Heritage railways killing the world...yeah right

Hi, I just found a group on a social networking site which claims:

"All day long, dark, noxious fumes from the Watercress Line's steam trains billow into the air in Alresford, Hampshire, and its surrounding towns, houses and gardens. At weekends and in the summer, residents are unable to sit outside, hang out their washing or even open the windows. Special days out for Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends may provide great entertainment for visitors. But what harm is Thomas leaving in his wake for the people who live here? We're genuinely afraid of the damage evil-smelling smoke is causing to our health. These are lethal gases. What effect will they have on our children in the short and long-term? Why do we have sore throats? Tight chests? How can this pollution be allowed in our health and safety-conscious age? The trains are running much more frequently now. Before their journey, they stand, spewing out plumes of acrid, black smoke, for hours every day. Yet people live in Mid Hampshire for its peace and rural beauty. Why should we be subjected to this pollution, over which, until now, we've had no say? We know you care about your kids' future, your own well-being, the community and the environment. We don't know the full, terrible extent of what this might be doing to us. But we can't allow it to carry on. This is SERIOUS."

 

Does she drive a car with fumes coming out.

 

Why did they buy a house next to a steam railway, its like moving into a house at the sea side and then complaining about seagulls.

 

Friends of mine have a flat in Swanage. I gather that they and other residents are not always happy about the activities of the Swanage Railway!

 

And does the letter writer use electricity, gas, dairy products (methane...), only buys products of any form produced from purely natural materials within walking distance...probably not.

Neil

 

This sort of rant was inevitable sooner or later & the heritage railway movement needs to wise up PDQ to be able to defend its position when it needs to.

To do so we could do with knowing:

1. What is the real comparison in harmful chemical terms between steam loco exhaust and diesel/petrol exhausts
(coal smoke may look dirty but it "feels" less harmful than diesel fumes but does the science support this?)

2. What is the carbon footprint comparison between (say) 250+ people spending the afternoon riding behind heritage steam compared with heritage diesel compared with the same people driving round in 100+ cars instead?

I did notice on one TOC website that the carbon/mile figure was being quoted presumably in anticipation of a direct carbon footprint comparison with road transport per passenger mile.

To dismiss the rant out of hand would be foolish - for more & greater will sooner or later follow. To use it as a wake up call to wise up on these issues would be sensible.

 

Its far from new - if you walk down the cyclepath from Bitton station (Avon Valley Railway) you'll see the remains of slogans about Thomas, steam trains and global warming that to my knowledge are at least 6 years old!

 

even if they have outrageously over-stated the problem, it is a serious issue and the movement needs to bear in mind that the friends of the steam loco are a minority .
Im quite sure all Railways know this and issue instructions to their crews to keep smoke to a minimum at all times.
Im also quite sure that a diesel loco may LOOK less poisonous but in fact produces a lot more serious pollution than steam loco,HOWEVER I imagine these peoples reply to that would be, then we dont want them either!

 

They were still there today, but very faded now. The solvents in the paint used probably caused more environmental damage than a tank engine proceeding gently along there a few times a day on a relatively small number of days a year.

 

I can understand excessive levels of black smoke being a problem and I know for a fact that at the MHR smoke levels are strictly monitored, especially at Alresford.
But people on this group are saying that their house is full of toxic fumes all day and that their house is "shaken to the foundations" when a train goes past.

 

And just how recently did they move into the area? Buyer beware is a rather old rule.......

Steven

 

It always puzzles me when people say that their hosue is being shaken to its foundations by our trains which trundle past at no more than 5mph (when running around).

The station used to be on the West Coast Main line, and pacifics and class 5's used to pelt past at 60mph+ with 10 coaches on and their house managed to survive that for decades!

 

NIMBY-ism is a facet of modern society that isn't going to go away in a hurry, and occasionally NIMBY's will clash with heritage railways, as they clash with everything else from time to time. I believe the Moorland & City Railways have a similar problem.

Your diehard NIMBY, as the author of that quote appeared to be, is never going to be swayed, the best you can hope to achieve is damage limitation. The way to do that is to maintain as much as possible a good relationship with all neighbours, and when voices like this make themselves heard and start attracting other less extreme followers respond with hard facts and friendly compromise. Yes, our locomotives emit smoke. But we have in place these instructions to crews to endeavour to keep smoke to a minimum. Yes, our locomotives do vibrate your house. But your house is still standing as it has been since 19--. Etc etc. Most people want a friendly face and a responsive ear with problems like these. You don't want to come back at people as rude as they can come across to you - maintain the high ground.

More importantly, Estate Agents need to start telling people detailed information about what is in their area when they move in. A sample timetable provided.

 

I'm hoping to retire soon, and would gladly buy a house near to a steam railway - if my wife agrees. Perhaps we could swop houses with one off these nimbys.

 

Yes I have a Three bedroomed house with a huge garden only six houses in the lane a park and lakes right opposite .I would swap with one next to the Wtarcress line anyday

 

Why not ask legal department to ask the nimby to post actual facts to support there case.
See how long it persists.
That's exactly what any other company sure of it's position would do, without hesitation.

 

Also worth considering the good the railway does to the local economy. Maybe this person would rather live in a ghost town?

 

I seem to recal (but was only young then) that when the MHR was relaying to Alton, a new estate on the upside was under development. When asked about the track work by potential buyers, the estate agents at the time were stating that the line was being pulled up and not relaid. I don't suppose they would get away with that sort of behaviour now but you could argue that these people were (at the time) conned and could therefore hold a grudge against the railway.

On another point, I too would love to own a house next to the MHR. Not too sure the good lady would but she could possibly be persuaded. I already have one in mind if it ever comes up for sale! Just outside Alresford, next to the B3047 bridge.

 

Let's face it, Man-made Global Warming is pure fiction based around bad science and always has been. It's just a do-gooding red-herring that governments have gleefully seized upon rather than addressing the really serious (but inherently vote-losing) issue of over-population. The climate's always been changing and those rolling hills were once sea beds, don't forget. We'll look back in future years and laugh at how ridiculous it was to demonise such a harmless gas as CO2 which is produced by every living organism and absolutely vital to life itself.

As for the rant which started this thread, well of course it's hysterical and wildly over-stated. All steam railways produce some degree of smoke and I'm sure that they all try to keep it to a minimum, particularly on stations in built-up areas. But ultimately steam engines run on coal, and if you don't put enough on then they simply won't go.

In the light of persistent complaints from Alresford residents, might it not be an idea to offer the most vocal of them a footplate experience course free of charge in order that they can have a proper understanding of the issues involved?

 

There has always been issues at Alresford with smoke and engines blowing off when waiting time for the off, where you get homes next to railways you always are at risk of these sort of ill informed rants on facebook type sites , and you just cant win, generally its people who recently move into the homes who are the problem, the view a house on the assumption that the nice restored station next door is just a museum and to their horror find that it runs a public service once they move in,

Im sure that if offered a footplate experience they would decline, but if you offered them an all expences paid meal for 2 on the watercress belle watch them bite your hand off