K&ESR Members e-newsletter No 65

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‍Kent & East Sussex Railway

Members e-newsletter No.65

‍Hello   

‍Welcome to the October 2022 issue of the e-newsletter.

‍‍From the Chair...

‍Our Finance Director Geoff Crouch will be writing later in this edition about our financial situation and what we need to do to stay ahead of the curve. We shall weather the storm, but it is not going to be easy. I explained why, and outlined our general approach, in the last newsletter. Suffice it to say here that going on as we have been in the past is not an option. The Finance Committee and our General Manager, with the full support of the whole Board, are assessing what actions we need to take.

The challenges we face are common to other heritage railways and tourist attractions; many of us will have picked up information from friends elsewhere. The feeling in the sector is that if current external circumstances continue as they are, the real crunch will come in late 2023 or early 2024. Most of the big risks are beyond our control, which is why we all have to be rigorous in mitigating or managing those we do have the ability to influence.

Everyone can help. It is pleasing, for example, to be able to congratulate and thank a group of our volunteers who have used their time, skills and experience to identify and carry out a formidable number of remedial and improvement electrical tasks throughout the Railway. The financial cost has been minimal, and on top of that, much of the work incorporates energy saving measures. You know who you are; thank you.

We have all but signed off the 2023 timetable, which will be different from the one we have been using in recent years. This has been a job requiring many inputs, and the balancing of many factors. Getting it out there will enable us to start marketing it in earnest. We’ve already made the first steps; on 8 October the Railway hosted a visit by a number of people who organise group tours. We put on the usual good show – thanks to all those who were part of it – and we have expanded our database of contacts. My challenge to the management is to do more of this in the future.

Despite the prevailing economic winds, we have been able to fulfil our pledge to invest in the GWR Railcar project. An appeal to cover the remaining funding has been launched, with attendant publicity, and a project plan developed. Completion is, inevitably, a few years off, but we are all looking forward to seeing this iconic vehicle back in service. A link to donate is included later in this newsletter.

It is now the end of October, which means the Santa season is rapidly approaching. This year it is more important than ever that we deliver a good product despite all the obstacles. It is likely that we shall struggle to find all the volunteers we need to fill all the roles. Those organising the event will be very grateful for any help you may be able to offer; could I please ask each and every one of you to be as generous of your time and talents as you possibly can – perhaps, dare I say it, in areas that might be unfamiliar to you!

‍And finally, if anyone has a magic wand could they please let me, any other Trustee, or the General Manager, know. Ideally it needs to be a wand that conjures up not only an idea, but the means to implement it!

Simon Marsh

Chairman 

‍Annual General Meeting

‍

The Annual General Meeting will take place at St Mildred's Church on Saturday 12th November 2022 from 1.30pm  

Counting the pennies.

‍I recently sent out a Finance bulletin to staff and volunteers alike which was designed to highlight our own financial situation and put the brake on unnecessary spending. This is a follow up piece, and I will continue to keep you up to speed each month.

The economic situation has not improved since I published my original piece & I have been asked what plans we have made to get through the downturn. The key costs for us are Coal and Energy prices. There is a knock-on effect with absolutely everything else that we purchase as a result of the energy increases, and prices for everything will rise in excess of inflation. So, we are reviewing our energy and water usage and continue to look for good electricity deals and for reasonably priced “quality” coal.

We are currently looking at a number of scenarios for 2023, and will decide which one best fits in the coming weeks. Having various fallback options will ensure that we can move with the times.

The key to survival is twofold. Firstly, we must amass sufficient cash reserves, and secondly, we must be agile in our approach to running the business on a daily and weekly basis.

Our cash reserves are currently in good shape, and, with a brake on spending, will remain that way. I am looking at every single invoice on a daily basis, together with the cash at bank. Matsya, our Accounts Manager, provides real time info for paperwork, and yesterday’s number for cash at bank. It is necessary to keep our cash under constant review. Decisions about short-term and medium-term spending are made using the Bank numbers, and the necessity for the spending is taken into account, with Safety taking precedence.

We are committed to finishing the GWR Railcar. We have a grant of £20,000, and have pledged £20,000 of the Railway’s money (it is after all a K&ESR asset). An appeal has just been launched for the balance of funding. Please contribute if you can? You can find it at https://kesr.org.uk/donate/gwr-railcar/

The team working on it will be very appreciative of your kind support.

We have other commitments for which we must find money, including the Terriers and renewal of Northiam Level Crossing. These are big ticket items and we will need external support.

Our customers continue to look for value for money and we must do our best to provide that, but interestingly, our premium products (Santa & Pullmans) are

selling out as fast as ever, which shows that there is demand for “the best” – and we will continue to take, and hopefully grow, our share of that market. Our reputation is everything, and that is why we have thousands of repeat customers every year.

Finally, I want to emphasise that our Railway is not in financial trouble, and it won’t be with the current Finance Committee in place. We are well placed to take decisions ahead of the game. It is my job to gently apply the “spending” brake now, rather than need an Emergency Stop in a month’s time.

Geoff Crouch

Finance Director.

From our General Manager

The trees are turning and nature is painting our line in beautiful shades of gold, but storm clouds are gathering for what may be a perfect winter storm, while the world of Westminster has gone completely bonkers.

Meanwhile we are wining small victories. Finally, after being missing for many months, there is a new brown tourist sign in Tenterden High Street opposite Station Road, directing people to the railway. So far it is only one-sided, but hey, it is a start.

All the various Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Gangs have been doing tremendous work along the railway. All are deserving of praise and thanks, but I will mention the Railcar group. Each time I visit Carriage & Wagon, the progress made is visible, and there is now a detailed critical path project plan in place. As many of you will have seen, the project was well featured in the latest Trackside Magazine and our Railcar Appeal leaflet will be distributed with the forthcoming edition of The Tenterden Terrier magazine.

‍It was a delight to welcome the Austin car club and to see dancers from the Tenterden Folk Festival performing on the station this month. This weekend there is a private wedding party.

‍The second-hand books at the Colonel Stephens Museum have been an occupational hazard to my wallet on most weekends but I finally managed to find time for a full guided tour of the Museum and its archives. It really is an absolute gem, certainly one of the finest railway museums in the UK, as it is one of the few that tells a coherent story. It is all too easy to take some of our treasures for granted.

I also visited ‘the end (or is it the beginning?) of our line’ at Robertsbridge that, regardless of being the beginning or end, has certainly been the company’s objective to reach from the very beginning. It is now within touching distance and needs only a signature from the Secretary of State on a Transport and Works Order. The extent of the works completed and underway by the RVR is truly impressive. Seeing it in actuality, rather than reading documents or looking at photographs, it brought home to me the scale of the opportunity that will become available to us. 

‍This will place us on the national heritage railway stage and give us a mainline connection. The first thing we must realise is that it is not 1961 or 1974, or even 2013; it will be 2025 or 2026 onwards. The world may be very different, and the experiences we offer to both volunteers and visitors needs to be designed for the next generation while maintaining the historic values, legacy, authenticity and atmosphere of a journey into the past. I will now be leading and setting up project groups to liaise with the RVR once the Transport and Works Order has been signed.

Turning to the national heritage railway scene, all of us will be facing the same set of challenges next year, and my objective is to share our experiences and knowledge with other railways to benefit from what we can learn from them. Heritage railways have in the past often been tribal and territorial; that is something that must end if we are all going to survive.

Sadly, hidden in the dark corners of many heritage railways has also been much unacceptable behaviour, including misogyny and bullying from board rooms to mess rooms. I fear that this will become a hot topic which the wider movement is going to have to take very seriously if we are to create safe places for all of us to enjoy our work and hobby.

I believe the K&ESR is one of the most-friendly railways I have known; it has a good track record and has robust policies in place, but even we are not immune, and I have already heard of behaviour which, while it might have passed a 1970's test of a ‘bit of banter’, is now unacceptable in 2022. Any form of bullying, intimidation or bad behaviour is an absolute red line, and all allegations will be properly and thoroughly investigated and, where necessary, the Railway will not be shy of taking action, regardless of whoever the individual(s) is.

Behind the scenes, all the departments have been putting in tremendous effort to build and finalise the 2023 timetable and events programme before the end of the month. This means we will start the year knowing in advance what we are doing and when. This I hope will answer much of the criticism I have heard that we have made too many last-minute changes. However justified, this leads only to frustration and confusion.

There is one caveat: my key words for next year are ‘staying agile’. What we have experienced in the wider world this year from what was predicted at New Year has been jaw dropping, from war in Europe to the shortest ever tenure of a UK PM and there is still two months to go. What should our ticket price be? How many visitors should we plan for? Will the UK temperature record be broken again? Will there be a new variant of Covid? What will be the price of coal or electricity? And so on…….

We have looked at the tea leaves, read the latest soothsayers’ reports, brushed up on the latest academic theory, scrutinised the bookies’ odds. and talked it out amongst ourselves but, basically, we are into the territory of informed ‘guessing’. Hence why we need to watch for any signs of unpredictable change and respond quickly, ideally finding and using the magic wand Simon mentioned.

Geoff and Simon have written separately on finance, but I would repeat that for every single business or charity all that matters is cash. Again, the K&ESR is currently OK cash-wise but, as the cost-of-living crisis bites ever harder, everyone is going to find it very tough next year, just how tough we don’t yet know. What I can promise is we are as prepared as best we can be, and we will communicate honestly and transparently with everyone.

As part of the plan to improve communication, on Monday 24th October the DMMU left Tenterden on the first of a regular programme of full line inspection tours, with both Managers and Trustees onboard. This means everyone is in the same place at the same time to discuss railway business, and show the Railway extends well beyond Tenterden and any ‘silo thinking’ is a thing of the past. Also, with the timetable being finalised, it is now time to turn to next year’s loco strategy and I am looking forward to meeting all the locomotive owning groups on the 26th October.   

Finally, I would urge you all come to the AGM on Saturday 12th November 2022 at 1.30pm. I will be presenting my GM’s report with plans for next year, including some ideas on membership, and I would like to listen to what you have to say and meet as many of you as possible. I will be able to report on the mood and challenges in the wider heritage railway world as the HRA conference is on 1st and 2nd of November. There is also a social, bonfire and BBQ on the evening before (Friday 11th November 2022): the fun is why we do what we do so well.

Robin Coombes

General Manager

‍The “S” words

Now I have you full attention, the words I am talking about are “Santa Specials”.

For those who have never sampled our Santa Specials, either as a customer or a volunteer, the event runs for nine crazy, happy, exhausting and incredibly satisfying days where the railway works to full capacity.

For many of our customers it has, over the past forty eight years become a family tradition where the children became parents, grandparents and, just possibly, great grandparents. Like the railway itself, we are now merely custodians of that tradition. Each year the event is reviewed and updated but still maintains the tradition of Santa visiting every child at their seat in a nice, warm, steam heated train.

‍Whilst the peak demand is obvioulsy when trains are running, there's invariably much to do every day in December through to Christmas Eve - so if you prefer to stay out of sight sitting down in the backroom, there's still plenty to keep you occupied! As our Chairman has said, please do help if you possibly can: to find out more simply click on the link below and complete the form.

See you there!

Graham Bridge

Sleigh Driver (You’ll see if you're there)

‍Sustainability

‘Put that light out!’

If only it were that simple, though, as they say, ‘Every little helps.’ At our Second Thursday presentation back in March we quoted provisional electricity figures of 216,556 Kwh. We do not have the latest figure, but that would equate to well over £75,000 at a price of 35p per kwh and does not include standing charges. No wonder, then, when we met Robin Coombes for the first time at our September meeting that he said that he saw sustainability as commensurate with survivability. Help might be at hand as the Government is surveying energy use by organisations like museums and heritage railways. HRA have urged completion of this survey. But do not hold your breath.

After our most recent meeting, Brian Richards reported on electrical works which provide savings, such as motion-sensors in the toilets at Bodiam and Northiam, ‘period’ LEDs on the platforms at Bodiam and Rolvenden and other LED's in the Media and Mess rooms and other locations.

But the biggest savings also require the biggest outlay: photo-voltaics. Friends of mine who installed these some years ago are laughing all the way to the bank. Our November meeting is going to focus on photo-voltaics and we will be joined by others from the Railway with expertise.

Meanwhile, Phil Noakes continues to meet with ‘Plastic-Free Tenterden’. A launch event for next spring at the Railway is being planned. We will produce more details as they emerge. Veronica Hopker has plans for wild-flower planting by the Northiam crossing and Paul Davies is taking delivery of a further 1000 trees from Ashford Borough Council as part of their support for the Queen’s Green Canopy. If every mature tree absorbs 21kg of CO2 then together with the 2000 we also reported on in March they equate to 63 Tonnes of CO2 – eventually.

So, we are putting together a mosaic picture of good practice across the Railway. But Energy-Saving is crucial. We need to be kept abreast of innovation and creative ideas and suggestions. Please keep them coming – particularly ideas for reducing energy use NOW. And, of course, for re-cycling.

Paul, Phil, Kevin and Keith. 

GWR Railcar W20

At last!! We are now able to share our good news!

You will probably have heard, or read elsewhere, that our application to the Association for Industrial Archaeology (A.I.A.) for a funding grant was successful. in July this resulted in an award of £20,000, the maximum that the A.I.A. offer, towards the restoration and conservation of the GWR Railcar W20. We were unable to share this with you earlier, as the Board wished to use this news, plus their own £20,000 funding announcement, for a coordinated launch incorporating an external (public/members) appeal for the final £20,000 to finish the job.

The team are enormously indebted to all the Fundraising Team and to Alison Miles, our Press Officer, for the professional way that this was achieved. All news was embargoed until 14th October when the Trackside magazine’s exclusive article was published. That opened the doors for other heritage magazines to publish the news and our campaign… The “20 for 20” Appeal. This will all be explained in the November Terrier so I won’t steal any of its thunder now but it’s all in the name!

The team are delighted to acknowledge that our Trustees see the Railcar as an essential service vehicle, forming part of the future operational fleet for the railway. This has provided the commercial reason for receiving the full support of the Railway’s Board, to get this precious and historically important vehicle’s restoration finished after so many years. To that end, the railcar re-entered the C&W workshop’s at Tenterden at the end of September to allow the team to get cracking on the roof and windows etc… jobs that we had been looking forward to undertaking for months.

‍Now the challenging bit……

The target for completion is Spring 2024 in order to have the Railcar available for the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the first revenue earning service on the K&ESR, where W20 played such a significant role. Resource to support the undertaking is to be provided from C&W, the team itself have been working additional days to move the project along….. BUT…. we need more help if this target is to be achieved.

‍Please, if you have any skills that could support the team, do come forward and help out, if only for a short period. We are in need of those with electrical and mechanical skills, fitters, pipe workers, metal workers, upholsterers plus general ‘skills’. The team will be on site most Wednesdays and Thursdays, but C&W will help coordinate assistance on other days. Please contact Project Manager, Neil Edwards, via neil.t.edwards@googlemail.com or Alan Brice in our C&W Dept to discuss what you could offer or do to help.

Oh, and don’t forget to seek out the “20 for 20” : The GWR Diesel Railcar Restoration and Conservation Appeal – in Memory of Andrew Webb leaflets (in the next Terrier or at the railway) to support the project financially.

‍Any support will be much appreciated.

Neil Edwards & Chris Mileman 

‍4253 Locomotive Group Update

Newsletter Archive

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Tenterden Terrier Online

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https://kesr.org.uk/tenterden-terrier-online/

‍All editions of ‘The Tenterden Terrier’ are now available to view or download from our website: to access this fascinating archive, click on the image above or visit https://kesr.org.uk/terrier/

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