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S&D Railway Trust

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Andy Norman, Feb 24, 2020.

  1. Andy Norman

    Andy Norman Member

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    Press Release from the S&DRT courtesy of Steve Edge's wsr.org.uk web-site: http://www.wsr.org.uk/sdrt24feb2020.pdf
     
  2. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Given that the DEPG is in effect the de-facto diesel restoration and maintenance facility for the WSR, I’m amazed the PLC charges any rent more than a peppercorn at all.

    Tom
     
  3. Alan Kebby

    Alan Kebby Well-Known Member

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    thankst
    A very respectful and carefully considered response, in direct contrast to the WSR statement.

    They state 53808 is under a separate agreement and have no further comment on this at the present time. Sounds ominous.
     
  4. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    Greenway, tracker and jnc like this.
  5. huochemi

    huochemi Part of the furniture

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    Agreed, it is not the greatest communication. They need to put in place some sort of corp comms function.
     
  6. 34025

    34025 New Member

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  7. 34025

    34025 New Member

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    I’ve been told what a “certain” person wants to use the said shed for and tbh I can quite believe it!
    But I best bite my tongue for now
     
  8. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Doesn't that rather assume that when the S&D trust up sticks they don't take their shed with them, I thought it was all theirs?
     
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  9. 60044

    60044 Member

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    But will there be a shed left to use? If the S&D Trust are forced to leave I would imagine that they'll take it with them or re-use at whatever new location they settle on, and I equally cannot see the WSR Plc offering to pay a fair price for it.
     
  10. echap

    echap New Member

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    Are you suggesting it would be good to store steam engines perhaps?
     
  11. 34025

    34025 New Member

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    I believe it is and I hope they do and it doesn’t cost them too much in dismantling, moving and re-erecting
     
  12. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    Probably wise. I'm sure we've all wondered about hidden motives, but let's stick to what's visible, rather than reaching into wild surmise and providing a defence for the indefensible.
     
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  13. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

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    AFAIK with the probable exception of the point in the main line leading into the yard, everything on the north (yard) side of the running line was installed by the S&DRT in what had previously been an empty 'brownfield' site. Some items (eg the 3-way point and parts of the shed) are of genuine S&DJR origin and therefore have 'historic value' to the Trust. The rest will have been acquired/purchased by them and/or various members.

    In theory therefore I would assume (not being a legal expert) that they would be entitled to take it all up and take it away with them. Whether in practice they would want to, if they could get a good price for it from the PLC, or even be able to afford the considerable costs of removing and re-erecting, remain to be seen.

    It should be remembered also that circa-2011 the Trust paid (rather a lot!) for the whole site to be electrically re-wired, including the station building. So that has saved the PLC many £K for a start.....
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2020
  14. michaelh

    michaelh Part of the furniture

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    "Our only agenda has always been to promote the memory of the old S&D through our museum at Washford Station and our exhibits which include a fully restored S&D carriage, Coach No. 4, and numerous wagons with an S&D history"

    And the relevance of that to the WSR is what?
     
  15. Alan Kebby

    Alan Kebby Well-Known Member

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    The WSR won’t have many steam engines left to store at this rate.
     
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  16. RailWest

    RailWest Part of the furniture

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    Maybe none at face value, but that was their position when they first arrived there - having been offered a home there by the WSR - and it never seems to have caused a problem until now. Many people only became WSR volunteers after having first come to West Somerset to work at Washford. One might ask equally what relevance to the WSR exists in locos such as 53808, 44422, Braunton, the S160 and the other miscellaneous visitors who have worked on the line over the years without apparently causing any concern to the PLC?
     
  17. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    Relevance is irrelevant . The wsr gave the trust a home on the cessation of the Radstock . For forty years they have been part of the wsr family keeping the s&d memory alive and supplying 53808 as motive power
     
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  18. Alan Kebby

    Alan Kebby Well-Known Member

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    Not to mention maintaining and restoring Washford station for 40 years, saving the WSR the cost and responsibility of doing so.
     
  19. oldmrheath

    oldmrheath Well-Known Member

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    What seems likely is that at a time when the WSR needs donations it is likely to have the SDJR Trust appealing to the local community for funds to help finance its relocation in the face of eviction by its overbearing landlord.

    I have no idea what has gone on between the two organisations, but unless clear fault is shown by the Trust I suspect that the underdog is likely to get quite a bit of sympathy.

    I wonder if the HRA will get involved in this action by one of its members on another?

    Bizarre timing.

    Jon
     
  20. jnc

    jnc Well-Known Member

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    Wait till you read the SDRT's statement; you'll need a steam crane to retrieve your mandible from the sub-sub-sub-basement!

    "The WSR have made no contact with us prior to their letter of 7th February ... We were surprised that no formal discussions had been offered prior to this process." I've been racking my brains, trying to work out why a business would act in such a manner, and the most charitable reason I can come up with was that someone was so short of time they just told the lawyer 'just go deal with it'. The others, including a likely one based on the PLC's own statement, are even worse.

    All those who care about the WSR must be concerned about what this episode says.

    Noel
     

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