NOVEMBER 2018

2019 Awards nominations now open!

THE ASSOCIATION Issue 154 Isle of Man Study Tour report New HRA Fundraising advisor Scottish Forum 2019 dates

Offers Fedecrail & Youth Wants Exchange 2018 Dates for your Diary

Welcome to this latest issue of HRA News. The year is November 2018 7th Autumn Seminar Birmingham (Wednesday) Safety Management behalf on many fronts. Systems

8th Management Conference I’m pleased to say that the HRA Insurance scheme is Birmingham (Thursday) HR & Managing People Young Volunteers Coal February 2019 9th HRA Annual Awards and Dinner, Birmingham March 2019 5th Spring Seminar Birmingham (Tuesday) Heritage and Fundraising 6th AGM and Management Conference Birmingham (Wednesday) matches in the winter months. Inside this edition

Chief Exec News 3 Help for Members 4 when we honour the achievements of members in the HRA Meetings 5 Finance Director Vacancy 5 HRA Awards nominations 6 HRA Awards Dinner 7 Member News 8 Whitehead Loco 8 Scouts World Record 8 Great Little of 9 Award 9 Isle of Man Visit 10 Ops and Safety Matters 10 Offers and Wants 11 Scottish Forum 2019 11 Fedecrail’s Youth Exchange 12 Fedecrail Tramway Group 13 New Members 13

DO YOU WANT YOUR OWN COPY OF THIS NEWSLETTER? If you or your colleagues would like a copy please let us know the email Brian addresses, send to:- [email protected]

The next edition will be published in February 2019

Enabling you to hear and know more about what the HRA does on your behalf, and to understand why we some- times seek information and data from you, is becoming a valuable and important discussion point for me. It’s vital for much of the HRAs work that we speak for the whole of our industry … Quite simply, through working together, we are stronger together.

For example, by collecting and compiling basic data, we are able to highlight that ours is a commercially and economically important industry attracting 13million visitors each year, employing 4,000 people, engaging 22,000 volunteers and generating over a quarter of a billion pounds worth of value. Liaising and working together we can shout the big numbers to government, tourist bodies, funding organisations and others to ensure our industry gets

We’re using this data in our work on your behalf on coal.

Coal There are two linked but distinct issues here - preserving the right of heritage railway to burn steam coal; and the impact of the threat to supplies.

Both issues have come rapidly and sharply into focus this summer following supply problems and through DE- FRA’s public ‘Consultation on Cleaner Domestic Burning of Solid Fuels and Wood’. The HRA has submitted on

• To see the right of heritage railways to burn coal to be fully preserved; fully exempting us from compliance with whatever controls are imposed on domestic or other coal burning • least, some limited UK-based mining of low sulphur bituminous coal or dry steam coal

In addition, the HRA has helped form the Heritage Fuel Alliance. This group comprises us, the National Traction Engine Trust, the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs, the Trust, and the Association of British Transport & Engineering Museums, and will, by working together, strengthen our advocacy with government and others. On the agenda at this November’s HRA Management Conference is ‘The Future of Coal in the UK’ where we will be updating you on the current situation and seeking your feedback and views on how we as an industry should move forward.

The strength of HRA members working together was clearly demonstrated at the HRA Carriage Maintenance heritage railways worked together to begin the task of sharing knowledge, collecting data, and setting a framework to establish carriage restoration and maintenance ‘standards’ for use across heritage railways.

After a very successful and informative day, the data and outputs from the workshop are being collated and an- alysed. And it’s not too late to play your part as we will next be establishing a small team of practitioners to take the data and information gathered to begin developing a new set of standards that are achievable by all heritage railways and which all can work to, as well as producing new HRA Guidance Notes.

Communication realise that our communication channels need to improve … not only to tell you what we’re doing on your behalf, but also for us to be able to speak with the people with the appropriate knowledge within your organisations when obtaining or checking data, taking soundings, seeking information and so on.

To achieve this, I really need your help please, by asking if every railway, tramway and member organisation could supply me with a quick list of senior managers, heads of department and key personnel, plus their contact numbers and e-mail addresses. Not having some of this information really does cause headaches and delays when working on your behalf!

make a growing difference when dealing with national bodies, legislation and regulation, and when facing industry wide issues affecting us all.

Page 3 Help for Members

We are pleased to let you know that we have a new fundraising advisor, Roger Kelly, who will be delighted to help

the in 2003, becoming both a signalman and their Funding Director in 2008. During the following

This came from a variety of sources including the Lottery (HLF, Big Lottery, Arts Council), grant giving trusts, and Government at both national and local level. He also developed a small network of very generous individual donors whilst various appeals received support from over 1,000 people.

He has worked in fundraising for nearly 30 years, always on a volunteer basis, both as an applicant and also the

the team that replaced the mechanical swingometer with the electronic gizmos we see today. Latterly in the com- mercial sector he was responsible for scheduling systems that ensured the adverts and program episodes were transmitted in the right order!!

He is committed to the Heritage Railway movement and looks forward to providing advice on funding. He may be contacted at [email protected]

The Railway Station, Havenstreet, Ryde, Isle of Wight. PO33 4DS.

contact, please get in touch with: [email protected] or Tel: 0800 756 5111 and your message will be relayed to appropriate member(s) of our team.

Our thanks are due both to the General Manager and other members of the RH&DR who have very kindly helped us in providing this function and, likewise, to the Board of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway for kindly agreeing to provide us with a new ‘legal home’.

from Peter Ovenstone

The Autumn Seminar of the Association of British Transport & Engineering Museums (ABTEM) will be held on Wednesday 21st November at the London Museum of Water & Steam (the former Kew Bridge Steam Museum) Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, London TW8 0EN. Final programme details are still being completed. As with previous ABTEM events, fees for participation will be very modest. Full details and booking information via the ABTEM website: http://www.abtem.co.uk/id10.html

. https://www.visitbritain.org/visitengland-and-national-autistic-society-launch-guide-help-tourism-businesses

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HRA Autumn Seminar

Our 2018 Autumn Seminar is aimed at the ‘Controlling mind’ of the organisation and associated senior managers; Why the SMS is a key item in the Management of a Railway. How to ensure that it “Says what you do” and also that you “Do what it says!”. When it should be reviewed and by whom. What you should look for when auditing your SMS. The seminar will conclude with a Q&A session. Speakers will include HMRI Inspectors

MacDonald Burlington Hotel, Birmingham - Thurs. 8th November 2018

A one-day conference for managers, senior staff, trustees and directors Topics and presentations will include: Employment Law and developing and managing our people. Address by Nicky Morgan MP on the work of the APPGHR and their latest report on young volunteers. Coal. Plus, the day presents an excellent opportunity for meeting, networking and sharing information and ideas with colleagues from other HRA members

seminar will be looking at some of the key issues involved and matters such a accreditation, acquisition and dis- posal, and the perennial problem of funding and fundraising.

This will be the AGM and the bi-annual conference for managers, senior staff, trustees and directors on key issues for their buisnesses.

Recruitment of New Finance Director

- tion is voluntary and unpaid, however reasonable expenses are available to to meetings. - overseeing of accounting procedures, yearly budgeting and the formulation of annual accounts.

The new Finance Director, will be part of a small team which will include our CEO and a bookkeeper, and as a Di-

The deadline for expressing interest is 14 December 2018

contact or send your CV to Barbara Barnes. Barbara will also be able to answer any questions, by email at [email protected], or on 07901 977597

Page 5 HRA Annual Awards Nominations

HRA Nominations are open....

It’s that time again! For those of you who have accomplished something really special this year would you like us to help you celebrate it? If you would like to enter for one (or more) of our HRA awards, which will be presented at our Annual Awards Dinner in February, then nominations are now open.

In order to qualify your organisation must be a fully paid up Corporate HRA member and you have until mid day on 26th November to let us have your entry in one of the 7 categories below. To enter any of these categories you will need to complete the nomination form which can also be found on our website.

In addition on the night we will also be presenting four Awards which have been chosen by the Editors of four of our best loved magazines.

This year our guest of honour is Pete Waterman and we look forward to welcoming him and you to our sparkling event!

Good luck!

Last years winners can be found at www.hra.uk.com/awards/ Past Winners can be found in our archive at www.hra.uk.com/past-award-winners-archive

Awarded to an HRA member who has completed an outstanding engineer-

Past winners include A1 Steam Locomtive Trust.

Two awards for HRA members for excellence in developing their businesses. This award is available to the HRA member as a whole, a group of its staff or volunteers, or an individual.

- lass and Eskdale Railway.

.

This was a new award in 2018 and was won by Lynton and Barn- staple Railway for Lyn and her carriages.

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A new category last year with one award each to Small and Large Organisations, awarded to HRA members who provide an outstanding visitor experience. The winners last year were Beamish Museum and .

A new category this year and is awarded to any volunteer under the age of 25 for a great achievement.

HRA Annual Awards and Dinner

The Heritage Railway Industry’s Big Night Out!

2019 Heritage Railway Association Annual Awards

Recognising and celebrating the best in heritage railway and tramway preservation, restoration and operation!

Bookings will open soon. As usual those who buy a complete table will obtain a discounted price.

Page 7 HRA member’s news

Saturday 14th July 2018 was a special day for Bernard Davies of Cwmbran, South

Peckett saddle tank steam called “Whitehead” until the closure of their rail facilities in 1966.

As a young boy, Bernard, can remember seeing the engine when his mother took him down to the works. “Whitehead” would shunt the wagons loaded with coiled steel wire between the works and the BR exchange sidings and also take wagons of coal through the town and across the canal at Two Locks.

On 24th January, 1966, “Whitehead” was loaded onto a low-loader and taken away, never to be seen again by Bernard. That is, not until 14th July, 2018.

mother’s effects which showed “Whitehead” arriving on the English side of the, then new, Severn Bridge. The ar- in the 1960s, but had been bought in 1966 for preservation in Highbridge. Bernard’s enquiries found that the initial owner had sold the loco on in 1971 to a consortium of Great Western Society members and the loco had moved initially to Taunton and then on to the West Railway at Minehead. Bernard wrote to the Great Western Society, but was told that the loco had again been sold on to a private buyer and was no longer on the West Som- erset Railway… and so the search for “Whitehead” went cold.

Then in September, 2011, Bernard read to his amazement that a steam gala had recently taken place at the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway (P&BR) at which one of the guest locos was none other than a Peckett saddle tank called “Whitehead”. The P&BR had put on a gala and had invited three ‘local’ engines. Each had spent their miles away from Bernard.

Despite his frustration at missing the event and the chance to see “Whitehead” again, Bernard was at least able to trace where the loco was based and was able to contact the owners. Unfortunately, it was now several hundred miles away at the Midland Railway in Derbyshire.

Roll forward to 2018 and knowing Bernard’s burning desire to be reunited with his dad’s old engine, his daughter, Heidi, contacted the owners and as guests of the Midland Railway- Butterley for the day, “Whitehead” was put into steam especially for their visit.

Bernard was therefore able to stand on the footplate where his father had stood and driven “Whitehead” more than

Full Steam Ahead:

Do you remember the world record attempt we covered in our April 2018 Edition? Scouts from Yorkshire were going to attempt to beat the world record for travel by heritage railways in 36 hours in a bid to raise funds so they could go to the World Scount Jamboree in 2019. Well they met their target with 7 minutes to spare! They would like

Page 8 HRA member’s news

GLTW group are pleased to be given an award at a recent national award ceremony in Glasgow. The Community Rail Awards are staged by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) to showcase the achieve- ments of the community rail partnerships around the country. Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government The build team could only get access at 6am on Sunday morning and the stand was ready to be manned from 8am slots being rostered. The eye-catching display came complete with a Welsh Beach situated beside a small seaside narrow gauge rail- way halt. The background was the iconic Barmouth Bridge with views up the Mawddach estuary and an Arriva Trains Wales unit crossing the bridge. 2018 is Visit Wales’ themed ‘Year of the Sea’ and this theme was at the heart of the promotion. The event was awarded second place in the ‘Best Marketing or Communications Campaign’, being praised for the away via the Cambrian Coast line. Commenting on the award, Stuart Wil- liams the General Manager at the Talyl- lyn Railway said, “We are delighted to be recognised with the award. The pro- motion was a real success, and we cer- and Wales as a whole. We were also pleased with the number of people who participated in our daily competition with nearly 1200 people in total entering to win a weekend away.”

The GLTW is a marketing consortium incorporating eleven of the narrow gauge railways in Wales. The members are: Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (Porthmadog); Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Rail- ways (Porthmadog); Llanberis Lake Railway; ; Snowdon (Llan- beris); (); Fairbourne Rail- way; Vale of Rheidol Railway (); Brecon Llanfair Railway (Llanfair Caereinion).

They won a Gold Award in the “Tourist Attraction” category of the RHS “Yorkshire in Bloom” awards at the Knave- platform “Gave a WOW! Factor” with the whole site looking clean and tidy and also having a strong environmental strategy about it. MRT Chairman, Charles Milner, said “The award is a great credit to volunteer Mick Jackson, who and provide a pleasant environment for our passengers whilst waiting for their trains.” Page 9

visit to the Isle of Man between the 7th and 9th September 2018.

Highlights included ‘behind the scenes’ visits to the Steam and Electric Railway workshops, a trip and around the island’s fascinating trans- network.

The weekend began with a reception and hot buffet meal at Douglas Railway Station on Friday night. On Saturday there was a workshop tour and steam ride, which included a pie and mash meal on the return from Port Erin. A visit by vintage bus to the electric railway workshops and depot was followed by a tour of the horse tram stables and an opportunity to view a parade of horse on the promenade. The evening was billed as ‘sunset at the summit’ and saw the party take the electric railway from Douglas to Laxey and then on to the top of Snaefell Mountain by tram where dinner was provided. Unfortunately the mountain was in the clouds so if sunset happened the party didn’t see it!

On Sunday recently-restored vintage tram 14 was provided for a trip to Laxey where the party were closed stations, others went to the Groudle Glen narrow gauge railway while several rode either the electric railway from Laxey to Ramsey or went again up the mountain, the weather by now having improved.

The event would not have been possible without the assistance of the Isle of Man’s Transport De- partment, in particular Ian Longworth, its Director, and also David Thornton, Charter Co-ordinator , to whom thanks must be ex- pressed.

The latest versions of this news-letter (O&S-Matters) are available from the Documents section of our website. www.hra.uk.com/os-matter 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 Barbara Barnes at [email protected] T: 07901 977 597 Page 10 Offers and Wants

Plain blue moquette for sale The North Yorkshire Moors Rail- way has a large quanity of the the Network SouthEast Railway Soci- ety have 100 metres of the Network SouthEast ‘plain’ blue moquette avail- MK 2 seats, including a set of Met-Camm Pullman seats per linear metre in rolls of 25 metres (1966/67 era) variety. which are 1.2M wide. This is spare from the minimum order required for the new quarter panels going into the washbasins, pedestals and toilet hoppers available. These are in Railway Museum is being cosmetical- white and pale yellow. ly restored. Delivery extra. For enquiries, or additional informa- If interested, please contact - C&W Managers Kieran Mur- er Chris Osman on 01323 640387 or ray or Sam Cumbor on 01751 email 477465.

John Fuller has received a request for help from the Italian Fedecrail Council Member Pierluigi Scoizzato. His mu- seum at Primolano http://www.societavenetaferrovie.it has been restoring an Italian Van which used to work in addition to the normal continental air brakes.

It is many years since the vacuum brakes were used so the vacuum hoses have long since disappeared and it is limited resources so have asked if any UK heritage railway or museum would be prepared to donate a pair of old vacuum hoses for their wagon. They only asked for the hoses but John thinks that they are also missing the end couplings. If you can help please get in touch with John Fuller at [email protected]

Scottish Forum 2019

The HRA Scottish Forum 2019 will be held on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st March 2019 at Ayrshire Railway Pres- ervation Group, Dunaskin, Dalmelington.

The Base Hotel is The Abbotsford Hotel, 14 Corsehill Road, Ayr. KA7 2ST Tel 01292261506. They are holding 10 rooms for delegates.

The theme is Volunteer Recruiting and Retention. Our Keynote speakers are Steve Oates CEO HRA, Bill Grant MP, Camp.

On Saturday there will be a morning visit to the mineral line in an inspection saloon with refreshements. The meeting will commence at 14.00 and the day will be rounded off with a meal at the Abbotsford Hotel. The Sunday itinerary is still being compiled.

So if this is of interest to you please make a note in your diary and if you wish to stay at the Abbotsford Hotel you might wish to book your room. Booking details will be available on the HRA website in the new year.

If you have any preliminary questions please contact the Scottish Committee Secretary, David Winpenny who can be reached at [email protected]

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I am Mark Adamson and this everyone to interact during free old Railway Shed, cosmetically is my account of the Youth Ex- time and learn about Sweden and mechanically restoring Tram change organised by Fedecrail and the railways and Tramways Cars, learning how to become this year. of old and new. It was also in- Tram Conductors and on the last credible to see 3ft Locomotives day getting to drive the Tram. it run at 50kmh as the Line is lim- was incredible to be able to see The event started with the group ited to. how the Tramway has operated, meeting at Uppsala Östra station the history of it all and how they , a bit nervous as I had preserve and run old Tramcars no clue who I would be meeting On the other days we saw Krylbo and the Line as a whole. or what the overall experience Roundhouse Depot, the Swedish would be like. , Ma- riefred Narrow-gauge Railway and Oxelösund Roundhouse Fedecrail Youth Exchange was I was greeted by three other Depot to see how the historical an experience I shall never for- Brits, two Catalonians, one Ro- Locomotives and Rolling Stock get as long as I live. It’s a chance manian, three Germans and are preserved and operated to to see railways on the continent, six Ukrainians and the Swedish private and main-line use. witness how they are run in com- hosts and almost immediately parison to ours, meet people thought to myself this may well from other countries that share a be the best experience of my life On the Tuesday, the Swedish passion for railways within your so far. Tramway Society of Malmköping age group and an opportunity to treated us to a tour of Stock- learn plenty of new skills and ex- holm on a vintage Buffet Tram Being able to share pictures, vid- perience new activities. eos and stories with other peo- Swedish Meatballs whilst sight- ple my age from different coun- seeing on what is probably the tries and sharing and hearing best tour of any City I have ever year and every other year that I the experiences of young people experienced, then followed by a could. It is without a doubt the and the railways they operate look around the Tram Depot af- greatest experience I could ask in their country and put blood, terwards. for. sweat and tears into, and on top my hands dirty on another Coun- At last, my personal highlight of The 2019 Fedecrail Youth Ex- tries Heritage Network. I couldn’t the trip was the few days spent change will be in Barcelona in wait to begin. August. Home of the Swedish Tramway For more information go to the Society and Bus Museum. We started at the Uppsala-Len- Youth Exchange page on the nakatten Railway which runs a 3 Whilst here, we were cutting Fedecrail website or email Swedish foot Narrow-gauge. We back vegetation from behind the [email protected] took part in activities such as re- storing a Diesel Railcar, cosmet- ically restoring an old Station, on-board Conducting and Maintenance. - hind the scenes really allowed us to see how the railway is operat- ed and what the railway means to both Volunteers and Passen- gers, we saw how they attract business and were amazed by its wonderful scenery.

- nora was spectacular as it was linked by Bus to the Railway by the Tram Society, the food was great and made a great place for

Page 12 News from Fedecrail

In these times of great Brexit uncertainty, it becomes even more important to preserve good working relationships whatever happens next March.

The Tramway working group was set up in Antwerp in April 2017 and performs a similar function to Fedecrail’s Heritage Railway Operating Group (HOG) in that it represents member and individual tramways throughout the UK and Europe. The meetings to date, including this year’s meeting in Edinburgh, have been attended by ca. 20 different tramway organisations with over 90 organisations included in our mailing list… and needless to say the issues we face have a lot of common denominators.

• To represent all tramway members alongside their national organisations and at European level • To expand and collect data on all operating tramways and collections held in Europe to promote greater knowledge of the unique offer we all have • To attract a wider audience to heritage railways & tramways in general and encourage more youngsters to visit who may in turn wish to volunteer or work for our partners. (A good example of this is the Fedecrail Youth Camp held in Sweden this year which is covered in more detail in Mark Adamson’s excellent article in this issue).

The next meeting of the Tramway Group is to be held in Wernigerode, Germany on 12th April 2019. Please come and see what we do, we would love to see you there and hear your views. If you’d like more information or wish to be included in our mailing-list please email me at [email protected].

New Members

Statfold Barn Railway

The railway was founded by Graham Lee about 15 years ago and until recently was operated by him. The 5000 acre site includes a 3.5 miles 2ft gauge railway, plus a short tram line for a Burton & District tram. Currently the railway is open to the public on about 6 occasions per year plus some Driver Experience days, but it is likely that the number of open days will increase with the need for the operation to be self-supporting. Twenty one of their twenty two international locomotives are operational.

The railway has its own engineering workshop with Victorian machinery and modern CNC controlled equipment and it is planned to manufacture its own boilers in the future. In addition to the usual shop there is an area for Wedding and Conference facilities which can cater for some 300 people. www.statfoldbarnrailway.co.uk

Crowle Peatland Railway

Located in Lincolnshire the aim of the railway is to re-create the atmosphere of the peat railway network and to look after their industrial heritage items. And it is home to one of the largest nature reserves in the country. At present they have two Schöma locomotives which are in an operational condition. There is also a Simplex loco off site which needs restoration.

It is the intention to build a demonstration 3ft gauge line and they have the track for approximately 100m. They have been successful in attracting funding both from the HLF and North Lincolnshire Council. The Tourist Board are very supportive. They are applying for charitable status. http://peatland.co.uk

Any queries should be directed through Steve Wood Corporate Membership Secretary, 15 Croftlands Drive, Ravenglass, , CA18 1SJ Email: [email protected]

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