FIGHTING THE VANDALS
How railways are tackling vandalism and keeping their stock safe
Several railways have been affected in recent years by high-profile vandal attacks, which cost the preservation industry many thousands of pounds. Preserved railway volunteer NICOLA FOX asks what the causes and cures might be, and whether it is a worsening problem.
Vandalism on the preservation scene has been a problem for many years and, sadly, is not uncommon. Yet in the past 12 months there seems to have been a spike in high-profile (and often high-cost) attacks of vandalism. The wanton damage caused to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s rake of Gresley carriages last summer made national news, reflective of the teaks’ small screen fame through Downton Abbey. Similar carriages on the Severn Valley Railway were the recipients of unwanted repaints over the Christmas period, which required 465 hours of labour to reverse and delayed several other projects. The East Lancashire Railway was also facing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage after its 30th anniversary celebrations were marred by extensive vandalism to both its locomotives and rolling stock. Didcot and the Churnet Valley have also recently been visited by graffiti ‘artists’. And it’s not just the big hitters that are targeted. The Telford Steam Railway, Swindon & Cricklade Railway and Foxfield Railway have also reported vandalism in the last 12 months. Statistics show a 10% rise in vandalism on cars on a national scale – is this a rising trend that will also affect our steam railways? And if so, what can be done about it? The vandalism seems predominantly confined to standard gauge lines. Most narrow gauge lines we spoke to reported little or negligible vandalism in recent years. Unsurprisingly, this is because the narrow gauge railways – by virtue of their engines and carriages being smaller – can safely lock away their fleet and rolling stock for the night, keeping them out of harm’s way. Sadly, stations, permanent way and railway attractions cannot be so easily protected, even on smaller lines, as the miniature gauge Echills Wood Railway found out to its cost in late summer 2016 and spring 2017 when a section of their line was ripped up and their gnome village ‘massacred’ by vandals. Echills Wood is located in Kingsbury Water Park and can be easily accessed by the public, so location is likely to be a key factor here, something that cannot realistically be changed. The lines for which the problem seems to be increasing are those based in or close to urban areas. For these, however, there are several preventative solutions.
SURVEILLANCE
According to Leighton Buzzard Railway Chairman Terry Bendall, the Bedfordshire line used to suffer from “a great deal of vandalism” in years gone by, again owing to its largely urban location. Off the back of these incidents, they opted to install an alarm system to protect the buildings and a 24-hour monitored CCTV system to cover the more remote areas. Since making these upgrades the attempts at vandalism on the line have been greatly reduced. Commenting on the spate of vandalism that has recently affected standard gauge lines, Mr Bendall says: “It is difficult to protect some sites, [however] our alarm system and CCTV has certainly paid off. Since this system was installed there have been very few attempted break-ins or vandalism.” Several of the narrow gauge lines we spoke to had CCTV installed and the majority of these lines reported zero – or negligible amounts of – destruction. While the outlay for CCTV might seem an unacceptable cost, the amount of volunteer hours saved in removing graffiti, repairing damage to vehicles and the advantage of insurance premiums being lowered are all things to be seen as a positive when considering this deterrent. Even if the location of the line makes installing CCTV difficult, another alternative is motion-activated standalone cameras, an option the Echills Wood Railway chose in order to protect their permanent way… and resident gnomes.
CHANGING ATTITUDES
The majority of the attacks occur in April, May or the summer months, with a few notable cases occurring during the Christmas season. The common factor for all these dates being school holidays. In most cases, evidence shows that the acts are carried out by bored youngsters who seem to have nothing better to do with their time. One narrow gauge line reported very little vandalism, but acknowledged that children do enjoy throwing stones (often ballast) at the passing trains and this appears to be a common pastime in the school holidays. Here we are addressing a problem that has been ongoing for years, starting well before the preservation era: the devil makes work for idle hands. The urban location of the East Lancashire Railway makes it a likely target for this sort of vandalism. General Manager Tracey Parkinson describes their chosen method of dealing with the problem as a zero tolerance policy: “We’re on a crusade to record trespass/vandalism and get it reported.” The ELR works with the police to show would-be vandals that they won’t take damage to their line or rolling stock lightly. Additionally, she says, the ELR wants to change the way that it engages with teenagers in the local area, with plans afoot to offer various ways for youngsters to be involved with the railway and to see it as something they can be part of. Tracey acknowledges that this won’t be a quick fix solution, but once in place, these changes could have positive long-term effects. The ELR might be on to something with this line of thinking; the Concise Oxford Dictionary lists the definition of vandalism as: “Wilful or ignorant destruction of works of art or other property”, with the key word being ‘ignorant’. If children and teenagers are engaged by their local railway then that ignorance stands a chance of being turned into enlightenment, and they are likely to learn to appreciate and have a greater respect for the line and its assets. Too often, criticism is levelled generically at ‘the youth of today’, but this rhetoric has been spouted for generations; the only way to change the attitudes and actions of these bored (and often underprivileged) youngsters is to engage with them. And who knows? They may even learn a skill. Nevertheless, there will always be those who persist in mindless acts of vandalism, but if the general tide of opinion is turned against them, then there is the possibility that their acts will gain them less (rather than more) credibility in the eyes of their peers. And peer pressure can be a powerful thing.
One line that hopes community engagement will help reduce their vandalism problem is the Swindon & Cricklade Railway, whose ‘Thumper’ unit was burned out in May 2016. Adrian Thompson, the publicity manager for the S&CR, told Steam Railway: “We’re being slowly swamped by housing estates, which is causing some of our vandalism issues.” Despite having the full support of the local borough council, the S&CR has been the victim of targeted vandalism from some nearby residents who have taken a strong dislike to the line being so close to their new-build homes. Like the East Lancashire Railway, the S&CR is not prepared to accept this lying down and is working with the police to prosecute the perpetrators. Mr Thompson observed that the vandalism is generally caused by a “small posse of wrongdoers” but that in spite of them, “we go out of our way to help people. It’s important that the railway is a part of the community, so where there is a divide we are working hard to take that wall down brick by brick.” He also noted the importance of preservation societies working together, communicating with each other to share their approaches for the good of the whole railway community.
A RISING TREND?
Is vandalism a growing trend? All the narrow gauge railways surveyed agreed that despite appearances, the level of vandalism is actually the same as it ever was, with most standard gauge lines sharing the same opinion. Severn Valley General Manager Nick Ralls described the Christmas vandalism as an unfortunate incident that is frustrating and costly, but not indicative of a rising trend; likely the amplification effect of social media is responsible for the perception of an increase. It’s an opinion shared by the Talyllyn Railway’s General Manager Stuart Williams: “The reason it feels like it’s happening more is the simple fact that information is easier to share on social media. The power of ‘like and share’ is amazing!” If nothing else, these high-profile attacks have shown the resilience and determination of the industry in the face of adversity. The SVR successfully raised the £10,000 it needed to restore the damaged carriages in just one week, receiving ‘a flood of donations’ from locals and visitors moved by the railway’s plight. Additionally, more people volunteered to help work on the carriages than they could accommodate, from existing volunteers who had never worked on carriages to non-members phoning up to offer their services. The S&CR was also able to replace its ruined ‘Thumper’, thanks to the co-operation and generosity of the Spa Valley Railway and the Lavender Line. The Foxfield Railway summed up the general consensus of railways that we’ve spoken to… its Facebook post following an arson attack ended with a simple, cheerful message: “Onwards and upwards folks!”