If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Open or Closed during Emergency?

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by gwilialan, Mar 13, 2020.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Davo

    Davo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2018
    Messages:
    1,523
    Likes Received:
    634
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    W yorkshire 56f
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I take it then the kirklees light railway is not opening as planned this w,end after bosos announcment can anyone clarify this on nat pres please if true.
     
  2. bluetrain

    bluetrain Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2019
    Messages:
    1,326
    Likes Received:
    1,460
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Wiltshire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2020
  3. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2006
    Messages:
    8,034
    Likes Received:
    7,608
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Train Maintainer for GTR at Hornsey
    Location:
    Letchworth
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
  4. Ken_R

    Ken_R Member

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2011
    Messages:
    309
    Likes Received:
    177
    Evesham Light Railway also closed.
     
  5. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2007
    Messages:
    919
    Likes Received:
    1,024
    The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway has suspended its service and like every other heritage railway we await developments. It is a great shame as we were preparing for what promised to be an excellent season; takings at the Multiple Memories event were well up on the previous year. Now we face a very difficult time. The railway has issued the following appeal, which I am glad to say is already producing a response:


    Victory over the virus

    donate to help keep the wheels turning on derbyshire's longest heritage railway


    Wirksworth, 20th March 2020

    The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is fast tracking its appeal for help fight the financial shock the COVID-19 Virus has caused to its operation.

    Current Government guidelines have forced the railway to cancel its trains for the next few weeks with a resulting dramatic loss of income.

    The railway is one of Derbyshire's treasures, providing a wonderful link to county's heritage. Maintenance of the engines, tracks and structures must continue during this emergency period and the railway is asking for members of the public to donate whatever they can to ensure its survival and a Victory over the Virus.

    To help the railway beat the virus please click on the link below. We extend our eternal gratitude for your support at this difficult time.

    https://www.e-v-r.com/victory/

    The Directors, Staff and Volunteers, Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
     
  6. lostlogin

    lostlogin Member

    Joined:
    Jul 9, 2007
    Messages:
    428
    Likes Received:
    205
    I doubt the SVR were the first to start an appeal and will certainly not be the last.
    This is the Talyllyn's just giving page https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/talyllyn-appeal2020
    Fairbourne's is here http://www.fairbournerailway.com/

    I could go on.

    I was really worried about the future of some railways before the Chancellor's announcement this evening. Now if a good portion of the permanent's staff wages can be covered by the Government I am much more optimistic.
     
    MattA, Jamessquared and echap like this.
  7. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,105
    Likes Received:
    57,434
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I think the announcement definitely helps stave off the immediate crisis, though I am sure there is devil in the detail.

    Many railways though run a surplus through the season, building up reserves that last them through the close period. So even on an optimistic reading, railways may only have a much shorter season in order to build up the reserves they need. The other point is that materials may not be affordable, so conceivably you could have overhauls and maintenance stalled for want of materials even if paid staff wages are mostly covered.

    So the announcement is definitely welcome, but we are not out of the woods yet. We will all need to dig deep for our favourite railway if we want to enjoy the hobby next year. How many volunteers can think right now - "do you know what, I would have spent £100 per month on travelling, so I'll put that in instead?"; or when services return, how many members eligible for privilege tickets might feel that instead they should just pay full whack? We are all going to have to do our bit.

    Tom
     
    TseTT, Romsey, Swan Age and 6 others like this.
  8. 46223

    46223 Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2011
    Messages:
    6,376
    Likes Received:
    5,750
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Lancs
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
  9. gwilialan

    gwilialan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2012
    Messages:
    1,658
    Likes Received:
    3,891
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Out there somewhere
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    OK Folks, as has been said above I think it's fair to assume that everything is now closed and so I'll just say thanks to you all for helping me put this together (even though it's not the nicest of threads) and then tidy up the first post to "Heritage railways closed UFN"? tomorrow (Saturday) morning and call it a day at that.

    OH, Just one more thing... Anyone going to volunteer to start listing the sites once they start announcing their opening dates...? Thought not...:D:D:D
    :Morewaitingisrequired: Self isolation? :Arewealone: No trains? :Hissyfit: for how long? :Saywhat: Oh well :Caffeinefix: :Googleit:

    Alan
     
    MattA likes this.
  10. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    "The government will pay the wages of employees *unable to work*"

    "It is understood that the wage subsidy will apply to firms where bosses have already had to lay off workers due to the coronavirus, as long as they are brought back into the workforce and instead granted a leave of absence" - BBC

    Patrick
     
  11. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2006
    Messages:
    11,930
    Likes Received:
    10,088
    Occupation:
    Gentleman of leisure, nowadays
    Location:
    Near Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    You started it so it's only fair that you be allowed to finish it and no one else take the glory.:) If you'd made a bad job of it, that would be a different matter......
     
    mdewell likes this.
  12. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,105
    Likes Received:
    57,434
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    That was my worry when I read the report later, but the words used in the press conference were considerably wider in scope than that. As written, it would seem to give a perverse incentive to lay people off, which is surely not the intent. (I understand you have got to find some means of choosing who is eligible: some companies will not be particularly affected by this and you wouldn’t wish to be subsidising them because the instrument is too broad in scope).

    Tom
     
    26D_M likes this.
  13. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    The promise wider than the delivery you mean? ;-) Let's wait for the detail, we only have reports

    Yes, my first thought was the possibility of peverse outcomes. I won't speculate how heritage railways might apply it, there are people's livelihoods involved.

    Patrick
     
    Jamessquared likes this.
  14. talerddig14

    talerddig14 New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2014
    Messages:
    30
    Likes Received:
    12
    Gender:
    Male
    Believe me, when the railways are ready to reopen - we'll all be singing it from the rooftops :)
     
  15. weltrol

    weltrol Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2008
    Messages:
    2,784
    Likes Received:
    658
    With all the enforced closures, will the Boiler insurance companies 'suspend' boiler tickets for the duration of the crisis? Seems pointless having locomotives being fully ticketed but unusable in the short term, so why not put them as 'stored serviceable' and help the railways in their hour of need...?
     
  16. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2015
    Messages:
    9,186
    Likes Received:
    7,226
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Thorn in my managers side
    Location:
    72
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I have know knowlege of this sort of thing but presumably the boilers will need to be 'laid up' properly before such an action can be considered.

    Certainly from my mis-spent youth on the Isle of Man Steam Packet they would blow boilers down at the end of the season and put a dessicant in them, but those were marine water tube not loco boilers
     
  17. Flying Phil

    Flying Phil Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2018
    Messages:
    2,696
    Likes Received:
    5,503
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Leicestershire
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Well done on keeping this thread collated!...and, as you have done such a good job, it would be good if you could.....:rolleyes:
     
  18. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,105
    Likes Received:
    57,434
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    From the Bluebell Railway Facebook page:

    Following the news yesterday, a number of people have been in touch to ask how they can make a donation to Bluebell Railway while our services are suspended.

    Coming after the early part of the year when trains are not running, our finances are already at their lowest ebb. We are therefore appealing for donations to help keep the essential services of the railway running at a time when, unexpectedly, we have no income. We have many ongoing costs and expenses which do not stop when we're not running trains.

    If you would like to support us by making a donation, please see our page here: http://ow.ly/pNnH50yRRNj
     
  19. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2006
    Messages:
    11,930
    Likes Received:
    10,088
    Occupation:
    Gentleman of leisure, nowadays
    Location:
    Near Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Unlikely. boilers can deteriorate just as quickly when not in service. Storing a boiler so that deterioration is minimised is quite a complex job and pretty impossible with things like boiler tubes.
     
    26D_M likes this.
  20. Monkey Magic

    Monkey Magic Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2018
    Messages:
    3,498
    Likes Received:
    6,845
    Location:
    Here, there, everywhere
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I wonder about the smaller producers who are maybe self employed and the freelancers/consultants who I am not sure are covered.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page