Heritage railways and nature - do they mix?

Perusing the recent thread on the Stainmore Railway, I was intrigued to see that their website http://www.kirkbystepheneast.co.uk/ has a wildlife section, which got me thinking about how heritage railways could use wildlife to promote themselves.

From my own personal experience I've spent a long weekend in Aviemore to combine a trip on the Strathspey railway with a trip to the nearby RSPB Loch Garten reserve to see the ospreys nesting there, as well as seeing a red kite hovering over Didcot and a great tit busily feeding its young at a nestbox at Toddington, oblivious to the May gala in full swing all around it. Not to mention the canny SDR, which has otters, a butterfly house and a petting zoo to keep non-railway fans happy on days out.

I think that many railways could use wildlife to increase their exposure, to encourage more visitors and to increase footfall at quieter intermediate stations. I know there was discussion about the quieter ELR stations for example, and I feel that a couple of boards with species that can be seen in the area (the B&W has some nice ones at Boscarne Junction), plus suggested walking routes from the station, could give passengers a reason to break their journey. (I know someone had the idea of alternating walking and riding between stations at the Llangollen during SSSII, so this would give people the option of following suit).

The biggest tie up could be by organising some sort of joint event with a local RSPB centre (for a map with reserve locations, go to http://www.rspb.org.uk then Reserves / By Location). Some of the biggest and best reserves in the country are in Norfolk, so the NNR and MNR could use it to enourage people coming to the area for the birds to visit them as well, but I'm sure other railways could benefit too.

Now, I do appreciate that groups may be wary of getting involved with some of the more 'enthusiastic' nature groups.
I've taken 'Stu in Torbay's' remarks completely out of context (apologies Stu) purely as an illustration of these concerns:

"Good news. I did notice though that it says "Network Rail said a study of the natural environment aimed to identify any rare plants and species that would need to be protected if line was reopened"

Why? The land's status is still a railway. Why not just cut back and weed-kill, after all, this is what would be happening if the line was still in use. Seems like more money to be wasted on a study to keep the bunny huggers happy....."

I'd just be interested to see whether the view that it would be risky to work together with nature groups for fears that the discovery of a great crested newt could prevent a sleeper ever been laid again is that of the majority of preserved lines and volunteers.

Despite being an 'outsider' (purely a visitor, rather than someone putting the hours in keeping the railway going) I can appreciate that it would be self-defeating to invite in a group that would simply interfere with what you are trying to do, but I still feel that nature and heritage railways can be complementary.

If someone takes a snap of a Robin making a nest in the cylinder of a Barry wreck on their local railway and gets it published in the quarterly RSPB magazine along with the railway's website, then that'll be sent out to over a million members, surely not to be sniffed at.

Any thoughts?

 

I don't know about the public, but the sidings at Oakamoor (Churnet Valley) are home to lizards, snakes, owls, hornets, the biggest dragonflies I've ever seen, and many species of game birds (mainly pheasants).

At one point some orchids even sprung up which were so rare they had to be cordoned off from any disturbance, luckily they weren't in the four foot though!

Just goes to prove that if the conditions are right, nature doesn't care if it's a railway or not, the wildlife will appear there

 

At Blaenavon, some of the larger coal tips were reclaimed. Due to the topography, the re-claimers also opencasted, down by around 11 seams. The upshot of this is that the (current) upper reaches of the railway line are blessed with the vista of two lakes, with a slight 'salmon run' in between. We are blessed with buzzards, small kites, as well as all of the more common species.

To hear a buzzard calling, still makes me stop, to look up.

Our soon to open extension to Big Pit had an ecological survey, to determine what species of flora & fauna had re-colonised the area, since coal haulage had finished.

Regards,
Ian.

 

yes i think indeed it does mix!, i remember turning up at church lane one sunday to check the crossing,there was some comotion about from the walk alongside,turned out some rare birds from far away were having the time of there lives with one residents apple tree (cant remember the name of them -just bright orange chests-black wings!), many a time ive popped a pic of the resident robin onto the site,but youre right a few pics more of the local flora and fauna would be a good thing to add to most sites, i notice the wyvern lads have aupdated their site to include some os maps for the stations in reasonable detail too,not a bad idea also for those not local to the area..

as you all say the railway lines have a vast multitude of flora and fauna everywhere irrelevant of what the hand of man wishes to do.

 

I believe the Seaton Tramway runs 'birdspotter' specials at certain times of the year to view the wild life on the river estuary adjacent to the railway.

 

It's good to hear that the rare birds from far away respect Peak Rail's rule book and donned the required hi-viz!!

 

Yes, with care - Wildlife (flora and fauna) and Railways can co-exist.

There are problems and benefits, as with most things.

The Welsh Highland Railway at Pont Creosor is right next to the RSPB hide for the Glaslyn ospreys, and higher up towards the northern end of the line there are some badger gates. The former birds certainly had some interesting effects.....

L'aal Ratty has a job keeping some red squirrel feeders topped up, but spotting them from the train is a harder job....

Domesticated (farm) animals are another matter entirely....good fences make good neighbours, as anyone who has ever had to separate sheep from a railway will no doubt appreciate......

StoneRoad

 

The Ospreys watch the trains go by on the Welsh Highland. On the Ffestiniog and buzzards follow the trains to feed on the small rodents that scatter when a train passes. Also on the FfR there are purpose built bat roosts at Rhiw Goch signal box.

Meic

 

From my days of fighting lineside fires on the Strathspey there tends to be only one winner when heritage railways and nature mix!

 

Yes, there is only one winner there but the fires are a perfect storm situation. I remember for a while in the 90s that there was a bus from Boat of Garten to Loch Garten in a vintage MacBrayne which some tour operators could do or the railway could organise (yes I am part of the "Great Idea Committee").

 

Yes I remember that quite well, it was a good link up. I guess it's the finance, the coach tours probably go direct now from the railway or before travelling. Most coach tours are single trips (Aviemore - Broomhill or Broomhill - Aviemore) rather than returns which gives them the chance to go and do something else with their morning/afternoon.

 

If it was winter, I'd guess the birds described by Kestreleyes were Brambling http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/brambling/index.aspx, which migrate here from Scandinavia during the winter months.

There's a steam link to them as well - according to Wikipedia, they are known as 'Cock o'the North' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brambling).
Would have thought that title would have gone to something a bit more impressive than a finch, but there we go.

Another memory - at the SDR, they'd often have someone from the adjacent petting zoo on the platform with one of their owls, which certainly got the attention of the kids (on the subject of kids, they also have some very friendly goats. Nice to feed them between trains, but, having learned the hard way, I can advise against feeding them when you're wearing white chinos).

 

The Chief of the Clan Gordon is known as Cock o' the North.

Meic

 

There's a perfect synergy that means a mutual benefit can be obtained. Heritage lines are rarely disturbed except by passing trains and can provide good cover for both plant and animal life; access can be easily monitored and if the railway environment can stimulate settlements of wildlife and fauna then it offers a further attraction to the heritage line.

There must be many people ( including children ) who - for various reasons - have rarely seen wildlife except on a TV screen and the chance to view it in natural surroundings from the comfort of a train should surely be encouraged. As noted above visitors to the Strathspey are encouraged to visit the Osprey hides and it surely would be a worthwhile project for many heritage lines to produce a leaflet for visitors encouraging them to look out for specific animals that may be seen during their train journey.

Perhaps a thought to offer discounted travel to members of such bodies as National Trust, Woodland Trust, RSPB, English Heritage et al to encourage them to use trains as a means to an end rather than an end in itself.

 

I just about remember it 'cos I was quite young then. I wonder how many tour operators miss it out. Though in all fairness I wouldn't want to meet a coach out on the Nethy road. I seem to remember most tour companies doing single trips back when I did TTI back in the day.

 

Just outside Northiam station on the K&ESR, you sometimes see Hobbies flying back and forth in front of trains, hunting for the dragonflies which the trains put up from the lineside undergrowth as they pass.

 

Yes wildlife and wild plants do and can thrive on preserved lines.Thats if the scrub and trees are kept cut back.On the Mid Hants you can see buzzards following the trains for rabbits.
In the spring you can see shed loads of wild primroses and cow slips and in the summer oxo eye daisies and orchids if you look.You get adders up there as well and ive seen a black one up there.As well as loads of diffrent butterflies as well.
So yes.They do help the wild life.The wild life need more help than ever these days.With feilds being built on and hedges being ripped out

 

As Ian has mentioned we do have quite a good mix at the Pontypol and Blaenavon. Occasionally we get an owl watching from a tree on the lineside, I've seen it a couple of times in the day. Just further north at Waenavon where we're aiming to get to is home to some Short Eared Owls. There's quite a few wild birds around -

http://www.aligrieve.fotopic.net/p59283156.html

Well actually this one is a bit of a cheat, he'd done a runner from the nearby country fayre and spent the afternoon sat on the wall of the old pway hut just watching the trains go by.

The fields along the lineside are packed with crickets, bees and butterflies in the summer. It's a magical place at times.

 

I remember watching a programme on the BBC about the wildlife along the River Dart.Here is a link to view the programme http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/steamtrains/7324.shtml

 

The Bluebell is teaming with deer (fallow and roe); buzzards are common in a couple of places (especially around Freshfield Bank); jays and occasionally green woodpeckers are often seen around the edges to the woods; there are pied wagtails at every station and on one memorable occasion as dusk fell, we had a barn owl fly parallel to the cab for 50 or 100 yards. Not to mention the bat roost in the new Woodpax building; and plenty of flowers, not just the eponymous bluebells and primroses. At least one driver I know treats the Autumn Tints Obo specials as wildlife cruises, slowing down whenever we see deer etc and pointing them out to the passengers (easier done when there is just a one train service); and the Autumn Tints and Bluebell specials are at least partially promoted on account of the plants on view. So in my book the two mix well.

Tom