Don’t let them call time on our spring
Iwas delighted to be able to attend the recent ‘Obby ‘Oss celebrations at Padstow, returning after a threeyear absence due to the pandemic. This festival, usually held on May 1 or the Monday immediately afterwards, is one of Britain’s great folk traditions, an ancient custom which heralds the advent of spring in all of its multi-coloured glory.
However, I had already been enamoured by the many delights of spring which that are in blossom throughout the heritage railway sector.
Superb early-season weather has made for some truly spectacular spring galas, as we report this issue. Then we see the fruits of the labours of the tireless army of volunteers who have worked tirelessly when conditions permitted during the days of lockdown.
I was particularly delighted to learn about Lancashire & Yorkshire ’Pug’ 0-4-0ST No.19 which has run again after an absence of 52 years, and the resteaming of the boiler of BR 2MT No. 46464 at the Strathspey Railway after 43 years.
Who would not have been enthralled by the sight of A4 No. 4488 Sir Nigel Gresley hauling an LNER teak set of coaches on the Severn Valley? Then there are the hugely-commendable efforts of Exmoor Associates, a group which is in the process of acquiring three strategic sections of original Lynton & Barnstaple Railway trackbed as a pivotal step forward to realising a long-held North Devon dream.
However, much is going on behind the scenes to tackle the appropriately-shaded big black cloud on our horizon – the worsening threat to our coal supplies.
We will argue with much justification that the carbon emissions from steam locomotives are so miniscule that an exception must be made for the sake of our heritage. However, far from bemoaning the situation, several heritage lines have been proactively conducting trials of alternative and sustainable fuels.
As far as the general public is concerned, steam traction remains the predominant image and appeal of our sector: lose it and the days for many venues are likely to be numbered.
That would be a disaster for those venues and the localities where the steam railway is the main visitor attraction; drawing in tourists who spend money in local shops, pubs, restaurants and accommodation, supporting countless jobs of workers well outside the railway sphere.
I cannot but applaud the Welsh Government for its willingness to meet with the Heritage Railway Association and discuss what can be done to address the coal dilemma. Ironically, it was in South Wales where Richard Trevithick gave, in 1804, the first public demonstration of a railway locomotive. And it was where, in 1951, the volunteer-led revival movement began with the green shoots of the Talyllyn Railway, which has earned the HRA’s Peter Manisty Award for 70 years of excellence.
I hope and pray that such talks bear fruit, even if they lead merely to a breathing space of a few years under stringent conditions until such time as the alternatives are available and affordable.
When it comes to the emissions that impact on climate change, figures show that heritage steam in all of its manifestations is nowhere near the bottom of the list – it is not even on the list!