.HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION. SIDELINES 130 28th January 2014 www.heritagerailways.com DISTRIBUTION 10, Hurdeswell, ……………………………………. Long Hanborough, ……………………………………. Witney, ……………………………………. Oxfordshire. ……………………………………. OX29 8DH ……………………………………. ……………………………………. Tel 0800 756 5111 ext 702 ……………………………………. Tel/Fax 01993 883384 ……………………………………. [email protected] (for Sidelines contributions) THE AIM OF SIDELINES IS TO HELP MEMBER ORGANISATIONS TO RUN SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS. PLEASE PASS IT ON TO COLLEAGUES WHO NEED OR WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE INFORMATION GIVEN, INCLUDING THOSE WHO MAY WANT TO RAISE FUNDS OR ENTER COMPETITIONS FOR AWARDS. Notes included in 'Sidelines' are guidelines. For specific circumstances, individual expert advice should be sought. JOURNALISTS OF THE NATIONAL PRESS ARE REQUESTED TO OBTAIN CLEARANCE BEFORE PUBLICATION SO THAT ANY FURTHER DETAILS TO AID A MORE GENERAL READERSHIP CAN BE INCLUDED. 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.heritagerailways.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 900 Fax: 0845 528 0775 Email: [email protected] ITEMS INCLUDED INDEX SIDELINES 130 1/ OPERATING & SAFETY MATTERS. BROADLINES 39 INDEX 2/ ANNUAL STATISTICAL RETURNS. FUNDRAISING SKILLS TRAINING 3/ ASBESTOS. HISTORIC SIGNAL BOXES – SCOTLAND 4/ RENEWABLES. NRM FORMS SIGNALLING GROUP 5/ MEMBERS’ EVENTS DIARY. JOHN SNELL 6/ SCOTTISH FORUM. MATTHEW PRICE 7/ FEDECRAIL "BUDAPEST 2014" CONFERENCE. FROM THE PRESS RELEASES 8/ GREAT RAILWAY TREASURE HUNT 2014. 9/ STUDENT VOLUNTEERING WEEK. 10/ ROAD RAIL VEHICLE USER GROUP. 11/ THE ‘WING AWARD FOR SAFETY’ 12/ THE HERITAGE ALLIANCE CELEBRATES OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERS. 13a/ MAKE THE MOST OF ENGLISH TOURISM WEEK! 13b/ CLA SHOWS HOW TO FUND MORE WORK TO HERITAGE BY PAYING LESS VAT. 14/ LEAFLETS. 15/ MUTUAL ASSSISTANCE. 16/ MEMBERS HANDBOOK. 17/ APHTRO. 18/ WANTED - OPEN COACH. HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 130 1 of 9 FOR BOARDS AND COUNCILS 1/ OPERATING & SAFETY MATTERS. The operating & safety committee of the HRA has just issued the first edition of its newsletter to members’ operating contacts. It will be available on our website and can be copied freely amongst HRA members. If any member would like to be added to the circulation they should apply via e-mail to <mailto:O&[email protected]>O&[email protected] with ‘Circulation’ as the subject and stating their name, address, phone number and affiliation. Bill Hillier 20 Jan 2014 2/ ANNUAL STATISTICAL RETURNS. The blank forms for the year ending 31 December 2013 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. 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 2014. Please contact Bill Hillier if you are unclear on any of the requirements. Thanks for your help. Bill Hillier 3/ ASBESTOS. HSE have published a new approved code of practice [ACOP] consolidating two existing ones into a single revised one. ACOP L127 and L143 follow recommendations contained in an independent review carried out in 2011 It also reflects changes in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Copies may be downloaded from the HSE website. Tony Tomkins – Environmental Adviser 4/ RENEWABLES. The Governments ‘Roadmap to a brighter future’ sets out the vision for the future of Solar PV panels. Currently, Solar PV capacity has increased 25-fold since the end of 2010. Public opinion polls show the highest acceptance – 85% - of all renewable technologies. HRA members have plenty of opportunity to install such arrays with the saving in their energy costs that would result. If incentives to businesses feature in the UK’s first Solar PV strategy due to be published in Spring 2015, it will be doubly welcome. Within the domestic framework, installations are producing between 5% and 11% returns on their installation costs. Strongly recommended for further review by HRA members as part of their future fuel costs strategy. Tony Tomkins – Environmental Adviser 5/ MEMBERS’ EVENTS DIARY. This section on the members’ website is aimed at helping organisations avoid clashes or to allow possible co operation with events in the same area. The list will not be in the public pages of the website in case members do want to make changes based on the information contained. Please send updates to: Email [email protected] or post to 10 Hurdeswell, Long Hanborough, Witney. OX29 8DH Please submit information in the form. Date of event (in date order if possible please) Type of event HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 130 2 of 9 GENERAL NOTES. JOHN SNELL. We are sorry to hear of the death of John Snell, a founder member of the railway preservation movement. An obituary is included in Broadlines. MATTHEW PRICE of Blueprint Travel Media. A note of his death is also included in Broadlines. FUND RAISING. An article on this subject is included in Broadlines SIGNAL BOXES AVAILABLE IN SCOTLAND – see item in Broadlines NRM FORMS SIGNALLING COLLECTIONS GROUP – see item in Broadlines 6/ SCOTTISH FORUM. Arrangements are now being made for this year’s annual Scottish Forum, to be based at Bo’ness on 22-23 March. Saturday morning events are planned to include a round trip over the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway to Manuel and back, with opportunity to alight at the new platform at Manuel. The train is likely to be diesel-hauled by 37401 which is equipped to heat the train. The sight – and sound – of this locomotive will doubtless arouse memories of class 37s on the West Highland Line! Full details of the programme will be sent as usual to representatives of member groups based in Scotland and to HRA officials and Friends of the HRA resident in Scotland. Anyone who does not receive them and would like them should contact: Scottish Committee Secretary John Ransom. Tel. 01567 830243, fax 01567 830309. 7/ FEDECRAIL "BUDAPEST 2014" CONFERENCE. Detailed programme and booking forms have now been circulated to those who have participated previously. New participants are very welcome for all or part of the programme and/or Post Conference Tour. Various packages are available from a full programme at Euro 900 (Thu 3.04 - Wed 9.04) to a short Business Sessions package (Thu 3.04 - Sat 5.04 at Euro 350). Due to the current political situation in Ukraine and cost issues for Romania, destination for the Post Conference Tour organised by MAV Nosztalgia will now be Slovakia, focussing on heritage railways, museums and the Tatra Mountains narrow-gauge electric railway system. Daytime travel on MAV Nostalgia heritage train and overnight stays in hotels. All enquiries to:- [email protected] or to the Conference Organisers, Peter Ovenstone Tel: 0131 225 1486 / Tel 07740 289702 or John Fuller Tel 07785 250571. 8/ GREAT RAILWAY TREASURE HUNT 2014. Following the success of the first event in 2013, with several hundred children visiting steam railways to take part, we are going to run it again in 2014. (Some children visited over 15 railways during the summer!) The cash prize pot, provided by Peter’s Railway, will remain at £1000, but will be divided up differently this year. The other difference is that we will have 10 questions for each railway, instead of 20 as we feel this will make it more accessible. The 2014 GRTH will launch at the end of March, in time for the Easter holidays and the whole of the summer season. The Treasure Hunt is free to enter for children and there is no cost to the railways to be included: All you have to do is to provide 10 questions on your railway. Last year there were 55 railways and museums taking part: everyone is welcome. So if you would like to take part again, or for the first time, please get in touch with Katrina Vine, Email [email protected] or call on 01505 614513. Chris and Katrina Vine. 9/ STUDENT VOLUNTEERING WEEK. ''Following on from the article in Sidelines 127(12), members are to be reminded that the National Union of Students has designated week commencing 24th February as 'Student Volunteering Week'. For any volunteer help you can speak with the Secretary of your local College/University Students Union. Maybe you have a specific project which can be arranged together with 'Rag Week', in any HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SIDELINES 130 3 of 9 case for further details contact www.studentvolunteeringweek.org.uk or the National Secretary [email protected] (07557 113761) Martin Smith, HRA Training Committee Secretary Tel. 01204 301573 [email protected] 10/ ROAD RAIL VEHICLE USER GROUP. At its last committee meeting, the Road Rail User Group was advised by Steve Turner of the Office of Rail Regulation, that a significant change in regulations concerning Road Rail Vehicles is to be introduced. As from 31st December 2016, all 9B (High Ride) vehicles in the heritage sector will have to be fitted with direct wheel braking. This will also apply to all new vehicles purchased after 31st December 2013. The RRV User Group is examining the market place for information on retro-fitting kits for existing vehicles, the findings of which will be made available on the RRV web site.