The pre-season WSR Stakeholders Meeting

It was standing room only as 320 supporters of the West Somerset Railway (WSR) attended a packed, three-hour meeting for stakeholders at the Oake Manor Golf Club, near Taunton on Saturday 2 March 2019. WSR plc Chairman, Jonathan Jones-Pratt, and a number of other directors and senior figures from the railway addressed those present and they all set out a very open and honest appraisal of the various financial, governance, regulatory, compliance, mechanical and infrastructure difficulties which the WSR has faced over the winter months.

The various far-reaching steps and fund raising measures that have been taken so far and will be implemented soon were outlined to the audience, the aim of which is to put the railway onto a firm footing for the future. Commenting after the meeting, Jonathan Jones-Pratt said:

“It was heartening to see so many committed railway staff, volunteers and supporters at the packed and professionally run meeting. So many people wanted to attend that we had struggled to find a local venue big enough to accommodate everyone, such is the strong support for the WSR!

“Over the last six months, we have had to take some very tough and painful decisions to safeguard the railway’s future after a significant £500,000 funding gap became obvious, and also in the light of various recommendations made by the Office of Rail & Road ORR) regulators following an inspection in October 2018.

“We have had to cut rapidly our costs and staffing, quickly sell some of our assets such as unrestored steam loco no 4110, introduce new safety, training, competence and operating systems, totally overhaul our finances, and invest in and improve our infrastructure significantly at a considerable cost of £140,000, with even more spending on it needed every year from now on just to stand still.

“But I was very pleased to tell everyone present that the WSR has been pulled back from the precipice of potential insolvency by our firm and decisive actions so far, and we can now face the 2019 season, and our 40th anniversary of running to Bishops Lydeard, with much more confidence and a much brighter future too.

“I was particularly glad to have the Chairman of the West Somerset Railway Association, Paul Whitehouse, and the Chairman of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust, Chris Austin, speaking alongside me and fellow directors today to share our ‘One Railway’ vision. We will all now put the difficulties and squabbles of the past few years firmly behind us and move forward as one railway acting in unison.”

Many of the people who asked questions at the end of the meeting also complimented all of the speakers for giving the audience such an open, honest and frank appraisal of the situation which faced the WSR in terms of improving regulatory compliance, strengthening the Board and management via new appointments, completely overhauling the finances, and investment in infrastructure .

This was evidenced by the fact that a cash collection after the meeting raised £3,250 towards work on GWR locomotive 9351 (which is due to return to traffic in July) and further sums towards infrastructure work on the line.

And another £6,200 was raised in new plc Shares showing solid support from existing shareholders that were at the meeting, plus another £1,000 promised by email, so over £10,000 was raised in just one afternoon. All 4,000 WSR plc shareholders will also be contacted shortly to seek further necessary investment which is expected to be at least £500,000 a year.

Jonathan Jones Pratt continued:

“After we decided to extend the usual winter shut down period from January this year to carry out essential infrastructure works, the West Somerset Railway is now expected to re-open partially again on Saturday 30 March after a follow up inspection by the ORR in late March.

“So, our steam services will run initially from Bishops Lydeard to Williton, with a Diesel unit shuttle to and from Watchet so we reach the seaside, but the full line should re-open to Minehead on Saturday 6 April following completion of major track works at Blue Anchor which have proven to be more extensive than first thought sadly.

“I know this the phased reopening will disappoint everyone at the Minehead end of the line, especially those in the local accommodation, retail and catering sectors, who have been looking forward to our steam trains returning, but we will be running to and from Minehead in good time for Easter, and our teams are working very hard to get everything ready in time.”

In June this year, the WSR will be celebrating 40 years of running heritage services between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard, and a special celebration is planned to mark the significant date.

A more detailed note of the stakeholder meeting on Saturday 2 March will be posted onto the WSR websites shortly.

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WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST

DO YOU:

Love a bit of history?

Enjoy chatting to people?

Happy to work with children and families?

Keen on the WSR and its heritage?

If you’ve nodded “yes” to any of the above, we’d love you to join us as a museum volunteer.

Gauge Museum at Blue Anchor

We’re looking for volunteer stewards for the Gauge Museum at Blue Anchor Station on running days during the school holidays and for special events.

You’ll have an induction period alongside a mentor, and we’re very happy to arrange part-day shifts.

The role is simple: welcome visitors, share a little about the museum, and work alongside the station staff.

Interested (or just curious)? Please email Ian Camp (Curator) via info@wsrht.co.uk and put “Blue Anchor stewarding” in the subject line.

Fancy getting involved over at Bishops Lydeard?

We’re on the lookout for more friendly faces to join our team, especially as the museum is getting bigger and busier these days!

If Bishops Lydeard sounds like your kind of place, just drop us a line using the same email, but pop “Bishops Lydeard stewarding” in the subject so we know what you’re after!

And don’t forget – you can always support the WSRHT by becoming a member. Just ping us at info@wsrht.co.uk and pop “membership” in the subject line.

Keep up with what we’re doing, follow the Trust on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/TheHeritageTrust

WSR Heritage Trust Appointment of Trust Fundraiser

May 6, 2026

The Trust has appointed Jessica Rundle as its new volunteer Fundraiser. Jess is an existing Trust volunteer working in both the Gauge Museum and within the Education and Learning team. She is an Occupational Therapist by profession and is currently a Service Manager with Somerset Council. Her experience in report writing and business case development together with the networking and engagement required provides the right skill set for this role. The Trust has an ambitious capital programme within its recently updated Business Plan and raising external funds will be crucial to enabling the charity to achieve its medium-term business objectives.

Steve Williams Trust Vice Chairman and Company Secretary said “I’m delighted that Jess has agreed to take up this role. She has an impressive CV and is already familiar with the Trust and its work. I have no doubt that she will be a valuable asset in enabling us to source a wide range of external funding to complement the investment that the Trust intends to make in future projects”.

Jess Rundle said “ Bishops Lydeard station was one of the first places I stumbled across after moving to Somerset a couple years ago and I was quickly welcomed into the committed team of volunteers in to the Gauge museum. For me there is nothing better than watching a steam train in action – it brings relaxation and stimulation in equal measure! I know so many aspects of West Somerset heritage railway brings equal joy to so many others and so I’m delighted to be supporting with the fundraising programme.”

The appointment commences from 1st May. This is a part-time role reporting to the Vice Chairman.

For further details please contact Steve Williams at steve@williamsemail.uk or on 07748-637209

End

WSR Heritage Trust Gains Museum Accreditation

January 25, 2026

The Gauge Museum at Bishops Lydeard on the West Somerset Railway has been awarded Full Accreditation by the Arts Council. The Museum, which is run by the West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust, holds a wide range of artefacts which display and tell the story of the history and heritage of the West Somerset Railway and the Great Western Railway.

Administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the UK Accreditation Partnership, Accreditation is the benchmark for well-run Museums and Galleries.

It means that the Gauge Museum is properly managed and governed to the nationally agreed industry standard and shows the museum takes proper care of its collections, sharing them with visitors and keeping them safe for future generations.

Accreditation opens up exciting funding opportunities, allows museums to host touring exhibitions and gives access to professional advice and support. It also gives confidence to donors and sponsors who may wish to support the museum in preserving heritage and inspiring future generations

Steve Williams, Trust Vice Chairman and Trust Accreditation Lead said: “This is a fantastic outcome for the Trust and marks the combination of three years of hard work by a small and dedicated team of volunteers many of whom now make up our Museum Management Team. This means that the Trust is recognised as working to a high standard of Museum and collections management and care. We now have to ensure that we deliver to those standards and continue to make the Gauge Museum as welcoming and as interesting an experience for visitors and volunteers alike”.

Ian Camp, Trustee and Museum Curator said: “This achievement represents a significant milestone for our museum. The progress we have made is the result of the unwavering dedication and hard work of our team over the past several years. Their commitment has been instrumental in reaching this important point in our journey.

We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to Rachel Bellamy, our Museum Development Officer, whose support and guidance have been invaluable throughout this process. Her expertise has helped steer us in the right direction and ensured that we met the necessary standards for accreditation.

Securing this recognition marks another important step towards fulfilling our vision of being a professional museum, managed and operated by a group of passionate and committed volunteers.”

Helen Anson, Trustee and Museum Professional Adviser said: “This is a defining moment for the Heritage Trust. By gaining accreditation we have demonstrated our deep commitment to our museums service, setting high standards in organisational health, collections care and management and visitor experience. The contribution from the whole team has been outstanding and their passion for embedding excellence across the organisation will ensure that we continue to build on this success over the coming years.”

Having gained Accreditation for the Gauge Museum, the Trust will in 2026 be pursuing a similar outcome for its other site at Blue Anchor station on the WSR which is now opened to visitors again following an extensive programme of refurbishment and reinterpretation.

West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust WSRHT