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| Yorkshire heritage railway volunteers say preservation is 'vital' | Yorkshire heritage railway volunteers say preservation is 'vital' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Chris Morrill volunteers on the Wensleydale Railway in North Yorkshire, helping to maintain the 22 miles of track | Chris Morrill volunteers on the Wensleydale Railway in North Yorkshire, helping to maintain the 22 miles of track |
| It is a significant weekend for railway enthusiasts across Britain. | It is a significant weekend for railway enthusiasts across Britain. |
| Celebrations are taking place to mark 200 years since "the birth of the modern railway" - the Stockton and Darlington Railway on 27 September 1825. | Celebrations are taking place to mark 200 years since "the birth of the modern railway" - the Stockton and Darlington Railway on 27 September 1825. |
| But for some, this history is celebrated every time they visit their local heritage railway as a volunteer. | But for some, this history is celebrated every time they visit their local heritage railway as a volunteer. |
| However, those working on heritage railways regularly have to overcome challenges, such as sourcing materials, attracting visitors and recruiting volunteers. | However, those working on heritage railways regularly have to overcome challenges, such as sourcing materials, attracting visitors and recruiting volunteers. |
| The Middleton Railway in south Leeds is the world's oldest continuously-running line, established in 1758 with the world's first commercially successful steam locomotives serving the local colliery. | The Middleton Railway in south Leeds is the world's oldest continuously-running line, established in 1758 with the world's first commercially successful steam locomotives serving the local colliery. |
| Nowadays the operation is entirely volunteer-run, and celebrating the role its original engineers played in inspiring George Stephenson's designs. | Nowadays the operation is entirely volunteer-run, and celebrating the role its original engineers played in inspiring George Stephenson's designs. |
| Charles Milner, who chairs the railway's trust, said: "The precedents we set facilitated the construction of the Stockton and Darlington Railway." | Charles Milner, who chairs the railway's trust, said: "The precedents we set facilitated the construction of the Stockton and Darlington Railway." |
| Charles Milner said the Middleton Railway Trust is expanding its museum to "tell the story better" in a bid to entice more visitors | Charles Milner said the Middleton Railway Trust is expanding its museum to "tell the story better" in a bid to entice more visitors |
| The line has no paid staff, and relies on its 70 volunteers and 16 governing council members. | The line has no paid staff, and relies on its 70 volunteers and 16 governing council members. |
| "Without the volunteers, simply we wouldn't be an economic proposition," he said. | "Without the volunteers, simply we wouldn't be an economic proposition," he said. |
| "The finances of almost all heritage railways are fraught in different ways. Because we don't have to pay for any labour, that does give us an advantage." | "The finances of almost all heritage railways are fraught in different ways. Because we don't have to pay for any labour, that does give us an advantage." |
| That advantage is crucial as the trust balances rising fuel costs with visitors being "much more price-conscious than they were pre-Covid". | That advantage is crucial as the trust balances rising fuel costs with visitors being "much more price-conscious than they were pre-Covid". |
| Before the start of the Ukraine war, they paid £120 for a tonne of coal, but now pay £350. | Before the start of the Ukraine war, they paid £120 for a tonne of coal, but now pay £350. |
| "In some cases by making special offers such as 'kids for a quid', that's increased the number of adults travelling on the railway so we're slightly better off than we were before we cut the price of a children's fare." | "In some cases by making special offers such as 'kids for a quid', that's increased the number of adults travelling on the railway so we're slightly better off than we were before we cut the price of a children's fare." |
| He added that they have expanded the on-site museum to "tell the story better". | He added that they have expanded the on-site museum to "tell the story better". |
| "The Middleton Railway is not situated in a well-known tourist area, we don't offer much in the way of scenery on our ride and it's quite a short ride. What we do have is an extraordinary history and in the longer term we want to make more of that history." | "The Middleton Railway is not situated in a well-known tourist area, we don't offer much in the way of scenery on our ride and it's quite a short ride. What we do have is an extraordinary history and in the longer term we want to make more of that history." |
| Nearly 60 years separates Geordie and Steve but they enjoy volunteering together at the Middleton Railway in Leeds | Nearly 60 years separates Geordie and Steve but they enjoy volunteering together at the Middleton Railway in Leeds |
| Steve Roberts, started volunteering in the 1960s, and went on to work on the railways and became an honorary mechanical engineer for the Middleton in 1977. | |
| "In 1962, when I was 12, you either played football or you were interested in the railways. I think 50% of the people my age used to go trainspotting. | "In 1962, when I was 12, you either played football or you were interested in the railways. I think 50% of the people my age used to go trainspotting. |
| "Working on the heritage railway in my position is quite an interesting challenge. | "Working on the heritage railway in my position is quite an interesting challenge. |
| "Every day you come down here, there's a new problem to solve and solving that problem is a lot of the interest for me." | "Every day you come down here, there's a new problem to solve and solving that problem is a lot of the interest for me." |
| But he is conscious that he "can't carry on forever" and enjoys passing on skills to younger generations. | But he is conscious that he "can't carry on forever" and enjoys passing on skills to younger generations. |
| One protege is Geordie Brown, an 18-year-old who joined after visiting the railway. | One protege is Geordie Brown, an 18-year-old who joined after visiting the railway. |
| He now runs, maintains and overhauls locomotives, and has also begun an engineering apprenticeship at Northern's depot in Leeds. | He now runs, maintains and overhauls locomotives, and has also begun an engineering apprenticeship at Northern's depot in Leeds. |
| "It's vital that we keep these skills and items alive because they form a really key part of our past. | "It's vital that we keep these skills and items alive because they form a really key part of our past. |
| "I work on the high-speed electric locomotives and I work on the much smaller steam and diesel locomotives of the past generation here, so I've got my hand in a bit of both, which is lovely." | "I work on the high-speed electric locomotives and I work on the much smaller steam and diesel locomotives of the past generation here, so I've got my hand in a bit of both, which is lovely." |
| Century-old materials | Century-old materials |
| Up in North Yorkshire is the much longer Wensleydale Railway, which covers 22 miles (35km) and was a passenger line until its closure in the 1950s. | Up in North Yorkshire is the much longer Wensleydale Railway, which covers 22 miles (35km) and was a passenger line until its closure in the 1950s. |
| It runs a mix of steam and diesel heritage services aimed at tourists visiting the Dales. | It runs a mix of steam and diesel heritage services aimed at tourists visiting the Dales. |
| Volunteers maintain the track and have to rely on equipment donated by other railways. | Volunteers maintain the track and have to rely on equipment donated by other railways. |
| "We are grounded in the real world as to what we can do," said volunteer Chris Morrill. | "We are grounded in the real world as to what we can do," said volunteer Chris Morrill. |
| Sourcing materials for new projects is based on a "number of relationships" with contacts in the rail industry. | Sourcing materials for new projects is based on a "number of relationships" with contacts in the rail industry. |
| "It's really hard." | "It's really hard." |
| Chris Morrill (right) and the permanent way gang use heritage techniques to maintain the railway | Chris Morrill (right) and the permanent way gang use heritage techniques to maintain the railway |
| Once materials are sourced, transport must be arranged, often at a "significant" cost to the railway. | Once materials are sourced, transport must be arranged, often at a "significant" cost to the railway. |
| "If we are able to get all the material offered to us, it has the capacity to enable us to do roughly 10 years of projects." | "If we are able to get all the material offered to us, it has the capacity to enable us to do roughly 10 years of projects." |
| He said the appeal of the work to volunteers is largely the "hands-on practicality". | He said the appeal of the work to volunteers is largely the "hands-on practicality". |
| "This line is a relic. We do have some materials on the line which are still fit for service but they're over a hundred years old." | "This line is a relic. We do have some materials on the line which are still fit for service but they're over a hundred years old." |
| The team uses traditional skills to maintain the 19th and 20th Century equipment, he added. | The team uses traditional skills to maintain the 19th and 20th Century equipment, he added. |
| "The techniques which laid the foundations for the modern railway are still being used here." | "The techniques which laid the foundations for the modern railway are still being used here." |
| 'Major difficulties' | 'Major difficulties' |
| One line which could not overcome the challenges it faced was the Elsecar Heritage Railway. | One line which could not overcome the challenges it faced was the Elsecar Heritage Railway. |
| A volunteer-led stretch of track was opened in 1996 but closed in 2020 due to "major difficulties" during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Barnsley Council, which owns the site and leased it to its operators as part of the wider Elsecar Heritage Centre attraction. | A volunteer-led stretch of track was opened in 1996 but closed in 2020 due to "major difficulties" during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Barnsley Council, which owns the site and leased it to its operators as part of the wider Elsecar Heritage Centre attraction. |
| It was once a freight route serving the Fitzwilliam family's collieries and ironworks until the collapse of the coal industry in the 1980s. | It was once a freight route serving the Fitzwilliam family's collieries and ironworks until the collapse of the coal industry in the 1980s. |
| Councillor Robin Franklin said "a new vision" to regenerate the site as a rail engineering college had encountered difficulties. | Councillor Robin Franklin said "a new vision" to regenerate the site as a rail engineering college had encountered difficulties. |
| In a statement, he said: "This ambitious vision was designed to suit the funding schemes available at the time through the last government. | In a statement, he said: "This ambitious vision was designed to suit the funding schemes available at the time through the last government. |
| "Unfortunately we did not secure the multi-million pound investment required to deliver this vision." | "Unfortunately we did not secure the multi-million pound investment required to deliver this vision." |
| While plans for a new Elsecar Heritage Railway failed, a visitor centre was recently opened by Barnsley Council | While plans for a new Elsecar Heritage Railway failed, a visitor centre was recently opened by Barnsley Council |
| Franklin said the plans would be revisited "in the coming months as part of a master planning exercise for the whole site". | Franklin said the plans would be revisited "in the coming months as part of a master planning exercise for the whole site". |
| He added: "We are however pleased to have secured £3.2m of Cultural Development Fund investment which is improving and reopening buildings across the Elsecar Heritage Centre site, including the recently opened new visitor centre." | He added: "We are however pleased to have secured £3.2m of Cultural Development Fund investment which is improving and reopening buildings across the Elsecar Heritage Centre site, including the recently opened new visitor centre." |
| Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. | Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. |