Good News from the Bluebell

I'm still not quite up to speed with PTS, is it valid for a year like a lineside pass?

 

It said the Photo PTS will only be valid for one year in the recent Bluebell News.

 

I'm assuming the renewal is free, and you don't have to go and do the course again.

 

Errr, that's the big question? I think the powers that be are intending to make photters stump up £30 and take the PTS course every year. But not 100% sure on this, really need someone "official" to tell us if we have to keep going through the PTS system every year.

 

Well if that's how it's going to work then I'll just have to work on finding more locations I can get to legally

 

And I thought that photographers didn't mind contributing to Heritage Railways.......... Another Shattered illusion.

 

Well there's a difference between making your contribution and a rip-off. And how do you know I don't make my contribution? I'm not one of the photters who don't bother travelling and just stay at the lineside taking photos, I pay for an all day rover ticket, even if I only do one return, I'm a member of the 300 club and the BRPS, I buy things in the shop, I drop money in the collection boxes, if you don't think that's contributing in my own small way then what am I to do?

 

According to 'Bluebell News', lineside photographers will have to take the PTS examination every year. Quite how the railway is going to resource the additional effort to conduct these examinations isn't at all clear. Personally, it is my belief that the railway would just wish that we would all just go away and leave the volunteers to play with their trainset, but then I'm getting pretty fed up with the attitude at SP.

I've decided to keep my membership for the rather odd reason that it gives me free access to the loos at the stations!

Regards

 

I note that three of the next four lineside PTS courses are on workdays - yes Saturday is a workday for me and many other people - so that leaves just one opportunity on a Sunday in March. Since my current permit expires in February that's a bit of a nuisance. On the other hand there are plenty of good shots to be had from publicly accessible positions so it's not a disaster. TBH I use the lineside more as a route between locations than as a location itself. Just have to walk the long way round for the time being. I've been aware of an "anti photographer" faction at the Bluebell and I think it's won the day. I'm sure the PTS thing is designed more to keep people away than it is as a fund raiser. It won't deter those who've never bothered with a permit before going lineside and it won't deter them now. The Bluebell probably doesn't have the capacity to effectively police the length of the line every running day anyway.

 

P Class 178 had its out of frames steam test yesterday - see http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/whats_new.html for a photo.

Tom

 

Fingers crossed for Branch Line then!

 

What i think is that one permit need to be created for every railway because the training i should imagine is the same. This could be run at a different location or something along them lines, then once you have one it last a year or two and can be used everywhere.

If you have a mainline pts (i think it is called) do preserved railway allow you to go track side then?

Cheers
Andrew

 

The main stumbling block is special requirements of different railways, the Bluebell has Sharpthorn Tunnel, you're also not allowed into the cutting at Horsted House Farm or the area around Black Hut. If one standard, sort of base PTS were created, I don't see why you can't then have a morning's course or briefing at each railway that uses PTS covering specialist risks and requirements.

By the way, I'm expecting to have to eat quite a lot of my own words as without my knowledge, my Dad booked himself and me to do the PTS course at the Bluebell on the 6th. Anyone else doing it?

 

I believe that tthe course is starting at 0930 which is OK for people who live reasonably close but is useless for those further away. No, I won't be doing it.

Regards

 

Yes my Dad and I are booked on the PTS course on the 6th Feb.

 

That may seem to be a simple idea on the face of it but, as lineside passes are provided principally to provide funds for the railway and not for the benefit of the photographer, how would you manage that aspect?

AFAIK, a 'mainline' PTS has absolutely no validity on any Heritage Railway for the purposes of taking photographs. It doesn't have any validity on Network Rail for that purpose, either. Even with a PTS, you are only allowed lineside if your work requires it.

 

I live about 80 miles away from Sheffield Park which will mean going around the M25/M23 nexus when it is at its most busiest to get to SP for about 9am. A 7am start from home at least - more like 6.30 to make sure of beating the traffic. An alarm call at 5.30 then. Those who are further away will need a hotel/B&B. All for a railway which has an obsessively high opinion of itself - an opinion which is far, far greater than it deserves.

I just don't see the point, but I'm sure that the Bluebell freaks will think it is all important to make the journey.

There are plenty of photo spots around the Bluebell without needing a lineside permit and anyway my visits to the railway have diminished over the last two years as the pleasures of other preserved railways become clearer and the disadvantages of the Bluebell have become manifest. Last year I attended a fair few steam galas up and down the country and didn't miss at all my non-attendance of the galas on the Bluebell, but I did enjoy the two visits I did make at other times. Only two visits! Not long ago there was at least one visit each month. The loss is the Bluebell's, in the form of at least £350 in the shop, and at a time when it needs the dosh.

I don't at all take issue with the need to introduce the PTS onto the railway. Not at all. But there are issues surrounding the way the courses are being introduced. And ... oh yes, the social skills of the office staff at SP are in need of improvement too!

Regards

 

progress on good news

Any news about track laying? --- somebody is going to have to work fast

but i suppose all the photographers to lend a hand now that they have PTS cards

Ian

 

just to try and get this back on to something more interesting,can anyone say why the Bluebell website is so hopelessly out of date when it comes to Extension news.It is currently reporting on the October 10th open day!

There have been lots of interesting developments since then,some of them covered by the latest mag. Surely if you want people to donate generously surely the first priority is to provide frequent and regular updates so people know where their dosh is going?

 

For some preserved railways a Senital? (mainline) PTS is fine, I have up to now used my LU Pass without problem. (This could form the basis of a new pts thread)

"but i suppose all the photographers to lend a hand now that they have PTS cards" asked by Ianh,

No that will not be possible the photographers PTS is different from the staff PTS according to the Bluebell

some information is here;
http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/lineside.html

Noting that the at least some people at the Bluebell think there are some special safety cases on their railway that are not covered by the pts system in use for Mainline and at least some other railways, I do wonder who thought this up. I wonder what qualifications you need to have to set up and give pts courses?