What *would* attract you/your family to visit a heritage railway?

Man’s gotta eat somewhere…

 

I can see where 61624 is coming from but after covid and then having had the economic shock of inflation and costings, the core activities are what people are after. 61624 seems to be highlighting all the extra bonuses and add-ons as needed to draw in customers rather than the basic and core activities being done well, often and reliably. You need to crawl again and set up slowly, rather than turn everything back on and expect people to just come.

 

No-one yet seems to have highlighted the need to address two different issues: enticing new visitors and enticing repeat visitors. Even if a family enjoy their visit, finding whatever features they happen to want, and nothing to complain about, will their next day out be back at the same railway, at a different railway, or at a different kind of tourist attraction?

I do drive and have visited several railways by car, but all but one were when I was already in the area with my car for some other reason. I have also visited several by public transport and several as part of main-line railtours. My only visit to the Swanage Railway was when West Coast were running the connecting trains from Wareham.

 

I do get asked occasionally which port my fish comes from and very occasionally if I got up to Billingsgate to collect it but that's about it.

 

I think we all have our different priorities, depending on some cases whether we visit on our own or are accompanied by spouse and/or children.

I normally tend to visit heritage lines on my own, I like to make a full day of it by combining a ride on the line with some photography from suitable publicly accessible lineside vantage points.

Another important factor is that one's expectations need to be set at different levels for different lines. Some railways started accumulating locos and pre-nationalisation carriages direct from BR in the 1960s. Others have had to make do with Barry wrecks and Mark 1s. To their credit, a number of lines which came on the scene in the 1970s or later have done wonderful jobs with pre-nationalisation departmental coaches and recovered coach bodies My preference is always for older stock if possible but the dominance of Mk 1s has never put me off visiting, say the Spa Valley or the GWSR.

As for locos, apart from saying I definitely want steam, I should add that it's great to ride behind an engine which is part of the said line's history (e.g. W24 on the IOWSR, 30053 at Swanage, 80151 on the Bluebell) but sometimes an unusual, geographically inappropriate loco can be quite a draw for no logical reason. For example, I'm keeping a keen eye on the Bluebell's loco roster to fit in a travel-behind-and-photo afternoon with 6989. I don't mind industrial locos on an appropriate line (Sittingbourne & Kemsley, for example and I gather Foxfield is quite a spectacle although I've never been there) but wouldn't pay a visit to an ex-BR line just for an industrial loco and I wouldn't even get out of bed for an S160. I therefore greatly appreciate lines publishing their loco rosters.

Others have also mentioned friendly volunteers. I'd agree (and as an occasional volunteer at the Spa Valley, I try to be friendly myself when I'm on duty!) I also love the atmosphere of a well-restored period station especially between trains when it is quiet. Scenery and gradients also make for a good day out. A chance to look round the loco shed is a bonus but if that isn't possible, it's not a show stopper.

I mentioned that besides the ride and soaking up the atmosphere on the stations, I like to take a picture or two and here I must say I'm rather fussy. I like the pictures I take to look as near as realistically possible to the period before 1968, (apart from the grime of the final years). My pet hatred is headboards. Apart from the GCR ("Master Cutler") and GWSR ("Cornishman") very few of our heritage lines ever boasted named services before 1968. They are therefore totally unauthentic and I fail to see why any lines bother to make them, particularly if the headboard is merely the name of the line in question. To quote one example - the Swanage Railway decided to call some of its trains "The Royal Wessex" last year and advertised it as an "enthusiast event". Yes, a couple of Mk 1 carriages of the original Royal Wessex did run down the Swanage Branch but they were worked by an M7 tank and didn't have a headboard. The Swanage Railway's offering was focussed on their newly restored Maunsell stock and was hauled by a Bulleid, complete with headboard. Well, this was enough to deter this particular enthusiast from paying a visit. It may sound pedantic but if I'm going to make a 260-mile return trip, I want value for money.

I mentioned that I normally travel on my own. However, my wife and I have enjoyed some first rate on-train catering together and living in Sussex, we're very privileged to have both the Kent & East Sussex and the Bluebell less than an hour's drive away. The food in both of their pullman trains is really superb. I could happily come back over and over again for such a treat - if only I had the money!

 

My observation is that most people in the general population are not even aware that steam railways exist or if they vaguely know that they do they wouldn’t be able to say which one was closest.

So they have no real awareness even that visiting such a railway is even a thing, much less what they can experience when they get there.

Some years ago a survey found that 70% or more of visitors to the MHR had been before. They were very satisfied with their visit too. However, when you factor in that most lived within 45mins and then deaths and movement to other areas, 30% new custom isn’t enough to do more than hold passenger numbers levelish.

So I think there is a need to have more stuff to do to encourage people to return, but we need also to think hard about how we reach the population that wouldn’t normally notice the railway. Steam Illuminations has been very good for that, but it isn’t enough on its own.

 

There's always the Blue Lagoon, though be careful what you catch in there.



Looks better now though!



I think the basics have been pretty much covered on here what we look for in a day out. A decent timetable is a must - I don't mind if it's a one train service, but if there's not long enough to get lunch somewhere without ending up with a very long wait afterwards for the next train then it's a no. And a reasonable hot menu that can be served quickly.

At the moment the Nene Valley works well for us. About an hour's drive away, timetable suits (full round trip then a couple of hours at Ferry Meadows country park), TPO museum, workshops, little playground, decent cafe, not too early a start or late finish. Toilets are usually pretty good too.

The Bluebell is of interest to the wife as well but the timetable needs to work better for us. We'd come by train, nice and easy with only one change en route, but a lot of the time it starts too late from East Grinstead for a decent day out, though I fully understand why. We don't want to spend more time getting there than actually at the railway! During the summer it might be possible for a visit with more services running.

 

I don't believe that I was arguing the opposite. By defining activities as "core" implies to perhaps all but the most obtuse that they should be done well - they are the most basic of visitor's expectations. Done badly they can represent a major issue, and perhaps an aborted visit on a difficult day for the railway's operations may have distorted your view, but I think we should start from the standpoint that they will be expected to be done well, to the point that they normally become a background issue. It is what is done on top of the background facilities that should determine the success of the venue. In the NYMR's case, as you used it as an example, it is unique among heritage railways in that its operations to Whitby can be affected by issues on Network Rail that take place beyond Grosmont, or by necessary fire precautions. But it is on these occasions that having more in the way of "sideshows" can be vital, providing a source of entertainment whilst waiting for delayed services, as well as providing a more substantive destination than "just a train ride"

 

I'm labelled an 'enthusiast' which I guess accurately accounts for my enjoyment of heritage railways. I've enjoyed watching how HRs have evolved since the start-up days where mostly all you got were enthusiast and hobbyists. I guess therefore the question from our OP isn't really aimed at those like me? I like to view the stock and see latest progression on current restorations and overhauls. This isn't now possible at some railways who have naturally had to adapt to a different audience.

I asked my wife the question though as she's not an enthusiast as such but can enjoy the odd visit, mainly on gala events these days. Three points came back.

Selection of food available - that hasn't run out by midday . (I won't mention any railways specifically other than to say that the food offering at the more popular HRs varies greatly and there's lots of lost opportunity at some to increase income.)
She tends to find it irritating where some more-excitable or opinionated 'enthusiasts' insist of communicating loudly with everyone sharing their space which then invades the space we occupy - (I'm not sure how that would ever change though! )
Toilets - again a huge variation in cleanliness to be found at different HRs

 

A question – have any railways experimented with, or have good / bad experiences with, their local food truck or pop-up food businesses?

Many places you can’t move up for a roving coffee barista in the back of a Citroen, or a pizza oven in a transit etc.…

Obviously there’s a balance to be struck and a risk of undermining the heritage vibe. But recognising that visitors have a need (food and drink) that heritage railways frequently struggle to meet, providing (paid for) pitches to local businesses might be a worthwhile compromise for some.

Simon

 

It amazes me how some railways completely fail to get the basics right, such as no baby changing facilities. Hardly encouraging of families and more indicative of enthusiasts more concerned with locomotive liveries as opposed to getting the visitor basics right. Quite frankly, some heritage railways deserve to close.

 

Accuracy does count to an extent for me, I would also put myself in the enthusiast type visitor, but with family who aren't necessarily.

The thrust of the thread was to see if there is any consensus on things that attract folk particularly to part with their money for a day out.

The rationale behind it was a discussion with my wife regarding 1- a visit to the KWVR earlier this year, and 2- discussing visiting the GCR gala, and deciding against it on a number of grounds.

If heritage (or whatever term you want to use.......) railways are to survive, and hopefully thrive, they need to attract people for a full day, and the incidental spend.

Theres definitely some themes appearing with multiple mentions.

1- Good quality & value catering options

2- Decent toilets

3- Practical timetabling

4- A reasonable level of historical authenticity

5- Activities/attractions supplementary to riding only on the trains.

Chris

 

or put them in the ladies. Disabled sometimes but that's a bit more moot. Personally as a male with young children who sometimes is accompanied by toddlers as the price of being allowed out to play trains, I'd quite like baby changing facilities where I don't have to knock on the door and look/sound apologetic.

 

The South Devon gets repeat business from us (annual summer holiday) because:

• clean and tidy
• beautiful scenery
• decent food
• interesting museum
• cheerful/friendly staff
• the butterflies/otters/rare breeds farm at either end

 

And hopefully making a profit, the most important point...

 

well, there is that too!

 

I'll probably get shot for going off message here as a member but personally we've never managed to do all of it in a day. The combined ticket is good value, but assuming you're starting from Buckfastleigh we typically do the butterflies and otters, then the train, then it's time to move on (or the train - rare breeds - train) -especially when you also build in lunch at the cafe in Buckfastleigh, the museum and a mooch round the enormous and excellent model railway shop. Small people with short attention spans mean three things (I'm counting the butterflies and otters as one as it's the same site/entrance/ticket office) is a bit too much for us.

But however you do it, it's a great day out and really a highlight of the week for us - we tend to do it on the first day. Leave spectacularly early to be over the Avonmouth bridge before rush hour, then have a day at the SDR before moving on to our accommodation (Salcombe, every year) in time for being allowed access to it - typically 4-5 pm.

 

This extra point from me, has already been touched upon, and I would like to make more of it.

Most railways will, at some point, have a failure or other operational incident that throws a significant spanner into the mix.
When that happens, please keep people informed as to what's happened & progress towards the solution ...

Personally, I hate being deliberately kept in the dark or wilfully mis-informed.
I don't want excessive detail, though !