The Spring Steam Spectacular

While everyone else was enjoying the WSR Gala at the weekend, Jonathan Jones Pratt was demonstrating to staff why he should never have been appointed Chairman and (very recently) as a driver.

As far a driver ship goes, a forthcoming Chapter will look at his meteoric passage through the footplate grades and I will explain, based on the number of turns and my experience of JJP  why my view is that I would never want to ride on a train where he was driving but that’s for another time.  My view, by the way, is supported by the number of WSR enginemen who wrote a joint letter to the WSR Footplate Panel expressing concern recently.

But back to the Gala. 

Locomotive footplates are for the crew working the loco.  The presence of folk beyond the crew should be strictly controlled and in the vast majority of cases be for those who are necessarily there.  There is an open grate and many surfaces that can burn or hurt in other ways.  The crew need not to be distracted from their duties, especially as the train behind them will often have several hundred souls riding on it.

And it is important for folk in authority to be seen to follow and uphold the rules and safe working practices.  So a guard at the Gala was surprised to be told that the JJP family member on the footplate of 9466 was there as ‘owner’s representative’ not least because the owner – JJP - was part of the loco crew! For those unfamiliar with ‘owner’s representatives’ they are usually provided to assist with the management of an unfamiliar locomotive or to see it is correctly handled, not as an excuse for a joyride, for which a footplate pass is required.  The guard, I’m told, got the WSR Rule Book out to continue the discussion, which was described to me as ‘difficult’ by a member of the public who was standing nearby at the time.

Photographs I have seen show the family member wearing at least one item of clothing unsuitable for the footplate environment.

If the WSR is really JJP’s private railway then folk should be told and we can all make a decision whether we want to visit or volunteer.

It is important to make clear that nothing written here is in any way criticism of the family member whom, I understand, has no railway background whatsoever.