DECEMBER 2020 The offi cial journal of THE HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION Issue 162 COAL AFTER HIGHTHORN AND DEWLEY... SCOTTISH NEWS 2021 Awards Nominees Full report OFFERS COMPETENCY HELP & TRAINING FOR WANTS COURSES MEMBERS Chairman’s Briefing Dates for your Diary As I write this, a big swathe of the country has just been put under March Tier 4 Covid rules. By the time you read it, things will almost 2nd HRA Spring Conference certainly have changed. Many of you will have been forced to Principal Hotel, York suspend your plans for opening and operating. Others lucky enough to be in lower tiers will be able to carry on. It’s now very 3rd HRA AGM & clear that, over the last nine months or so, the heritage railway Annual Awards. sector has learned to adapt, to be flexible, and to be resourceful Principal Hotel, York in the way it copes with the immense challenges COVID-19 has presented to us all. (subject to C-19 restrictions in force In time, the challenges of the virus will diminish. But they’ll be at the time) replaced with another: coal. First, the Highthorn mine planning application was refused. Then the Dewley Hill application. Both See page 6 for more information decisions were disappointing. Not just because they extinguished hopes for continuity of a domestic coal supply for heritage steam. TBC HRA Scottish Forum But those decisions will also result in considerably more CO2 emissions – five times more, in fact – created by importing coal, April than mining just a road-trip away from its point of use. 27th & 28th. Reserve dates for We await news from the Welsh government, about their future the Spring Conference, AGM and coal policy. But we must expect them to formalise their declared Annual Awards. position of ‘no more Welsh coal’. Planning for a worst-case outcome, the HRA is already exploring options for importing our own coal. This takes us into completely new territory, where we will have to learn new things, and develop new skills and resources. Inside this edition But, as the virus pandemic has proved beyond doubt, between Page us all in the HRA, we know we can overcome even the greatest of obstacles. Chief Exec news 3 The virus pandemic and coal concerns have inevitably caused Coal 4 us to focus our attention on matters here at home in the UK. Support for UK Coal 5 We recently made the decision to take a step back from our Vacancies 5 involvement with FEDECRAIL, the European federation of museum HRA Events 6 and tourist railways. The HRA founded Fedecrail 26 years ago. Help for Members 7 The value of solidarity and shared learning with of European counterparts is great, but it’s come at high cost. We shall continue Scottish News 8 to enthusiastically support the aims and the work of FEDCRAIL, of Offers and Wants 9 course. Steve Oates, our Cheief Exec will remain in close contact In Memoria 10 with Jaap Nieweg, President of Fedecrail. HRA Annual Awards 11 We’ve all learned so much over the past months. How to Shortlisted nominations communicate more effectively, with internal and external Morgan Award 12 audiences. How to reduce costs. How to continue to be flexible Coliey Award 14 and adaptable. We’ve sought, and found, new ways to engage Diesel Locomotion Award 16 the paying public, and to add value to the customer experience. Young Volunteers Award 17 All those things will stand us in great stead in a future where the Communications Award 18 virus no longer dominates everything we do. We will, as many of Innovative Fundraising 22 us believed, emerge from 2020 stronger, fitter and better than ever Small Groups 24 before. Large Groups 26 I’m proud of the ways HRA members have responded to everything Outstanding Visitor Attraction 28 that was thrown at them in 2020. It’s proof that you can’t keep good Editors Awards 29 railwaymen down. And I’m also proud of the work that the HRA has NRHA Awards 29 been able to do to provide support wherever it’s been needed. I’d like to offer you all my heartfelt best wishes, for Christmas and the Cover photo: New Year to come. The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway’s No2 The Countess, pulling a Santa Special through a Welsh snowscape. Brian Simpson OBE - Chairman © Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway DO YOU WANT YOUR OWN COPY OF THIS NEWSLETTER? If you or your colleagues would like a copy please let us know the email addresses, send to:- [email protected] The next edition will be published in March 2021 News from Steve Oates - HRA Chief Executive Restart … Stop … Start again … Don’t do that … But you can do this … Ah, but you can only do some of that … Now stop again … 2020 has been puzzling, worrying, interesting, tiresome, challenging, devastating - in fact, all those things and more. And, to add to the puzzle, the four nations, despite originally agreeing to co-ordinate, have worked at different paces and imposed differing levels of restrictions. Yep, it’s all been pretty horrible but, with one exception, each HRA member business is still in place and all member railways, tramways, cliff railways, museums and supporting organisations have survived intact, much has been learnt, and businesses are reshaping ready to tackle 2021. And as we head into 2021 the HRA will be there with you and for you … Naturally we will actively continue our influencing and collaboration work on your behalf, lobbying where appropriate, responding to government and industry consultations, and working with other trade and lobbying organisations. For the next few months this will inevitably include C-19, Brexit and coal. We will continue to provide regular C-19 updates on our website and, when appropriate, direct to GMs and chairmen. We’ll keep an eye on any likely impacts of Brexit on our sector and as regards coal, we’ll be working on your behalf on all the options now laid out before us, from securing imports, maintaining pressure to continue indigenous supplies, and supporting R&D work on biocoal. A significant chunk of our work in 2020 has been on preparing and publishing guidance and providing business support to individual members when required. Naturally this will continue and, to this end, our advisory committees have been – and still are being – refocussed to ensure the needs of you, our members, are at the heart of all we do. Key topics to assist members are anticipated to include governance, leadership, finance and funding, and securing infrastructure. Meanwhile, development of our plans for establishing a heritage rail safety and standards board will progress and we aim to reveal more information on this in the first half of 2021. Research, data and information capture will continue, and we’ll ensure that heritage rail’s voice is regularly heard in government, across the media and elsewhere. In 2020 only two of our principal events – the autumn conference and seminar - weren’t able to go ahead, but (as ever, subject to C-19) we’ve already got dates and venue sorted for our spring seminar and management conference; and, new for the early part of 2021, we’re developing a series of short online presentations and seminars on a variety of topics. We’ll make sure we notify you but please also keep an eye on the HRA website. Our new online training courses for competency assessors have already received a great deal of interest with dozens of registrations of interest so, again, please watch out for further details and booking options. And, of course, there will be the 2021 HRA Annual Awards. Through the turmoil of 2020 there is still much to recognise and celebrate, and much of this edition of HRA News highlights the very varied, fascinating and excellent entries and nominations. As we leave 2020 behind, may I thank all those who do so much behind the scenes here at the HRA. It really is a team effort - from providing support and guidance on the board to serving on committees, providing ‘backroom’ support, undertaking research, or assisting with advice and guidance; and my thanks to Amy who deals with the wealth of communications we receive, provides member liaison and looks after all administration for the HRA. And may I warmly thank you, our members, for all your support in 2020. With very best wishes for a less challenging and ever more successful 2021 for us all! Steve Oates Chief Exec HRA Page 3 Coal Refusal of coal mine plans means British steam railways may look to Russia to stay in business. Newcastle City Council has refused planning permission for a new surface coal mine at Dewley Hill. The decision means an end to UK-based coal production, and has dashed the hopes of Britain’s heritage railways, who need affordable coal to continue operating. Steve Oates, Chief Executive of the Heritage Railway Associa- tion said ‘The decision is a huge disappointment. We spoke at the planning committee meeting and we had argued a strong case. UK-produced coal generates a fraction of the CO2 emis- sions created by extracting and then shipping coal half-way round the world to the UK. And it costs less in money terms, too. Keeping Britain’s heritage railways running with affordable locally-produced coal would secure the future of a sector which sits at the heart of the country’s industrial and cultural heritage, and generates millions for the leisure and travel sec- tor.’ Steam railway operators across the UK made representations to Newcastle’s planners.