Wensleydale Railway - Photo Archive

July 2018

Photographs

This month we have:-
1. The Merchant Navy Class Locomotive British India Line 35018 has been on our line - For more photos see the dedicated page
2. Various diesel locomotives on the line
3. A visit from America by the Scrutons to see Scruton village and station
4. Work by the Bedale Station Support Group (the cafe is also now reopened)
5. Leyburn Station team held a coffee morning to raise funds for the footbridge at their station
6. The J27 steam loco belonging to the North Eastern Ralway Preservation Society has now arrived on our line for August
7. Drainage investigation works carried out at Leeming Bar as part of the process for the application of a Heritage Lottery Grant
8. Work by the Direct Works Team at Scruton
9. Work by the Infrastructure Team
10. Ballasting of the new loop at Leyburn station
11. An article from the Darlington and Stockton News about our new Volunteer Co-ordinator. There is a photo below and at the bottom of the page is the text from the Newspaper article.

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The text of the article from the Darlington and Stockton News on the 6th July 2018 about our new Volunteer Co-ordinator.

Appeal for volunteers to keep railway on track

AN ORGANISATION is appealing for volunteers to join the team essential for keeping it on track.

Wensleydale Railway has appointed Helen Ashworth as its Volunteer Coordinator & Lead Fundraiser hoping to add a more professional approach to the way their army of unpaid helpers are looked after. The post is initially part-funded via a grant from North Yorkshire County Council.

Interim Chair of the Wensleydale Railway Carl Les explained: “We are extremely fortunate having a family of volunteers who are very generous with their time, labour, and very often their money.

"Too often in the past volunteers have come and then gone because we don’t look after them well enough. Now this shouldn’t happen."

With every train that the railway runs needing 30 volunteers from their pool of more than 200, the supply is often exhausted. Ms Ashworth is making stringent efforts to increase the numbers they have available.

She said: "In some areas we are acutely sort of volunteer staff; for example we only have four guards that regularly volunteer."

Jobs on offer are many and varied: simple catering tasks on the buffet train or at stations, administrative work, or as signallers and crossing keepers which take much less training than a guard. Alternatively, if you prefer more physical work then there is the vegetation and track maintenance teams.

Their youngest is helper is 14 years old and the oldest is well over 80. Many are truly on a busman’s holiday as retired or serving railway workers. They travel from all parts of the country; one comes from London spending his holiday working in Wensleydale.

No experience is necessary and apart from reduced train travel costs, the benefits are rarely tangible, however Ms Ashworth concludes: "Being part of a large team and the comradeship of the Wensleydale Railway is hugely enjoyable and well worth it."

Each railway volunteer must complete a day’s Personal Rail Safety course; further training in the chosen roles then follows. To enquire about the many and varied roles in the railway see the website, or email: volunteercoordinator@wensleydalerailway.com or telephone 01677 425805.

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