Council Report - 4 September & 23 October 2004

The October meeting started with the usual elections and appointments taking account of changes during the year including confirmation at our September meeting of Sarah Freeman as Llechfan Hostel Warden. Urgent efforts are being made to fill the vacant Society Publicity Officer post. Also congratulations to Garry Mumford on appointment as Assistant Accountant, and to Martin Turner on promotion to Engineering Supervisor at Pendre.

We discussed the future of the Marketing Committee which perhaps has not been as effective as we might have wished. Marketing is vital to the Railways well-being, so we have appointed a new-look committee to have a fresh look. Our thanks go to all who have served on the Committee in the past.

The AGM left us with two issues to pursue. On locomotive liveries, watch the News! On admitting observers to Council meetings, we have agreed a trial arrangement from the February 2005 meeting and there should be an item or insert in the December News which will explain how to apply for tickets.

The September meeting discussed a recommendation that the buildings (new and old) at Wharf station be designated as non-smoking. After (to my mind) a surprisingly heated discussion, this was agreed with two votes against - Stations & Lineside Committee will look into provision elsewhere on the Wharf site for smokers. Dismay was also expressed at the news that the new Wharf cafe would have fluorescent lighting, rather than traditional style fittings. The plan now is that we will install more traditional lighting once it has been in operation for some months. In October the provision of public address in the new building caused more dismay and it was agreed it should be used in emergency only.

As a condition of their grant towards Wharf redevelopment, the Wales Tourist Boards Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) assessed the TR on the mystery shopper principle on 2 September. We passed on all criteria without reservation and get a slate plaque to record this achievement.

Following on from the discussion at the June Council meeting about provision for disabled persons, an access statement has been drafted for comment prior to formal adoption. However, it was pointed out that there was not just one type of disability and we needed to consider, for example, large print menus in the cafes. Other visitor related issues discussed in September included Victorian Week, child fares and buggies. Whilst even some of the enthusiasts for Victorian Week have expressed a need for something different, many thought that the Week gained greatly from the TRs involvement and in October the Traffic Manager reported that agreement had been reached on this. Turning to children, because of the need to encourage families to travel, concern was expressed lest the TR follow certain other Great Little Trains of Wales and charge for children from age three rather than five. The growing size of childrens buggies is making it difficult to fit them into compartments and they take up much space in guards vans. Suggested solutions include charging for them, providing a buggy store at Wharf or a tip-up seat in the passenger compartment next to the van.

In October the problem of trespassing on the line was discussed and the example quoted of a railway in another Celtic country which had virtually eliminated the problem by prosecuting in every case.

In my last report, I suggested that the Rolt Rally had made a profit. Unfortunately this has turned out not to be so, and ways of reducing expenditure are being examined for next year. Also the rally will be moved to the Saturday and Sunday of Spring Bank Holiday, thus avoiding a clash with the Monday market.

All the land on which the line is built has now been registered (a condition of one of the grants towards the new Wharf building), but one other piece of land remains to be dealt with.

Council agreed in September that donations to Talyllyn Holdings Ltd in lieu of flowers in memory of John Slater be used for an item of workshop equipment at Pendre and also to a proposal to name the Education Room in the new building after him with a fund in his memory for equipping the room.

The annual Health & Safety inspection in September was generally satisfactory but there is a need to improve general housekeeping to reduce trips and falls.

Once the new building is occupied at Wharf, the Traffic Manager wishes to roster a volunteer booking clerk each day the trains are running - due to changes in the Chief Clerks job - and a person to answer the public telephone, although doubts were expressed as to the availability of volunteers for these duties.

Locomotive No 3 Sir Haydn has been fitted with an experimental blast pipe which has somewhat changed its sound. We were assured that this change was reversible. Still on locomotive matters, the use of shovels at Pendre to coal locomotives from a wagon, which many find much easier than lifting buckets from ground level, has not been helping the appearance of the engines, and the buckets will have to be reverted to once Wharf redevelopment is complete. It was suggested that something to stand on might make the task easier. How about a traditional coaling stage?

Philip Sayers
26 October 2004