UK: Heritage rail good news

[John Ashworth]

Below are a few excerpts from a piece in the October 2010 Railway Magazine (which I have only just received by post in Nairobi!) on the 60th anniversary of the first preserved steam railway, the Talyllyn (p25). They may make South African heritage rail enthusiasts weep - or perhaps give them hope?

The Talyllyn at 60

...the title of preservation pioneer is proudly held by the Talyllyn Railway...

Its charm captivated those who knew of it to such an extent that they refused to let it fade away.

One of those was Tom Rolt, who, in the summer of 1950 wrote a letter to 'The Birmingham Post'... Following positive responses, a meeting was organised... attended by about 70 enthusiasts.

Rolt's proposal that a committee be formed... was supported...

The world's first preservation society was thus formed. This did not merely lead to the saving of the Talyllyn but created a new phenomenon - the realisation that a group of amateurs would give up their free time to work on and operate a railway, simply for the pleasure and satisfaction of doing it... In running the first public service under the auspices of the TRPS... the Talyllyn Railway became the first line in the world to be preserved and run by volunteers...

The founders of the TRPS entered uncharted waters, but proved that navigation was possible. By saving the Talyllyn, they showed it could be done and ultimately inspired others to emulate them.

...there are now 108 operating heritage railways and 60 steam centres in the UK and Ireland. These have a total route mileage of 499 miles and 356 stations, attract almost eight million visitors and carry more than six million passengers a year with total earnings of around [GBP] 71 million from fares, catering, shops and other sources. They also employ some 1,700 people and are supported by more than 16,000 volunteers.

A magnificent state of affairs - and very unlikely to have been envisaged by those pioneers in Birmingham 60 years ago!