The power of the column

Barry Doe is a transport specialist and commentator who has a column in the RAIL magazine. In a recent edition, Barry has a pop at heritage railways which, in his opinion, should provide a local service. When he says "local service" it seems he means a regular service of several trains per day throughout the year running from the heritage railway to a nearby mainline station. The latter requirement reduces the number of heritage railways to a handful as only a few have a physical connection with the mainline. And according to Barry Doe, the worst example is the West Somerset Railway - "...the only railway that links a major National Rail station to an important seaside town but is not interested in using it..." Doe continues, "And what a potential market to connect all those places [London, Bristol, the North, Devon and Cornwall] to Minehead...Yet all they [WSR] want to do is play trains to Bishops Lydeard."

Since reading the article, I have had a very civilised and polite email conversation with Barry Doe. It would be wrong to discuss this private conversation here. But, on this blog, by adding part of my letter to the RAIL editor (since published in a later edition of RAIL), so illustrate my disappointment with his words about the WSR in the article: "...check the freely available facts, [you] might find the WSR has a long history of providing a public service since opening in 1976. For example, half fares for local folk available since 1976; the running of DMUs for many years for local people (including a 7.30am departure); the use of the Railway for carriage of thousands of tonnes of stone for public works at three separate locations; the Bristol to Minehead trains of 2007; the installation of a turntable to enable more folks to travel to Minehead by steam excursions; the construction of a triangle on land purchased by the WSR Assocation at Norton Fitzwarren which is receiving almost daily deliveries of spent ballast for cleaning and reuse, and which will be used to support passenger and freight traffic to and from the main network. The WSR has also sponsored bus connections between Bishops Lydeard and Taunton since 1979 to help folks get around. Barry Doe would like to see WSR should run trains to Taunton. We all would. We all know how much it will cost. Perhaps Barry Doe might like to explain exactly where the necessary capital is to be found - money might grow on trees in his neck of the woods but not in Somerset, or anywhere else. I look forward to Barry Doe's wise words on how we might achieve the ultimate goal?"

We shall have to wait to see if Barry Doe revisits his WSR argument in a future article. If he does, I look forward to his plan of how a regular service from Taunton to/from the WSR can be successfully operated. I feel confident his plan will include ideas already explored and dismissed for a variety of reasons.

How easy it is for a writer to put half a story in print. Whether Barry Doe is ignorant of the WSR situation, or simply chooses to ignore some of what he does know, just to make a point, we shall probably never know. That said, since so many WSR people would like to see a regular Taunton/West Somerset service, perhaps the power of the column could be better used to turn a negative into a positive. I look foward to Barry Doe using his position to help the WSR achieve that long-wished-for goal.

Just to prove the link is in place and can be used at any time, the picture shows a Taunton to Bishops Lydeard train run at the Autumn Gala in 2006.

Track trouble

How much damage has been done to the Railway by the recent rail grinding machine? I'm not meaning the actual rails but the fact that it happened at all. No plausible explanation of just how the work was allowed to continue unchecked has been issued by the Railway so we can only sit here and spectulate. I don't think anyone wants a witch hunt, but I do think everyone wants to ensure nothing like this happens again.

And although our visitors have been wonderfully patience and forgiven, the Railway simply does not live up to the Heritage Railway of the Year. Such titles and awards, not long ago, were raining in on a regular basis. The diesel boys have been magnificent, turning out capable machines and crews at short notice, so at least the trains have been kept running. But the Railway attracts visitors because they expect the steam locomotives that the Railway shouts about on all its publicity and promotional material.

There have been times when I have been so ashamed of the debacle that I have considered closing www.wsr.org.uk because I too have been guilty of promoting a product that cannot be delivered. But I chose instead to keep posting what information I could get to allow folks to make their own minds up about trekking out to Lydeard or Watchet to buy their tickets and ride the Minehead Branch.

At the time of writing, the steamers are back and everything seems to be normal again. But there is bad feeling around and some folks will not allow this to be easily forgotten. And if faith is lost...

In the footsteps of the Fab Four perhaps? A band called Chapter XIII were filming on Crowcombe Heathfield Station on 20 February 2008 - the film will help promote the band's new single Valentine. The storyline involves a bride who, in full regalia, was required to throw her bouquet off Lydeard Bridge to the south of the Station. Of course, Crowcombe Heathfield Station has an earlier connection with the music business when, in 1964, The Beatles stopped by during the filming of their first film A Hard Day's Night. Only the Muppets to go, then...

Next stop Barnstaple...

As the picture shows, the tracklaying along the West Chord of the new Triangle at the WSRA's Norton Fitzwarren site has now reached the former Barnstaple Branch formation. The alignment of the "Barney" is being re-used to form the South Chord of the Triangle, and also for two storage sidings. The works at Norton are proving to be an engineering showcase. Not only are the new embankments, culverts and waterways all behaving impeccably and dealing well anything the sky can chuck at them, but the site itself remains green, with grass fields making the whole scene pleasant to view and likely to be let out for grazing stock before too long. It could look like a bomb site but the WSRA are tidy people, for sure. The reaching of, and relaying of track on, the Barney line could be seen as an embryonic step towards a truly westwards extension of the West Somerset Railway - but the dismantled bridge at Allerford Lane conveniently severs the route at that point which seems terminal to me. Thanks for my good chum Malcolm Anderson for the picture.

Turning the tables at Minehead

So at last - the turntable will be re-installed at Minehead. Thanks to some determined work by some WSR notables who have secured funds from several sources including European funds, and to many WSR supporters who have contributed to the Turntable Fund. Work began in early November clearing the site with a completion date of March 2008. Good news from the steam railtour operator, Steam Dreams, who seem keen to take early advantage of the "improved facilities at Minehead". Steam Dreams will send two tours down to Minehead in the summer, and thanks to the turntable, will turn the engines - Bittern and Duchess of Sutherland - to allow the return leg to be steam hauled too! I think this facility will bring much benefit to the Railway, to the town of Minehead and the district of West Somerset. Well done, WSR.

WSR to Taunton in 2009?

A news item in the Steam Railway magazine quotes the WSR General Manager describing how the Railway is considering upgrading its DMU to main line certification standard and then running a service from Bishops Lydeard to Taunton's Platform 1. The article suggests this could commence in 2008 but local opinion reckons 2009 is more likely. Well, this is a most welcome development and I hope the idea comes good. Although not mentioned in the mag, it seems the Bristol-Minehead trains - the Butlins Express - is on the cards again for 2008.

At last! A regular train between Minehead and the main rail network. On Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays from 20 July to 27 August 2007 a train will leave Minehead for Bristol. It calls all stations to Bishops Lydeard, then Taunton and then Bristol arriving at 1.46pm. A quick run up the other end for the driver - perhaps with a comfort break in between, before the train sets off at 2.06pm for West Somerset. It would seem to be a train for folks visiting Butlins - the operating days coincide with change-over days. The service is not too bad for a trip to Taunton for West Somerset folks as it allows a couple of hours in the county town before they need to board the train for the trip back along the Minehead branch. Publicity seems to be slow in coming, with the risk of passengers being slow in coming too. Full details can be found at http://www.wsr.org.uk/md2btm2007.htm I hope I can revisit this posting after the summer and report success!