IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE
HERITAGE RAILWAY ASSOCIATION CHIEF EXEC STEVE OATES TACKLES STEAM’S BURNING ISSUES
THEY REWARDED dogged persistence. They highlighted creativity. The evening was glitzy and it was fun. Each year, the HRA Annual Awards evening leaves all who attend with a number of abiding memories. One this year was compère Paul Lewin wheeling out a vacuum cleaner in jest at the nickname of a diesel winner. But through the laughter and the recognition of so much success across our sector, the one recurring memory was the sheer positivity among the 250+ award nominees and guests assembled. It really felt like the sector turning a corner after the darkest days of post-Covid recovery.
Whether it was listening to our guest speaker talking from the heart of his unfettered passion for heritage rail, or seeing some of the up-and-coming talent on stage to collect an award, the whole room was smiling as one. It’s easy to forget just how important morale can be to our staff and volunteers… because a happy member of the team is almost always a productive member of the team.
With award nominees from all four nations of the UK, individuals and teams from railways large, medium and small were there to acknowledge success. I spoke to the GM of one heritage railway that has been recovering from a sticky patch, who said that they turned out in numbers for the event precisely for that reason – to say ‘thank you’ to their shortlisted entries and to make sure they know that they are valued; that the work they do for heritage rail is appreciated.
Whether rebuilding a rail-mounted Victorian crane or completing a new-build locomotive, heritage rail did it all in 2023. Plus, there’s been brilliant marketing, new-build and rebuilt stations, splendidly refurbished carriages, wagons and locomotives, and creative new events to celebrate historic milestones. Yet underpinning all of this there are people – the volunteers, teams, staff, managers, trustees, young, old, female, male, and across every part of the demographic spectrum – who make our sector what it is.
So an ever-growing part of the HRA Annual Awards is about the ‘people’ categories – the Lord Faulkner Young Volunteer Award, the Team of the Year Award, Preservationist of the Year, and the Rising Star Award. Each of these is directly aimed at celebrating contributions of the people who make heritage rail what it is. The ones who have shown the dedication and commitment – or in the case of that latter category, the ones who have come into the sector with fresh eyes and transformed thinking.
I have no doubt that the award wins will look great on CVs, but they’ll do an awful lot more than that. They’ll demonstrate to each and every one of the winners, and each and every one of those highly commended, that heritage rail is a sector that recognises good people and their good work.
The headlines in this magazine (and others no doubt) will be about the shiny pieces of metal that mark the end result of hard graft. The ‘T3’ at Swanage was a big winner on the night, for example, alongside less high-profile work such as the Chasewater Railway and National Wagon Preservation Group’s merry-go-round wagon project. And I loved the very clever ‘Dram Tram’ at Banffshire’s Keith & Dufftown Railway!
But every one of these projects also involved people.
The glitz of the HRA Annual Awards might look just that to some, but it’s a key part of attracting good people of every age, from every background – those future stars that heritage rail keenly needs, to ensure we flourish in the coming decades.
With the main operating season upon us, what part will you play in finding and encouraging those people?
Because always, always, always, it’s about the people.
WHETHER REBUILDING A RAIL-MOUNTED VICTORIAN CRANE OR COMPLETING A NEW-BUILD LOCOMOTIVE, HERITAGE RAIL DID IT ALL IN 2023