It all seems so long ago ...
...since we had the last instalment of your masterplan to revive (it will soon be "reopen" at this rate) the line.
More please
I'm noting that John Bailey of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway has taken a full look and written a report / recommendations, further (as I undertstand it) has at least followed up at certain meetings, from various minutes online. From those various minutes, they're also sharing with / learning from the team on the Swanage Railway. Whether the ideas / experts are used to their positive full advantage to supplement and co-ordinate local skills, and whether they're available enough to do so, and whether they have everyone's full support, let's see over the next months.
From those same minutes ...
plans to run Santa Specials from Bishop's Lydeard to Williton are being made ... which will involve an
ECS▸ working from Minehead. Notable by its absence from those notes - any plans for any trains after 24th December.
But before you look forward to celebrating Santa through Stogumber - look at the website timetable page (
https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/timetables ) which over this weekend has stated:
At the present time we are not clear when the railway will reopen, but this information will be posted here, as soon as it becomes available. We are working to maintain the railway, and plan to operate a service as soon as we can. We regret however
that for the remainder of this year, 2020, all special events, including galas and dining trains, have been cancelled. (This information supersedes any information about these events elsewhere in this website. In some cases that information is still shown so that you may plan for the future.)
The front of the website - comes up with a big popup:
COVID 19 AND THE WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY
We regret that the West Somerset Railway is currently not running services due to the Covid-19 virus pandemic. We are fully complying with and following government guidance. However we will be holding a smaller than normal 1940s event over the weekend of 12th and 13th September 2020 for more information please visit the Events and Experiences page on our website. At the present time we are not clear when the railway will start to run services, but this information will be posted here, as soon as it becomes available. We are working to maintain the railway, and plan to operate a service as soon as we can. We regret however that for the remainder of this year, 2020, the majority of our special events, including galas and dining trains, have been cancelled. No bookings for any of these events are being taken at the present time apart from the 1940s event. We are very sorry to have had to take these decisions, and we very much look forward to welcoming you back to the West Somerset Railway as soon as we are able to do so. If you would like to donate to the West Somerset Railway, please click on the picture.
and the use of "will" indicates it was written a while back and not updated when the date passed. And in any case the event touted to all new arriving visitors got amended to an unspecified later date
Mineheads 1940s weekend postponed
Published: 10th September 2020
Following discussions between the organisers the West Somerset Railway and Minehead BID it was been decided with sadness to postpone this weekends planned 1940s event in Minehead.
No conclusion from me, Lee ... except to suggest that if they
really are all sorting themselves out, they would do well to have starightforward, joint, and current statement on the web site to that effect, and to take down / mark as "archive - see xxx" all the other contradictory stuff.
If they get sorted out, good. If they fail, perhaps there would be an opportunity for a respected elder statesman - a newly retired transport industry boss with a track record of positive community engagement who's got experience of the area but has not been tainted by significant association with any of the groups. I have several it could be in mind.
