DECEMBER 2020

The offi cial journal of THE HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION Issue 162 COAL AFTER HIGHTHORN AND DEWLEY...

SCOTTISH NEWS

2021 Awards Nominees Full report

OFFERS COMPETENCY HELP & TRAINING FOR WANTS COURSES MEMBERS Chairman’s Briefing Dates for your Diary

As I write this, a big swathe of the country has just been put under March Tier 4 Covid rules. By the time you read it, things will almost 2nd HRA Spring Conference certainly have changed. Many of you will have been forced to Principal Hotel, York suspend your plans for opening and operating. Others lucky enough to be in lower tiers will be able to carry on. It’s now very 3rd HRA AGM & clear that, over the last nine months or so, the heritage railway Annual Awards. sector has learned to adapt, to be flexible, and to be resourceful Principal Hotel, York in the way it copes with the immense challenges COVID-19 has presented to us all. (subject to C-19 restrictions in force In time, the challenges of the virus will diminish. But they’ll be at the time) replaced with another: coal. First, the Highthorn mine planning application was refused. Then the Dewley Hill application. Both See page 6 for more information decisions were disappointing. Not just because they extinguished hopes for continuity of a domestic coal supply for heritage steam. TBC HRA Scottish Forum But those decisions will also result in considerably more CO2 emissions – five times more, in fact – created by importing coal, April than mining just a road-trip away from its point of use. 27th & 28th. Reserve dates for We await news from the Welsh government, about their future the Spring Conference, AGM and coal policy. But we must expect them to formalise their declared Annual Awards. position of ‘no more Welsh coal’. Planning for a worst-case outcome, the HRA is already exploring options for importing our own coal. This takes us into completely new territory, where we will have to learn new things, and develop new skills and resources. Inside this edition But, as the virus pandemic has proved beyond doubt, between Page us all in the HRA, we know we can overcome even the greatest of obstacles. Chief Exec news 3 The virus pandemic and coal concerns have inevitably caused Coal 4 us to focus our attention on matters here at home in the UK. Support for UK Coal 5 We recently made the decision to take a step back from our Vacancies 5 involvement with FEDECRAIL, the European federation of museum HRA Events 6 and tourist railways. The HRA founded Fedecrail 26 years ago. Help for Members 7 The value of solidarity and shared learning with of European counterparts is great, but it’s come at high cost. We shall continue Scottish News 8 to enthusiastically support the aims and the work of FEDCRAIL, of Offers and Wants 9 course. Steve Oates, our Cheief Exec will remain in close contact In Memoria 10 with Jaap Nieweg, President of Fedecrail. HRA Annual Awards 11 We’ve all learned so much over the past months. How to Shortlisted nominations communicate more effectively, with internal and external Morgan Award 12 audiences. How to reduce costs. How to continue to be flexible Coliey Award 14 and adaptable. We’ve sought, and found, new ways to engage Diesel Locomotion Award 16 the paying public, and to add value to the customer experience. Young Volunteers Award 17 All those things will stand us in great stead in a future where the Communications Award 18 virus no longer dominates everything we do. We will, as many of Innovative Fundraising 22 us believed, emerge from 2020 stronger, fitter and better than ever Small Groups 24 before. Large Groups 26 I’m proud of the ways HRA members have responded to everything Outstanding Visitor Attraction 28 that was thrown at them in 2020. It’s proof that you can’t keep good Editors Awards 29 railwaymen down. And I’m also proud of the work that the HRA has NRHA Awards 29 been able to do to provide support wherever it’s been needed. I’d like to offer you all my heartfelt best wishes, for Christmas and the Cover photo: New Year to come. The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway’s No2 The Countess, pulling a Santa Special through a Welsh snowscape. Brian Simpson OBE - Chairman © Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway

DO YOU WANT YOUR OWN COPY OF THIS NEWSLETTER? If you or your colleagues would like a copy please let us know the email addresses, send to:- [email protected] The next edition will be published in March 2021 News from Steve Oates - HRA Chief Executive

Restart … Stop … Start again … Don’t do that … But you can do this … Ah, but you can only do some of that … Now stop again … 2020 has been puzzling, worrying, interesting, tiresome, challenging, devastating - in fact, all those things and more. And, to add to the puzzle, the four nations, despite originally agreeing to co-ordinate, have worked at different paces and imposed differing levels of restrictions. Yep, it’s all been pretty horrible but, with one exception, each HRA member business is still in place and all member railways, tramways, cliff railways, museums and supporting organisations have survived intact, much has been learnt, and businesses are reshaping ready to tackle 2021. And as we head into 2021 the HRA will be there with you and for you … Naturally we will actively continue our influencing and collaboration work on your behalf, lobbying where appropriate, responding to government and industry consultations, and working with other trade and lobbying organisations. For the next few months this will inevitably include C-19, Brexit and coal. We will continue to provide regular C-19 updates on our website and, when appropriate, direct to GMs and chairmen. We’ll keep an eye on any likely impacts of Brexit on our sector and as regards coal, we’ll be working on your behalf on all the options now laid out before us, from securing imports, maintaining pressure to continue indigenous supplies, and supporting R&D work on biocoal. A significant chunk of our work in 2020 has been on preparing and publishing guidance and providing business support to individual members when required. Naturally this will continue and, to this end, our advisory committees have been – and still are being – refocussed to ensure the needs of you, our members, are at the heart of all we do. Key topics to assist members are anticipated to include governance, leadership, finance and funding, and securing infrastructure. Meanwhile, development of our plans for establishing a heritage rail safety and standards board will progress and we aim to reveal more information on this in the first half of 2021. Research, data and information capture will continue, and we’ll ensure that heritage rail’s voice is regularly heard in government, across the media and elsewhere. In 2020 only two of our principal events – the autumn conference and seminar - weren’t able to go ahead, but (as ever, subject to C-19) we’ve already got dates and venue sorted for our spring seminar and management conference; and, new for the early part of 2021, we’re developing a series of short online presentations and seminars on a variety of topics. We’ll make sure we notify you but please also keep an eye on the HRA website. Our new online training courses for competency assessors have already received a great deal of interest with dozens of registrations of interest so, again, please watch out for further details and booking options. And, of course, there will be the 2021 HRA Annual Awards. Through the turmoil of 2020 there is still much to recognise and celebrate, and much of this edition of HRA News highlights the very varied, fascinating and excellent entries and nominations. As we leave 2020 behind, may I thank all those who do so much behind the scenes here at the HRA. It really is a team effort - from providing support and guidance on the board to serving on committees, providing ‘backroom’ support, undertaking research, or assisting with advice and guidance; and my thanks to Amy who deals with the wealth of communications we receive, provides member liaison and looks after all administration for the HRA. And may I warmly thank you, our members, for all your support in 2020. With very best wishes for a less challenging and ever more successful 2021 for us all! Steve Oates Chief Exec HRA

Page 3 Coal

Refusal of coal mine plans means British steam railways may look to Russia to stay in business.

Newcastle City Council has refused planning permission for a new surface coal mine at Dewley Hill.

The decision means an end to UK-based coal production, and has dashed the hopes of Britain’s heritage railways, who need affordable coal to continue operating.

Steve Oates, Chief Executive of the Heritage Railway Associa- tion said ‘The decision is a huge disappointment. We spoke at the planning committee meeting and we had argued a strong case. UK-produced coal generates a fraction of the CO2 emis- sions created by extracting and then shipping coal half-way round the world to the UK. And it costs less in money terms, too. Keeping Britain’s heritage railways running with affordable locally-produced coal would secure the future of a sector which sits at the heart of the country’s industrial and cultural heritage, and generates millions for the leisure and travel sec- tor.’

Steam railway operators across the UK made representations to Newcastle’s planners. So, too, did the National Traction Engines Trust, the Heritage Fuels Alliance, The Heritage Alliance and the Association of British transport and Engineering Museums . Strong support was provided by Sir Peter Hendy, Chairman of Network Rail, who said, ‘Steam on the main line attracts tens of thousands of spectators, warming the market for our railway in general, and the two Science Museum Group museums in the North East, Locomotion at Shildon and the National Railway Mu- seum at York attracts 750,000 visitors per year lured by the romance and operation of steam locomotives. With the remaining stocks of English coal, this should supply UK steam locomotives until early 2021. The financial burden loco operators and heritage railways would face in adapting their steam locomotive fleet to burn alternative fuels would be impossible to overcome. Approval of the Dewley Hill mine scheme would bring a reprieve to the nation’s heritage steam locomotive operators, currently dependent on the dwindling availability of home-produced coal.’

Without domestically-produced coal, the heritage steam sector will have to find ways to import, store, handle and distribute the coal it needs. ‘Maintaining consistent and reliable supplies of coal is difficult and expensive’, said Oates. ‘That burden will now fall on our members, whose finances have already been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.’ He added, ‘The inevitable increase in the cost of coal may well be too much for some of our members to bear.’

Existing stocks of English steam coal will last into early 2021, while coal supplies from Wales are currently expected to end in 2022.

Looking to the future, Steve Oates said, ‘Naturally we will watch carefully whether the applicants choose to lodge an appeal. We’re also awaiting the outcome of the Welsh Government’s consultation on their draft coal policy. Mean- while we now have no alternative but to press ahead with our work on developing a coal importing operation, while also supporting US research and development work on biocoal.’

Heritage Railway News is published 4 times a year by the Heritage Railway Association and distributed free of charge to member railways and Friends of the HRA. Please send letters, contributions, images and advertising enquiries to Amy Sugrue at [email protected]

Page 4 Support for UK Coal

The HRA has welcomed the support of many other groups in fighting for the retention of coal production in the UK.

Sir Peter Hendy - Chair of Network Rail included the following words in his letter in support of Dewey Hill.

‘But I am also concerned with the history and broader appeal of the UK’s railways, the operation of steam locomotives on our man line network, and with heritage railways. In all those areas I’m concerned refusing the planning application for Dewley Hill could seriously impact access to coal and harm the attractiveness of our railways, and the viability of steam loco operation on the mail line and of heritage railways in the UK. With many of the last English, Welsh and Scottish mines now closed, the Dewley Hill mine may be our last opportunity for UK coal. Unless the application is ap- proved, mining in the UK will end. With forthcoming celebrations in 2025 being planned centring on the North East of England as the birthplace of the world’s first public railway, the Stockton and Darlington, it would be deeply ironic if none of the locomotives to be on show and hopefully in steam in 2025 could do so on UK coal. Conversely, it would be wonderful if they were all fuelled by coal from the same area of North East England.’

‘Whilst diesel traction is available, it doesn’t have the same appeal as steam, and sole use of diesels would lead to a big reduction in revenue. Quite simply, both the main line and heritage railways need steam if they are to generate the same economic benefit. Heritage lines across the UK are also reeling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Whilst the situation was unavoidable, heritage lines have lost millions of pounds because of the lockdown and the subsequent drop in visitors. They’ve also had to invest heavily in making their operations Covid safe. The impact of losing access to domestic coal is already proving too much at this fragile time and the Dewey Hill mine could help keep heritage rail in steam.’

‘The poorer quality of imported coal, most of which I understand comes from Russia, means more has to be burned for the same heat output. This makes little sense since these sources from overseas will greatly increase emissions of greenhouse gases, more than accessing an indigenous supply of coal.’

Vacancies Research Help!

Time on your hands? … Enjoy research and keeping up to speed with current issues? … Want to do something of real value to help all HRA members? …

The HRA is looking for volunteer help to alert the HRA’s Chief Executive and our Legal and Parliamentary Advisory Committee (LPAC) to any proposed and new primary legislation (Bills), secondary legislation (Statutory Instruments), consultations and parliamentary sessions which may affect heritage railways and tramways in the United Kingdom, and to monitor its progress.

The task, which is ongoing, entails learning your way around on-line Government sources, including the www.parlia- ment.uk website, the gov.uk site and the respective websites of the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland,; identifying proposed and new legislation and any associated consultations; and feeding back to the CEO and LPAC.

The HRA is interested in a number of areas of legislation including transport, culture and heritage, tourism, health and safety, state aid, employment and volunteering, environment and rural affairs, town and country planning, heritage conservation, charities and governance, and data protection and information management. We also keep a close watch on current issues such as guidance and legislation relating to C-19 and Brexit, and we monitor the output of organisations dealing with funding, tourism and heritage.

Timewise it would be helpful if you are able to offer a few hours per week but, if we receive interest from a small num- ber of people, we may be able to form a team to share the tasks. The outputs from your research will need to be fed back regularly to the CEO and on a monthly or quarterly basis to LPAC.

The work is entirely voluntary and it is not remunerated.

Interested? … In the first instance please drop me an email at [email protected]

Page 5 HRA Events HRA AGM and Spring Management Forum - Advance Notice

A preliminary notice that our 2020 Annual General Meeting is provisionally scheduled to be held at 10.30 am on Wednesday, 3rd March 2021 at the Principal Hotel, York. This will precede the Spring Management Forum and the HRA 2021 Awards, which will be held on the same day and at the same venue. The formal Agenda, 2019/2020 Finan- cial Year Accounts and other papers for the meeting will be distributed in due course nearer to the date of the event. In the event of C-19 restrictions still being in place, Wednesday 28th April 2021 has been provisionally reserved as an alternative date.

Spring Seminar 2021 - Advance Notice

Tuesday 2nd March 2021 at the Principal Hotel, York (Subject to C-19 restrictions in place at the time. Reserve date is Tuesday 27th April 2021) The agenda and topics are still being finalised but there will be a chance to network with representatives from other railways and tramways on the issues of the day.

HRA Members Competency Training Courses Please Register Your Interest!

Following our 2020 Spring Seminar on competency, we are preparing plans to run follow-up training for assessors and seeking expressions of interest from those HRA members interested in attending. At our 2020 Spring Seminar, John Arnold highlighted that competence development and assessment must form part of your strategic operations planning and he presented the need for suitable competence assessment and for assessor training. The training will be aimed at anybody whose role includes the assessment of the competence of others and will be delivered online. John proposes to run two separate further development sessions:

Course 1

Background to Workplace Assessment (Course duration approx. 6 hours split into two sessions) £28 + VAT per person

Course 2

A theory session with the attendees completing questions and leading to a Level 3 Award in Understanding Assess- ment Principles and Practices, which is a nationally recognised qualification (Course duration approx. 8 hours) £110 + VAT per person. (This includes the qualification registration fee)

It’s now time to take these forward and, to enable us to plan the required number of courses and dates, we are seek- ing expressions of interest - as below - from those wishing to undertake the training.

Registering Interest

Each HRA member organisation is welcome to register interest for one or any number of personnel from your teams to attend. Please could General Managers, Managing Directors or equivalent senior person forward expressions of interest with the likely participant numbers by email to Amy Sugrue: [email protected] by Friday 8 January 2021.

In responding please provide: • Your name and position • Your contact details (email and phone number) • Railway/Tramway/Organisation name • Course 1 - total number of interested participants • Course 2 - total number of interested participants

And remember, the business benefits of a competent and skilled workforce include the ability to: • Maximise productivity • Minimise accidents and near misses • Give your company a competitive advantage in the marketplace

Page 6 Help for Members

Rail Car Association

A new initiative, designed to assist the introduction of ‘Pacer’ trains to UK heritage railways has been launched by the Railcar Association (TRA), which is a member of the Heritage Railways Association.

The TRA has brought together representatives of all the railways and groups which have ‘Pacers’ with the aim of collaborating on the production of standardised operating instructions and maintenance regimes.

To achieve this an IO Group has been founded which is being used for exchange of information, and which also has a searchable files section, that can be used to access documentation as required. Driver’s and Conductor’s training manuals have already been written and made available, along with some technical information, such as wiring dia- grams.

A ‘Model’ Vehicle Maintenance Scheme is being produced, which is specially tailored to the requirements of heritage railways, and takes account of non-mainline circumstances such as vehicles which have long periods out of use, and the lower mileages covered by preserved units. This is currently out to consultation with several of the more experi- enced, or qualified, members of the scheme and is due to be released before Christmas.

The scheme’s co-ordinator, Evan Green-Hughes, said;” Pacers are a fairly recent entrant to the heritage railway scene and to operate them safely written schemes were required. By collaborating in this way operators are able to share best practice, and also to save themselves a great deal of time and effort, as the work required is being shared out. The TRA is pleased that all ‘Pacer’ owners are on board, and we now have almost 50 individuals signed up within the scheme.’

The scheme, which is called ‘2nd’Gen, follows the TRA’s established ‘1st-Gen’ Model Maintenance Scheme for old- er-style DMUs and which has been successfully used by heritage railways for almost 20 years.

To participate in the scheme join the group https://groups.io/g/2nd-gen. As with all TRA activities there are no charges or fees to participate or to download information.

Calling all Heritage Railway Association members for a New TV Idea.

TV Production company Stellify Media – the makers of Who Wants to be a Millionaire – are developing a new TV show based around Heritage Railway Restoration projects.

Does your Railway have an incredible restoration project coming up in 2021? Something that will look stunning on TV, capture people’s imagination and showcase a diverse range of brilliant workers / volunteers? If so, they’d love to hear from you!

They are particularly interested to hear from HRA members who are keen to get younger volunteers involved in their project.

To register interest and find out more, please contact Paul Christian by email at:[email protected] or by phone on: 07546924905

Great Western Star - a Magazine for all Great Western Enthusiasts

A new magazine including - the history of the GWR, the Great Western in Preservation and the Great Western in model form. You can subscribe to this by going onto their website www.greatwesternstar.com

Page 7 Scottish News

STORMS AGAIN! We began the report for the last issue with the metaphorical title “weathering the storm”. With hindsight this may have been tempting fate as Scotland experienced over Mon 11.8 - Tue 12.8 storms on a Wagnerian scale of thunder, lightning and severe downpours! All readers will be aware of the landslide at Carmont and subsequent tragic derailment. Keith & Dufftown Railway Elsewhere several other landslides affected both road and rail routes, the main Edinburgh to Glasgow railway suffered badly from a landslide caused by flooding from a breach in the banks of the Union Canal east of Falkirk. Quite close by, the SRPS Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway was blocked by multiple landslips (as mentioned in the brief report in Issue 161). A quick email check round established that thankfully this had not been mirrored by major infrastructure incidents at other Scottish members, although some minor storm damage was inevitable, such as fallen trees and bushes on the Keith & Dufftown Railway. More positive news is that the SRPS Emergency Appeal to meet estimated costs for the landslip repairs secured one of the best and fastest responses for a major rail heritage appeal in Scotland - over £ 112,000 was raised within a fortnight of the appeal launch. SRPS were particularly heartened by the sources of contributions - not only from the Society’s members and the wider railway heritage community, but very many donations both large and small (including children sending in pocket money!) from the local community in Bo’ness and area. Looking at the wider picture, a key factor remains the generally more cautious and tighter COVID 19 controls which have continued to be applied in Scotland. Very few railways re-commenced services when visitor attractions were permitted to re-open in mid-July. The earlier re-imposition of controls in several parts of Scotland meant a very short operating season for the handful that had opened. Our museum members have generally been able to re-open, but in many cases with limits on visitor numbers and/ or pre-booking requirements for visits. A couple of railways had hoped that operation of Santa Trains might have been feasible, but both current restrictions and the uncertainties of further possible tighter controls have led to all proposals for Santa trains to be abandoned - the sole festive season offering will be a limited number of “Mince Pie Specials” on the Strathspey Railway. Efforts are now focussed on cautious re-opening s next spring. Scotland has now developed a more complex “5 Tier System” than elsewhere in the UK. An element is very strict limits on travel which were passed into law (as distinct from ‘guidance’) by the Scottish Parliament in mid-November, in particular banning most travel across the “Tier Boundaries”. It is very important to secure acceptance that travel by volunteers The Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway. Easter 2020 and staff to heritage railways to carry out regular track and credit Peter Backhouse infrastructure maintenance (and certain other key tasks) will be recognised as ‘essential travel’ by the authorities (for equivalent detailed advice for England see November 5 Covid update on the website, via link: https://www.hra.uk.com/covid19-november-2020 A report had reached us of a volunteer in England being stopped by police while en route to his railway for such a duty. Reflecting this news, at the request of a Scottish member, we are working on a draft template for a ‘Letter of Authorisation’ (referring to the new Scottish legislation) which member railways in Scotland could if they wish issue to team members to carry with them on journeys to/from their railway to confirm the purpose of their travel. In the HRA calendar, proposals for our annual ‘Scottish Forum’ to be held as a physical meeting in Aberdeenshire have been deferred until 2022. As now universal for such events, a revised plan will be to be stage a virtual Forum on a Saturday in mid- March, date and details are still to be confirmed at time of writing. We hope this will be as well supported as the traditional Forum events.

Peter Ovenstone, HRA Scottish Committee Chairman

Page 8 Offers and Wants

Network Rail are taking down three unused water towers. There are three in total, two are in Northampton and one is in Rugby. They are going to dismantle them and are wanting to know if there is any interest at all in preserving any part of the towers.

If you are interested please contact Ben Clarke at [email protected]

Railway Heritage Designation Advisory Board

The following items are being proposed for transfer and expressions of interest are sought.

Capstan Set ex Carlisle Currock Weighbridge ex Carlisle Currock Raworth Booster (motor generator ex Class 70 locomotives) British Rail Class 442 401 British Rail noticeboard complete with original 1980s notices

Further details and photographs are available from their Secretary. If you would like to enquire about these items or express an interest, please email: [email protected]

British Overseas Railways Historic Trust (BORHT)

Some HRA members may already know BORHT which seeks to preserve the history of railways built abroad through the efforts of British engineers, contractors and manufacturers. Our current HQ at Greenwich is far too small. Han- dling paperwork is very difficult, conditions are unkind to the more sensitive archives and we cannot display our small museum collection.

We know some HRA railways are hard-pressed for space, but we would like to hear from others able to help. Renting or sharing an underused building for document storage and/or as office space might be an answer, as would space to keep a suitably modified container. So might joint development of a new building.

Please contact us at [email protected] or go to www.borht.org.uk for background information.

Page 9 In Memoria

Major John Poyntz. Remembered by Geoffrey Claydon and Bill Hillier

The death occurred on 2 November of John Poyntz who, after an extensive military career, became a highly-respect- ed member of Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate.

John David Pierrepoint Poyntz was born in Hammersmith on 27 May 1938. His forebears were of Norman origin and a later ancestor was a General in the 17th century Civil War. Coming from a military background, it was natural for him to choose the Army for a career. He joined the Corps of Royal Engineers in 1955 and was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Transport in 1975. He served for some 35 years, posted mainly in Germany but also seeing service in Cyprus and Borneo. From his time in Germany, he maintained a keen interest in that country’s railways and tramways. From 1955 to 1969, he was stationed at Longmoor Military Railway, in Hampshire.

On leaving the Army in 1989, with the rank of Major, he followed a familiar path for sappers by joining the Railway Inspectorate. The later severing of the link, which had existed since 1840, between the Army and the Inspectorate, was to establish him as the last ex-military officer to serve in the latter role. As Accident Officer, he was the first point of contact in the event of railway accidents, so involving him in some of the more recent untoward events at Southall, Ladbroke Grove, Hatfield and Great Heck. Less dramatically, he later carried out inspections of heritage railways and tramways, where his firm and wise (but kindly) guidance was greatly appreciated by preservationists.

He also became the unofficial archivist of the Inspectorate, contributing a foreword and research into the definitive Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate from 1840 and also in providing material for British Tramway Accidents. He re- tired from full-time employment in 2006 as Principal Inspector, but remained as a consultant until 2014.

Of great personal charm and integrity, he retained a certain boyish enthusiasm to the end (never without a notebook to jot down railway minutiae!). He also possessed a large library into which he would sometimes dip to present friends with a book. He will be sadly missed by a wide circle of friends. He is survived by his wife Ann and a daughter.

John Poyntz - remembered

Major John Poyntz, the last of the military trained Railway Inspectors – a great character who was a crucial source of help to the HRA, and its predecessors as well as HRA’s members, particularly in the movement’s expansive early days – how we will all miss the wisdom of the Major.

Many of you will recall happy days with John as he gently, kindly and firmly steered our fledgling railways through the maze of regulations to help us appreciate all the many issues of running a safe working railway with the associated need for compliance to the Regulations, sadly his advice so freely given, his informed asides (and extensive note books!!), will no longer be available to us

He kept us on the right track in a firm and friendly way. However, you always knew it was time for you to back down when he addressed you as “Dear boy…”

I first got to know John well in 1991 when I was dealing with the for- malities of what we needed to do at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway to extend operations. Our initial ideas which seemed perfectly safe and appropriate to us were carefully ‘reduced’ in a friendly way by ‘The Major’. When I specifically said that we wanted to do what another (much older Heritage railway) was already doing he replied “Dear boy, when you have acquired their experience come back to me , in the meantime - - - - - !!“

He was an active member of the HRA Operating & Safety Committee for many years, where his wisdom was always available for our bene- fit – I have a 1999 record of him assisting us, very appropriately, with Accident Reporting procedures. He ensured that they were sufficient but NOT over the top.

Of great personal charm and integrity, he retained a certain boyish enthusiasm to the end (never without a notebook to jot down railway minutiae!). He will be sadly missed by a wide circle of friends.

Page 10 The HRA 2021 Annual Awards

While we were always certain it was the right decision to run the 2021 Awards, we still really had no idea whether we would re- ceive many – or any! – entries.

But, sure enough, with new categories added in recognition of the exceptional impact of COVID-19 on heritage rail operations, as well as a new award for diesel locomotives, in they came from railways, tramways, cliff railways, support groups and others.

2020 may have been the hardest in the history of UK heritage rail, but it’s brought out some of the very best in our members. We’ve seen resilience, resourcefulness, creativity, and a dogged determination to get through. Those qualities and their achievements deserve recognition.

Thank you to all who submitted entries – we do appre- ciate that it takes time and resources to do so – and huge congratulations to those nominated and short-list- ed. My sincere thanks also to those HRA personnel and the four editors of our sector’s principal magazines for giving up their time to help review and judge the award entries.

The HRA Awards event is traditionally the glitziest gala event of the heritage rail calendar. Acknowledging the significant impact COVID-19 has had on many, if not all, heritage railways, the 2021 event will be an afternoon event. Thus, the 2021 HRA Awards event will be staged on 3rd March 2021, at the Principal Hotel, York (subject to any Covid-19 restrictions prevailing at the time) and the presenta- tions will conclude the Association’s two-day AGM, Conference and Spring Seminar event.

Full details of the Awards event and booking details will appear on the HRA website in the next few weeks.

(In the event that C-19 restrictions mean the 3rd March event cannot go ahead, we have a reserve date of Wednesday 28th April at the same location.)

Presentation of the awards will follow a similar format to our traditional gala evenings. An after- noon event can be staged on a reduced budget for us and for participants, and it will be a terrific and upbeat element of our two days activities in York.

The event will also see presentation of the awards for heritage rail presented by Heritage Rail- way magazine, Rail Express, The Railway Magazine and Steam Railway.

On the following pages, we’ve set out a summary of award entries and nominations … and for those who haven’t en- tered, perhaps this will inspire you to make sure you’re included next year!

Steve Oates CEO & Chairman of the HRA Awards Committee All pictures on this page are from the 2020 Awards

Page 11 The Morgan Award for Preservation

Awarded to an HRA member organisation for an outstanding achievement in the restoration of carriages or rolling stock.

The short listed nominations are:-

The Mid Suffolk Light Railway - The Shredded Wheat Locomotive

A 1934 Factory shunter locomotive that worked in Welwyn Garden City for 40 years. When the factory closed it remained in the open air, unmaintained, until 2019 when a group of MSLR volunteers (Tony Goff, Neal and Nigel Davis) took up the challenge to restore it.

When the project started the locomotive was found to be in a dreadful condition, some parts had been stolen, other parts were missing. All timber components had rotted away, and large parts of the metalwork were rusted out. The loco was completely dismantled, all steel work that was rusty was replaced with new metal of the correct specification, the engine was rebuilt using many, newly manufactured parts made by the team, all the timber parts were replaced with second hand, old English oak. A new chimney was fabricated, and a new copper cap was made. All parts were restored to as new or made new as the rebuild took place. Instruments and wiring (using correct vintage style wire) were installed and the original paint colours and lining and lettering were applied.

The loco now is as good as, if not better, than the day it was out shopped by Fowler in 1934. Plus it has had a vacuum brake system added so it can be used for passenger traffic. The restoration was done at no cost to the MSLR other than transport to and from the Davis brothers premises. 90% of the work was done by the volunteers with materials mainly coming from stock. The project took just under 6 months, a phenomenal achievement.

The Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society - The GNR/M&GN Third 129

M&GN 129, a GNR 1887 six-wheel compartment third, used between Kings Cross and Edinburgh. Its original GNR number is not known. In 1903 it transferred to the M&GN Joint. After withdrawal in 1935, its dismounted body was sold for reuse as part of a bungalow. The body was donated to the M&GNJR Society in 1989 for restoration.

Early progress was slow, mainly open-air repairs to the outer body- work. Once undercover, in 2009, repairs were made to the wooden body framing and the teak panels. Two doors and seats had to be fabricated and fitted, the ceilings re- placed, and safety glass plus new luggage racks and roller blind covers installed. Finally, the body was lined and third-class lettering added to outside doors. It was fitted to a modified SR PMV flat chassis from S1216S (built at Ashford in 1936). Work on the chassis included new steel C sections fitted around the chassis, with the flat side outwards, to imitate a wooden chassis. Wheels, “W irons”, springs, and axle boxes salvaged from a GNR 6-wheel unusable wooden under frame. The springs were sent away for repair and re-tempering.

In 2019 both the body and undercarriage were fitted together, and until completion in October 2020 other works in- cluded adding the right historical features such gas lamps (now LED’s) and inside decoration of the compartments. It was also vacuum fitted and the woodwork re-varnished.129’s presentation in its M&GN-era condition makes it unique amongst similar restored Great Northern Railway carriages elsewhere. Whilst it was very common for old carriages to change hands from larger railway companies down to the less wealthy, in preservation they are often restored to their original condition rather than representing the period under their “second owners”

Page 12 Railway Preservation Society of Ireland - The Guinness Grain Van 504

This bogie van was built in 1911 by the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) in Dundalk to transport casks of Guinness Stout from the Dublin brewery to stations around the GNR system. It was rebuilt in 1938 to carry grain from farms to the brewery, 504 was with- drawn in 1965 and in 1969, was saved for preservation by the RPSI at Whitehead.

RPSI surveyed 504 and her sister van 2518 in 2015 and decided to restore 504 which was in better condition. The metalwork was salvaged from the more dilapidated 2518 as part of the restoration. In the past couple of years restoration work has been accelerated thanks to a specific £37,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the development of Whitehead Railway Museum. 504’s body was lifted off and both long chassis members of the frames were replaced. Remaining parts of the frames, draw gear and bogies were refur- bished. Much of the bodywork, especially on the side damaged by an earlier fire, had to be replaced with new timber panelling. Making use of the original drawings, care was taken to precisely replicate the design adopted by the GNR(I) more than 100 years previously.

In autumn 2020 the vehicle was painted in its original grey livery, with the number 504 at both ends and the authen- tic lettering for “Guinness”, “To Carry 20 Tons”, “GNR” and “Dublin” being painted on the sides by a professional sign-writer. Among 504’s claims to fame is that it has a rare example of Samson Fox’s pressed steel underframes and Fox’s pressed steel frame pattern four-wheel bogies. In the Railway Engineer magazine in August 1891, the bogie was described as giving “a maximum of strength and elasticity” with a minimum of weight.

Bogie vehicles are unusual among Irish goods vehicles. Traditional Irish wagons were usually four-wheeled vehicles which could carry up to 10 tons and were often used for livestock. The Guinness vans were 27ft 3ins in length and could carry up to 20 tons. It tells an important story of the evolution of goods traffic on the railways of Ireland and will be an eye-catching exhibit at the Whitehead Railway Museum thanks to its association with the world-famous Guin- ness brand.

Quorn Wagon and Wagon - The restoration of three containers

The Quorn Wagon & Wagon based on the GCR have renovated a raft of three containers of two different designs. Six experimental fibre- glass containers were built by Mickleover Transport in 1959. One di- lapidated example BD4304B was found on and purchased from Ebay and this one was quickly joined by another one BD4303B in an even worse condition. Both built to diagram 3/054 they offered a unique opportunity to restore these examples to preservation. Substantial fibreglass repairs were needed to the bodywork and doors, and also new sup- port cradles were constructed using scrap rail. Two Conflats were to be paired with these containers B505313 and B507489 and both required replacement floor planks, a vacuum cylinder over- haul and on one some superficial work to the chain pocket sides.

During BD4304B’s overhaul a third container was purchased from eBay and collected from Morecombe. This was an aluminium B type built to diagram 3/047 in 1958 by Park Royal Coachbuilders. Substantial repairs again were need- ed to the structure and the roof required several new plates and panel sections to be fabricated and some existing sections to be re-secured using over four hundred pop-rivets. The livery chosen was that of the mid 1960s period Brit- ish Railways door-to door delivery service. The signwriting took place in early October 2020 in challenging weather conditions at Quorn. The container was then allocated to refurbished Medfit wagon B458484 and secured with ropes in accordance with the British Rail document “BR20427, Instructions for the loading and securing of containers on rail vehicles”. All the work has taken place in the open air.

Together the three containers provide a great insight into this form of goods traffic in the 1960s. The prototypical high standard of finish of all three containers and their respective Conflat and Medfit wagons are a testament to the effort put in during 2020 by the Quorn Wagon & Wagon group. This work makes the wagons very usable for gala events running in period freight trains, as well as indispensable in re-creating authentic goods yard scenes at Quorn.

Page 13 The Coiley Locomotive Engineering Award

Awarded to an HRA member organisation who has completed an outstanding engineering pro- ject in the overhaul, restoration, or preserva- tion of, a locomotive or self-propelled vehicle.

The short listed nominations are:-

Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway - Skeggy Simplex - Iconic Simplex Success

The locomotive is an 0-4-0 Diesel Mechanical 20 hp straight frame “Simplex” built by Motor Rail Ltd of Bedford in 1947 as works number 9264. It was first used to strengthen Lincolnshire coastal defences, when the town and parts of the East Coast of England and Scotland, Belgium and The Netherlands were overwhelmed by floods driven by strong winds which killed 1,836 people. Eventually the loco was sold to Mablethorpe Brick and Tile Works and resold in 1970, this time to Skegness Brick and Tile Company, who used it until 1976 when the company closed and sold its equipment.

In 1994, it was bought by a Trust member, who donated it to the organisation. The donor began to source spare parts, including a radiator. The seized Dorman diesel engine was successfully freed. A Trust benefactor arranged for the injectors, pistons and piston rings to be repaired or replaced. A new seat box was made by a friend of one of the trustees, who in turn located a spare genuine Motor Rail metal seat. Another volunteer made a new fuel tank for the loco; it was painted by another volunteer after successfully being started.

In every sense, it was a team effort with many volunteers contributing time, expertise and labour to bring this unsung part of Lincolnshire’s heritage back to life, with it finally running faultlessly in 2020.

In September 2020, as part of the LCLR’s celebration of its 60th anniversary of being the first heritage railway in the world to be built by enthusiasts the “Skeg Simplex” as the loco is affectionately known, took part in a convoy of the eight Simplexes on the LCLR – all of which are now in working order and operable condition.

It has a unique and remarkable history and its restoration has aroused much interest in the media and the community of the Lincolnshire Coast, which in turn has raised awareness among decision makers and informers of the signifi- cance of the LCLR’s collection and its role in preserving unique elements of the county’s heritage.

Tanfield Railway - The Restoration of 1904 built Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST No 1015 Horden

Built by Andrew Barclay in 1904 for the opening of Horden colliery on the County Durham Coast and with15 in outside cylinders and six coupled wheels, Horden was an adaptation of a standard four coupled Barclay product, extended with extra coal and water ca- pacity especially prepared for the Horden Coal Company. Horden the locomotive spent its entire commercial career at collieries as- sociated with the Horden Coal Company in east Durham.

In November 1972 Horden was saved for preservation by a trustee of the then recently formed Tanfield Railway. Immediate restoration was simply not possible and for most of the next four decades, Horden sat outside, exposed to the elements.

In 2014, with a multi-generational team of volunteers ranging from 14-year-old school children (some of whom later went on to employment in the local engineering industry) to retired engineers in their late 70s, the restoration began. Page 14 The aim was to return Horden back to the condition it would have been in when new. Extensive research was undertaken, including much reference to original drawings and specifications from the Andrew Barclay archives.

Almost every part of Horden was worn out and needed replac- ing or renovating. All of the machining and fabrication were completed in-house, with time-served engineers working hand in hand with teenage volunteers, passing down their skills and experience. Every boiler fitting required complete overhaul. Hours of detailed machining work was finished in the rail- way’s workshops to return everything from the whistle to the injectors back to standards as laid out in the Locomotive Manufacturers Association handbook, to which Barclays were built. The only addition to the locomotive from original condition has been vacuum brake equipment. Every part, including the vacuum ejector and application valve were machined from brass and bronze stock by volunteer machinists on site.

The painting team was made up mainly of volunteers in their 20s. The entire job was carried out by brush, including the vast amount of lining, which was done the traditional way using chalk and no masking tape. The only assistance was when a friend from a neighbouring heritage site was brought in to assist with the gold leaf tank side lettering … a task which hadn’t been tackled before but can now be done confidently after some on the job training.

The entire restoration has been completed without any external funding using the railway’s own resources – pre- dominantly fare income. Although the work has cost tens of thousands of pounds, it would have cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to complete if it were not for the skills of the volunteer team working on the project. Apart from routine tasks, like annual and ‘ten year’ boiler inspections, it is expected that Horden will now be able to give at least 20 years of regular service at the Tanfield Railway before any major work is required.

Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways - The restoration of Large England locomotive Welsh Pony

The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway’s £250,000-plus restoration of 1867-built ‘Large England’ 0-4-0ST Welsh Pony and its first steaming and re-entry into traffic af- ter 80 years has added a new dimension not only to the line but to the sector as a whole.

2020 marks the first time in the 70 years of the operational heritage movement that a ‘Large England’ has been run, and on the line/s for which it was built and operated first time round.

Given the challenging conditions of the coronavirus pandemic, the workshop team at Boston Lodge completed a bril- liant job not only with the restoration of Welsh Pony but with the application of its impressive livery.

Welsh Pony’s first run was seen by 76,000 views worldwide via Facebook, as lockdown regulations meant that it had to be a private event at Boston Lodge, on June 27.

Its entry into traffic proved equally impressive, and it took part in the October 9-11 Bygones Weekend, during which two members of the first-ever Ffestiniog Railway working party in 1954 carried out its official renaming – and on the day, the crew was the youngest driver and fireman currently on the line - symbolising and handing over between gen- erations not just of the locomotive but of the Ffestiniog spirit.

Page 15 The HRA Award for Diesel Locomotion

Awarded to an HRA member organisationfor excellence in the overhaul, restoration, preserva- tion or operation of a diesel locomotive(s) or self-propelled diesel vehicle(s).

The short listed nominations are:-

Severn Valley Railway and Class 50 Alliance - For 30 years of Class 50 Preservation excellence.

Class 50 Alliance for 30 years of excellence in the overhaul, restoration, preservation and operation of Class 50 diesel-electric locomotives.

Since 1991 the volunteer team from Class 50 Alliance have achieved almost impossible feats after initially purchasing three locomotives from British Rail & now having five locomotives of their own and a sixth on long term loan. During this period all aspects of maintenance over- haul & repair of the these complex machines have been undertaken leading to the unparal- leled achievement of having four of the six locomotives main line registered for operation at their original 100mph maximum speed.

28 years of operation at the SVR, 80+ main line railtours and spells on hire to main line passenger & freight operators is a truly remarkable record. In addition to the engineering achievements the team were also integral in the design work for the award winning Kidderminster Diesel Depot opened in 2016. The capability of this facility enabled the ‘miracle’ restoration of 50033 in 2018

In addition the team have been instrumental in organising many memorable events over the years but most no- tably the famous SVR ‘Class 50 Golden Jubilee Gala’ in October 2018 which was highly acclaimed and attracted over 4000 visitors - amazing for something featuring only one class of locomotive.

In summary, no other volunteer-only group has achieved anywhere near the output of Class 50 Alliance who can truly be considered the most successful diesel locomotive preservation group.

The Mid Suffolk Light Railway - The Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway - The Shredded Wheat locomotive Skeggy Simplex - Iconic Simplex success also nominated in the Morgan Award also nominated in the Coiley Award see page 12 see page 14

Page 16 Lord Faulkner Young Volunteers Award

Awarded to volunteers under the age of 26, for significant achievement. The shortlisted nominations are:-

Michael Abbott - Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust

Mike is 22 years old and has been with the railway for 4 years. He quickly passed all his relevant exams to qualify as a shunter and fireman on steam locos, as well as qualifying as second man on diesels. He progressed so quickly that he was able to successfully pass out as a driver on both diesel and steam locomotives at the age of 21. 18 months ago, he became Operations Assistant. This involved him learning to organise rosters, writing operating notices, administering competency exams and other administrative tasks,

He also mastered the HOPS system and oversaw its successful implementation at the S&D. His organisational skills became evident when he was responsible for running a very successful Mixed Traffic Gala in September 2019. In January 2020 he was appointed Head of Operations of the railway, surely the youngest person to be placed in such a responsible position on any operating railway.

In September 2020 he was elected as a director of the board of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway Co, which op- erates the railway at Midsomer Norton.

Tom Mills - Severn Valley Railway

Tom is 21 years of age and first volunteered at Bridgnorth as a young volunteer, under 16, (a mentored volunteer). Tom has progressed through the loco department ranks to become a very capable passed cleaner (i.e. passed for locomotive firing duties). More importantly, Tom has become a regular volunteer in Bridgnorth pattern making workshop, where he is learning the skills of a pattern maker producing traditional wooden patterns from which SVR has iron and non-ferrous castings produced not only for ourselves but for other heritage railways too. Pattern making is one of the dying trades of British man- ufacturing.

Tom’s willingness and aptitude to learn these traditional skill is the epitome of everything that is great about SVR en- gineering/manufacturing volunteers. He has learned something completely new to him, for the purpose of preserving and maintaining locomotives and carriages in the traditional manner and will be able to take this forward hopefully for future generations to follow in his footsteps.

Oliver Edwards - Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway

Olly is the youngest and most dynamic of our volunteers in the marketing and appeals oper- ation. It is a measure of the extraordinary trust we have in him that he has been chairing the first-stage panel interviews for selecting our next General Manager.

He has been a Trustee since November 2019, with oversight for visitor experience - market- ing and product / experiences. His other achievements include retaining engagement in the railway through over 350 social media posts since March 2020, with an audience increase of 25%. Coordinated / managed two appeals for Tracks to Recovery and The Earl, raising over £140,000 in approximately 150 days. Attracted approximately 25% external donations, surpassing anything previously achieved. He has vastly expanded our reach in social media in 2020. We have relied exclusively on on- line advertising to spread the word about reopening, new timetable, Covid-safe procedures, etc. We reopened on 1 August, and ran at 81% of capacity during August, when our traffic income almost reached that of a normal August. We kept up the social-media blitz until forced to close by the Welsh Government ‘firebreak’ on 18 October. The overall result, as he states, is 70% of normal traffic revenue for the period we were allowed to be open, despite drastically reduced train capacity.

Page 17 The HRA Award for External Communications

Awarded for excellence in any form of external communication, advertising/marketing campaign or public relations. This may cover any format (e.g. printed, broadcast or digital), and in any type of media.

The shortlisted nominees are:-

Mid Hants Railway Ltd. - Watercress Line Film Unit.

Our online Video Programmes were designed to show that, while the railway was closed due to lockdown, we could continue our mission to educate and entertain the public, encourage them to visit us again when possible, and invite them to donate to our Covid-related fundraising efforts. A series of videos that would run on our social media channels was devised and run by one of the volunteers, Will Stratford. It has covered a variety of topics from the history of the line and its locomotives, to ‘virtual visits’ where viewers watch a guided tour along the line including historical features and stories of how it was built.

To date over thirty five videos have been produced since the project commenced. A subset of the videos called ‘Things you now know’ looks at various topics around the railway, which the public, or even many volunteers in other departments from the one being featured, may not have known much about, such as signalling or how to light a lo- comotive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Du6_IR3xZQ&t=24s&ab_channel=MidHantsRailway%27TheWatercressLine%27

Swanage Railway - Save Our Service Film makers A passionate volunteer is also a freelance film maker and this gave us an opportunity to use Josh Voce and Kevin Babey’s skills to promote our Save our Service appeal and the plight of our railway to a wider audience beyond railway enthusiasts to the wider public both locally and nationally.

Two films were storyboarded the first “Survival on a knife edge” concentrating on the nature of the problem Covid-19 presented to the Railway and the second “Standing together” looking at the impact the Railway has in South East Dorset and the risk that closure could present to the economy, tourism and wellbeing. It was quite an ask as we wanted the films to be ready quickly to engage and gain mo- mentum with raising awareness and fundraising.

The first film launched on YouTube in early June 2020, and heavily promoted by our social media team. The second film followed a little later completing the story. The films included input from people from the Railway, the local MP, the Mayor and Chamber of Trade in Swanage and businesses in the Town.

It became a collaborative community effort, indicating in the process back to the Railway the benefit of engaging pro- actively with communities in the future.

Their work has materially helped our SOS fund towards its target of £360,000 (£330,000 today). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgXKPljQDGM&feature=youtu.be

Page 18 Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways - Media and Communications Department.

The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway has for years excelled in its effective use of modern digital and internet technology as a premier com- munications medium to an ever-increasing extent. Its website is a ready source of quality high-resolution images and press releases which can be downloaded in seconds by any national or local newspaper or mag- azine journalist, leaving no doubt that its message is one of the finest narrow gauge systems in the world is getting across to both the wider public and specialist market alike loud and clear.

On June 27, when lockdown prevented both supporters and the public at large seeing the long-awaited first run of newly-restored large England 0-4-0STT Welsh Pony. The off-limit event was broad- cast live on Facebook across the world in three videos on the day, generating 76,000 views, while the associated YouTube views have had more than 35,000 views. The railway also made full use social media to provide a lifeline of communication for members throughout 2020, not only to provide the usual updates on locomotives and track maintenance, but also to run its emergency lifeline appeal to offset the losses caused by the Covid-19 lockdown and restriction, and which has raised over £550,000 to date.

Living Museum of the Great Western Railway Didcot Railway Centre (Great Western Society) - Opening Times & Overhauling the Centre’s Marketing Communications Special Events 2020 Ahead of the 2020 season a need was identified to update the Centre’s tired marketing material. The aim was to provide a suite of collateral that was eye-catching, image-driven, immediately identifiable and which followed a consistent house-style with clear calls to action to encourage more advance, online bookings. The bold decision was made to do away with virtually all tra- ditional media spend and invest the savings in establishing a house style and increased use of digital channels. The Centre’s website was also overhauled early in the year with striking hero images added to most pages, the new colourways adopted, and the menus overhauled to make navigation (and booking!) much easier. DidcotRailwayCentre.org.uk 01235 817200

Operated by the Great Western Society The marketing team also brought production of the consumer newsletter in-house, developed templates that match the website and leaflet and make best use of the available imagery. During lockdown, the marketing team quickly pivoted activities to ensure that the Centre continued to engage audiences and launched two blogs – Tuesday Treasures, featuring items from the Great Western Trust’s extensive collection, and Going Loco, which looks at technical aspects and untold stories from the locomotive fleet. These are housed on the website. The success of the communications project has directly contributed to achiev- ing significant growth in visitor numbers at a very difficult time whilst significantly reducing the market- ing spend. www.didcotrailwaycentre.org It’s Still a Lot of The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society - Fun! It’s still a lot of fun! Celebrating 60 years.

This A5 soft-back book has 246 pages, with articles from 60 different people, mirroring the 60th anniversary. A careful choice of suitable photos was made from the many thou- sands available to accompany each of the articles, with almost 300 photos included from over 100 different photographers. ISALOF was distributed in September 2020, free of charge, to each Society member household, and to other key organisations

ating including the British Library. Copies are available from the R&ERPS Trust or for sale celebr OF PRE SERVA TIO Ravenglass and EskdaleN at the railway’s shops. The title reflects a previous booklet “It’s been a lot of fun” pub- Railway Preservation Society lished in 2000 to mark the 40th anniversary of the R&ERPS. 2000-2020

ISALOF includes contributions across the ages, from older volunteers in their 70s, who have volun- teered for decades, to the next generation of volunteers who are currently at school (the youngest contributor was 8). It provides connections within and between families, and across generations. Many of the older contributors recalled their first visits to the Ratty, and also described re-living this initial joy through the eyes of their children and grandchil- dren when they were introduced to the railway. Page 19 The HRA Award for Internal Communications

Awarded for excellence in any form of internal communication, ad- vertising, marketing campaign or public relations. This may cover any Summer/autumn 2020 format (e.g. printed, broadcast or digital), and in any type of media. No. 186 £6.00

The shortlisted nominees are:-

Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Society - ‘Joint Line’ Journal no. 186

‘Joint Line’ is published by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Socie- ty Quarterly (in normal times) for its members and the journal is, essentially, the house magazine of the North Norfolk Railway. Covid-19 gave time to make JL186 a ‘special’ with a 8-page gate fold centrepiece showing the mileages accrued by all the home fleet motive power and visiting locomotives - from 1989 to 2019 for steamers and from 2005 to 2019 for diesels.

Data was drawn from official records of the NNR though a little supposition has been used but is clearly identified in the charts. The mileage charts are accompanied by photos of one of all the classes of motive power that has been used on the NNR over the years.

Great Western Society - Echo Magazine

The Great Western Echo is the magazine for members of the Great Western Society . During this difficult year of lockdown the magazine has become more important than ever to keep members informed about developments within the Society and at Didcot Railway Centre, as well as presenting a balance of historical, contemporary and picto- rial features relating to the Great Western Railway.

The Great western Echo has won praise for the range and interest of its content, as well as the quality of its production, and has been an incentive for many new members to join the Society.

Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway - The Earl an innovative communication to working members.

We decided that our communications with our most active volunteers were inadequate. Our Journal comes out only quarterly. We maintain email lists of volunteers in each de- partment but email notices lack sparkle. Now that all (or almost all) volunteers, and peo- ple interested in volunteering, have email, we decided to create a pdf-only newsletter entitled ‘The Earl’. It appears roughly once a month, but the interval is not specified, so that big news can be circulated as soon as we want to. Hard copy can be supplied on demand to any non-email-enabled volunteer. It is produced to professional standards thanks to our volunteer Andrew Charman, who is by profession a trade journalist (editor, ‘Narrow Gauge World’ and editor/correspondent for other trade publications).

Using the relevant professional software, its design and layout fully match the standards of a top-class trade magazine. It has been an enormous success. There are now over 300 subscribers.

Page 20 Talyllyn Railway - Talyllyn Control Centre. A public online subscription service

In February 2020 the Talyllyn Railway introduced a new public online sub- scription platform, the Talyllyn Control Centre (TCC). It was designed to give ‘armchair’ supporters greater access to the railway and tap into the very popular existing webcam page, which enjoyed over 365,000 unique visitors per year.

TCC was commissioned by the Railways General Manager, Stuart Wil- liams, who engaged with a volunteer, Peter Richards, who runs his own software company. The TCC portal gives subscribers access to extra webcams that the public do not see, but also the ability to view the live position of trains along the railway. Each train is fitted with a GPS tracker (passenger services only currently) which is rigged up to the batteries in the guards van. The position is then shown on a diagram every 30 seconds.

TCC runs alongside an internal ‘Talyllyn Management System’ which gives our operating staff more information like speed and direction and we can get accurate positioning of the train which would be useful in an emergency. The TCC fee is £5/annum and there are now 270 active subscribers, which is pleasing considering lockdown came just after it went live. Webcam usage has grown by 31% since we re-opened in August.

Further improvements are planned, with hardwired tracker in the diesel locomotives and a mobile unit that can be used on mobile plant, giving the line controller an accurate idea of where everything is and armchair viewers can tie in the movements to the webcam views, especially helpful when engineering trains do not follow planned timetables.

Bluebell Railway - The Bluebell Times The Bluebell The inspiration for ‘The Bluebell Times’ (A Newsletter for Bluebell Railway Times Members, Staff and Supporters’) came from soldiers during World War A Newsletter for Bluebell Railway Members, Staff and Supporters I. The idea for a special publication during lockdown was based on ‘The

Wipers Times’ which was written, printed and distributed by servicemen embe

in the trenches around Ypres from 1916 to 1918. It was put together by Autumn tints of a different kind: he class against the setting sun

Photo: Andre trongitharm the army of volunteers who were determined to keep up morale during he last month has undoutedly een one of mied fortunes. adly, dominating the news the closure. – oth national and on the Railway the imposition of a second national lockdown. Once again, our Chairman’s Message – has een planned services have een curtailed. his has primarily affec opening of our teamights and anta services. t is planned that Culture ecovery Fund Grant ted the teamights services will e etended through anuary, and affected elping the ailay at Christmas passengers are eing contacted to make alternative arrangements. ‘The Bluebell Times’ provided plenty of content to keep people busy th Anniversary ouvenir ickets hile this news is an undouted low, the safety staff and volunteers remains the Railway’s highestof priority. our passengers, lueell ailay righton Atlantic during the lockdown including recommendations from members of rail- Proect Christmas Cards for Octoer saw many positives though. ust as the last issue of lueell nfrastructure nes way-related books and films, as well as Guess the Year, Spot the Differ- imes was eing distriuted, there was the tremendous news of the award of a grant for , from the Nes in rief Recovery und. ernon lackurn, ChairmanGovernment’s of the lueell Culture Railway All Change at the hop ence, Word Search and other puzzles. And the younger members and rust, eplains in this issue how the award will e used to support the Railway over the winter. ff the ails supporters were not forgotten with a special Kids section containing Atlantic pdate he Railway also staged its first enthusiast special event of the year, with “Off the Rails” taking place over two weekends at the end of Fareell stories, games and puzzles. Each issue was a pdf which was sent out Octoer. espite the rather damp weather, the comination of goods “Peek” Performance trains and vintage vehicles was well received and made available for downloading on the Bluebell Railway’s website. report on page of this issue. Museum Morsel: ‘Ardingly’ Nameplate – there is a a photo Five Minutes With … Liz Groome inally, there has ee n more progress with two major infrastructure Some roster clerks printed copies of each issue and posted them to projects on the railway, with further work on the “OP4” carriage shed harpthorn in Miniature at orsted eynes, and replacement of Palmers Cattle Creep north of A Closer Look at … No those volunteers whom they knew were not online – not a single mem- heffield Park. he latter project is showcased in an ecellent time on Memory Line lapse video – see page for details. e may e temporarily halted ber of the Bluebell Railway “family” was left out. Each issue of ‘The from running trains, ut investing for the future continues. n his ay Novemer

om ames, ditor Word earch Bluebell Times’ reached thousands of people within and beyond the , ail Lamp

Bluebell Railway. – ewsletter for lueell Railway emers, taff and upporters

ssue 4, ovemer

We also tried to give a more human feel to the railway, with articles such as a profile of a prominent member under the title “Five Minutes With …” and asking a photographer to choose one of their photos and explain the story behind the image in “A Photo’s Worth”. 2020 is of course a key year in the Bluebell Railway’s history, marking our sixtieth anniversary. We have made liberal use of articles and photographs celebrating the events on the railway from those sixty years – Covid or not, we were not going to forget the significance of our diamond jubilee year. Page 21 The Most Innovative Fundraising Idea

New for this year! Awarded to the HRA Operating Member that has produced the most innovative fundraising project or scheme during the COVID crisis.

The short listed nominations are:-

Bluebell Railway - Steam Returns to Bluebell (a public information film).

We wanted to engage with current and new audiences to raise the pro- file of the railway. We identified that it was necessary to produce informa- tion for the visitor and volunteers showing the Covid-19 measures that would be in place once we reopened. It needed to be fun and something that would capture media attention or go viral. Something that underlined that a visit to Bluebell Railway would be safe and enjoyable once we reopened. Inspired by the British Transport Films of the 50s and 60s and Pathe News reels, we created our own film using volunteers, with a minimal cost. free software and a bit of technical know-how. We wanted the script to b e warm, fun and to reflect the great British tradition of dealing with adversity with humour.

The making of the main film presented extra challenges. While keeping our people safe we wanted to create the feel of a busy railway, and tried to show the space and comfort that future visitors would enjoy. Within a week, the film had thousands of views on Youtube and Facebook. People went on to book for the reopening of the railway, at that timed planned for our 60th birthday on 7 August. They supported us by purchasing from the online shop and by continuing to donate to the emergency appeal. Follow the link and see for yourself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFQBFoSTRz0

Seaton Tramway - Tramathon Live 2020

‘Tramathon Live’ was a week-long fundraising initiative that took place from 8th – 12th June, to combat the loss of revenue due to the 3-month lockdown for Covid-19. The idea was to bring everyone together at home with a week-long programme of live broadcasts to our Facebook page, taking those who were locked down and isolat- ing to behind the scenes of our beloved Tramway.

During the week we showcased our new projects that will be ac- cessible upon reopening, embarked on a live Driver’s Eye ex- perience, enjoyed several Q &A sessions, and ended the week with a mammoth 24-hour continuous tram ride.

During the 24 hours, the broadcast was shared across the world, with comments from people across the UK, Europe, America, and Australia. But we were also blown away by the local support, it really was an event that seemed to bring the community together. Families stood at their doorways and windows waving and shouting to keep our spir- its high, and car drivers were beeping and flashing their support for us as we crossed the level crossing at Colyford. Local BBC Radio Devon checked in with Josh both mornings to see how the event was going and gave us a great extra boost in publicising about our unique fundraising event.

The Fundraiser was a great success, during the week each individual live broadcast reached around 200000 people, with our 24-hour live stream reaching over 200000 by the time the broadcast ended on its 24th hour. The appeal raised over £30,000 by the end of June. Tramathon will return by popular demand in 2021.

Page 22 Mid Hants Railway and the Bahamas Locomotive Society - Autumn Gala

The driving force was a vision that both the MHR and the BLS had that by work- ing together to create a ‘special’ event it would help the wellbeing of visitors, volunteers and staff after a very difficult summer. Discussions had begun in April and both agreed to work together as closely as possible to overcome all the odds and produce something really special for the heritage railway movement. The ne- gotiations were not easy and it took acts of faith by both groups to finalise plans to hold the event. At the time nobody else appeared to be actively considering post-lockdown events and certainly not risky gala events with a ‘guest’ locomotive.

Planning for the October 16-18 autumn gala began seriously during the summer based on the experience the MHR had gained from operating restricted services after the first lockdown. From the outset the MHR team wanted to make sure that it focussed on making everyone feel safe which meant that its plans had to be thorough and visible. The net result: a definitely very special and possibly unique programme which gave pas- sengers an opportunity to travel behind all of the five locomotives rostered; a ‘different’ travel experience in 2020 with allocated seats, special crowd management and social distancing.

Safety was paramount at all time: trains were colour coded with passengers given match- ing wristbands; changing trains was not permitted. Platform entry was restricted to ticket holders only, masks had to be worn at all times and temperature checks were the order of the day. However, such was the appeal of the visit by No. 45596 and the fact that it was to be probably the only event of its type in the autumn, the first tranche of tickets sold out within hours and a second batch sold out almost immediately too. Despite all the odds and the difficulties that had to be overcome the two groups had jointly achieved exactly what they had wanted to do and had proved the doubters wrong!

Talyllyn Railway - Virtual Visit Appeal

The Talyllyn launched it’s ‘Virtual Visit’ appeal at the end of March, with the focus very much being on interacting with the Railways members, supporters and stakeholders and keeping them engaged with the Railway whilst it wasn’t running. The theme encouraged the working members to donate what they would have spent travelling to the Railway to perform their duties, and potential passengers to donate the cost of their ticket.

The appeal was centred around a weekly video communication from the managers, which was billed the ‘Weekly Walkabout’. Every Wednesday a update would be aired, with the Railways general manager, Stuart Williams assisted by the engineering manager Chris Smith and commercial manager Lorraine Simkiss, giving updates from behind the scenes – providing the viewers with their own Virtual Visit. Some videos were aired live, but mostly they were recorded and edited to be shown every Wednesday morning.

The quality of the videos, along with the engagement and following, grew every week. The output was mainly published on facebook and Youtube. Over the 20 weeks that the ‘walkabouts’ were filmed, over 330,000 people watched and the reach was over 1.1 million. Every time a video was aired there was a definite spike in donations. Other elements including on line donations, a live ‘tweetalong’ to the BBC2 broad- cast of ‘The Titfield Thunderbolt’,and A Virtual Visit

In all, the appeal has raised over £120,000 and is still being added to daily. Our social media interaction has greatly increased, with over 45,000 people now following our facebook feed. For a Narrow Gauge Railway in rural Wales, carrying only 50,000 visitors per annum, we feel very pleased with the support we received through the appeal.

Page 23 The HRA Annual Award for Small Groups

Awarded to an HRA member organisation, from the smaller categories of membership, for excellence in developing their business, or for an item not covered elsewhere. . (This may be for the HRA member organisation as a whole, a group of its staff or volunteers, or an individual).

The short listed nominees are:-

Bahamas Locomotive Society - Steve Allsop - 50 years a Loco Engineering Manager

Steve Allsop, Engineering Manager of the Bahamas Locomotive Society, has been an inspirational leader of a group of volunteers for over 50 years. He has shared his expertise and craftsmanship with many and, by setting high standards in the engineering projects he pursues, leads by example. By so doing he has established for the Society a reputation of excellence in its endeavours, without seeking any recognition other than the personal satisfaction of a job well done.

Steve is one of those rare engineers who undertake theoretical design and practices craftsman’s skills, ranging from considering the gas flow through new smokebox self-cleaning equipment for Bahamas, manufacturing an LN- WR-style oil feeder, to caulking the seam on a firebox, or signwriting numerals on a buffer beam.

Southern Electric Traction Group - Restoring Unique 4VEP No.3417.

The efforts of this small group have encompassed everything required to get this unit back into service. Mechanical maintenance and restoration, publicity, learning new skills and sourcing the right materials to do the job properly; everything has been an uphill struggle.

The SETG started with a tired unit, no shed, few spares and no money - today they have a shed, a growing set of spares, a trim shop, supplies and office space, a healthy and popular online presence on social media and the internet and a good working relationship with other EMU preservation groups. They even have a few pennies to rub togeth- er! The SETG are doing an astonishing job to make sure that 3417 is not forgotten. The efforts made by this small team on a budget that would make most preservation group cringe are second to none. They have worked quietly and doggedly to bring this unique unit back to life.

Hull and Barnsley Railway Stock Fund - Project 58 +1 move to Hull College

The Hull and Barnsley railway Stock Fund has worked tirelessly over the last 2 years to raise its profile from one of relative obscurity within the wider heritage circle , with imaginative thinking on ways we can raise our profile, and speed up restoration progress of our remaining items of rolling stock, with limited resources and volunteers. So, the idea was hatched to open up dialogue with Hull College back in 2019, meetings where arranged with the principle Head of construction and Director of engineering at Hull college. Fast forward to 2020 we now find ourselves in the position of having Coach 58 + Coach No1 now at the campus construction site, been restored by the construc- tion students who are totally engaged in the project and as had a measurable impact of student attendance ,enthusiasm and drive to see our coaches fully restored for people to enjoy for years to come running on our heritage railways. Page 24 Tarka Valley Railway C.I.O. - Progress Steaming Ahead

Over the last 12 months there has been a demonstrably large amount of visible progress - which has garnered support from the local communi- ty both in terms of positive feedback to a questionnaire in the local free newspaper and increasing number of volunteers who attend on our regu- lar working days of Thursdays and weekend as well as increased follow- ers on Facebook and members of the society.

We have managed to lay almost 300 metres of track from Torrington towards Bideford installed a top of the range - some might say best in class - safety level crossing as well as improving the maintenance of our rolling stock. restoring an old signal box at the side of the rail which is becoming a new storage hut and improving the environment by maintaining the foliage, cleaning up the coal dock and ensuring that there are welcoming flowers and welcoming smiles on site.

Downs Light Railway Trust - Youth Engagement

We are a small charitable group with a passion for inspiring the next generation into science, engineering, and technology (STEM) related careers, and supporting/ working with heritage and national railways. This nomination is to recognise the work of our trustees, staff, and volunteers in advancing education in railways and engineering to young people, promoting the railway industry, and collaborating with neighbouring HRA member railways. It is also to recognise the significant achievements in overhauling our organisation over the last year to enable us to expand our youth engagement activities.

Great Central Railway - Quorn Wagon and Wagon

Over 90 rail vehicles and 3 containers are cared for by a small team of dedicated volunteers, whose sole aim is to keep this aging collection in operational condition for the enjoyment of visitors to the Great Central Railway.

Our efforts are aimed at recreating the look and telling the story of goods by rail, not only restoring the rolling stock but the whole door to door service provided by the railways. We feel our small group has demonstrated through their dedication, willingness to learn new skills and sheer hard work, an unparalleled ability to recreate the look and feel of the period railway goods scene in preserva- tion. This is demonstrated in a recent short video commissioned by the GCR: https://youtu.be/brX25tkkYrI

East Somerset Railway - Restoration of platform, Museum and associated outreach project

We have re-instated demolished platform and waiting room and com- pletely renovating the original 1858 Cranmore station building along with extensive outreach elements, including its education and dementia friendly elements. We believe this project merits an award due to the wide-ranging benefits and local involvement.

We are passionately proud of our engagement with young people and our inclu- sivity for those living with dementia and the benefits of heritage experiences for them: the East Somerset Railway offers a multi-generational, attractive and ever-popular experience that preserves the longer-term security of and loyalty to the ESR. There have been talks and slideshows for local community groups, including the Coleford History Society, Castle Cary Railway Society, ‘Heads Up Wells’, Highfield House Care Home and Shepton Mallet WI. As part of our emerging Dementia Friendly site ambitions, we have been in regular contact with the local Dementia Action Alliance. Twenty of our volunteers and staff are now Dementia Friends and we feel we are well on course for delivering these specially-focused events to those living with Dementia, with nostalgic and safe days out.

Page 25 The HRA Annual Award for Large Groups

Awarded to an HRA member organisation, from the larger categories of membership, for excellence in developing their business, or for an item not covered elsewhere. (This may be for the HRA member organisation as a whole, a group of its staff or volunteers, or an individual)

The short listed nominations are:-

The Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway for their Top Wheel installation

It was decided that the safety of the original Victorian top wheel design could be improved upon by upgrading the Victorian base plate that has been at the Cliff Railway since its opening in 1888. The new design also enables a self-greasing mechanism, improved wheel encasement and a rope management system to make future maintenance easier.

Martin Hudson of Wheelsets UK designed, manufactured and installed the system. Anchorage of the top wheel base plate was designed by J Grimes Partnership who have worked closely with the Lift company for several years. The lifting of the 3 tonne wheel and base plate into place was undertaken by Brian Smith of KAS Crane Hire’

Before starting the rock face was inclined to exactly 29 degrees prior to drilling 1.5 meters into the bedrock to install the anchorage bolts. The lifting of the 3 tonne wheel and base plate into place was successful despite the restricted access and increasing winds during the operation.

The installation and the maintenance work was completed on time and ahead of the new season, the new wheel was encapsulated under a perspex cover, replacing the previous metal cover and enables visitors to see more of the working elements of the railway.

Isle of Wight Railway for their Platform teams

We are nominating the dedicated and hard-working teams of volun- teers who have staffed the platform at Havenstreet during the challeng- es posed by Covid-19. In addition to their usual duties they have also taken responsibility for cleaning the key touchpoints on every train be- tween journeys. Moreover, they have willingly engaged with each and every group of passengers to give piece of mind and then ensuring that each family group is escorted to their assigned compartment.

These often-unsung heroes undertake their work cheerily and with absolute professionalism.

By the time the 2020 has concluded, it is estimated that up to 20,000 compartments will have been cleaned - amounting to over 250,000 touch-points.

This is a magnificent effort from a team of volunteers who are passionate about the Isle of Wight Steam Railway and who have understood and accepted the importance of ‘Covid-security’. Perhaps perversely during these socially dis- tancing times, they have embraced the opportunity to interact more with our visitors, albeit while maintaining social distance.

From 12 July, the Railway’s belated 2020 season start date, until the end of October we had recorded more than 42,000 passenger journeys, and our relatively modest income projections have been exceeded for every month since the season began.

Page 26 Dartmouth Steam Railway & Riverboat Company

Nominated for the pioneering and enterprising way it resumed services post lockdown.

Two managers spent several weeks making more than 200 bespoke Perspex screens and fitted them inside carriages to allow socially-distanced seat- ing.

To stand a chance of maintaining revenue with less seats, trains with extra coaches had to be run – so the Paignton platform was lengthened by 170ft.

The railway was also one of, or maybe even, the first heritage line to source a fog machine to spray a sanitising solution to assist with the deep cleaning of all carriages after each use.

An unused railway carriage was used to provide up to seven separate mess rooms for rest breaks which meant that the loco and workshop teams could be split into separate bubbles to avoid cross contamination.

A completely revised running schedule resulted in more services each day and allowed for spreading out of custom- ers to avoid overcrowding. As a result, the railway carried more passengers on some days than on the equivalents in 2019. All seats were allocated. These and other safety measures ensured that the line was among the first in the UK to restart services, on July 6, just two days after the government lifted the lockdown.

Swanage Railway for their Social Media Team

With the impact of Covid-19, we decided to re-invigor- ate our social media content. With a group of volunteers who were all new to this activity on behalf of the Rail- way, but all had experience, knowledge and love for the Railway that would enable authentic representations to be made. The group comprises of seven, Nathan Au (team leader), Pete Harris; Nick Lloyd; Matt Mac- Manus; Jon Cooper; Dan Bennett and Will Sheret.

The objectives were to:

Raise our social media profile; promote aware- ness of the Railways trading situation and servic- es; promote fundraising in particular the SaveO- urService campaign and to promote other relevant matters e.g. Railweek - showing that volunteering on a heritage line can provide skills for future employment. With at all times ensuring that a professional approach was presented that reflects our values.

The team rapidly adapted to the task creating very quickly new means to engage, with a virtual diesel gala and other ways to attract visits to sites. They created a SOS logo to use to reinforce the fundraising message.

All the stated objectives have been met and exceeded.

The impact has been impressive with significantly higher numbers of visits/likes etc. than previously. When the railway was able to reintroduce services this messaging (together with our website) was fundamental in ensuring customers knew our trains were safe and ‘good to go’ and daily reminded customers of what was on offer.

Page 27 The HRA Award for an Outstanding Visitor Attraction

Awarded to an HRA member organisation, who Seaton Tramway provides an outstanding visitor experience. This is aimed at the quality of the entire attraction experi- ence for visitors, from arrival, through all parts of the attraction, rides etc. friendliness, and ending at pub- lic departure. The experience from start to finish. Whilst a larger more established organisation might score well in this category, smaller organisations will also be judged on their merits.

The short listed nominations are:-

Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway

Didcot Railway Centre (Great Western Society)

Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company Statfold Narrow Gauge Museum Trust

Page 28 The Editor’s Awards

Four Magazine editors also present their awards at the HRA ceremony and this is a very important part of our celebrations. They comprise four different aspects of heritage achievements which have made a significant impact on the industry. Not all of them have been announced as yet - but we can tell you the following.....

Mortons Media (Heritage Mortons Media (Rail Express) Mod- Railway) Interpretation Award ern Traction Award Editor Robin Jones Editor Paul Bickerdyke

The winner is Narrow Gauge Railway Museum at The Rail Express Modern Traction Award goes Tywyn Wharf on the Talyllyn Railway. to the Engineering Team at Island Line, Isle of For seven decades of excellence in illuminating the rich variety Wight. of narrow gauge heritage.

The Railway Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award Editor Chris Milner

Goes to Ian Smith of the Middleton Railway for Outstanding work and personal dedication to the Middleton Railway for 50 years

Steam Railway Magazine Award Editor Nick Brodrick

Following the success of last year - the winner this year the winner will be chosen by the readers of Steam Railway Magazine. Details are included in the latest edition of Steam Railway.

National Rail Heritage Awards

These awards, of which the HRA is a sponsor, held their award ceremony (via Zoom) on the 2nd December. The aim of these awards is ‘To recognise, acknowledge and reward, for the public benefit, the very best in restoration, conser- vation and re-use of our historic railway infrastructure.’ As such all organisations involved in railways whether main or heritage lines, architects or construction companies, volunteers or community groups can all be involved in this an- nual event. There are usually some HRA members involved in some way each year, and this year was no exception.

The Hendy & Pendle Trust Volunteers Award is for projects with significant volunteer input, for an historic railway or tramway building or structure in any ownership. A cash prize is awarded to the winner of this award. This year the winner was the Ffestin- iog Railway for the restoration of the workshops at Minffordd, a project that owed much to the direction of this scheme of a long standing FR stalwart – Eileen Clayton MBE – who sadly died before the work was completed having maintained her enthu- siasm for and involvement in the railway whilst battling Multiple Sclerosis.

Other congratulations also go to East Lancs Railway and Dean Forest Railway who were both Highly Commended.

Page 29