Joining Wensleydale Railway

[Redviper]

Hi All
I am going for a induction at the Wensleydale railway in a couple of weeks, and I’m wondering if anyone can tell me what to expect.
As I’m also a motor sport marshal at Croft Circuit and Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire I shall be fitting it in around that, and of course my full time job.
However, call me selfish but I want to be doing the more hands on approach – I want to be involved in either track or traction maintenance and of course ultimately a driver.
I do not want to be a guard, ticket conductor or in the ticket office. I did make this clear on the email that I sent them and they still invited me down for a induction day.
However they said they would send me a form to fill in which I have not yet received.

Again have I made the right choice?, and what should I expect from my 1st day to being a member?

Many Thanks

 

[Jordy]

I attended an induction course back in the summer, it was fairly informal but a good way to meet some people before you start, the good thing about Wensleydale is you can pretty much do whatever you like, if you want to do track/traction maintenance then they will give you the contact details of the person in that department during the induction. I was pretty much the other way round - I wanted to work on the train and not on the track and that's exactly what I did over the summer, so you should be fine.

Don't worry about the form, if you don't get one in the post they'll just give you one on the day. To volunteer you'll need to join the Wensleydale Railway Association, I'd advise doing this ASAP as you're supposed to put your membership number on the form! (Again I didn't realise this, but it didn't really matter)

Its certainly an interesting railway with lots of challenges, I'm sure your help would be much appreciated! If you want any more info you can reply to this thread or PM me if you wish.

 

[Redviper]

Excellent, Many thanks for your reply

Do you know if its free to park and where to park when I get there (The Yorkshireman in me would like it to be free)

 

[Jordy]

Yes I believe Bedale station parking is free, alternatively you can park in the town centre for free if you are in possession of one of those disk things you display in your windscreen.

 

[Redviper]

Cheers, many thanks im really looking forward to it.

 

[PinzaC55]

If you are joining the WR that's great but remember they don't regard themselves as a "Heritage" railway. So if you want to see lovingly restored period stations you are wasting your time.If you want to drive a 1960's DMU or diesel you will love it.

 

[Jordy]

They are reclassifying themselves as a Heritage Railway actually! But yes you're right about the stations - for now at least!

 

[paul1609]

Thats interesting Jordy,
I remember one of their members coming down to the KESR to give us a talk and how keen he was to emphasise that they were not a hertitage railway but a community railway and part of the National network. I was a director of the KESR at the time and I couldnt see how their business plan added up,
The original plan to preserve the KESR was on a similar basis in the 1960s but this was stopped by the Labour Governments refusal to allow the Light Railway Transfer Order.

I must do another Wensleydale trip unfortunately the missing section makes it very difficult from Kent.

 

[PinzaC55]

Thats interesting Jordy,
I remember one of their members coming down to the KESR to give us a talk and how keen he was to emphasise that they were not a hertitage railway but a community railway and part of the National network. I was a director of the KESR at the time and I couldnt see how their business plan added up,
The original plan to preserve the KESR was on a similar basis in the 1960s but this was stopped by the Labour Governments refusal to allow the Light Railway Transfer Order.

I must do another Wensleydale trip unfortunately the missing section makes it very difficult from Kent.

It isn't hard to access. You can get an EC or Grand Central Train direct from KX to Northallerton and there's a fairly frequent (about one bus an hour) service from opposite Northallerton station to Leeming Bar station.

 

[Redviper]

Thanks all for your replys - Im am interested a lot in older diesel loco's so it should be just up my street - to be honest im not to bothered as long as I get to do something with the railways.

I do not however want to work in a ticket office or something - like the Motorsport Marshalling that I do, I want a more "hands on" approach anything less then it would not be worth me giving up my spare time for IMO

 

[AlexS]

All jobs are worth something - the railway needs to sell tickets to allow the people who want to play on the engines to have somewhere to do so

I do a variety of jobs both clerical and 'hands on' and it's a nice mix. One weekend I'll be selling tickets, the next dispatching trains, the next restoring and installing signalling equipment, the next being a signalman, and so on.

Variety is the spice of life you know

 

[Chris125]

Have they announced they are calling themselves a heritage railway anywhere? Its quite a climbdown, although it was always a matter of when, not if. I seem to remember a conversation on another forum that there was a woman involved in managing the line who was very insistent on it being a 'community' railway, not a heritage line - is that correct?

Chris

 

[PinzaC55]

The lady was Ruth Annison. While she deserves credit for being the motivation behind reopening the line the original concept was flawed. You can operate a "community railway" whilst giving it the appearance of being a "heritage railway" - they don't have to be mutually exclusive, in the same way the Settle & Carlisle is a "real" railway yet the stations have been superbly restored to their Midland Railway appearance.

 

[Redviper]

Well I’ve done it I went along for my induction, and I should be going again next week.
I think I’m really going to enjoy it I have put my name down for anything “hands on” obviously I cannot become a train driver until I have been there a while and worked up through the proper training procedures.