tiptoptaff
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- 15 Feb 2013
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But the senior engineers and staff didn't leave until he arrived.I think some problems have been coming for a long time, the pway problems are long term and predate his arrival
But the senior engineers and staff didn't leave until he arrived.I think some problems have been coming for a long time, the pway problems are long term and predate his arrival
^ I would have thought there could be two issues:
- lack of paths from Bishop’s L to Taunton and platform space
- Track access charges
I've always wanted to go on the WSR, ever since I became interested in railways as a small boy. Hopefully I get the chance to do so some day.
Running to Taunton was looked at several times by the previous management (who I dearly miss) and the feeling was it would be far too expensive to upgrade stock to mainline specifications initially, and then would be expensive to train all us crews to NR rules standards, and then operationally expensive as BL-TAU adds something like 6miles to the journey. Difficult as no space to add a run around for the locos on the Down side (which is where you'd need to be to keep out the way). Need an extra diagram in the circuit to maintain the service pattern as the loco and stock would be lost to Taunton for at least an hour.
Can't have a dedicated line as there's no space - Silk Mills bridge pillars are built on the Up Relief alignment. If you use the Down Relief then yes you get a dedicated run in and space to build a run around but you still have to venture across the mainline to get to it.
It was always deemed more financially beneficial to get GWR to come to us, rather than go to them. And the trails of last summer proved it to be a worthy idea.
Agreed, you need to consider the costs and returns. Would extending to Taunton bring in sufficient extra income to justify the significant investment and ongoing costs involved. Highly unlikely, I would have thought. There is already a reasonable bus connection.Running to Taunton was looked at several times by the previous management (who I dearly miss) and the feeling was it would be far too expensive to upgrade stock to mainline specifications initially, and then would be expensive to train all us crews to NR rules standards, and then operationally expensive as BL-TAU adds something like 6miles to the journey. Difficult as no space to add a run around for the locos on the Down side (which is where you'd need to be to keep out the way). Need an extra diagram in the circuit to maintain the service pattern as the loco and stock would be lost to Taunton for at least an hour.
Can't have a dedicated line as there's no space - Silk Mills bridge pillars are built on the Up Relief alignment. If you use the Down Relief then yes you get a dedicated run in and space to build a run around but you still have to venture across the mainline to get to it.
It was always deemed more financially beneficial to get GWR to come to us, rather than go to them. And the trails of last summer proved it to be a worthy idea.
Exactly -The return for the investment for WSR would have been a substantial loss. So it was always thought more financially beneficial to get GWR to run to us, let them keep the revenue but charge track access. We got the extra money from the track access and some extra passengers, GWR got some money for running it (there was some form of grant involved) and got to keep the ticket sales. Everyone a winnerAgreed, you need to consider the costs and returns. Would extending to Taunton bring in sufficient extra income to justify the significant investment and ongoing costs involved. Highly unlikely, I would have thought. There is already a reasonable bus connection.