Council Report - 30th August 2008

Much of the discussion concerned the financial situation and ways of improving revenue. Council agreed to halve the discount in the cafes for volunteers from 30% to 15%. This has already been implemented and should result in a significant reduction in the volunteer subsidy to the Catering Department, which is currently running at the rate of some £10K a year. In doing so, Council was mindful of the need to continue to attract and retain volunteers and rejected proposals for greater reductions. Fares were also discussed and a Finance and General Purposes Committee (F&GP) recommendation that there should be no increase in 2009 will be reconsidered. Suggestions made for economies included Museum lighting, catering, Talyllyn Volunteer, and Wharf winter opening. However, a suggestion we should not run trains every day during the quieter periods of the main season was not accepted.

Marketing has a vital role to play and the aim is that it should be targeted, tactical but pre-planned. Suggestions made included distribution locally of flyers, as was done successfully for the July Murder Mystery train and the August Children’s Duncan Day, and vinyls advertising the Railway in strategic locations – one has already been erected at the approach to Tywyn from Bryncrug – and on the newly acquired Transit van. New brown road signs pointing towards the Railway should soon appear, although unfortunately the Welsh Assembly Government’s rules for such signs prevent us from having one at the important Cross Foxes road junction. Coach party traffic has declined recently and a suggestion was made that representatives from coach holiday and day trip operators should be invited to the Railway to see what we had to offer. Because of the financial situation, F&GP had deferred agreeing to some elements of the Marketing Budget, but Council agreed that certain of these deferred items could be added to the budget.

A proposal from Chris White for a ‘Founders Day’ on 14 May each year – the day in 1951 when the TRPS ran the first trains on a preserved railway - was agreed in principle, although it was thought that a more eye-catching title was desirable (‘Pioneers Day’ was suggested). The aim will be to remind us, the local community and the railway preservation movement more widely of the TRPS’ pioneering work. A further proposal agreed by Council was for a bus and coach rally at Tywyn over Spring Bank Holiday next year, to take the place of the Tom Rolt Rally and which would maintain the transport theme of that rally. Also suggested was a raffle for passengers on afternoon trains for a footplate ride on the way down or the selling of footplate trips on service trains at an appropriate price.

Unfortunately, we are currently without a Society Publicity Officer and efforts will be continuing to fill this important post – one suggestion was to amalgamate it with that of Press Officer, though a fear was expressed that the Society part of the job might then take second place.

Organisational matters also received attention. F&GP recommended to Council that it should be wound up since the new Executive Committee had taken on much of its role. Council agreed, but only on the Chairman’s casting vote. Arising from the increase in the cost of repairing loco No. 7’s boiler from £7K to £22K, officers were reminded of their responsibilities and spending limits in authorising expenditure.

Next year the Corris Railway celebrates the 150th anniversary of its opening as the horse worked Corris, Machynlleth & River Dovey Tramroad. Council were concerned that proposals for locomotive exchanges, and the loan of former Corris rolling stock from the TR to the Corris for the anniversary, should benefit the TR as well as the Corris, and asked for a business plan reflecting this to be presented to its October meeting before making a decision.

An addition to the external burdens affecting heritage railways, including the TR, is the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 or ROGS, which will require self-regulatory (instead of HM Railway Inspectorate) safety verification of major changes and new works and equipment. Council agreed with a proposal from the General Manager of the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway that the member railways of Great Little Trains of Wales might set up a safety verification panel to provide the pool of expertise needed for this new approach. Still on engineering issues, the winter workshop programme for 2008-9 was agreed, whilst the Outdoor Foreman drew attention to the urgent need to catch up on the backlog of routine track tamping as well as to relay using the material from Trecwn. Offers of help with these and other engineering and outdoor tasks would be greatly appreciated.

Despite the financial situation, Council agreed to a budget of £2000 for the Llechfan Management Committee for day to day expenses, although it was made clear that the Committee would not be setting out to spend that amount of money regardless. There was also a reference to parking at Llechfan since some of the space intended for residents’ parking was taken up by engineering materials and such like. There was a reminder that staff were not allowed to park at Wharf because otherwise we would need to provide a disabled parking space and a safe walking route for a disabled person across the yard to the platform. The access statement referred to a drop-off point at the bottom of Wharf drive. However, it was pointed out that it had been agreed that one vehicle could be parked by the Hostel to provide for operational needs.

The meeting concluded with Gareth Jones pointing out that it might be his last as Chairman and the Minutes Secretary reminding those present of his wish to retire from the job after eight years.

Philip Sayers
17/09/08