An unofficial website featuring the West Somerset Railway
News from April 2020
Somerset Community Foundation supports WSRTV
The West Somerset Railway Association, the principal support charity for the West Somerset Railway, is pleased to announce that it has received a £250 grant towards the set up costs of 'WSR-TV' - the YouTube TV Channel set up to keep WSR volunteers, staff, supporters and local people in touch with the line during the Covid-19 shut down. Meanwhile, more and more videos are appearing on WSRTV with the latest featuring King Edward I, Fireman George Thomas and GWR platform lamps. Already a wonderful variety of entertaining topics.
The West Somerset Railway featured on BBC Points West on Tuesday 28 April on BBC1. WSR Plc Chairman Jonathan Jones-Pratt and other volunteers talked about the situation the Railway is facing due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Available on iPlayer until 7pm on 29 April.
Update on Emergency Appeal and Rail Renewal Appeal
The WSR's combined appeal is now at £70,848.00, comprising £56,343 from the Plc's Emergency Appeal sources and £14,505 from the WSRA/WSSRT on Rail Renewal 2020. Money donated to the WSR's Emergency Appeal will be used towards the essential care and maintenance of the railway.
We need your help to ensure we have a West Somerset Railway going forward. We are asking those of you that are able, to please donate to the railway to help us through this difficult time.
Click or tap the button below to find out more on the official WSR Plc webpage which has a link to the official WSR Plc's online donation page which make it easy to join the many who have already chipped in.
The West Somerset Railway's managers are getting some alarming reports about increasing incidents of trespass on the railway at various locations at present.
These must be local people who erroneously think it is safe to walk on the tracks during the Covid-19 lockdown when our passenger trains are suspended, but that is not the case at all and something that we advise local people should cease doing forthwith.
We certainly don't want people to think it's OK to trespass on the railway at any time in future of course, but if they do so now then they need to be warned and be aware that quieter works trains hauled by diesel locos are running from time to time still, and which usually can't be heard coming until the last minute.
Neither we nor the hard-pressed emergency services want to have to deal with someone who has been injured or worse either trespassing on the line or trying to get out of the way of a train bearing down on them. Putting other people at risk through trespassing in hazardous areas is not really socially acceptable.
A number of incidents have been reported of the public walking in the ‘four-foot’ (between the rails) of the WSR in many different locations, here are a few examples:
Two different incidents of families walking through Crowcombe Station on the track
An elderly couple photographed walking in the track 'four-foot' between the Norton Fitzwarren triangle and Bishops Lydeard
A dog walker also seen out in the 'four-foot' near Blue Anchor Station, and another one walking through Dunster Station
Youths seen on the tracks at Bishops Lydeard Station
The West Somerset Railway realises that people are naturally getting bored whilst in the Coronavirus lockdown at home, but illegal trespassing on our railway lines is not only dangerous at any time because a locomotive and works train might be around, but also carries a £1,000 penalty fine too. Please don't be tempted to trespass - you might be saving a life.
Downloadable learning challenges pack for children
Helen Anson from the Railway's education team writes again to remind folks about 'Brunel's Great Western Railway Challenge'!
We know that these are uncertain and difficult times for everybody. To help keep young children busy and support parents and carers, our education team have put together a series of STEM-related learning challenges for you to download and complete at home.
We would love to see photos of any finished products, so make sure you tag us and share them with us on Facebook or you can email us your masterpieces to learning@wssrt.co.uk
Mark Smith, Vice Chairman of WSR Plc, has provided an update to staff and volunteers, and has kindly agreed to share the update more widely.
As you would expect, the board is keeping in daily contact. Our formal meetings are by conference call as
we try to understand and respond to the current situation without face to face contact. The Company board meets weekly, and we have established a fortnightly meeting with the Association and Steam Trust.
A little over eighteen months ago we were wrestling with the problems of no money. You will recall the company was all but insolvent, and drastic action was needed. Thankfully people pulled together and until very recently we were nicely poised as the outflow of cash from the winter works was stemmed by the reopening of the Railway and the operation of trains.
The coronavirus has changed all that and sadly, re-opening has not happened.
In recent weeks the board’s numerates re cast our budget based on first a 20% then 50% reductions and even as a contingency for no train operations in 2020. We had already spent a lot of time trying to eliminate the excess mileages and days of operation from the 2020 timetable. Now we must work out how to protect our Railway so that it is there for us when the situation returns to something like normal.
The first priority is people. For the paid staff who rely on their WSR income to pay their bills we are working to find out what the government’s support measures will mean for the WSR, and for our volunteers we are working out how best we can maintain contact with you and support the plans being put in place to provide support.
Almost all the Railway’s key work is either safety critical or needs an element of training and practice. Competencies rely on practice as well as training, refreshers and periodic re exams. We are working on how to maintain all of this so that hard won skills and expertise doesn’t just get lost. Inevitably there will be mandatory training, and distance learning, but these have to be effective and accessible. More anon!
We also need to protect each other from the risk of either transmitting or catching the virus. The Railway has closed its doors, and we must ask you to stay away. We have however set up a network of station and depot checkers. They have a reporting process. However, if you live near the line and need to be out for your daily personal exercise, please keep an eye on any bit of the Railway that you come across. A glance over a bridge parapet or through the fence is all that is needed. If you see something that doesn’t look right, just call it in. Please do not put yourself at risk of either breaching the government guidelines about PDE, and don’t attempt to intervene if you see something amiss, just retreat to a place of safety an call for back up.
The board is naturally doing what it can to conserve our cash reserves. We have stopped as much expenditure as possible. This occasionally has unforeseen consequences. Webcams from some stations have gone dark and we are working on rectifying this as I write. The board is also attempting to access the government’s promised support. Some bills need to be paid and the cash from our emergency appeal is helping with that. The Association and Steam Trust are extremely willing to process donations for the track appeal and of course they can claim Gift Aid if you are eligible.
We announce today that WSR Plc and Locomotive 5542 Ltd have reached agreement for continued storage of Autocoach 169 at the Williton site.
This agreement for siding storage which provides an opportunity for covered accommodation assists greatly with our ongoing restoration of Autocoach 169 at Williton. Locomotive 5542 Ltd have elected to remain at the Williton site and support the WSR financially rather than remove Autocoach 169 to other offered sites at this crucial time for the WSR.
We are grateful to Mark Smith on behalf of WSR plc for working with us towards this pragmatic solution which continues our association with the West Somerset Railway, an association that spans 40+ years.
We hope that this agreement will continue for the remainder of the restoration of Autocoach 169 and we can support the WSR financially over that period.
The WSR Plc’s main Coronavirus emergency appeal now stands at £50,983, comprising: £26,715 via website donations, £1,868 in cheque donations, share purchases of £6,400 and station group donations of £16,000).
There is an additional £14,395 from the WSRA/WSSRT for Rail Renewal 2020, comprising offline donations of £12,241 and online Justgiving of £2,154.
This brings the grand total to £65,375 which is an even better figure than the last of course and an increase of £10K in just a couple of days, so 13% of the estimated £500K that’s likely to be needed!
The WSR Plc, WSR Association and West Somerset Steam Railway Trust will also be writing jointly to all stakeholders, shareholders and supporters very shortly about the WSR emergency funding appeal too, and which will include some of the provisional trading figures to the end of the WSR Plc’s financial year at the end of March.
These trading figures will show a considerable and significant uplift in the WSR Plc’s fortunes which has been transformed from near bankruptcy in 2018 to profitability again in 2020 during an 18 month period under the Chairmanship of Jonathan Jones-Pratt and a new Board of directors.
West Somerset Steam Railway Trust AGM is postponed
Steve Williams, Company Secretary of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust has written to the Trust's members:
As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic and Government requirements around self isolating, the Board of Trustees has decided to postpone the 2020 Steam Trust AGM. The Board had intended that this would be held on 23rd May and you would have been receiving the agenda and papers for the meeting around this time. The Charity Commission has provided charities with significant flexibility as to when the AGM can be held including the possibility of conducting the meeting electronically but not all Members are on email and/or use computers. Companies House is also provide the facility to extend filing of Annual Accounts by up to 3 months which in our case would mean December 2020 at the latest. We will be in touch with Members as soon as possible once the situation around social gathering and travel has been clarified and it is possible to set a new date.
WSRTV introduces the 'Railway Fundamentals' series
The first in the series of 'Railway Fundamentals' talks is up on WSRTV, the Railway's YouTube channel. This talk deals with 'track' with the next video covers 'signalling'. A great way to learn more about the wonderful world of railways. To ensure no videos are missed the best way by far is to subscribe to the WSRTV channel on YouTube and take the alerts option.
Be a part of the funding appeal to Save the Railway
Just a month after its launch in mid-March when the heritage West Somerset Railway (WSR) was forced to close before the 2020 season had even started, the WSR's emergency coronavirus funding appeal has raised just over £50,000 by 17 April.
The WSR has asked railway enthusiasts, supporters of the railway, local people and the public alike to dig deep into their pockets to support the appeal because it says:
Without this help, we may not have a railway in West Somerset for people of all ages to enjoy again in the future.
It reckons the current closure period, which is estimated might now extend until half way through its main running season in July, will lead to a 'huge and potentially unsustainable financial hit, and which couldn't have come at a worse time for the railway following the expensive and extended closed winter maintenance period.'
West Somerset Railway Plc Chairman Jonathan Jones-Pratt commented:
All of the money raised will go towards safeguarding the WSR and helping us get through the Covid-19 crisis. We are facing a huge and potentially unsustainable financial hit which couldn't have come at a worse time for the railway following the expensive and extended closed winter maintenance period. We will need the cash to keep flowing in because the railway simply has no income at present and our insurances do not cover for this type of loss. So, please keep the donations coming if you can, no matter how small, it all helps!
West Somerset Railway Association Chairman Mike Sherwood added:
The Association wishes to thank all those supporters of the railway who have donated money to assist, in whatever way, over the last few weeks. Your help is greatly appreciated at this very difficult time.
Edward Martin, a close neighbour of the Railway, writes:
I am doing a Zoom Meeting on Thursday 16 April 2020 at 7.30pm where I will be recalling my memories of the Minehead Branch as a child covering from my earliest memories of the line until closure.
It will be a bit random and rambling but will do my best to answer questions as well.
Please note there will be a break just before 8pm until 8.10pm so that those who wish to (and I do) can applaud the NHS.
The link to the meeting is https://zoom.us/j/94327786303
Depending on how it works and interest I will host some more sessions.
14 April 2020 Details kindly provided by Edward Martin
Latest WSR Association Board Meeting documents published
The West Somerset Railway Association have published the agreed Minutes of the Board Meeting of 18 February 2020 and a synopsis of the more recent Board Meeting held on 17 March 2020. Click or tap the buttons below to load the documents from the Association's website.
West Somerset Railway Association Chairman writes to members
Mike Sherwood, the Chairman of the West Somerset Railway Association, has written to members:
At this difficult time, your Trustees thought it was important to write to you to explain what we are doing to support our Railway.
At the moment the Railway is in the 'deep freeze' of Covid-19 lockdown with no trains running, virtually all staff on furlough and no activities being carried out apart from essential security patrols. This puts the Railway (like many other businesses, especially in the tourism sector) under considerable financial strain as this is the time of year when the Railway would expect to be open and welcoming our early season visitors.
West Somerset Railway donates PPE equipment to NHS
Rich Hiscox, WSR Driver, reports:
Well great to say we - the WSR family - have contributed in a small way towards helping the fantastic NHS continue to fight this horrid virus. Today I managed to get out safely and donate our new spare stock of PPE (personal protection equipment) of which 800 pairs of gloves to assist in keeping Covid-19 at bay as best we all can. Hopefully we can donate some more when time and government allows us to. Many thanks to the WSR board for supporting this great cause. Stay safe everybody and best wishes to one and all.
Downloadable learning challenges pack for children
Helen Anson from the Railway's education team writes:
We know that these are uncertain and difficult times for everybody. To help keep young children busy and support parents and carers, our education team have put together a series of STEM-related learning challenges for you to download and complete at home.
We would love to see photos of any finished products, so make sure you tag us and share them with us on Facebook or you can email us your masterpieces to learning@wssrt.co.uk
Class 14 no D9526 - owned by the Diesel & Electric Preservation Group - arrived at the West Somerset Railway exactly forty years ago on 2 April 1980. Following a journey by road from Wiltshire the diesel-hydraulic locomotive reached Bishops Lydeard at around 6.30pm that evening still wearing a covering of cement dust from its former home at Blue Circle Cement's works at Westbury. Click the button below to read a summary of D9526's history written by Simon Purvis for the Group's website.
West Somerset Railway funding appeal hits the right notes
After the West Somerset Railway plc (WSR) was forced to suspend operations and shut down on 17 March - before the 2020 running season even got underway planned for Saturday 21 March - an urgent appeal was launched on the company's website for desperately-needed funds to help the 22-mile line heritage line get through the Coronavirus crisis.
And, in just two weeks since then, the WSR has received over £30,000 in donations and share purchases to help keep the railway's wheels turning in the future.
This remarkable, strong show of support for the WSR has come from its many friends, supporters, stakeholders, shareholders, staff, volunteers and people across Somerset and the entire country, all of whom clearly want to see the railway survive and get through the second crisis to envelop the line in the last two years.
Commenting on the success of the WSR fund-raising appeal to date, WSR Plc Chairman Jon Jones-Pratt said:
I’ve been both humbled and pleasantly surprised by this great show of financial support for the West Somerset Railway, especially when the minds of many people will naturally be on just getting themselves and their families through the Covid 19 pandemic crisis safely. It shows just how much people care about the WSR and what it means to so many of our friends.
For the full story and further quotes, or to make an online donation, please click or tap the appropriate button below.
