RENEWING TALYLLYN’S PIONEERING SPIRIT
Has the Talyllyn become “a bit passé?” Preservation Society Chairman IAN DRUMMOND reveals that the railway is about to reinvent itself as a dynamic, forward-thinking organisation.
On May 14 this year, a ceremony was held at Tywyn Wharf station to mark the 66th anniversary of the running of the first train on a preserved railway anywhere in the world. At 66, most people are looking forward to enjoying retirement, but not the Talyllyn. For us, the challenge is to keep alive that pioneering spirit which drove Tom Rolt, Bill Trinder and others to save this wonderful railway from oblivion. But in truth, and up until recently, the Talyllyn has been viewed by many enthusiasts as a bit passé. People are grateful for the start it gave the railway preservation movement, but now there are other railways which are viewed as more dynamic and innovative. Well here is the news; we are out to change that. Certainly, we provide an enjoyable experience for our passengers. Take a look at our TripAdvisor ratings, where 95% of visitors have rated us at either 4 or 5 stars, and 82% of those give us the top rating. The travelling public clearly enjoy what we offer, and this is a testament to the work our staff and volunteers put in. In recent years, however, there have been commercial challenges. The floods of 2012 hit passenger numbers hard, and they have taken time to recover.
PUBLIC IMAGE
Now things have changed, in terms of how we are perceived by enthusiasts and how we market ourselves to the public. Our 150th anniversary events put the railway firmly back on the enthusiast map; the big reveal of the repainted Talyllyn and Dolgoch on Christmas Day 2014 attracted a particularly high level of interest. Running seven galas over 15 months was a real achievement, and speaks of the commitment shown by our volunteers and staff. The galas included some unique locomotive line-ups, which I don’t think anyone ever thought they would see on the Talyllyn. These got us a lot of attention among enthusiasts and contributed to the growth of the Preservation Society, which recently reached record membership. There has also been a revolution in the way we approach our marketing. Our Facebook page has now reached over 30,000 likes and, with other social media, has brought us a considerable online presence. This is being combined
THERE IS A THIRST TO DO SOME NEW THINGS AND TO REGAIN THAT PIONEERING SPIRIT
with the gradual introduction of online ticketing. We have also sharpened our marketing in other ways: last year we appointed our first staff member to have this as their primary focus. We have also increased the number of trains we run to offer passengers greater flexibility. This, combined with the arrival of Tracey Parkinson as general manager, with her marketing background, has led to a significant upturn in our passenger numbers in the last 12 months. Our relationships with the various tourist boards have also been developed, as have those with our fellow preserved railways in the area.
PULLING TOGETHER
The Great Little Trains of Wales marketing panel was a revolution when it was introduced over 40 years ago. It is a testimony to the work of the late David Woodhouse OBE, who helped the railways to realise that we complement each other, rather than compete. Now though, this concept is being taken further. We are realising we can do more together than in isolation, not only in marketing but also in sharing resources and in representing the needs of the preserved railway sector in Wales. This development was recently recognised by the Heritage Railway Association, when it presented the Steam Railway Award to the organisation in 2016. This is where the Talyllyn is today, but what about where we are going? Currently we are thinking about our future vision. This has already produced some exciting ideas and many members have contributed to this. What is clear is that there is a thirst to do some new things and to regain that pioneering spirit. Don’t be surprised if you start hearing about some proposed new developments. There are other opportunities, too. Our involvement in Gwynedd Council’s bid for World Heritage status for the North Wales slate industry has enormous potential, and has come just at the time when we have been reminded of our own history and heritage through the 150th celebrations. This will hopefully lead to some significant preservation-related projects in the near future. This process is also likely to involve a little soul searching. The Talyllyn is a complex interwoven organisation with three legal entities: the Talyllyn Railway Company, set up by the Act of 1865; Talyllyn Holdings Ltd, which is the registered charity that holds shares in the company; and the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society, overseen by the society’s council. The latter elects the majority of the directors to both the railway and holdings companies. In addition, there are several committees and working bodies. We need to ensure that our structures serve our future vision, rather than the other way round.
CHALLENGES
There are still many other challenges, not least the current task of finding a new general manager to replace Tracey, as she leaves us for the East Lancs Railway, and not so long after Chris Price went to the North Yorkshire Moors. Obviously this is disappointing, but the fact that they are in so much demand is an indication of the calibre of people we hire. However, whoever comes into the role can rest assured of our ambition to once again be the ‘Preservation Pioneers’, embarking on another ‘Railway Adventure’.