West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust WSRHT

Announcement about the chairmanship of the Heritage Trust

The WSRHT board is pleased to announce that Mike Thompson will take over the role of Chairman of the Trust from the date of the next AGM. During the interim period, Mike will work alongside Steve Williams in his current role as acting Chairman to effect a smooth transition of duties. Steve will remain on the board as Vice Chairman and Company Secretary.

Mike has been a volunteer on the WSR for over four years and is currently a qualified Guard, TTI and booking clerk at the WSR. Mike has a business background with over 30 years in aviation leadership roles managing a wide range of international teams, including Sales, Marketing, Customer Service & Operations. 

Steve Williams said ‘I have worked with Mike in various capacities over the last two years and have great regard for his abilities and his overall knowledge of the railway both as an active volunteer on the trains and in undertaking work in support of the railway, particularly in relation to commercial opportunities. He is a natural fit for the Trust, and I am sure he will be a great ambassador for the charity. It has been a privilege to lead the Trust on a temporary basis, and I pay tribute to my colleagues for all the support they have given me over the last 8 months‘.

Mike Thompson commented, ‘It is an honour to take on the role of Chairman, and I am very excited about working with our members and the excellent team of Trustees as we embark on several new restorations, educational and community projects. I also wish to thank my two predecessors for their significant contributions to the Trust. Chris Austin has carried the charity forward with great professionalism over the last 10 years and has overseen significant advances in the standard of our museums, carriage restoration projects and improving the finances of the organisation. Also, huge thanks must go to Steve Williams, who stepped in as acting Chair last year during a very difficult period for the Trust and brought some much-needed stability‘. Mike’s first goal will be to maintain this stability and to support the Trustees in their current endeavours, helping them to expand future activities and enable the Trust to grow and become a wider part of the WSR community.

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WSRHT Board Meetings – July, September and November 2024

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July, September and November Meetings

The West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust is pleased to publish the minutes of three recent Board Meetings. July Board Meeting held on Thursday, 25th July 2024. September Board Meeting held on Thursday, 26th September 2024. November Board Meeting held on Thursday, 28th November 2024.

Please click the Board Meeting links below to access the document as a pop-up tab. Alternatively, to view all Trust Board Meetings since 2016 – view the collection

July Board Meeting 25th July 2024
September Board Meeting 26th September 2024
November Board Meeting 28th November 2024

Trust News on Toplight Carriage No. 3639

WSRHT News on Toplight Carriage No. 3639

The West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust is pleased to confirm the move of Toplight carriage no. 3639 from Williton to Washford was completed by a WSR PLC team using two shunters on Monday 7th October. 

The special train also carried a wreath in memory of Ronnie Wainhouse who passed away recently.  Ronnie was a well loved member of the carriage restoration team working for the past 10 years on both 6705 and 3639 – he will be sorely missed.

Due to the poor condition of the carriage, the move was completed using a specially devised safety procedure (as used for moving the earlier carriages from Dunster) at a maximum speed of 5mph with careful monitoring along the way before arriving safely at Washford.

The restoration of 3639 has been ongoing for many years at Williton without using any covered accommodation. The move to Washford brings a much improved environment for the Trust’s carriage restoration team with the carriage now residing under cover in the shed at Washford next to Collett carriage no. 6705 where restoration work will be carried out on both carriages.

© WSRHT 2024

Ongoing Website Maintenance

Maintenance to the WSRHT Website

The official website of the WSRHT is undergoing a short maintenance overhaul, but will remain live throughout this time. However, visitors to the website may notice some modest changes from time to time, which reflect valuable feedback from our members, volunteers, and members of the public. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for supporting our Heritage Trust and Railway. Our social media accounts remain open, live and will continue to update our community. 

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