West Somerset Railway - heritage line, Bishops Lydeard to Minehead - merged topic, ongoing discussio

[whole diary]

[Rob on the hill]

5Z25 0958 Laira to Bishops Lydeard running today

43 122 and 43 094 locos

43122 is named "Dunster Castle". I wonder if this is significant?

[The Tall Controller]

As already mentioned, both sets are in temporary warm storage. Both are due to return at some stage.

WSR has been allowed to use one set over the weekend of 23/24 September. This will operate the 1000 and 1430 from Minehead, and the 1230 and 1635 from Bishops Lydeard on both days.

[grahame]

As already mentioned, both sets are in temporary warm storage. Both are due to return at some stage.

WSR has been allowed to use one set over the weekend of 23/24 September. This will operate the 1000 and 1430 from Minehead, and the 1230 and 1635 from Bishops Lydeard on both days.

I am extremely tempted to go down to Minehead on the Saturday and return home on the Sunday ...

[ChrisB]

Probably won't be there that long - just until XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) 125s are decommissioned.

Presumably, if HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) are due to be scrapped, then they should be available to purchase for little more than the scrap price ?

Some (more?) are being sold & off to Mexico.

[grahame]

West Somerset Free Press

West Somerset Railway losses of £4k a week prompt MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Ian Liddell-Grainger call for talks

...

He said nobody who supported or travelled on the railway would view the accounts with anything other than alarm.

Mr Liddell-Grainger said: “The West Somerset Railway is a vital component of the local tourism industry and we simply cannot afford to lose it.

“But, it is clear from the state of the line that economies are being made everywhere, particularly in weeding and lineside clearing, yet these are merely stacking up costs which at some point will have to be faced.

“I am still hopeful that we can achieve a connection to Taunton so that regular services can be run on and off the West Somerset Railway.

[Witham Bobby]

As someone who was there in 1976 and has been an observer, or more, since then, this seems to be the WSR's annual money shortage.  Comes around almost like clockwork.  I do have sympathy for any staff who get laid-off as a result of the works that are being, according to the WSFP article, cut out of the programme.

[broadgage]

For clearing vegetation etc from the lineside, I feel that use could be made of convict labour, "chain gangs" even if not actually chained up.
Do this on non operating days in order to avoid the need for track safety training.

Such work could provide healthy outdoor exercise and with limited access to drugs and alcohol for those with drug or alcohol problems.

Also applicable to network rail routes, but most of these do not have regular non operating days. When a line is closed for engineering work etc, perhaps convict labour could be used for lineside clearing.

[lympstone_commuter]

I had my first ever ride on the WSR last week (and thoroughly enjoyed it).

Ironically enough, I remember thinking to myself "My goodness, this lineside looks magnificently neat and tidy [compared with the national network]. There's clearly been recent and significant vegetation clearance. If only Network Rail could achieve these high standards on the Exmouth branch!"

(I worry about vegetation emerging from the brickwork at, for example, the Lympstone Village overbridge. Postponing dealing with this strikes me as a false economy.)

[broadgage]

On the recent HST^▸ (High Speed Train) running weekend I observed that both power cars were used. That sounds rather extravagant in engine hours and fuel consumption.
Considering the short train formation and low permitted speed I would have expected that a single power car would have provided ample power.
Whilst the intention was no doubt to test and "exercise" BOTH power cars it would have been simple to use only the leading one, in whatever direction the train was travelling. Change over at the end of the route before returning.

[broadgage]

The HST^▸ (High Speed Train) that was at Minehead has gone. Presumably FGW^▸ (First Great Western) needed it to cover for IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) that drowned at Dawlish.

[PhilWakely]

The HST^▸ (High Speed Train) that was at Minehead has gone. Presumably FGW^▸ (First Great Western) needed it to cover for IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) that drowned at Dawlish.

It was always going to be a short term stay. Laira needed space to store all of the now-surplus CrossCountry HST stock. Now that has all been disposed of, the Castle sets can return to Laira.

[grahame]

First 2024 services - 23rd March. https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/calendar

Services from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard - nothing onward to / from Taunton ;-)