WATTRAIN EXPRESS

WATTRAIN EXPRESS No 5

Welcome to the latest edition of “WATTRAIN EXPRESS”.

WATTRAIN CONGRESS 2012

The first WATTRAIN CONGRESS will take place in and York, U.K., between 29th September and 6th October 2012.

The bookings website is now OPEN for business, details here:

To book places at Congress please go to www.reg.istrations.com/delegate/events and use LDSWATTRAIN2012 to enter the booking site.

In response to requests, we are publishing “Business and Day” rates to be available from 1st June, 2012 and these are given below the main Congress programme.

WATTRAIN CONGRESS PROGRAMME 2012

Saturday 29/9/12 Delegates arrive Leeds

Sunday 30/9/12 Visit to Society

There will be two Leeds built locomotives in steam, to celebrate 200 years since the very first steam locomotive left the Round Foundry in 1812. The visit will include guided tours of the workshops, and we also hope to have a vintage bus which will take us from our hotels via the various locomotive building factories in the area, with a speaker to give details of the rich history of the City’s locomotive building heritage. http://www.middletonrailway.org.uk/ Special “Beer & Music” train to Sheffield via Penistone. This train will depart Leeds at 13.30 and travel to Barnsley, before reversing and proceeding via the “Penistone Line” to Huddersfield for a stop. At Huddersfield we will have a talk about Community Railways from Paul Salveson, who first created these some 20 years ago. As part of the train trip, we will be having our own, specially brewed “Viaduct Beer” and the Brewery are running a special competition, details later in this newsletter. http://www.southpenninesrail.co.uk/index.html

In the evening, we will be having the first of our “formal” dinners, a welcome dinner at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel.

Monday 1/10/12 Visit Keighley and Worth Valley Railway

We will have our own steam train from Keighley to Ingrow, for the Bahamas Locomotive Society and Vintage Carriages Trust. We then run non-stop to Oxenhope for a visit to the Exhibition Shed and carriage Works, and also, lunch, which will be served on the [static] Pullman cars.

The train will then proceed to Haworth for the loco depot and the famous Oakworth station, home of the “Railway Children”.

http://www.kwvr.co.uk/

In the evening we are still developing a possible Civic Reception in the Civic Hall at Leeds, further details to follow.

Tuesday 2/10/12 Visit National Tramway Museum, Crich

In addition to seeing and riding on the very latest restoration, LUT 159, plus an iconic Blackpool Tram, delegates will have a full behind the scenes tour of the Museum, workshops, library and archives plus an excellent Buffet lunch served in the Red Lion. http://www.tramway.co.uk/

Great Central Railway, Loughborough [Evening Dining Train]

We will arrive at Loughborough in time to look at the locomotive facilities there, before riding one of their dining trains. A three course meal will be served during the journey and we will stop on the famous reservoir bridge and at Rothley station. Rothley is the only gaslit station and should be a wonderful sight in the evening light for photographs. http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/ BUSINESS SESSIONS

Speakers will include Lord Faulkener of Worcester, David Morgan, Steve Davies, Tim Fischer, Bob La Prelle, Mark Smith, Sergio Zubietta, Adrian Ponton and Ms Ella Ubaidi.

Wednesday 3/10/12 WATTRAIN Congress at the National Railway Museum, York http://www.nrm.org.uk/

Thursday 4/10/12 WATTRAIN Congress at the National Railway Museum,

Friday 5/10/12 WATTRAIN Congress at the National Railway Museum, York

Friday evening. A close of Congress dinner will be served in the Great Hall of the National Railway Museum. Coach travel from the hotels is arranged for guests.

Saturday 6/10/12 WATTRAIN Congress Steam train.

This very special train will depart Leeds around 10am and run via York, Durham and Newcastle, to Carlisle, where it will stop for approximately 2hours. From Carlisle, we will travel back to Leeds over the famous Settle to Carlisle Railway. The train is planned to be hauled by No 70013 “OLIVER CROMWELL”

Sunday 7/10/12 Delegates leave Leeds

For more information and to book places at Congress please go to www.reg.istrations.com/delegate/events and use LDSWATTRAIN2012 to enter the booking site.

To book at one of the Congress preferred hotels please go to www.conferencebookings.co.uk and use LDSWATTRAIN2012 to enter the bookings site.

CONFERENCE THEME

The main theme for the conference is sustainability of all areas of railway heritage. The four main topics are:

Financial & Commercial Sustainability & Economics – International Comparisons

What partnership opportunities exist which might ensure the continued prosperity and long term financial sustainability of railway heritage?

Rail museums and heritage railways are largely fixed cost, capital intensive operations. One bad season or a major equipment or infrastructure failure can represent the difference between profit or loss, not only for the organisations concerned, but also for the communities in which they are located.

People Issues – Training & Regulation

What creative solutions exist to meet the training and staffing in an increasingly regulated environment? Should WATTRAIN offer solutions?

Accessing / retaining the skills and knowledge necessary for maintaining heritage railway equipment and systems, and meeting current regulatory requirements is a major challenge for the sector. Until now, heritage railway operations have relied on vast numbers of former railway employees with the training, knowledge and experience to volunteer. As the number of people who have experienced working on mainline steam diminishes, training the next generation and meeting future regulatory requirements presents a significant challenge.

Environment

Who are the environmental innovators and what can we learn from them?

New challenges are emerging for heritage railway operations - the introduction of new environmental standards and carbon tax, use of recycled water, management of trackside vegetation, fire prevention/control, and noise and pollution management.

Technical Challenges

How can “Heritage” railways adapt to new materials, and abolition of older materials?

How do railways meet the challenges of new boiler technology and the reduction of skills within the boiler manufacturing and repair industry?

NEW BUSINESS RATES FOR DELEGATES.

Business Days

Wednesday 3rd, Thursday 4th and Friday 5th October. Full day at National Railway Museum conference, lunch, tea and coffee. Friday to include conference dinner at NRM £130.00 per person, per day

Saturday 6th October Main line steam tour £110.00 per person, can only be booked as an add on to another day

Four Day Package All three business days, Congress dinner at the National Railway Museum and main line steam tour £475.00 per person

Partners Programme Daily Rates

Wednesday 3rd October Visit to stately home, guided tour, lunch and private coach travel £50.00 per person

Thursday 4th October Full day in York, return train travel, a themed guided tour of the City and lunch. £65.00 per person

Friday 5th October Visit to with guided tour, visit to the Abbey House museum, local bus travel and lunch included, Congress dinner at National Railway Museum and private return coach travel from hotel to York £110.00 per person

Saturday 6th October

Main line steam tour (can only be booked as an add on to another day) £110.00 per person

Four Day Partners’ Package All the partners’ visits. Congress dinner at the National Railway Museum and the main line steam tour £315.00 per person

SPECIAL COMPETITION

For the “Beer & Music Train”, the local brewery, Mallinsons, would like Delegates to send in photographs of their local railway viaducts.

The best photograph will be used on the barrel of our very own WATTRAIN “Viaduct” Ale.

In the first instance, please send a low resolution image of YOUR viaduct to my email address below and these will be sent to Mallinsons for them to make the final decision.

Finally, thanks for reading and any queries please get in touch with me on either [email protected] or [email protected]

Ian Smith Managing Director, WATTRAIN