West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Not gentle as much as genteel. A warning sign should not blend into the background. Perhaps someone could post a picture on this thread so we can judge for ourselves.

PH

 

"Executed" ... Now there's an idea! The penalty for infringement is execution.....

 

Very fair comment; BL undersells in it’s role as gateway to the WSR.

More generally, I was reflecting on my issues of balance between heritage and practicality, and came to the conclusion that my real problem is where the old rural station is completely drowned by what it has since become, but without embracing that new scale. I’m afraid to say I put Sheffield Park in that bracket.

I’m left wondering, on the down side in particular, whether trying to live within the old is actually the right approach, or whether something fundamentally more “mainline” in character would be more appropriate.

I suspect I may be considered by some to have committed heresy!


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We could have saved millions of electrons and thousands of words if you'd all just taken note of my post on 18 September...

West Somerset Railway Operations

 

I think in general, it's harder to maintain the character of wayside stations that have become termini, because they require such drastic changes to cope with a vastly increased passenger count. It seems more reasonable to expect this character to be maintained at intermediate stations and if possible extra sheds and workshops focused at one station rather than affecting multiple stations along the line, but everywhere's different and different things work.

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Good thought but these resin signs never sem to weather well,

PH

 

Fair enough. Maybe some sort of alloy then, with a lower melting point than iron, which can be cast into conventional sand(?) moulds. Not sure what sort of casting facilities exist at your average preserved railway engineering workshops but surely there is a reasonably profitable sideline to be had here?

I guess the issue might be availability and cost of a suitable alloy; dearer than iron, but I'm guessing smelting facilities for iron are not cheap...

 

So does the Isle of Wight Railway use only modern signs then?

 

At occupation crossings yes. Elsewhere variable. For example at Wootton (which is actually 100% "newbuild) the replica signage is supplemented but not replaced, by modern signs whose principal function is to inform of the modern level of potential fines for trespass. The replica I.W.C.R. pattern notice proved too discreet and genteel in colour to get its message across.

As far as I can recall, there are no are no posts in shiny metal carrying warning signs.

PH

 

I expect the main cost of casting them in iron would be to make the pattern. If all the GWR-based preserved railways were to club together, perhaps enough signs could be made to dilute this cost significantly.

 

I think signs have been done to death now, is there nothing else happening on the WSR? Somebody needs to come up with something else to discuss, it's got very boring now!!!

DJB.

 

This policy seems to be at variance with your views on only using heritage rolling stock

 

Something a little more formal:—




Cast 'em in aluminium - in combination with the altered wording it'd be an obvious repro to a collector.

Pete S.

 

And the form of the roof edge, and the eaves, and the window sill.

Regrettably, in heritage terms, a very poor job. :-( :-( :-(

Robin

 

I agree utterly with @Dennis John Brooks that this topic has gone on far too long and have clicked "like" to his comments. I covered the particular issue you raise aeons ago in the thread so if you wish to you can retrace your way to them. If you do have any further issues you can raise them OP

PH

 

As discussed earlier, here is my plan for Bishops Lydeard.

It respects the true heritage - the 1862 station consisting of the short Down Platform, station building, and goods shed.

It provides two proper full length under cover platforms to act as the southern terminus and puts at least one set of stock under cover at the end of every day.

Proper access is provided and proper use of the Station Farm site is made - not the unfortunate 'plastic palace' that has now been erected which is not what the Railway needs in the long term or what the authorities and local people expected. It would have been simple to get the plan right and then put part of the museum structure in place, if necessary to take on the functions that 'Blackmore House' at is called, now serves.

The present building is of unfortunate construction and of poor quality. The gutters run uphill to the downpipes and rain comes in under the main doors with anything but drizzle.

For £200K of precious capital spending we deserved better.

Robin

 

Ok. Coach liveries. Two observations from last weeks gala.
1. Some of the chocolate and cream coaches look very faded in comparison to more newly painted coaches.
2. The carmine and cream set looks excellent, especially with black locos.
Assuming the faded ones will, at some point, be repainted, in what colour scheme should they appear? Is there an argument for a maroon set and/or a fresh chocolate and cream set?

 

The present plan is for the dual braked set to be 'carmine and cream' and the rest to remain chocolate and cream.

The Head of Mechanical Engineering is only too aware that some of the latter give a poor impression at the moment.

Robin

 

"Customers" in modern railway parlance...Ughh!

 

West Somerset Railway - Then and Now #94

Bishops Lydeard 1978 / 2017

Carrying on south through the station, here we are at an area called 'Westridge', with one of the most complete transformations in this series of photos.

During installation of the south crossover, the hulk that will come back to life as 5521 and travel to Eastern Europe stands on the single line to Norton and the national network.

Now a majestic bracket stands here to signal northbound trains and the recently erected loco shelter is on the left.

This shot was hard to line up, with little beyond the curvature of the track and a distant house chimney as points of reference.

1978


2017