BODMIN & WENFORD RAILWAY

CHRIS HATTON, manager of the Bodmin & Wenford Railway, considers one of the biggest issues threatening preservation.

Chris Hatton tackles the issue of recruiting younger volunteers

Like most other preserved lines, there has long been a concern at the Bodmin & Wenford Railway (BWR) that the majority of our skilled staff and volunteers are past the half-century mark, with widely expressed anxiety along the lines of: “who’s going to run this railway when we’re all gone?” Understandably, it is very difficult to motivate people to give their time and skills to a project when they fear that the legacy of their hard work may have a questionable future. But I’m pleased to say that we are turning the tide at the BWR, and I believe that the future is looking brighter than many have believed.

OPPORTUNITY

I was lucky enough to become the BWR Railway Manager at the end of last year, at the age of 32. Ten years as a Chartered Civil Engineer in the water industry had given me a sound education in managing risks, juggling budgets and undertaking complex construction projects, so when a vacancy arose at the BWR (where I had been a volunteer for around five years) I was unable to resist the opportunity to put those skills to use within the preservation sector. One of the main attractions of working in our industry is the opportunity to work with volunteers. They are the lifeblood of what we do and very few railways could survive without the significant contribution they make. Steam-era railway equipment largely comes from a time when labour was financially inexpensive, in stark contrast to today, so lots of skilled people are needed to make it all work. While the high number of volunteers required does bring some challenges, the benefits far outweigh these. There are few experiences that are more rewarding than working with people who have chosen to take a day out of their lives to come and do something useful for the benefit of our railway, purely for the enjoyment of doing so. We have a small team of around six paid operational staff at the BWR, each with a particular role, including providing guidance and leadership for the railway’s various different teams and departments. As well as being Railway Manager, I enjoy supervising most of our permanent way gang’s work. It is a privilege to work with volunteers from a hugely diverse range of backgrounds, and I never tire of hearing about their life experiences and their outlook on the world. I will never forget one particular encounter on a cold damp winter ‘track bash’, when a volunteer and I were up to our eyeballs in muddy ballast putting fishplates back on. It had been a long day changing sleepers and he had been working very hard - in fact it was the end of a long week and I had spent much of the day trying to keep up with him. I knew he was retired and wondered where he got his energy from. “So,” I said, “what did you do before you came here - something that involved hard physical work I expect?” “Biomedical Scientist,” came the unexpected reply. I’m not sure that I knew such a branch of science existed before that conversation in a damp Cornish cutting, but I feel richer for having had my knowledge broadened.

TRUE RAILWAYMAN

Since joining the BWR, I have been extremely heartened by the steady increase in the number of young people engaging with the railway. Young people seem to come here from a variety of backgrounds. My own railway interest stems from the passion of my father, who spent 40 years working for BR/NR and, ultimately, became one of the country’s leading experts on the design of railway track. We have a number of young recruits with similar railway family backgrounds, but an equal number come to us with no experience of railways and simply have a passion for heavy engineering, living history or working hard to keep something magical alive. Some of our recent volunteer recruits have rapidly developed into skilled railwaymen and women, and the professionalism and engagement of some of our younger staff and volunteers is remarkable, and a great motivator to existing staff and volunteers. I feel confident that, in years to come, we will continue to see more young recruits. The perception of railways and steam trains as a hobby has changed dramatically in recent years. When I was at school, being interested in trains marked you out as someone decidedly unusual and outdated. Preserved railways were not the professional, smartly marketed and enticing businesses that they are now. It was a hobby for dads and granddads, not for the young. However, time has moved on and railways generally are on the up. Much of the negative stigma around having an interest in railways has now passed, which allows young people to be interested in, and volunteer at, preserved railways more easily. The challenge for us is to reach out to these potential volunteers. We need to show them what we have to offer, and let a little bit of steam seep into their blood and start to form its magical bond. It goes without saying that we also have to make our railways an engaging, enjoyable and safe place for young people to volunteer their time. Part of this battle is keeping abreast of how young people communicate and share information. I spend quite a bit of my time communicating with people on social media, tapping away at my phone to arrange trainee signalman turns or sorting out who is going to drive the coal loader. I suspect some of our staff and lots of our passengers think I am busy doing anything other than railway work, sat on the platform bench glued to my little screen - but increasingly I communicate with people across the age spectrum through social media. I can also share photos, videos and information about what is happening at the railway with our staff, volunteers and the public, so they can remain engaged with the railway even when they are not actually on site.

YOUNG AND KEEN

A great example of the drive and enthusiasm of the younger generation is the planning of the forthcoming visit of ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado to the BWR at the beginning of June. The sevenperson planning team for this event has an average age of 32, but a wealth of relevant skills and experience. We are confident that we will be able to put on a very high-quality event to showcase both this unique locomotive and the BWR. This is clearly, a step away from our normal business of running a 1950s branch line but, in itself, is invigorating for the railway’s staff and volunteers and there is an immense determination to make the visit of Tornado a success. Tickets have been selling well, and we are looking forward to being able to give all our visitors a truly memorable experience. We may even inspire some more volunteers…