IT’S BEEN a gruelling year for most across the region due to the tribulations brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a group worse hit than volunteers at Blaenavon Heritage Railway.
There’s more than 80 of them, and the vast majority have had to stay away from what they love doing every weekend – teaching visitors about the history of the area via coal-powered steam engines.
Finally, after a bleak year in which they’ve lost £100,000 in ticket sales alone, volunteers are back in business this week, preparing for what they hope is going to be a bumper bank holiday return on Saturday.
Alexander Hinshelwood, who spends his time maintaining and driving the engines when he’s not doing the day job as operations manager at Network Rail, said he’s excited to see smiles on people’s faces again.
Alex Hinshelwood
The engine being readied on Thursday morning
“We can’t wait,” he said. “It’s been a challenging year on many levels. It’s been deflating to see volunteers have to stay away for a long time.
“We were only able to run 15 services in the whole of 2020.
The Empress engine
Empress engine
Empress engine
“It’s great to be back, and I hope it’s a sign that life is slowly getting back to normal. We’re not there yet, because we have got a lot of restrictions in terms of split groups and separate seating, but it’s great to be heading in the right direction again.”
Mr Hinshelwood says it’s remarkable how the volunteers have “muddled through” despite just £24,000 in funding support since March 2020.
“Being a 100 per cent volunteer-run organisation, much of the grant funding on offer was restricted to companies that had paid employees,” he said. “We’ve really struggled, and we’ve had to rely on our own resources and the good will of our community to help us through.
View from the bridge at the Furnace Sidings Station
Inside one of the carriages
“It’s a credit to everyone involved that we’re still here to tell the tale.”
Mr Hinshelwood, who met his partner through volunteering at the station, is a prime example of why the railway is much more than just a local attraction.
Guard and station manager Phil Tiley said: “It’s a brilliant place – it has a great feel about it.”
Former bus driver Phil Tiley says the station has kept him engaged with the public
He points to a building which keeps the carriages towards the end of the Furnace Sidings Station at Garn-yr-ew.
“That building we managed to build thanks to a very kind member leaving his will to us when he passed away not long ago,” he said.
The shed was built after a member left his will to the station
“We rely on people being charitable and caring, we’re very lucky.”
A bus driver of 47 years, Mr Tiley said he when he joined as a volunteer in 2007, he found a place where he could stay engaged with the public.
As well as working on the railway, he also spends one day a week volunteering at the Railway Shop at Broad Street in the town.
“I love it,” he added. “I feel I’m doing something for my community, and to enhance the railway while I’m doing it is brilliant.”
Jamie Warner, who balances his job for the NHS with what is almost a full-time job on its own as secretary at the station, says there has never been a more important time for people to support them.
Jamie Warner
“My message would be ‘please come and support us’,” he said. “We’re open this weekend for rides at 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm, and we’re looking to run every weekend now through to September.”
Visitors this week will be greeted by a fully renovated booking desk, courtesy of Huw Morgan who has been working hard decorating in recent weeks.
Huw Morgan, who has spent time doing up the booking desk ready for reopening
Linda Lewis, volunteer at the railway for the last seven years
The organisation typically takes two-thirds of its annual income at Hallowe’en and Christmas, and plans are already under way to make this year’s spooky and festive seasons ones to remember.
“We can’t wait for that,” he said of the popular Ghost Train. “Our motive remains the same as ever. We want to allow people to come and have a good day out, and in the process learn about our heritage right back to the early 1800s.
“We love giving back to the public. It’s things like this that can keep communities going, especially when times are tough.”
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