YOUNG ENGINEERS – DOWNS LIGHT RAILWAY
John travels to a veteran school railway to hear how pupils are gaining an interest in and enthusiasm for miniature engineering at a young age.
Ispent a very interesting and informative day recently with the young people who maintain and operate the unique 9½-inch gauge Downs Light Railway at the Downs School in Malvern. Operating under the direction of the Downs Light Railway Trust they have embarked on an ambitious new project to raise £200,000 as part of their Centenary Development Program. This will increase youth engagement, practical learning and community involvement on the Downs Railway.
On the day I was there the DLR was being presented with a tremendous donation of £47,650 by Chris Isherwood, managing director of The Helping Hands Company. This is a local firm based in Ledbury which makes charity donations to worthwhile projects. They consider the Downs Light Railway as a suitable recipient because of the line’s youth and community involvement engagement aims.
The initial target for the young Downs members was to raise £2,000 towards the project costs. Whatever sum was reached Helping Hands indicated that they would multiply this total by 40. The target was easily reached and the cheque presented was a down payment on that promise. They have now reached a total of £50,000 giving them more confidence to look at other means of achieving their final target of £200,000.
Award winner
In March this year the Downs Light Railway Trust was declared the winner of the Small Groups category in the annual and widely-renowned Heritage Railway Association Awards – again the award recognised the group’s achievements in youth engagement and was presented to them by Lord Faulkner of Worcester.
This unique railway has a well-documented history starting in 1925 and was described in detail, along with the rare 9½-inch gauge, in the May 2019 issue of EIM.
My visit was to see how the present group of young people are getting their hands dirty and managing the
operations of the railway. Ages of the Downs pupils working on the line range from eight to 16 years and Saturdays are their maintenance and teaching days during which they learn about the operation of the railway and then undertake various jobs needed to keep everything running smoothly.
Under supervision they work through a set of tasks for that day which need carrying out to the standards established for the railway.
It was so interesting to watch the instructor Tim Pennock talking to the young people about the jobs that needed doing and his way of instructing them on the procedures necessary to complete the task.
One of the older members, 16 year-old Sophie, was given the task of re-greasing the wheels on the turntable – this is quite an old heavy structure and has needle bearings in the wheel hubs. Sophie’s task was to remove the wheels, take out the bearings, clean and then re-grease before re-assembly.
Tim gave her the basic instructions and off she went with one of the younger members to sort out what she needed in terms of tools and equipment to do the job.
She used two hydraulic car jacks under the turntable to lift one end off the track – this allowed her to remove the wheels and bearings before taking them to the workshop for cleaning and re-greasing. When one end was completed she moved to the other end and repeated the process.
Talking it through
Thomas, another of the older members had the job of fitting a new fire extinguisher to the line’s petrol hydraulic locomotive. Again basic instructions were given and the installation began.
If guidance was needed or a perceived problem arose, each little group came and talked it through with Tim so that he could understand what the problem was and decide whether the solution that was suggested by the youngsters was the right way to proceed.
The locomotives and stock on this railway are not small, easy-tomanoeuvre items but are solidly built with the corresponding weight limits, even for adults, never mind young people. However, such is the way the teams has been instructed, they carried out their tasks with an enthusiasm which was most impressive. When quite a heavy shower passed through there was no diving for cover, they just pulled up their waterproofs and got on with it.
The line has three steam locomotives and one of these, an 0-4-0 shunter-type with inside wheels and outside cranks needed attention to the crossheads. Henry and his younger assistant Seb were quite happily dismantling the motion work to get at the part to be repaired.
A cloth was laid on the ballast to
put their tools on and to catch any nut or bolt that might drop into the ballast, never to be seen again! With good practice like this, these young people are learning proper techniques and practices.
Yet another small group were working on the track to tighten up some fishplates and check the track gauging which they carried out without any real problems. The railway has a course structure devised with six major elements, personal safety, track theory, locomotive theory, locomotive operation, locomotive servicing and rolling stock servicing. A series of competency tests are undertaken by all the members undertake and they are graded on the results. This enables them to move through the scheme and they are rewarded by being given a coloured neckerchief for each grade to wear as their knowledge increases. They all wear their scarves with pride as it shows to everyone where they are in the learning process.
I would say that most model engineering clubs would never embark on a scheme in which eight-year olds are allowed to drive simple locomotives on their railway, never mind letting them loose with engineering tools. Here at the Downs, however, they almost follow the old railway company procedure of moving through the ‘links’ as their competency increases.
When you meet these young people they are a polite, interesting and knowledgeable group who have really got the ‘railway bug’ and are so keen to learn and absorb knowledge.
Inspiring day
All in all this was a most inspiring day which showed just what can be achieved and will be achieved with young people who are given the correct training and motivation to work in a miniature railway environment.
They are also learning that by using the course structure they are participating in a scheme which will give them both a practical education and real usable skills for later in life, as well as providing the miniature railway with a well-trained and knowledgeable workforce.
I would recommend to anyone who is really interested in this project to obtain a copy of the Downs Light Railway Trust Centenary Development Programme booklet which contains a much wider appraisal of the ambitions and progress of this project.
I would like to thank Tim and all the young people involved during my visit – it was a most enjoyable and uplifting day and long may this programme continue.