway

I'm hearing today (since seen on the railway's website) that the TVR is closed as a railway due to track issues and looking to operate a "land train" instead on the route whilst the steam loco and carriages are displayed at Henllan. A land train sounds horribly like a road train to me, are we going to see track lifted to make this happen?

 

damn .I drove almost past the place last week and left it for another day.

 

Been hearing bad stories coming from the Teifi for a while, can't say I'm overly shocked about this. Their option to not use a timetable this year but operate 'on demand' was a bit perplexing also

 

Time will tell

 

Looking at the web site, I see that the loco's and stock are owned by the Society but (and quite a big 'but') the track and land is owned by someone else.

 

Exactly Ian, that is the concern

 

I've been a member of the TVR Society since 1978 and a director on and off for 30 years. The property is owned by the Company, which holds the LRO. Visitor numbers dropped and all the directors and Society members died or got old. The spirit went. The Responsible Person/Chief Engineer was incompetent and his health gradually deteriorated to the point where he could no longer function. When a local businessman turned up and said he could put money into reinvigorating the place, he was jumped at. However a grave mistake was made with the wording of his contract, and he took over running trains. He now behaves as if he actually owns the place. I am trying to put things right but its a tough ask.

 

You may need a friendly lawyer who'll help for free...

 

All the best to resolve the problems and hope that you can get things up and running satisfactorily again.

 

Have I got it right that this person who has muscled in is the one proposing to run land-trains?

 

Yes that's right

 

so in that case do I take it that he has also muscled in on the Society website? It seems on that website that it is the Society proposing to run the land-train.

 

My understanding and I may be wrong is that the land train will go in the other direction e.g. towards Llandysul so will not effect the current operation other than to provide useful revenue during the non operating period this summer.

 

He has dictated the text on the Society website. The original plan was to run the land train on the undeveloped trackbed towards Llandysul. This latest plan is to rip up the track to the original terminus at Pontprenshitw and run the land train there. Since he has been taking all the ticket revenue his sole aim is to get money in from somewhere.

 

Can you spell out the exact position ...does this person own any of the stock or track and land?

 

No, I was not Incompetant nor severely ill, in-fact I just passed a medical for Pilot training. There are serious problems down there whic solicitors are looking into regarding the track being ripped up etc. which I cannot go into on an open forum but just to say the HRA has advised some directors past and present to do this.

 

He does not own anything! The society owns most of the rolling stock, including Sgt. Murphy, Alan George is owned by a consortium of members but the society has the majority share and the company owns the track and land also the LRO which is not transferable to anyone else , hence the legal action presently being undertaken by some directors present and past due to you cant change of use to that (there is also a major problem that no-one can lease the operation of the railway to a third party)! Also, no planning permission etc. This has been advised by both the HRA and the ORR!

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/protectsycamorestreet/?fref=ts

The Board chairman and the Society magazine editor are now evidently acting as puppets of the tenant. They have started lifting the rails. Unbelievable.