. ASSOCIATION.

Mark Garnier MP (2nd left) presents the HRA Annual Award (Large Groups) to members of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway and the , joint winners of the award. (Photo. Gwynn Jones)

SIDELINES 143 FEBRUARY 2016

WOLVERHAMPTON LOW LEVEL STATION COMES BACK TO LIFE FOR HRA AWARDS NIGHT. The Grand Station banqueting centre, once the GWR’s most northerly broad gauge station, came back to life as a busy passenger station when it hosted the Heritage Railway Association 2015 Awards Night. The HRA Awards recognise a wide range of achievements and distinctions across the entire heritage railway industry, and the awards acknowledge individuals and institutions as well as railways.

The February 6th event saw the presentation of awards in eight categories. The National and Theatre Royal won the Morton’s Media (Heritage Railways) Interpretation Award, for an innovative collaboration that joined theatre with live heritage steam, when the Museum acted as a temporary home for the theatre company.

The Railway Magazine Annual Award for Services to Railway Preservation was won by David Woodhouse, MBE, in recognition of his remarkable 60-year heritage railways career, which began as a volunteer on the , and took him to senior roles across the heritage railways and tourism industry.

The Moors Railway won the Morton’s Media (Rail Express) Modern Traction Award, for their diesel operation, which included 160 days working for their Crompton Class 25.

There were two winners of the Steam Railway Magazine Award. The Great Little of North was the name used by the judges to describe the Railway, Railway, Ffestiniog & , Talyllyn Railway, Vale of Railway and the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway. The award was made in recognition of the railways’ fresh spirit of partnership that in 2015 blossomed into the staging of a series of spectacular narrow-gauge anniversary galas, as well as the flourishing of cooperation in engineering expertise, overhaul contracts, advice-sharing – even swapping .

The second winner of the Steam Railway Magazine Award was the Royal Scot Locomotive & General Trust, for their multi-million pound transformation of the redundant Crew diesel depot, turning it into a first-class overhaul and maintenance base for the fleet of locomotives operated by Jeremy Hosking and the Trust.

Winner of the John Coiley Award was the Gloucester & Warwickshire Railway (35006 Locomotive Company Ltd), recognising the provision by the G&WR of facilities that have enabled the 35006 company to restore the Merchant Navy class ‘Peninsular and Orient Steam Navigation Co’ to an exceptionally high standard. Runners-up were the (Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Society), for the recreation of a Great Eastern Y14 class loco from an LNER J15, and the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland for restoring and returning to traffic a once-plinthed Q Class loco.

The HRA’s Special Award for a Meritorious Project went to the , for their Mountsorrel Branch Line project, a new line which connected the railway with a community heritage centre. Runners-up were the , for repatriating the locomotive ‘Winifred’ and returning it to operational quarry locomotive condition.

The Ecclesbourne Valley railway won the HRA Annual Award (Small Groups), for the re-opening and operation of their nine-mile rural Derbyshire line. Runner-up was the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway for their continuing development of the former Great Northern Railway at Ludborough.

There was serious competition for the HRA Annual Award (Large Groups). So much so, the judges declared a tie between the Severn Valley Railway, for 50 years and stylish half-century celebrations, and the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, for their imaginative combination of covered storage and an interactive museum and visitor experience centre.

Guests also saw a review of the winners of the HRA 2015 Carriage & Wagon Awards, who included the Overall Winner Severn Valley Railway, for Best Coach, Brechin for Best Wagon, for Best Tram/Railcar and the Snowdon Railway, commended for their replica Victorian carriage.

The evening was hosted by Paul Lewin, General Manager of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway. The awards were presented by Mark Garnier MP, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Heritage Rail. To create a truly immersive railway experience for the gala night guests, the Wolverhampton banqueting centre was temporarily transformed back into the Low Level Station, with sound, lights and smoke effects, and the unexpected arrival and departure of an (original) GWR steam-hauled passenger . Roger Carey

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 2 of 25 .HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION.

SIDELINES 143 21st FEBRUARY 2016

Members’ Website www.hra.uk.com Public Website www.heritagerailways.com

Tel 0800 756 5111 ext. 702 10, Hurdeswell, Tel/Fax 01993 883384 Long Hanborough, [email protected] Witney, (for Sidelines contributions) . OX29 8DH

DETAILS OF HRA DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS ARE LISTED IN THE MEMBERS’ HANDBOOK ON THE MEMBERS’ SECTION OF THE HRA WEBSITE. SIDELINES AND BROADLINES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOADING www.hra.uk.com LOOK IN HRA DOCUMENTS

Correspondence and initial enquiries to: Andrew Goyns, 28 George Street, Altofts, Normanton, West Yorkshire WF6 2LT Tel: 0800 756 5111 x 320 Fax: 0845 528 0775 Email: [email protected]

The Sunday of the AGM weekend featured a visit to the . Photo. Nigel Hunt.

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 3 of 25 INDEX SIDELINES 143

HRA AWARDS PAGE 2 1/ IMPORTANT UPDATE. GUIDANCE NOTE, HGR-M0300 WORKING WITH YOUNG VOLUNTEERS. 2/ REVISED CODE of CONDUCT. 3/ LEVEL CROSSINGS. 4/ ANNUAL STATISTICAL RETURNS. 5/ MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS. Summerlee Transport Group. Lappa Valley Railway. 6/ SIDELINES AND BROADLINES COMBINED. 7/ LEAFLETS. 8/ HRA AGM WEEKEND 9/ NEW HRA COMMITTEE SECRETARIES. Scottish Committee, Awards Committee 10/ REG PALK. 11/ NEWS FROM BOILER AND ENGINEERING SKILLS TRAINING TRUST. 12/ NATIONAL RAILWAY HERITAGE AWARDS – 2016. 13/ CONGRATULATIONS ON GREAT PUBLICITY. Transport Museum. 14/ HRA MEETINGS. 15/ GIVING TO HERITAGE – LAST WORKSHOPS OF 2016. 16a/ GUIDANCE ON DEALING WITH THE THREAT OF AND/OR AFTERMATH OF FLOODING. 16b/ HERITAGE SITES RECEIVE £3 MILLION COASTAL REVIVAL FUNDING FROM DCLG. 16c/ BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL AWARDS 2016. 16d/ HERITAGE SCIENCE LAB ON LOCATION. 16e/ AIM LAUNCHES FREE GUIDE ON INTERVENTIVE CONSERVATION TO HELP MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE SITES. 16f/ HERITAGE OPEN DAYS 2016 ORGANISER FAIRS. 16g/ STUDENT VOLUNTEERING WEEK 2016. 16h/ BAFM TRAVEL AWARD BURSARY 2016. 16 i/ CHANGING LIVES THROUGH HERITAGE. 17/ CROWDFUNDING. 18/ ANNUAL CHARITY AWARDS. 19/ MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT CLASS WEBSITE. 20/ FEDECRAIL “BODENSEE 2016” CONFERENCE : Thurs 21st April - Wed 27th April. 21/ HRA FRIENDS. Membership and Inter-Rail Cards 2016/17. 22/ HRA CHARITY PROJECT : SEARCH for NEW COMPANY SECRETARY. 23/ FOR SALE - WAGON FITTINGS. 24/ AVAILABLE - TRAM TRUCK FRAMES. 25/ STOLEN - BCDR CLOCK Stolen 20 years Ago. 26/ CHAIRMAN’S REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2015. 27/ WATTRAIN CONFERENCE – JAPAN 2015 SCOTTISH FORUM PROGRAMME– PAGE 23 HRA CALENDAR PAGE – PAGE 25

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 4 of 25 IMPORTANT UPDATE.

1/ GUIDANCE NOTE, HGR-M0300 WORKING WITH YOUNG VOLUNTEERS. A revised Guidance Note, HGR-M0300-Is02 - Working With Young Volunteers, has now been mounted on our website and can be freely down-loaded. It replaces issue 01. We had amended the Guidance Note as we were concerned that the advice given was too prescriptive in the penultimate paragraph of Section 2 (shown in issue 01 in bold) but for reasons of miscommunication it had not been incorporated correctly. The paragraph should have been amended to read “Although the position is not completely clear, there is sufficient risk that children are not permitted to undertake such roles so that, until the law is clarified, members may wish to consider outlining the age limits applicable to their volunteering roles within their general Volunteering Policy.” The following paragraph which was shown in normal print has been deleted as it is subsumed into the previous paragraph as shown above. You will see that it is left to individual railways to decide what they should do but we would refer you to the subsection on risk assessment under Section 5 which should be specific to the task, the young volunteer’s capability and age. We apologise for the confusion this error may have caused. The Guidance Note will be further revised, and, if necessary, amended after Counsel has given a further opinion on peripheral activities, such as catering, in reply to the instructions given to him before Christmas. David Morgan MBE and Geoffrey Claydon CB, Directors. We have provided a link to the document on our website:

2/ REVISED CODE of CONDUCT. The final version of the revised Code of Conduct was adopted by a unanimous vote of members present at the Annual General Meeting. A copy of the adopted Code has been circulated to members with an introductory note explaining the purpose of the Code.

Revising the Code has been a demanding exercise with input from more than 30 people over the last year. It is appropriate to record our thanks to the many members of the HRA team and the representatives of several member organisations who all put a lot of work into the revisal process - the final outcome has certainly been a team effort. It was emphasised in discussion at the AGM that the Code is not cast in concrete for perpetuity, and further amendments will be made as circumstances change in the years ahead.

We stress again that this revised Code is not intended as a tool for regulation, but to protect the reputation of our members and the heritage and tramway sector as a whole. It is intended that the Code should be observed and applied with common sense. Peter Ovenstone, HRA Company Secretary, 33, Palmerston Place, Edinburgh, EH12 5AU Tel. 0800 756 5111 EXT 331 Email: [email protected]

OPERATING AND SAFETY.

3/ LEVEL CROSSINGS. HMRI have been approached by a number of organisations planning to start new operations involving the re-opening or creation of Level Crossings. HRA has been asked to remind all members of a key aspect of the 'ORR strategy for the regulation of Level Crossings', namely: ORR will only consider the creation of new level crossings (on both the mainline and heritage networks) on a case-by-case basis when very exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated in discussion with ORR. Bill Hillier, Chairman, Operating & Safety Committee, 19 Simon de Montfort Drive, Evesham, Worcs. WR11 4NR. Email: [email protected]

4/ ANNUAL STATISTICAL RETURNS. The blank forms for the year ending 31 December 2015 have been sent out electronically. They are also available from our website and can be found as documents under "Statistical Return" .

The main form is for Operational members, a shorter form is provided for Non-Operational members.

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 5 of 25 Both forms are available as Excel forms for electronic completion or as Acrobat pdf files if you need to print them and return by post.

When returning the completed form please replace the text "BLANK" in the filename by the name or initials of your operation. Where possible please complete them electronically

Please return them electronically to [email protected] , or by post to the address at the bottom of the form, before 15 March 2016.

Please contact Bill Hillier if you are unclear on any of the requirements Thanks for your help; Bill Hillier

5/ MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS.

Summerlee Transport Group. This supporting group is based at the Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life at Coatbridge.

The museum incorporates a half mile traditional tramway. The group assists the museum to operate, restore and maintain the tramway and tram cars. Additionally, the group informs the public of the history of tramway cars and related transport matters.

The group are currently assisting with the restoration of Glasgow Coronation tram 1245 of 1939, also the major renovation of Glasgow driver training car 1017.

Lappa Valley Railway. This is a well established operating railway and centre based near Newquay Cornwall.

The 15” gauge line, first opened in 1974 runs for 1 ¼ miles from Benny Halt to East Wheal Rose, where there is a historic mine engine house. There is a mixture of steam and diesel traction. In addition there are operating 10 ¼” and 7 ¼” railways.

Any queries should be directed through Steve Wood Corporate Membership Secretary, within the prescribed 28 day time period at, 15 Croftlands Drive, Ravenglass, Cumbria, CA18 1SJ Tel: 0800 756 5111 Extension 421. Email: [email protected]

6/ SIDELINES AND BROADLINES COMBINED. At a recent meeting of the HRA Board it was suggested that Sidelines and Broadlines be combined. The original split was so that the ‘should be read’ items were in Sidelines and optional items and items that went into greater depth and were aimed at specialist areas would be in Broadlines. This issue is an attempt at the combination although I will endeavour to keep the more urgent items to the front. The subject of photos has also arisen. My personal thoughts are that, with a few exceptions, they are unnecessary and that they will make the publication even more daunting to read in terms of size (and to be honest, in terms of production). I will be interested to hear your views, possibly at the next general meeting. John Crane [email protected]. The publication date for the next issue clashes with the Fedecrail conference so depending on the urgency of any items to be covered despatch will either be somewhat early or postponed until early May.

COMMERCIAL AND MARKETING. 7/ LEAFLETS. Requests for tourist information from the public has started early this year, usually requesting copies of the HRA Railway Guide (the latest enquiry came from Australia). In addition to sending out the guide, I like to send out copies of members’ leaflets either for the area requested or for the enquirer’s local area. Therefore I would be grateful if you would initially send me 50 copies of your own leaflet. I will request more as and when required. John Crane 10, Hurdeswell, Long Hanborough,, Witney. OX29 8DH [email protected]. I still have some boxes of the HRA leaflet in stock and it would good if they were in your racks over the Easter period rather than in the HRA store. Therefore please let me know if you can stock them (a box contains about 1,300 and this is the most economical quantity to send – smaller quantities available on request).

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 6 of 25 GENERAL NOTES.

8/ AGM WEEKEND. The weekend of 6th and 7th February saw the HRA AGM take place in Wolverhampton. The Saturday afternoon was split into two meetings. The first, the AGM saw the reappointment of three directors who had become due to stand again after completing their three year term. It also saw the adoption of the updated Code of Practice. This was followed by a General Meeting when Chairman, Brian Simpson gave a review of the year – see below.

On the Saturday evening the AGM Dinner took place with the presentation of the HRA Awards together with those awards from the various railway magazines. The press release produced by Roger Carey is reproduced on page 2 so that members have the full details. The Sunday was based on a visit to the Telford Steam Railway.

9/ NEW HRA COMMITTEE SECRETARIES.

SCOTTISH COMMITTEE. As mentioned last month David Winpenny has taken over the role of Scottish Committee Secretary from John Ransom. David paid tribute to John for the work he has put in over the years and that John would be remaining on the committee. Members will also remember John for his other works such as organising the Annual Awards and his efforts were marked by the HRA by awarding him the position of a Fellow of the HRA. David’s contact details are: 31 Easter Drylaw Avenue, Edinburgh. EH4 2QZ Tel. Tel. 0800 756 5111 EXT 510 Email. [email protected]

AWARDS COMMITTEE. We welcome Peter Gray who has taken on the position Secretary of the Awards Committee. He can be contacted at Penparc, Penmon, Biwmares, Ynys Môn, Cymru. LL58 8SN Tel. 0800 756 5111 EXT103 Email: [email protected]

10/ REG PALK. We sadly have to report the death of Reg Palk on 15th January after a stay in hospital since November. Having been briefed by Audrey, Reg’s wife since 1965, the vicar, the Reverend Geoff Gleed, conducted, an excellent service at the Crematorium at Kingsdown, on 18th February giving details of Reg’s vast range of activities. Reg was born in Wales in 1932 and moved to Swindon at the age of three or four and spent his working life as a quantity surveyor. Always interested in model and miniature railways, he built up a large collection but became popular with many people through his miniature railway which he ran with Audrey at, amongst other places, the ‘Steam’ museum in Swindon.

The service at the crematorium was not long enough to cover all of his activities but in terms of his connections with HRA he will be remembered as a director and treasurer of the precursor A.R.P.S. together with committee work for HRA itself. He and Audrey were given Honorary Life Membership in gratitude for their efforts at a meeting in November 2009. He had served as Company Secretary to Swindon Historic Castings and was also listed as a 'carriage surveyor' for the register run by the Vintage Carriages Trust. Reg was an early member of the Talyllyn Railway Society and was involved with the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum at . Nearer to his home, he was involved with the Swindon and Cricklade Railway. In his later days his involvement with ‘Steam’ at Swindon continued and it was fitting that his wake was held there. Representatives from many of the organisations with which he was associated attended the service. The HRA was represented by David Morgan and John and Margaret Crane.

We offer our sympathy to Audrey and thank her for the excellent way she marked Reg’s final departure. J.C.

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 7 of 25 11/ NEWS FROM BOILER AND ENGINEERING SKILLS TRAINING TRUST. BESTT and its training partner railways and boilershops have recently celebrated the successful graduation of its first 8 trainees who have completed a year long course based on the BESTT syllabus and Year 2 trainees are making very good progress. BESTT is now able to offer short courses on (i) Riveting and (ii) Boiler Washout starting in April. These can be adjusted to cater for both experienced staff and volunteers and include a practical test. For dates and more detail look out for the BESTT newsletter which will be forwarded to HRA contacts or check on www.bestt.org.uk or email [email protected]

12/ NATIONAL RAILWAY HERITAGE AWARDS – 2016. Entries can be submitted for this year’s awards scheme from March onwards and the 'online' Entry Form will be available on our website www.nrha.org.uk. Only 'online' entries can now be accepted BUT the form is easy to complete!

Any restoration or 'heritage’ new build scheme can be entered and can be for a station, or part, a signal box, a railway building or railway structure i.e. a bridge. The project must have commenced after 1st January 2012 and its completion anticipated to be before 15th May 2016. The 15th May 2016 will also be the closure date for the 'online' entries!

If you have any queries regarding the eligibility of an entry, or require any further information, please contact me, at [email protected], and I will try and assist. Last year we had some excellent 'heritage railway' entries and I am sure there any many schemes that are coming up to completion and deserve to be considered for an Award. That plaque could make all the difference to the finished project! Clive Baker, NRHA (Joint Chairman of the Judges)

13/ CONGRATULATIONS ON GREAT PUBLICITY. . Congratulations are due to the London Transport Museum, HRA president Lord Faulkner and Clifford Jones for the excellent press event they held when the HRA Publication & Media Award for Excellence was presented to the London Transport Museum for best website. Lord Faulkner made the presentation to Sam Mullins, Director of London Transport Museum, and Kirsten Riley, the Museum’s Web and Social Media Manager, on 25 January at the Museum in Covent Garden.

14/ HRA MEETINGS.

SPRING SEMINAR, GENERAL MEETING & MANAGEMENT FORUM This is a reminder for these meetings, details having been sent out electronically to members. (Members with only postal contact are receiving details with this mailing of Sidelines) Bookings are made electronically through the ‘HRA SHOP’ Venue: GRAND STATION CONFERENCE & EVENTS VENUE, Sun Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1AA'

TUESDAY 8th March 2016 - "Business Development-Supporting our Customers" WEDNESDAY 9th March 2016 - General Meeting & Management Forum Booking Information: Tuesday 8th March 2016 Attendance at the Seminar including tea/coffee on arrival & mid morning, a finger buffet lunch with tea/coffee and mid afternoon tea/coffee. Price : Inclusive rate @ £69 per delegate. Programme - To follow Wednesday 9th March 2016 Attendance at the General & Business Meetings including tea/coffee on arrival, mid morning & Afternoon plus a finger buffet lunch with tea/coffee. Price : £40 per person. Agenda's - to follow. Wednesday 9th March 2016 Attendance at the General Meeting without catering – Free

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 8 of 25 SCOTTISH FORUM. Details of the programme are included at the end of this issue of Sidelines.

HRA AUTUMN MEETING WEEKEND NEW ROMNEY SEPTEMBER 2016. Dates: Friday (Evening) 16th September 2016 to Monday 19th September 2016 inclusive. Planning for the weekend is currently in progress and it is hoped that a programme and hotel details will be available in March 2016. In addition to visiting the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway we are also planning to visit the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway and the Kent & East Railway.

HRA AUTUMN SEMINAR, GENERAL MEETING & MANAGEMENT FORUM Dates: TUESDAY 8th November 2016 - “Volunteer Recruitment & Retention” WEDNESDAY 9th November 2016 - General Meeting & Management Forum

15/ GIVING TO HERITAGE – LAST WORKSHOPS OF 2016. (Given the importance of this opportunity notes are included from Peter Ovenstone and from John Jeffery who has forwarded details from the Heritage Alliance.)

Book now for the final fundraising training events of the year at www.givingtoheritage.org.uk. Giving to Heritage is The Heritage Alliance’s exciting training programme for fundraisers in the heritage sector. Working in partnership with the Institute of Fundraising, it represents a major step change in fundraising to help secure a productive future for many of our heritage assets. The Giving to Heritage team welcome delegates to attend their forthcoming training events with places available on workshops all at just £20 per head. These include:

Some workshops are now fully booked, but there are some spaces available for

 1 March: ‘Trusts & Foundations’, Maidstone  4 March: ‘Measuring Impact & Reporting Success’ Nottingham  8 March: ‘Using Digital and Social Media’, Live Theatre, Newcastle.  8 March: ‘Building a Heritage Case for Support’, Winmarleigh House, Warrington.  9 March: ‘Developing a Heritage Fundraising Plan’, Tamworth, West Midlands.

Booking for these workshops, plus the final two workshops of the two year programme in London (18 and 23 March) can be made at www.givingtoheritage.org.uk. (see below).

The Giving to Heritage team has also made available a series of webinars that have been recorded and are now available for free-of-charge download on the project's website. All of the webinars provide examples of good practice in heritage fundraising. Recent examples include ‘Measuring the Impact of Heritage Fundraising at Elizabeth Gaskell House Manchester’ and ‘Legacy Marketing at Cathedral’. (See also webinars below).

There are a number of new webinars coming up and for which you can register online at www.givingtoheritage.org.uk.

15a/ GIVING TO HERITAGE – EXCLUSIVE TRAINING PACKAGES OFFER. Although the Heritage Lottery Fund-sponsored programme Giving to Heritage (GTH) comes to a close in March, fundraising goes on, and this is only the start! GTH is a partnership between The Heritage Alliance and the Institute of Fundraising (IOF).

The GTH team is pleased to be able to offer a special training package for delegates at a heavily discounted rate of £275, which includes:

 IOF individual membership (for a small charity) to commence April 2016;  Attendance at an IOF Academy Course of your choosing anytime during 2016;

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 9 of 25  Attendance at an IOF one day Conference any time during 2016;  A consultancy session with a GTH consultant to consider your further development needs (to be taken before end March 2016).

All GTH delegates will have access to the Heritage Funding Directory, from The Heritage Alliance, with over 300 sources of funding available for heritage-related causes.

To take advantage of the special offer, booking and payment in full is required by 31 March 2016. For further details, please contact [email protected]

For further details on training and support available after the GTH programme finishes, there are two special workshops in London where advice will be provided. Do book as soon as possible at www.givingtoheritage.org.uk as places are limited.

18 March, ‘Measuring Impact & Reporting Success’, The Theatres Trust, central London 23 March, ‘Developing a Heritage Fundraising Plan’, The Theatres Trust, central London

15b/ ‘WEBINARS’ - TRAINING WITHOUT TRAVEL...... For those who have been deterred from taking up the traditional day training workshops because of busy diaries and/or travel difficulty in reaching the workshop locations. This is a chance to still gain some benefit from the Giving To Heritage training scheme without leaving your own home or office. The webinars are short internet-based seminars (less than an hour) and will be case study led with the fund-raiser from a specific heritage project presenting. There will be an opportunity to interact with the presenter during the webinar or afterwards. Participation in the webinars is free of charge. Several webinars will be held during the last few weeks of the training scheme and will include:-

Feb 25th - “If it is broke, fix it” How to find out if your fund-raising messages are working Mar 1st - “Magic Messages” Making the case for support Mar 8th - “Structuring your Heritage Organisation for Fund-Raising For full details and booking contacts see: www.theheritagealliance.org.uk/giving-to-heritage

15c/ GIVING TO HERITAGE - TRAINING WORKSHOPS. HRA has been banging the drum for the training opportunities for members throughout the lifespan of The Heritage Alliance scheme..... Feedback from those from our sector who have attended courses has been that they offer excellent value for money at only £ 20 per event. A full list of the final batch of workshops is also shown in the HRA Events Calendar elsewhere in this issue As stated at the AGM, members are urged to look, click and book ! Once again this is your last chance to benefit from this worthwhile scheme the project ends on 31st March......

16/ NEWS FROM HERITAGE ALLIANCE and its newsletter ‘Heritage Update’ provided by our representative John Jeffery.

16a/ GUIDANCE ON DEALING WITH THE THREAT OF AND/OR AFTERMATH OF FLOODING. If you know of any historic buildings that are affected then the following links may be of some help with guidance on how best to deal with the aftermath of flooding re drying out, repairs etc.

Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) Guidance –Technical Q&A 31, Floods and Old Buildings: http://www.spab.org.uk/advice/technical-qas/technical-qa-31-floods-and-old-buildings/ For free technical advice and information on every aspect of repairing and caring for old buildings including appropriate materials, contractors & professionals phone 020 74560916, Mon to Fri, 9.30 to 12.30

Historic Guidance – Flooding and Historic Buildings: http://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/flooding-and-historic-buildings-2ednrev/

CIRIA Guidance – Repair and restoration of buildings following floods: http://www.ciria.com/flooding/

National Flood Forum – Advice on what to do if about to be, or at risk of flooding: http://www.nationalfloodforum.org.uk

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 10 of 25 16b/ HERITAGE SITES RECEIVE £3 MILLION COASTAL REVIVAL FUNDING FROM DCLG. In 2015 the Government announced 118 Coastal Community Teams, to encourage local businesses, councils and voluntary groups to work together to create a long-term strategy for their community. Just prior to the Christmas break DCLG announced £3 million Coastal Revival Fund which forms part of these wider efforts, and will help communities to start the work to bring back into use buildings which have suffered years of disrepair. Brandon Lewis (Communities Minister) said the coastal revival funding will help secure these key seaside attractions “for generations to come”. Ranging from theatres to piers and lidos to lighthouses, the projects will each receive grants of up to £50,000 to kick-start restoration work. Seventy-seven projects will receive funding as part of this award. This follows an announcements in the Budget that the Coastal Communities Fund will be extended with a pot of at least £90 million, giving communities another chance to bid for funding. Further details of projects receiving money are listed in the press release on https://www.gov.uk/government/news/iconic-coastal-heritage-sites-set-for-3-million-makeover

16c/ BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL AWARDS 2016. Nominations for the 2016 British Archaeological Awards are now being invited in the following categories: · Best Archaeological Project · Best Community Engagement Archaeology Project · Best Archaeological Book · Best Public Presentation of Archaeology · Best Archaeological Innovation

The winners will be announced at the Awards’ Ceremony, which will take place on Monday 11th July 2016 at the British Museum. One of the key events of the archaeology calendar, it also marks the launch of the Council for British Archaeology’s annual Festival of Archaeology, likely to cover more than 1000 events, and be attended by over a quarter of a million people.

The downloadable nomination form and criteria for each award can be found on the BAA website at http://www.archaeologicalawards.com/about-awards/nomination-form/. Nominations will close on Monday 29th February 2016.

16d/ HERITAGE SCIENCE LAB ON LOCATION. The Mobile Heritage Lab, a new infrastructure supporting heritage science, was presented in the National Heritage Science Forum “Members and Friends” event in University College London on the 16th of December 2015. The Mobile Heritage Lab is a joint venture of UCL, the University of and the University of , and is funded by EPSRC. It is part of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Science and Engineering in Arts, Science and Archaeology (SEAHA).

The laboratory can be used as a research or a public engagement platform for projects related to Heritage Science. It has the mission of opening up heritage science: using an online application system, research and public engagement projects can be proposed by any individual or institution with an interest in heritage science. The Mobile Heritage Lab has participated in public engagement activities with the Wellcome Collection (The “On Light” festival) and Historic Royal Palaces, with great success. Several scientific projects and the participation in Science Festivals in the UK are now in preparation.

The Mobile Heritage Lab can be equipped with the resources to address the most pressing issues to heritage. It has capability for environmental monitoring, material analysis, imaging and digitisation. A catalogue of over 60 different scientific instruments is available to users of the lab, including a ground penetrating radar, hyperspectral imaging, 3D and SEM microscopes and several types of pollutant monitors.

The main purpose of this novel infrastructure is to distribute heritage science resources, mitigating inequality of access. Applications for research projects and public engagement activities for the next academic year are now open, more information and application guidelines can be found in the SEAHA website: http://www.seaha-cdt.ac.uk/

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 11 of 25 16e/ AIM LAUNCHES FREE GUIDE ON INTERVENTIVE CONSERVATION TO HELP MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE SITES. To help museums, galleries and heritage sites to maintain their collections more effectively in 2016; the Association of Independent Museums (AIM) [Alliance Member] has just published a new Success Guide called ‘Successful Basic Interventive Conservation’. This is the companion guide to Successful Collection Care and both have been published in English and Welsh thanks to funding from Welsh Government (Museums, Archives and Libraries Division).

The guide has been created to help museum staff and volunteers understand basic interventive conservation techniques, to carry out assessments on objects and to know when to seek additional advice from a professional conservator. This Success Guide provides an overview of interventive conservation and helps to determine how best to stabilise, clean and safeguard objects without removing evidence of their past life to ensure their survival and to aid the interpretation process. All AIM Success Guides can be downloaded for free from the AIM website http://www.aim- museums.co.uk/ and all titles in the AIM Success Guide series have been produced to provide practical help to all size museums.

16f/ HERITAGE OPEN DAYS 2016 ORGANISER FAIRS. Whether you’re new to Heritage Open Days or a longstanding participant, the 2016 Organiser Fairs in April are a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and share ideas. A menu of practical and inspirational sessions will help you to be creative when it comes to registering, promoting, interpreting, evaluating and fundraising for your event. This year, the full-day fairs will be held in London, Durham and Birmingham.

Book your FREE place at: http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/press/news/organiser-fairs-2016-book-your-free-place

This year Heritage Open Days will run 8–11 September 2016. This follows on from the success of 2015, which saw almost 40,000 volunteers and some 3.4m visitors participate across the UK.

16g/ STUDENT VOLUNTEERING WEEK 2016. In its 15th year, Student Volunteering Week in 2016 will take place from 22-28 February. It provides opportunity for student volunteers, colleges and universities, charities, social enterprises, businesses and government to collaborate, discuss challenges and opportunities in student volunteering, and showcase innovative individuals and projects. For more information and to get involved go to the SVW website: https://www.studentvolunteeringweek.org/get-involved

16h/ BAFM TRAVEL AWARD BURSARY 2016. The British Association of Friends of Museums (BAfM) [Alliance member] is offering a new bi-annual travel award. This will comprise one or more awards of up to a total of £2000.

The winners may be either totally committed volunteers of any age (who devote many hours supporting their museum or gallery) or young professionals who are starting their careers in the museum world.

Applicants are invited to detail in no more than 500 words:  What they hope to achieve by spending time at the particular venue  The benefits to their career or organisation  An indication of the total cost of the proposal in their submission

An application form may be downloaded from the BAfM website http://www.bafm.co.uk/bafm-travel-award-bursary/ and sent to: [email protected]. Closing date: 30 April 2016.

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 12 of 25 16i/ CHANGING LIVES THROUGH HERITAGE. On 1 February the Heritage Lottery Fund launched Changing Lives, an online campaign designed to share the stories of those for whom involvement in a HLF-funded project has had a life-changing impact.

Join in the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #ChangingLives or via the HLF's Online Community.

17/ CROWDFUNDING. Members may wish to know of some more events taking place on this method of fundraising.

21st April – Liverpool Community and Voluntary Services, 151 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2AH. from 10.00 to 16.00 hrs. Cost for £85.00 per session and charities and £170.00 for non charities. Further details from:- http://www.lcvs.org.uk/training/crowdfunding.phuse

9th May – Hyndburn, Lancs. Further details on this from Shirley Parkinson at Hyndburn Email: [email protected]

9th September – School for Social Entrepreneurs, 139 Tooley Street, London SE1 2HZ. The cost is £130.00 for charities and £160.00 for others. Further details from:- https://www.the-sse.org/courses/crowdfunding-course/

Members in may wish to know of a new equity crowdfunding platform called ‘Growthdeck’. They have teamed up with Scotland’s first crowdfunder Squareknot. They specialise in obtaining funding of £500k upwards. Further details from https://www.growthdeck.com/ ‘’

The School for Social Entrepreneurs have further events on sources of funding in March, August and November. Each costing the same as the 9th September event, further details can be found at:- https://www.the-sse.org/courses/sources-of-funding-charities-and-social-enterprises/ Martin Smith, Training & Education Committee Secretary. Email [email protected]

18/ ANNUAL CHARITY AWARDS. Those members who are registered charities can now apply for the Annual Charity Awards. The closing date for entries is midnight on 4th March. Further details can be obtained from: http://www.charityawards.co.uk/enter-now/?dm_t=0,0,0,0,0 Martin Smith.

19/ MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT CLASS WEBSITE. In the spirit of the original MIC concept the Kent & Railway have created a virtual MIC classroom containing information, both historical and contemporary on the theory and operation of steam locomotives. The site can be found at: www.kesr-mic.org.uk

It is planned to develop this website to include railway-wide operations and to also include information and data from other preservation groups and railways. If anyone has any thing they would like to contribute or would like more information on the project, please contact Andy Hardy via email on [email protected] (This is following a recent presentation made by Andy to the HRA Training & Education Committee.) Martin Smith.

20/ FEDECRAIL “BODENSEE 2016” CONFERENCE : Thurs 21st April - Wed 27th April. A final call for bookings for this year’s conference of our European body, Fedecrail. Main business theme for the Business Sessions is “Generating Income from our own efforts”. Previous conferences have included presentations on efforts to secure large-scale funding from European Commission projects and funding schemes. The aim this time is to look at the other end of the scale, practical basic steps which rail heritage attractions can take to enhance their income from trading and operating and to improve their financial management by sound business planning.

Venue for the main conference programme (Thu 21.04 - Wed 27.04) is the small town of Dornbirn, near Bregenz , Austria close to the eastern end of Lake Constance. Business sessions in Dornbirn

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 13 of 25 followed by visits to various rail heritage locations in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. A post- conference programme (Wed 27.04 - Thu 29.04) will be based at Lausanne, travelling on from end of the main programme on Wed 27.04 afternoon providing visits to heritage railways in western Switzerland and France.

Anyone who has not been before and would like to make a “taster visit” for a short period will also be very welcome. Fedecrail can provide a ‘bespoke tailored package’ service for such shorter periods. Please just ask ! Enquiries to:- [email protected] or direct to John and Liz Fuller, Tel: 01474 462208 (no calls after 22 00 hrs).

Booking Deadlines – Bookings are going well this year in Dornbirn so please book as soon as possible. The official booking deadlines are Friday 11th March (hotels) and Friday 18th March (business sessions and visit programmes) but, again, earlier booking especially for hotels is strongly recommended. Peter Ovenstone, Joint Conference Organiser

21/ HRA FRIENDS. Membership and Inter-Rail Cards 2016/17. Many thanks to all Friends of HRA for supporting HRA through your membership, the purchase of the Friends Inter-Rail cards, and donations.

Friends Membership & Inter-Rail 2016 Friends membership will run from 1 March 2016 to 28 February 2017. The membership cost for 2016 is £21.60 (unchanged) if you receive HRA communications by email. (The HRA Annual Report will be posted to all members).

The membership cost is £25.60 for postal communication – i.e. for members who do not have email contact and who are not buying an Inter-Rail card (but £21.60 if you are buying a card). The additional charge is to offset the cost to HRA of postage and packing.

The cost of an Inter-Rail card is £120, which is in addition to the membership fee, so the total cost for membership with an Inter-Rail card for all annual–paying members is £141.60.

It is not necessary to send me a completed renewal form (available on request), but please notify me of any changes in your details, e.g. address, phone numbers, new email address etc.

If you are paying by cheque, please send it to me, payable to Heritage Railway Association, with at least your postcode (so that I can identify you correctly).

If you wish to pay by credit or debit card, please visit the HRA Shop website: www.hra.uk.com/mem_friends.php

It would be a help if you would please notify me (e.g.by email) if you are paying by credit/debit card, through the HRA Shop.

Life Members especially those who receive items by post are requested to confirm their continuing interest in HRA and to send a donation of at least £5, to offset postal costs.

Any Life member who has not been in contact with me for 2 years or more may be removed from the distribution list. For information, there are 75 Life Members on the HRA Friends list, around half of whom have not contacted me since 2011!

Donations are very welcome to support the work of HRA and will be acknowledged, as will all renewals. Renewals can be made through the HRA Shop website

Many thanks again for your support.

Alan Saunders, Friends (Private Members) Secretary, 31 Cedar Avenue, MALVERN WR14 2SF Telephone 0800 756 5111 Ext 423, or 01684 572654 Email [email protected]

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 14 of 25 WANTED 22/ HRA CHARITY PROJECT: SEARCH for NEW COMPANY SECRETARY. Members may recall that we have retained the former Association of Railway Preservation Societies (ARPS) as a dormant company for very many years. We have been working for some considerable time on a project to convert ARPS into a charity to support the work of HRA and member organisations. For various reasons, this has proved to be a somewhat protracted process, but we are now well on the way towards reaching our goal.

We have received legal advice that we ought to retain the existing ARPS company rather than simply forming a ‘brand new entity’ with charitable status - in particular, to ensure that we can continue to benefit from legacies and bequests in older wills where the beneficiary is specifically named as ARPS. In some cases, it has been possible for HRA as the successor body to receive the legacy - but this may not always be so, as it is will depend in each case on the precise wording of the legacy. Another important reason for developing a body with charitable status is to ensure maximum benefit if a legacy originates from a substantial estate with a liability to Inheritance Tax. The legacies which HRA has received over the last decade or so have been from smaller estates, upon which no Inheritance Tax has been payable.

Our long-standing ARPS Company Secretary, Mike Stanbury, is stepping down on 31st. March at the end of this financial year and we are seeking a successor. No specific qualifications are required for the role, other than just basic administrative skills. The core tasks are ensuring that the appropriate returns and lodgements are made with Companies House and taking minutes of General and Board Meetings. This should not be a heavily time demanding role. It would be helpful to receive offers of help to fill this post as soon as possible, ideally by Mon 21st March to allow time for the appointment process to be completed before the planned retirement date of the current Secretary. Once the charity is “up and running”, a general secretarial role will be developed. This does not necessarily have to be undertaken by the Company Secretary - we can seek additional help to share workloads and deal with specific tasks. Anyone who might be willing to take on this role is invited to contact:- Peter Ovenstone, Email: [email protected], Tel: 0800 756 5111 x 331 or Tel: 07740 289702

FOR SALE 23/ WAGON FITTINGS. For sale by auction is a standard-gauge railway goods wagon, (of the type used for fresh fruit? veg?). To say it is in a "used" condition is the understatement of the year! It has, of course, no chassis, springs or wheels. It also has no floor, although some of the original wooden cross-members could still be seen on site and might be available for sale, but they are NOT in this auction. ALL of the woodwork is, in our opinion, in a state of total ruin and would, we think, need totally renewing. The metal-work, however, although rusty all over, and VERY rusty in places, seems to be in a reasonable, recoverable, state of preservation. MOST, at least, of the metal fittings -- air grills, door fasteners, retaining hooks, etc. -- seem to be present. Might it not be worth the while of any Railway Preservation Society to acquire it just for these valuable parts alone? Try costing a new, non-authentic, one, and you'll see what we mean? These fittings, however, are not for sale alone. As for transport etc., whilst we could easily lift it on to a flat-backed lorry, (Our museum owns a working yard-crane), we have no transport of our own and so the buyer would need to arrange their own transport and the means to take it off the lorry at its destination. Nothing is known of the provenance of the van and photos of the original markings are available in the hope that they mean more to other people than they do to us! If anyone - - whether a potential buyer or not -- can give us any clue as to the working history of this van, we would be most grateful. We would, with the informant's permission, pass them on to the new owner, for their information. The van is being sold on a private basis on behalf of its owner, an Industrial History Society with charity status, and all of the profits from this sale will go towards the restoration and upkeep of the several ancient properties that the Society owns. It is being put into the auction at the ridiculously-low starting price or £30, which is what we estimate we would get for it as scrap iron. Surely the original door-hooks and retaining mechanisms are worth that alone? There is, however, no reserve price. One way or another, (either whole or as so much scrap), it will be off our site before Easter. We need the space. contact J Brian Harrison-Jennings, President, South Yorkshire Industrial History Society. Tel. 01484-605645, leaving a message on the answerphone should he be out.

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 15 of 25 AVAILABLE 24/ TRAM TRUCK FRAMES. Two tram truck frames without wheels or motors are on offer at no cost from BCLM to any heritage railway or tramway that would find them useful for any reason. If there is no interest, we may scrap them as surplus to requirements as we have already taken off the parts we needed to refurbish other trams. Contact;: Dr John Beckerson. Acting Director of Collections & Visitor Engagement. Black Country Living Museum. Tel. 0121 521 5691 Email [email protected]

STOLEN 25/ BCDR Clock Stolen 20 years Ago. The Downpatrick and County Down Railway has launched a new appeal to find an original booking office clock stolen from the railway museum in the 1990s.

When reported to the police there were no photographs of it to circulate, however old camcorder footage found at the end of a tape has now emerged of the clock. The clock was from the original company that operated the railway before it closed in 1950 - the Belfast & County Down Railway - and it would have originally hung in one of the stations on the old network between Newcastle and Belfast. It was bought by a number of volunteers who chipped in together to buy it for the museum in 1990 for public display. The railway was only a couple of years old and it was one of their earliest artefacts but only a few years later burglars stole it from the station. Since then our security has been significantly improved throughout the site and museum, with the railway recently being awarded over £3,000 in grant aid from the Northern Ireland Museums Council for further improvements. It's not a particularly rare type of clock, and is a fairly common design from the makers Ansonia. It has an octagon shaped face, and a pointed case, but what makes it special is that it had the initials “BCDR” handwritten on the dial, presumably done by one of the old BCDR staff members. If you can offer any information please contact Robert Gardiner, Vice Chairman, Downpatrick & Co. Down Railway Email: [email protected]

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 16 of 25 26/ CHAIRMAN’S REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2015.

At the General Business Meeting which followed the AGM, HRA Chairman, Brian Simpson gave a review of what has happened over the last year, in particular actions implementing the strategy and priorities which he had outline in his Chairman’s Statement delivered at the equivalent General Meeting in 2015. It is felt that this may be of interest to many more members than those who were able to be present at the meeting.

Key statistics indicate a steady growth of the rail heritage sector, and a more detailed presentation will be given by Bill Hillier later. The Parliamentary Reception in the House of Lords had been very successful, enabling (in many cases, new) Members of Parliament to meet representatives of railways in their constituency and vice versa. The All Party Parliamentary Group : Heritage Rail is gaining greater support with 60 parliamentarians from both Houses now enrolled, of whom about a dozen attend meetings regularly. Likewise, contacts have also been strengthened in the Scottish Parliament and HRA is actively supporting the new Cross Party Group for Tourism at Holyrood.

We have been addressing media and communication issues with the appointment of a professional Press Officer, Roger Carey. HRA presence is also being developed on social media, Facebook and Twitter. Our Annual Awards and well-established competitions are now being consolidated into an annual awards dinner which will follow this evening. We have also held two successful seminars during the year on marketing issues, including effective use of new media and on encouraging recruitment of young volunteers. We are addressing the need to involve younger people – not just talking about it and staging the autumn seminar, but making several appointments during the year to committees and other roles. This will continue in 2016. As planned, an extended HRA phone enquiry service has now been created.

We have stabilised the HRA committee structure as explained in the 2015 Chairman’s Statement, but we are not being inflexible. A clear need has now been identified for HRA to take a more active role in addressing heritage operations on the main line. To achieve this, a new HRA Main Line Operating Committee is being developed.

Our vitally important Guidance Notes continue to be developed, an activity mainly led by the Operating & Safety Committee with strong support from HM Railway Inspectorate and the Office of Road & Rail Regulation - 13 new and revised Guidance Notes were issued in 2015. The Guidance Notes are there to help you to run your railways and tramways at the sharp end. Future plans are to extend the range further, including one on cableways (working in collaboration with HM Mines Inspectorate). Other HRA committees are also developing advice and guidance in appropriate specialist subject areas.

The Mutual Insurance Project has now moved from theory to actuality - 12 member organisations are now signed up and insured under the existing scheme. We are on towards developing the present scheme into a “full mutual” insurer sometime in 2017.

Training and preserving traditional skills remain a vital priority. HRA support for the Boiler and Engineering Skills Training Trust [BESTT] is now delivering results. Evidence of the success of the first Apprentice Training Scheme is that all 8 apprentices have now secured full time employment relevant to their new skills. BESTT is now developing additional courses e.g. washing out of boilers and riveting skills, the latter developed from the riveting module in the main training programme. It is hoped to launch short courses on a number of subjects, aimed at volunteers as well as paid staff.

Looking outwards, HRA has continued to give active support to FEDECRAIL, the European body and in particular with the development by FEDECRAIL of working links with the European Rail Agency. Likewise we have supported WATTRAIN, the World Association of Tourist Trams & Trains and several HRA Directors and Officers played an active part in the WATTRAIN Congress in Japan.

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 17 of 25 The Survey of Members conducted by an external professional agency is still on our Agenda. The Chairman emphasised we recognise fully the importance of consulting with our members. The survey has been delayed awaiting resources, but should be carried out at some stage during 2016.

Summarising the elements of the Chairman’s Statement approved last year, Brian felt we have completed 5 key elements, one is under further development and another is awaiting resources. HRA has achieved much in representing our members in 2015 and we can now go forward with more confidence in 2016. It is essential that both the Association and our members should “keep on top of the ball”. This means addressing threats and problems as they arise, as well those of which we are already aware and are addressed in the current HRA strategy.

At the end of the day to maintain success we need our members (i) to carry on maintaining high safety standards in all of their operations and (ii) to offer a good quality product to our public. Brian Simpson OBE, HRA Chairman

27/ THE DREAM OF SUPER EXPRESS (PART 2) WATTRAIN conference – Japan 2015 Text and Photographs by Nigel Hunt

As alluded to in Part 1 of these notes on Wattrain in Japan, our hosts arranged a succession of trips and visits both from our Tokyo base and during the week as we migrated westwards.

On Sunday 25th October we had our first excursion, a two hour trip by road to Shimodate where we were guests of the Mooka Railway. On arrival we found the platform congested with myriads of people, many in fancy dress and vying for photos around the locomotive. We had arrived for the ‘Halloween Special’ and very soon realised the popularity of the event. The 3-coach train, headed by 2-6-4T class C12 no.66, was packed with family groups, adults and children joining in fun and festivities as we made our way through an area locally famous for growing strawberries. We were made to feel at home, given some fancy dress items and included in voting for the fancy-dress parade. Local media were present and recorded interviews. A jolly time was had on the 16 mile trip to Mooka where we alighted (the train continuing further along the line intertwining with regular diesel services). At Mooka, the station and railway shed are both modelled on outlines of steam locomotives, small addition to the attractions offered by the line which has been managed by local authorities since 1988. Weekend steam services have been running for more than 20 years. In the station-yard class 9600 2-8-0 locomotive no.49671, powered by compressed-air, manoeuvred a passenger-carrying brake-van along a short section of track.

After a group photograph and visit to the shop and museum we were ushered back to the coach and taken to Mashiko, a small town in an area famed for pottery. After lunch we had a conducted tour of one of the workshops before visiting the Tsukamoto Museum with its diverse collections of pottery. All too soon we were back on the coach heading for Mashiko station where we rejoined the steam train for the 25 mile return journey. Time to relax and reflect on today’s visits. On arrival at Shimodate we had a few moments to thank the Mooka Railway crew before the local mayor thanked us for visiting the area. A small group decided to venture home by train – electronic ‘’ cards (similar to London’s

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 18 of 25 ‘Oyster’ cards but far more widely accepted) proving useful to pay for fares, as they did for much of our time in Tokyo. The remainder of the group returned by road and, due to traffic-jams, were very much later back at hotels than the rail-group.

Tuesday 27th October was a day spent around Omiya and Tokyo. In the morning some delegates visited a city-centre museum and a few went in search of Tokyo’s last tram route (via to Otsuka station). However, the majority of us were entertained by staff at JR East’s Omiya General Rolling Stock Center. Guardian of the gate is 2-8-2 steam loco D51 no.187, one of 170 of this class preserved around the country. As part of the introduction and safety brief we were advised that the works have been granted ISO9001 and ISO14001 quality standards. Founded in 1884 the workshops have continued to serve the railway, although a smaller operation these days still essential to maintaining rail services. 900 staff and contractors maintain 3000 out of 8000 carriages in use locally. Although a busy line passes over the works none of the trains are maintained here. The Work’s reputation for a high standard of training means they invariably have several overseas apprentices. Maintenance covers diesel and electric units and occasionally locomotives – only 2 weeks are normally needed to complete overhaul of a unit. A new paint-shop has been designed and built in such a way as to minimise possible effects of earthquakes. Whilst we saw several aspects of maintenance, including re-wheeling bogies and coaches, to many of us the highlight was time inspecting work on class C61 no.21, a 4-6-4 express . There are 7 certified steamers available in this region for mainline service but at least one is invariably out of service for either overhaul or repair. The annual Works Open Day regularly attracts 30000 visitors.

In the afternoon, along with members of RPSJ, we were guests of the Tobu Railway Company, part of a large conglomerate company. Operating on Tobu’s Urban Park Line out of Omiya station we were transferred in a preserved class 8000 electric unit to suburban station Higashi Mukojima where the company has a small railway museum. In the entrance is Beyer-Peacock 4-4-0 no.5 (b.1898) which gives hourly demonstrations on running-rollers. Other exhibits include electric carriages and locomotives and a variety of smaller items of railwayana. Our next visit was a short ride away into central Tokyo where the company is associated with the tallest structure in Japan. Tokyo Skytree is a 634m high building with 2 levels of viewing galleries (350m, to which we ventured, and 450m) overlooking the Tokyo conurbation. On a clear day Mt.Fuji may be seen in the distance – but not today!

Having spent time marvelling at the views, we were then escorted to the Akakusa district which is part of old Edo, the name for Tokyo before 1868. With a quickly setting sun, multi-colours of shop lights and reflections from the variety of goods for sale soon took over. In the shadow of a temple, multitudes of people looked and marvelled, at the size and detail of statues. Our day ended with a sushi meal at a traditional Japanese restaurant – shoes left at the entrance, but on this occasion sitting at tables rather than cross-legged on the floor! Elsewhere on our trip we encountered the latter convention, with tables provided for less able members of our team.

Wednesday 28th October was a day on the move. Retaining sufficient items for overnight needs our cases were left for transfer to . We had a relatively early start to reach our Shinkansen services, initially travelling to Tokyo Central before transferring to a service to Shizuoka. We had luck en route – Mt Fuji was seen in full glory as we whizzed past. On arrival at Shizuoka we had a 90-minute journey by road, including time to look at museum and artefacts in Shimada relating to escorted river-crossings in days before bridges and roads. Based nearby in Kanaya, the Oigawa Railway was the first heritage line in Japan, steam services starting in 1976. On arrival we were welcomed to the railway and invited to look around the shed and works. Following the meandering Oi River valley the line climbs for c.40km (25 miles) into the hills. In an area regarded as producing the best green tea in the country we noted numerous tea plantations of varying sizes, complementing ubiquitous rice-fields seen on our travels. On arrival at Senzu we were greeted with a display of traditional drumming. Afterwards a few of our group tried their skills, to the amusement of the band! The station is also starting-point for a 25km (c.16miles) narrow-gauge service (the Ikawa line), the only rack-railway in Japan. Unfortunately time did not permit a ride on this scenic route. Both lines were originally built for the benefit of people working on the dams in the region but are now mainly tourist operations. A demonstration of the use of a turntable ensued, equipment having been supplied by UK company Ransomes and Rapier Ltd. Time to ‘chill out’ in a quiet picturesque town, time to savour coffee and ice-cream, etc. Our trains were

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 19 of 25 hauled by 2-6-4T class C10 no.8. Having Returned to Kanaya by train we reboarded our coach for road transfer to , Japan’s 4th largest city, home of Toyota and our base for one night.

Our next visit, Thursday 29th, started with a trip on a local train to reach the Maglev and Railway Park on the outskirts of the city beside Kinjofuto station. Opened in March 2011, the 14000sq.m museum has an average of 2000 visitors per day. JR Central’s museum tells the story of the development of speed and comfort of rail travel. Amongst exhibits are 4-6-4 steam locomotive C62 no.17, which holds the world speed record for steam locomotive running on narrow-gauge tracks (129kph – c.80 mph - in 1954), standing alongside record-holders Shinkansen (443kph in 1996) and Maglev (581kph in 2003). We should remember that traditional lines in Japan are at gauge 1067mm (3ft 6in) whereas only Shinkansen routes have been built to standard gauge (1435mm). The original concept of ‘Bullet train’ was put forward in 1938 but it would be another 19 years before the ‘Dream Super Express’ scheme was revived. The Tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo – ) opened in 1964 in time to be showcased alongside the Olympic Games being held in Tokyo. This showed the world what could be done with rail travel and as a result has spawned many high-speed projects around the world. Following introduction of the latest N700A series of units the original 4hr Tokyo – Osaka journey is now just 2hrs 25mins. Amongst other displays there is an excellent diorama depicting railway, etc. between Tokyo and Nagoya, video showing the development of Shinkansen, including overcoming many complex technological problems, and details concerning the next generation of super-fast express trains. Significant sums of money are being invested on development of Maglev tracks and trains with a view to introducing a Tokyo – Osaka service in 2027 with vastly reduced journey times.

Back on the road, we had a two hour journey to reach our next stop. Near Inuyama is the Meiji-Mura open-air museum which has a collection of over 60 buildings and many displays of social heritage. Amidst a variety of traditional buildings is the facade of early 20th century Imperial Hotel designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. There is plenty to see and do with themes of buildings connected through a combination of inter-connecting footpaths and rail, tram and electric bus. The tram we travelled on was ex-Kyoto, whilst there are 2 operational steam locomotives. The oldest is Sharp- Stewart 0-6-0T no.12 (b.1874), the other loco being a Baldwin (b.1912). A 3rd steam loco is on static display but identity unknown. Colours of autumn were starting to show, but vivid tints associated with maple trees were only occasionally seen. Having spent a few hours here we returned to road with a 3- hr journey to Kyoto, during the course of which we used a section of the first motorway opened in Japan, also associated with the 1964 Olympic Games.

Kyoto, our base for 2 days, was the capital of Japan for over 1000yrs until the honour was transferred to Edo (Tokyo) in mid-nineteenth century. Our hotel was opposite the vast expanse of railway-station, which like almost all the stations we visited has an enormous shopping mall giving access to an array of platforms.

On Friday (30th October) we were escorted through the station complex to catch a local train, which took us past the Umekoji railway sheds which form the new (opening 2016), for the short journey to Saga-Arashiyama, base of the Sagano Scenic Railway (also known as the Romantic Railway). Before boarding the train our hosts proudly introduced us to a diorama of the region, 24-hours compressed into a few minutes, the degree of detail unbelievable. The Sagano Railway clings to the side of the river valley using the original section of main-line, a line which has been rebuilt on a much straighter alignment signified by numerous bridges across the river. Having followed the twists and turns of the valley the line terminates at the busy little station of Torokko Kameoka, which is a short distance from the meeting-point for a river trip with a difference. Small boats travel downstream for about 90 minutes basically driven by the river-current. 3 boatmen and about 12 passengers are aboard each boat. One will always remember the combined look of relief and exhilaration on Richard Tapper‘s face as he finally landed on the quayside at the end of the trip. An invigorating way to travel, accompanied by continuous commentary provided by the oarsman (translated for us by Oka and Watanabe) as we drifted downstream at a gentle pace.

After lunch we joined the mass of people who gathered to see the Golden Pavilion and associated religious buildings at Kinkaku-ji. Sunshine picked out the beauty of the gold-leaf clad building, autumnal tints of the trees adding to the serene scene. En route to Kyoto a detachment of us went to see another religious site, the Rock Garden of Ryoan-ji, where an area has been set aside for contemplation. A

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 20 of 25 puzzle for visitors – can they see all 14 stones of the gravel garden from one vantage point! Our evening was spent as hosts of JR Central, during which we had a presentation on the planning and development of the new railway museum.

On Saturday 31st October there was an opportunity in the morning to walk to Umkoji Park to see the local tram collection. After lunch, and having said farewell to a number of colleagues, the remaining delegates bade farewell to Kyoto and joined a Shinkansen service, via Shin-Osaka, to Hiroshima. After acquainting ourselves with the hotel we took a sightseeing bus to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The Museum, which records the horrors of the A-bomb devastation, sits in a Park dedicated to the memory of those who died. On visiting the Museum one was struck by the hushed tones of the continuous flow of visitors as they threaded past the various scenarios and artefacts, many contemplating the degree of destruction. Through the Park there is an alignment of memorial shrine, Flame of Peace and the A-bomb Dome which survived the blast. After visiting other memorials we returned to the hotel, either on foot or by tram.

Sunday 1st November entailed another Shinkansen ride, this time to Shin-Yamaguchi. Adjacent to the new station is a busy provincial station where, after another demonstration of drumming, we boarded a steam-hauled excursion headed by 4-6-2 locomotive class C57 no.1. The end of season train, which was extremely busy and which attracted a multitude of lineside photographers, runs through a combination of beautiful countryside and dense bamboo forest into the hills on a mainly single-track line to the town of Tsuwano. We had an excellent day out, with opportunity to stretch our legs at pathing- stops and a local folk-music group to entertain us at Jifuku. Another traditional music group greeted our arrival at Tsuwano, where we went to see the loco servicing-facilities and also to celebrate a JR West employee’s 49 years with the railway. We then investigated various nooks and crannies around the town and marvelled at multicoloured koi carp that help to keep the streams crystal-clear. Having returned to Hiroshima by train, we spent the evening at our hotel savouring a typical Japanese meal, cooked in front of us, before adjourning for one of our night-cap sessions. A fine way to unwind at the end of a long day!

A relaxing start on Monday 2nd November. A group of us went for a tram-ride round town, down to the harbour and back, before embarking on our official visit to the Senda tram depot. Hiroshima retains the largest tram operation in Japan and we were privileged to have a conducted tour of part of the city aboard restored tram 653, one of the small fleet of survivors from the city’s devastation. In addition to new vehicles, Hiroshima’s operational fleet contains examples transferred from many cities around Japan as those systems have closed. There is also a small museum showing history of the city’s network. Our hosts provided transport to the harbour (Hiroden Mayajima) where we transferred to a ferry for the short journey to the World Heritage site of Miyajima Island. On arrival there is a short walk from the harbour, past shops and inquisitive free-roaming deer, to the Itsukushima Shrine. This is another smart religious building which attracts volumes of tourists. As the sun set it was time to return to the mainland. The much photographed O-Torii stood out as if floating on the sea, the tide coming in and the sun low on the horizon. Final group meeting was held at a sushi restaurant, where we had a very enjoyable evening meal with an expansive selection of seafood, including blowfish. Being one of the most poisonous fish in the world only fully trained and registered chefs are allowed to prepare blowfish, served as thinly sliced pieces dipped in a spicy sauce. On returning to our hotel there was time for a night-cap and debate on our visit and experiences.

For most delegates Tuesday 3rd November was our last full day in Japan. After a coach-ride into the hills we arrived at Tsuyama, site of a new railway museum. The old loco-shed is being transformed by JR West into a museum telling the story of development of local . Due to open in 2016 it is hoped the site will help expand local tourist industry as well as develop an otherwise redundant set of buildings and provide opportunity for former employees to volunteer as visitor-guides. After our guided tour, in partnership with the mayor, we bade farewell to the ever cheerful staff and headed into town for lunch in a traditional restaurant, followed by a stroll through a district of the town where many of older buildings have been restored. Suitably refreshed we headed to the nearby town of Misaki, location of the Katagami Railway. As explained by Seiji and Naoko Morioka at the Conference this is a community-lead project to restore a section of line built principally to serve local iron sulphide mines. Since the line closed in 1991 enthusiasts have gradually restored a few hundred metres of track between two stations, a project which now has support of the local authority. A hard core of volunteers

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 21 of 25 has battled to obtain materials and resources to be able to create and run a small diesel-based operation. We were impressed with what has been achieved with limited funds and hope that the group continues to develop and perhaps expand the line and, importantly, gain covered accommodation to protect rolling-stock which includes 1930’s railcars.

Bidding farewell to this enthusiastic group we headed by road to Osaka. After a leisurely dinner at the hotel we bade farewell to colleagues as in the morning we would go separate ways, hoping we will meet again in Friso (Dallas) in three years time. We should not forget that four delegates found time, before returning to UK, to go to Izu City to renew friendships with members of Shuzenji Park Railway, home to two narrow-gauge steam locomotives specially built for the line by the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

Congress Conference covered differing aspects of Sustainability. Some of the sentiments expressed during Conference were noted as we travelled around. Old friendships renewed, new ones created. Our hosts ensured we had a full and varied programme of visits ranging from museums, shrines, heritage rail operations to the thought-provoking Museum in Hiroshima. Hills and dales, cities and towns, slow trains and ‘Shinkansen’ (‘Bullet’ trains) all came under scrutiny.

Interest in heritage and travel gives many of us opportunities to enjoy sights and sounds away from home. Wattrain’s Congress in Japan offered chance to see oriental cities and museums as well as modern and assorted heritage transport. In two weeks you can only scratch the surface of the country’s geography, daily life, transport, culture and cuisine. Memories include struggling with chopsticks and sushi, the hullaballoo surrounding Mooka’s ‘Halloween Train’, whizzing past Mt Fuji on the ‘Shinkansen’ train, welcomes by teams of drummers, exhilarating ride down the river in a small open boat and hospitality and community spirit generated by the Katagami Railway project. Young and old, male and female all teamed up to ensure we made the most of these opportunities.

Four assets are high on Japanese tourist promotions - security, safety, cleanliness and punctuality. Although our experiences were limited, we would not disagree with these sentiments. We might have only seen a sample of what the country offered in the way of heritage and tourism, but would encourage others to visit the country and sample the many and varied aspects of life on offer. We are sure some of our colleagues will return to explore the region more thoroughly.

During our visit JR East, JR Central and JR West were either hosts or facilitators at a number of our functions and visits. On behalf of all delegates Tatsuhiko Suga, Junichi Yoneyama and their friends and colleagues in both the JR Railway companies and RPSJ are to be thanked for their generosity in sparing time to guide and coordinate our experiences. Finally I must express a special thank you to our couriers Oka Rie and Watanabe Seiko for their everlasting patience, continuous cajoling and excellent guidance as we meandered around various locations and for trying to teach us aspects of Japanese language and etiquette.

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HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SCOTTISH RAILWAY HERITAGE FORUM The Borders, 5-6 March 2016

Host members: Whitrope Heritage Centre, Aln Valley Railway

This year marks the one-year anniversary of the ScotRail Franchise and also the reopening of the Borders railway to Tweedbank. To mark the opening of the longest stretch of new railway this century we are holding our Forum this year in Hawick, with the theme of ‘New Beginnings’. Spouses and partners will be very welcome throughout the programme.

Highlights of the forum include: -

• Presentations by John Yellowlees, Heather Palmer, Liz Fuller

• Update Report on other HRA issues and activities by Mark Smith

• Visit to Aln Valley Railway. Including a trip on line as far as we can go.

PROGRAMME

Friday 4th March: Opportunity for early arrivals to meet up in the evening at 'base camp' BURTS Hotel, Melrose.

Saturday 5th March: 10.00: Participants meet at front of hotel for coach to Whitrope Heritage centre. Cost £12. Pick up at Tweedbank Station on way (0855 Waverley gets in 09.50) 11.00: Arrive at Whitrope. Tour of site and possibly a trip up line and back

12.00: Coach to Hawick. Venue Heart of Hawick.

12.30: Lunch. Soup and Sandwich at venue £6.00 bookable on the HRA shop website. 13.30: Business Meeting in Heart of Hawick, Agenda below. 16.00-16.15 approx., tea break 17.30: Close of meeting

19.00 for 19.30: Meet at BURTS Hotel for informal dinner in the function suite, three courses plus coffee for £34.00 (choices from menu)

Sunday 6th March:

09.30: Coach outside Hotel for Aln Valley Railway. Cost £15. 11.00: Aln Valley Railway, look at operations. 12.15: Aln Valley Railway, Soup & sandwiches plus tea/coffee for approx. £7.50 a head, bookable on HRA shop website. 13.05: Tour of site and trip on line

14.30 approx.: End of tour, coach to Alnmouth Train Station if needed. Trains are 15.10 Alnmouth to Edinburgh, 15.01 Alnmouth to London, 17.00 after that.

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SATURDAY BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA

1. Welcome: Peter Ovenstone, Chairman, HRA Scottish Committee

2. Apologies for absence

3. David Spaven, Borders Railway history.

4. John Yellowlees, Abellio Scotrail, ‘The franchise one year on’, The Borders Railway

5. Heather GM South Tyndale Railway, Heritage lottery funding, and apprentices.

6. Liz Fuller, FEDEC Fedec rail camp, the European outlook

7. HRA Current Issues – update by Mark Smith,

8. Open Forum – opportunity for members to raise other issues not covered earlier in the meeting

FORUM ACCOMMODATION 'Base camp' will be the BURTS Hotel, Market Square, Melrose, TD6 9PL. 01896 822285

Bed & breakfast in a twin/double room is offered at £60 per person per night; single room, £60 per night. Inclusive Dinner, b & b rate is offered at £71 per person per night for a two-night package. This would include the cost of the meal on the Saturday, for those staying one night the meal is £34 extra. An allocation of rooms was being held for us until 1st February, after which any unlet were released to the general market. Participants wishing to book should contact the hotel direct, as soon as possible, mentioning the Scottish Railway Heritage Forum.

There are many other hotels, guest houses and B&Bs in the area. The George and Abbottsford is just down the road, High Street Melrose TD6 9PD, 01896 822308. Offers rate of £65 per person per night.

There is also other budget accommodation available see tourist information site for further details. http://www.visitscotland.com/info/services/melrose-information-centre-p333431

FORUM TRAVEL

By car, the A7 or A68 will bring you to Melrose either travelling South or North the A696 from Newcastle/A1 will also set you on the A68.

By rail, travel to Edinburgh then take the borders rail to Tweedbank, sign posted in Waverley station. Taxi from Tweedbank to Melrose is approx. £5, or if weather fine there is a nice riverside walk from the station to Melrose. We will also pick up from Tweedbank on the Saturday

Sunday: travel will be by car and coach from Melrose to Alnwick. There will also be a run to Alnmouth if required to connect with trains down south and to Edinburgh. Cost of the minibus will be shared between users; the charge will be advised once numbers are known. It would also be appreciated if car drivers would indicate when whether they can offer lifts if needed.

Would all intending participants in the forum please complete the Booking form on the HRA Shop website. Reservations for accommodation should be made direct with the establishment concerned, and bill settled up direct with it in due course.

HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 143 24 of 25 HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION : MEETINGS & EVENTS 2016

THA Giving to Heritage FUNDRAISING SKILL TRAINING WORKSHOPS Your very last chance to benefit from these excellent Heritage Alliance workshops ! Project funding ceases at the end of this financial year....Bookings now open for the few remaining workshops, still a first rate bargain at only £ 20 each.... Final dates and subjects:-

Mar 1st Securing Support from Grant-Making Trusts & Foundations (Maidstone)

Mar 4th Measuring Success and Reporting Impact (Nottingham)

Mar 8th Creating a Case for Support (Warrington)

Mar 8th Using Digital and Social Media (Newcastle)

Mar 9th Heritage Fundraising Plan - Putting Strategy into Practice (Tamworth)

Mar 18th Measuring & Communicating Impact of Heritage Organisations (London)

Mar 23rd Heritage Fundraising Plan - Putting Strategy into Practice (London)

On line and in house training is also available. For full details and up to date information and place availability, please check website: www.theheritagealliance.org.uk/giving-to-heritage

HRA SCOTTISH FORUM 2016 : “NEW BEGINNINGS” THEME Saturday 5th - Sunday 6th March 2016 Linked to opening of new Borders Railway; Business meeting in Hawick; Accommodation base Melrose, accessible by rail via new Tweedbank rail terminus. Visits include Heritage at Whitrope (Sat); Aln Valley Railway (Sun)

HRA SPRING MANAGEMENT FORUM + GENERAL MEETING + SEMINAR Tuesday 8th - Wednesday 9th March 2016 - Grand Station, Wolverhampton Seminar: “Business Development-Supporting our Customers” (Tues 8th); Brief General Meeting and Management Forum (Wed). Please note these dates are one week earlier than in 2015

FEDECRAIL ‘BODENSEE 2016’ CONFERENCE Thurs 21st - Sat 23rd April Conference; Sun 24th - Fri 29th April Tour Programme Venue will be eastern end of Bodensee at Dornbirn, near Bregenz, Austria. Business theme is “Generating Income from our Own Efforts” Visit programme will include various heritage railways and museums in Austria/France/Germany/ Switzerland. Contact for queries: [email protected]

HRA AUTUMN MEETING WEEKEND Sat 17th - Mon 19th September 2016 Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Rly, General Meeting Sat 17th; Visits to other railways in Kent.

HRA AUTUMN MANAGEMENT FORUM + GENERAL MEETING + SEMINAR Tues 8th - Wed 9th November 2016 - Venue: To be confirmed Seminar: “Volunteer Recruitment & Retention” (Tues 8th) Brief General Meeting and Management Forum (Wed 9th)

For enquiries and booking details for HRA events (unless otherwise shown), contact: - Bill Askew (HRA Meetings Organiser) 24 Grosvenor Road, Broxbourne, Herts. EN10 7JG Email: [email protected] Tel: 0800 756 5111 x 427.

______© 2016 The Heritage Railway Association, Limited by Guarantee, is Registered in England and Wales No. 2226245 Registered office: 2 Littlestone Road, New Romney, Kent, TN28 8PL

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