NEW STEAM FOR L&B
£1.1m plans revealed
All eyes seemed transfixed on the 50th anniversary of the end of steam on August 3-5, as emotionally charged events held up and down the country, both planned – and spontaneous – paid tribute to the men and machines who brought the curtain down on the main line steam show. And yet one other event, on the bucolic Isle of Wight Steam Railway, was portraying a very different aspect of railway history, but just as exciting in its own right.
This Southern Railway gem has just completed yet another vintage carriage restoration. This time, it is the turn of LBSCR Brake Third No. 4115, which gave rise to an impromptu event to celebrate the best that its heritage craftsman had to offer. The relatively small team of staff and volunteers at Havenstreet made the ultimate tribute of fielding three unique trains formed exclusively of pre-Grouping locomotives and carriages; all appropriate to the island’s railway story.
The weekend culminated in a spectacular display by its pair of ‘Terriers’ on its freshly bolstered train of four-wheelers – all immaculately turned out in smart Maunsell green. In many respects, it marks the pinnacle of a project that started over 40 years ago when the IoWSR began to rescue redundant carriage bodies for eventual restoration. But sometimes the biggest achievements don’t receive the accolades and fanfare they deserve, because they have grown organically over a long period of time. And that means, sometimes, the lack of a bold statement announcing ‘job done’ means there is a risk that the most enterprising of projects can slip under the radar – hence a celebratory spread in News.
The Isle of Wight is symbolic of major strides taking place all across British preservation that deserve praise and publicity, as many of the following pages will testify.
It is therefore frustrating when inspirational projects are stymied by a bizarre piece of legislation that, seemingly, prevents motivated children and teenagers under the age of 16 from getting stuck in (see News). Failure to make an exception to the 1920 edict will mean a huge setback to this wonderful movement, and we therefore throw our full weight of support behind the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Heritage Rail, which is actively challenging the ruling.
We already face a huge challenge to attract – and retain – young volunteers. Therefore, an amendment to this legislation cannot come soon enough if we are to have the best chance of keeping the flame alive for generations to come.
“SOMETIMES, THE LACK OF A BOLD STATEMENT ANNOUNCING ‘JOB DONE’ MEANS THAT THERE IS A RISK THAT THE MOST ENTERPRISING OF PROJECTS CAN SLIP UNDER THE RADAR ”