European Federation of Museum & Tourist Railways

Fédération Européenne des Chemins de Fer Touristiques et Historiques

Europäische Föderation der Museums- und Touristikbahnen

N E W S L E T T E RNumber 23

Summer 2006

Editor - Rédacteur - RedakteurJohn Fuller, 261 Lower Higham Road, Chalk, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 2NP, UKTelephone + Facsimile: +44 (0)1474 362208 ; Mobile: +44 (0)7785 250571Email: fuller@fedecrail.org

Editorial BoardJohn Fuller (English) - details aboveBruno Rebbelmund (German) - Westerwaldstraße 7 - D-46145 Oberhausen

Telephone: +49-208-6351569 Facsimile: +49-208-667443Email: rebbelmund@fedecrail.org.

Olivier Jaubert (French) –Tel : +33 1 46 91 09 69 Mobile : +33 6 73 87 66 64Email jaubert@fedecrail.org

FEDECRAIL Contacts:Our website can be found at www.fedecrail.orgCouncil Members and Officers can be contacted by email in the format »name »@fedecrail.org (as shown for theeditor at the top of this page)Postal Contact should be to the FEDECRAIL Secretary :-Livius Kooy, De Akker 25, 7481 GA Haaksbergen, The Netherlands.Telephone (and Facsimile by request only) : +31 53 5727357Email : kooy@fedecrail.orgContact details for the Conference Organiser and Treasurer are included in booking forms and renewal forms, asnecessary.

Council MembersDavid MORGAN (UK) President, Heimo ECHENSPERGER (D) Vice President, Jacques DAFFIS (F) Vice President,Guido ROSSI (I), Sten ERSON-WESTER (S), Livius KOOY (NL) Secretary, Rik DEGRUYTER (B) Treasurer.

OfficersPeter OVENSTONE (UK) Conference Organiser.John FULLER (UK), Editor, Bruno REBBELMUND (D), Olivier JAUBERT(F)

The FEDECRAIL Newsletter is published by and is the copyright © of the European Federation of Tourist Railwaysand Museums. We thank photographers for permission to publish their work without fee.The views expressed within the FEDECRAIL Newsletter are not necessarily those of the FEDECRAIL Council orOfficers. All contributions are of a voluntary nature. Translations are by the School of Language and EuropeanStudies, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.

Banking: Fortis Bank (Belgium), Warandeberg 3, B-1000 Bruxelles, Belgium(IBAN: BE58 0012 0468 9779: BIC: GEBABEBB)(Quote name as reference please). NO CHEQUES OR MONEY ORDERSCorrespondence to FEDECRAIL Treasurer, Stationsplein, B-9990 Maldegem.

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(Front cover photograph: Fedecrail / SteamRail.Net Conference special en route to Milies:19 May 2006: Photo: JohnFuller)

INDEX

Editorial 1

The President’s Report 2

Heimo Echensperger - Vice President 3

Our Future Newsletter 4

SteamRail.Net brings European steam railways together 4

FEDECRAIL & SteamRail.Net Conference 2006, Volos and Athens, Greece 5

FEDECRAIL Conference 2007, Odense, Denmark 7

Conference 2006 - In the footsteps of the Gods (Part 1 - Volos) 8

IATM Conference, 9-17 June 2007, Yorkshire, United Kingdom 9

Correspondence 9

World Steam and Tourist Train Conference, Argentina 10

Conferences in Estonia and Poland 10

Ramshackle Narrow Gauge Railway as Lifeline 10

The "Black Companions" 11

EDITORIAL

I originally wrote this editorial just before the 2006 Conference when I was expecting to publish it on my return to theUK. Regrettably my return marked a major panic with work that was unexpectedly sprung on me and one thing led toanother until summer holidays arrived. I find myself publishing in September 2006 what should have been sent outmany months ago for which I can only again apologise to you all. We are all volunteers and the duties of our Fedecrailresponsibilities have to take second place to our business commitments and often third place to national roles as weare all involved in the Tourist and Museum Railway businesses in our home countries.

As mentioned in NL22, the problems caused to Members who receive the Newsletter electronically and want to print iton their PCs mean that we need to change back to an A4 portrait format as the standard publication. This is adisappointment to me as I feel that it reduces the quality of the publication as a Newsletter rather than a Magazine, butit does mean that it can be printed in colour. Because only a few Members and Friends now ask for a copy by post,the economics of producing the magazine format will have to be considered again. The A4 format can be printed “inhouse” instead of sending the file to a printer.

Turning to more pleasant topics, our congratulations are due to Heimo Echensperger on his appointment to the Boardof DB Netz. A real statement of the importance and status of Museum and Tourist Railways in Germany andrecognition from the highest level of the key role of VDMT in the transport structure of his home country!

At the time of writing, the arrangements for the launch of the Riga Charter are in hand. We hope that this event willfirmly establish the status of the Charter as an international statement of our dedication to the principles ofconservation of the Heritage that is entrusted to our care. I hope to report fully with the next Newsletter.

With the acceptance of Fedecrail as a member of Europa Nostra, we join one of the leading players in heritageconservation across Europe. Members of Council plan to meet with Europa Nostra to discuss how we can take our

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new relationship forward. In many respects we have been following a parallel path for a number of years and in thebattle for the limited funds available to our industry, working together can only strengthen our chances.

I did not expect to be looking back on the 2006 Conference when writing this, but I think that it is fair to say after all theproblems caused by the change of dates that the conference was enjoyable for those who were able to participate. Afull report appears in this Newsletter. I had hoped to be able to include at least one of the key speeches in theNewsletter, but unfortunately so far the promised CD of the speeches has not been received from the SteamRail.Netproject.

It is to be hoped that we will soon be able to report on the successful conclusion of the SteamRail.Net project. It hasbeen an interesting challenge for us and our Members who are Partners in the project. I think that we will all be wiserafter surviving this experience. Without the project we would not have achieved the restorations and other work thathas been expedited by the EU funding. It has been painful, but it is vital that we all learn from this experience and goforward to take advantage of future international funding opportunities. Your Council in particular will be taking onboard all the lessons we have learnt and will be considering how we can best take advantage of new EU Fundingopportunities such as Culture 2007, as well as the ongoing programmes such as Interreg. We need to make sure thatour Members safely get their fair share of the money that is made available from the EU.John FullerEditor

Email MessagesWe are always happy to receive email messages, especially those with news for this publication! However, with theworld-wide spam problems, can I ask for you to take a few simple precautions to try and prevent important messagesbeing mistaken for spam and being deleted before they are read. Apart from having a current virus checker on yourPC, please make sure that the Title of your message is completed with something meaningful that tells us it is aboutFedecrail or is from a member. “Document”, “Hi”, or “Urgent Message” are candidates for immediate deletion as theyare widely used by spammers. Remember the recipient may not recognise your name and the first rule has to be “Ifyou do not recognise it, delete it before opening”

THE PRESIDENT’S REPORT(Editor’s Note: This was written for the original hoped publication date in the Spring which is why there is no referenceto the Conference having taken place. The message is timeless and so is as relevant to us today as when originallywritten.)

The last few months have been largely taken up with internal matters, such as the promulgation of the Riga Charterand the changes to FEDECRAIL’s constitution. Most of our activities over the past year have already been covered inthe recently published Annual Report.

From a personal point of view, I seem to have been travelling the globe (literally), acting in my role as FEDECRAILPresident. Some of these acts have been entirely ceremonial, as in the planting of trees on BANITIS day in Aluksene,Latvia, last September, when I also witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperationbetween Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. I was also wearing a SteamRail.net hat (my top hat) as two of the trees wereplanted by me deputising for Manos Vougioukas.

Earlier last year (June), I had attended the SteamRail.net partners’ meeting in Latvia, when progress on the sixrestoration projects was monitored and updates on the presentations were given – these presentations take variousforms, i.e. brochures, exhibitions, documentary records, photographs, videos, etc. I also attended meetings with JohnFuller, your newsletter editor, with the promoters and operator of the narrow gauge railway in Panevezys, Lithuania.

In Moscow, I was able to visit an exhibition of historic transport featuring our member, the narrow gauge railwaymuseum in Pereslavl, and to have further discussions with Sergei Dorozhkov assisted by Vadim and Artur. Althoughmuch of their track had to be lifted and stored within the museum compound after the theft of some track, the museumitself seems to be thriving and, despite rumours to the contrary, continues to perform its primary role as railwaymuseum, although it contains half a dozen military items in its collection, albeit transport related.

Later in the same month, I was invited to address a railway heritage meeting in Australia and was surprised to find theRIGA CHARTER projected onto the screen when I entered the conference room. Before the conference (held in NewSouth Wales), I was taken to four museum railways in the State of Victoria including the Puffing Billy Railway, one ofthe first to be established as a volunteer led railway in 1953. It is a very impressive line in more ways than one and its

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staff, both paid and volunteer, are truly imaginative and highly professional. The line now carries 200,000 passengersa year, a very creditable figure when you remember that the total population of the continent of Australia is less than20 million.

Following our Extraordinary General Meeting (when we approved the constitutional changes) and the Council Meetingin Greece at the beginning of October, I was taken by Manos Vougioukas to the European Transport Conference inStrasbourg where I described the work of FEDECRAIL and the RIGA CHARTER in particular, while Professor NikolosBogiazides spoke about the EU Culture 2000 programme and SteamRail.net in particular.

The last SteamRail.net partners’ meeting took place in Haaksbergen in mid-October and coincided with a vintagetransport festival, thus guaranteeing a fair amount of media coverage. Ben Heerink’s management of the Dutch MBSrestoration project was as impressive as Andris Biedrin’s efforts in Latvia who had been our hosts in June.Undoubtedly, they benefited from hosting the partners’ meetings later into the programme from the point of view ofdisplay, but members will have seen the presentations from all the partners at our Volos conference.

At the end of October, I addressed representatives of Polish railway preservation in Lodz. Apart from explaining thework of FEDECRAIL, I sought to encourage them to form a national umbrella body, hopefully with a little more successthan that which met my urging two years previously. One positive outcome of my previous visit was that my letter toPKP Cargo, responsible for the railway museum and steam depot at Chabowka, persuaded them to make theappropriate investment in the restoration of the museum and retention of its staff and their enterprising lady director isonce again operating steam trains over the main line.

The question of national umbrella organisations continues to exercise your Council. In January, we held our quarterlymeeting in Salzburg to enable us to meet up with the leading protagonists of the recently formed ŐMT led by ourexisting member, Alfred Fleissner, of the Tramway Mariazell-Erlaufsee. He, of course, had been involved inFEDECRAIL since the start, serving on the Morgan Commission between 1992 and 1994. I was much reassured tofind that their proposals encompass the establishment of a truly representative body and will not just take the form ofan exclusive club.

My optimism over the very positive Austrian developments sadly does not extend to the activities – or rather the lack ofthem, of AIMFETUR. It would seem that this has been largely moribund, no doubt due in part to the legal problemsconfronting its President, Carles Salmeron, through no fault of his own. However, it is obviously important that theorganisation should not be paralysed by these difficulties and your Council has agreed in these circumstances thatthose Iberian members be entitled to enjoy FEDECRAIL membership as individual railways or museums during 2006and that they regroup under some form of umbrella organisation under fresh leadership.

Lastly, I am writing this article in Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego in the southernmost tip of Argentina where I am helpingto prepare the second World Congress of Steam and Tourist Trains. Rightly or wrongly, I regard FEDECRAIL as theworld’s leading body in the field, being the only truly international organisation representing such interests, albeitrestricted to European heritage and tourist railways. For that reason, I agreed that FEDECRAIL should lead theproposal to set up a worldwide INTERNATIONAL STEAM & TOURIST TRAIN ASSOCIATION. This will be launchedat the Congress and I hope that FEDECRAIL members will come to this fascinating country to witness the birth of thisnew organisation. Indeed, I have negotiated a 20% discount in the registration fee for FEDECRAIL members and theirmember railways.

For more details, visit the Congress website on www.steamandtouristrains.com or contact Stuart Anderson on +542901 43 1600 ext 29. I look forward to seeing you at the Congress.DAVID T. MORGANPresident

HEIMO ECHENSPERGER - VICE-PRESIDENTCouncil were very pleased to learn of the appointment of Heimo Echensberger to the Management Board of DB-Netzearlier this year. Heimo is the President of the German umbrella organisation VDMT. This appointment is arecognition of the important place of VDMT in the railway industry of Germany and we all wish Heimo success in thenew challenges that he will face.

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OUR FUTURE NEWSLETTER

Once again, my thanks go to Livius Kooy who has been on the receiving end of complaints and questions about thenon-appearance of the Newsletter.

I am not sure that my future time will allow me to give assurances of being able to personally produce the scheduledfour editions of the Newsletter each year. Indeed, since taking on this job, I do not think that I have ever failed todeliver against schedules so many times in my life. As a retired professional Project Manager, the achieving ofdeadlines has been part of my life for many years. Having said that, the production of the Newsletter still requires thatimportant thing that I have mentioned before - NEWS!!

In NL22 I appealed for someone from each of your national organisations who could send me news from your homecountries. The result to date has been a stunning silence! This leads me to ask two questions:-1) Do you actually want a Newsletter or are you all satisfied with your national sources of news and do not wantto hear about other member countries?2) If you do want a Newsletter, what do you want to read in it? There is a limit to the amount of officialinformation about EU legislation, or conference and other communications.3) If you do not want a Newsletter, would we be better to set up an electronic news section on our web site topost items as and when they occur so that Members can look regularly? This would possibly be a problem for non-connected Members, but with the spread of Public Internet Access, is this a problem? To drop into an Internet Caféfor a coffee and to read the news is becoming as normal as buying a morning newspaper, or your monthly railwaymagazine.

A final thought - is the lack of response by anyone to anything that appears in the Newsletter because the contents aretotally boring and useless to any reader - or does nobody read it?

STEAMRAIL.NET BRINGS EUROPEAN STEAM RAILWAYS TOGETHER.

It is certainly true that Manos Vougioukas from Greece has opened doors with the SteamRail.Net project, supported bythe Culture 2000 EU-programme. It aimed at the restoration of steam locomotives in six European countries, and thepresentation of the results through multi-lingual multimedia of various kinds. Since a concluding Conference withFedecrail in Greece in 2006 would be part of it all, Fedecrail became involved as a sub-contractor. The regular projectpartners’ meetings in Greece, Spain, France, Latvia, and Britain were attended by the Fedecrail President, DavidMorgan.

I myself attended a SteamRail.Net meeting at my village Haaksbergen on Friday the 15th October 2005. The MBSsteam railway held the successful inauguration of steam locomotive “Navizence” of 1910, after a big overhaul andrestoration, which included the construction of a new steam boiler. This engine was built by SLM Winterthur inSwitzerland and is of the same type as NS 7851/7852, which were built just after the war as a replacement fordamaged locomotives.

The meeting took place in brilliant weather. At 14.30 the signal was pulled from the old station by Mrs. E. Pot from theProvince of Overijssel, then the steam engine rolled towards Haaksbergen. Representatives of Local and Provincialauthorities, tourist information centres, other museum railways and cultural organisations, SteamRail.Netrepresentatives from the six partner countries, two Fedecrail Council members (David Morgan and myself) , volunteerrailway workers, press etc. were gathered on the platform.

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We listened to the speech of MBS Chairman Josh Sijbom who welcomed the guests and explained the internationalcooperation of the SteamRail.Net project. He also highlighted the various contributions from SteamRail.net/ Culture2000 and other sponsors and donors, notably the Province of Overijssel and the Prins Bernhard Cultural Fund. Thelocomotive had been bought and donated by Mr. Hans Heupink. After that the Fedecrail President David Morganstressed the unique European cooperation within this project.

Then we all witnessed how a big cardboard box was opened by the little son of the engine driver. In it, there were tworeplica locomotive lanterns which were placed on the front buffer beam. A plaque was unveiled which showed that thelocomotive had been restored with grants from the EU Culture 2000 programme through the SteamRail.Net project.Champagne was served after which the train departed to the other end of the line. All enjoyed the trip, and were verysatisfied with the excellent standard of restoration which had been achieved by the MBS.

On Saturday 16th October the project partners met in a hotel along the railway with the project coordinator and arepresentation of the University of Thessaly (which manages the administration of the project), to discuss the progressof the project. On all railways except the Pelion railway the locomotive restoration had been completed.

There were video shots from the project in Haaksbergen, Latvia, France and Greece which were to make an overallproject DVD. Books had been made and exhibitions had been organised and visited in order to introduce theinternational cooperation project to a wider public. There were also web pages about the project in four countries.

On Sunday 17th October, the MBS celebrated its annual Autumn Steam Gala with a train departure every 45 minutes,up to the limit of the capacity. The staff worked hard and a total of 4,200 passengers went with the steam train withouta problem. I was on duty as station master. The newly restored steam locomotive showed its best : she steamed welland could accelerate very fast in order to make up some lost time. “Like the metro” was the happy comment of driverStefan Fahnrich, who had worked on the engine for almost two year.

At the end of the day, the partners of the SteamRail.Net project left Haaksbergen behind “Navizence”, enthusiasticallywaving goodbye to me on their way to the halfway hotel. The train roared away in order to make up some lost time. Ipulled the signal back behind the train and went back to the train administration, happy like all.Livius J. Kooy.

FEDECRAIL & STEAMRAIL.NET CONFERENCE 2006 –19-26 May 2006 : VOLOS & ATHENS, GREECE

This year was the first conference to be held in Greece, and took a different format to previous years, incorporatingreports on SteamRail.net, as well as the Fedecrail AGM and various visits. Delegates were based in Volos andAthens, and there was an opportunity to add on a visit to the Peloponnese railways after the official business Therewere representatives from 13 different countries.

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Friday was spent on a full day visit to the mountain section of the Pelion Railway to Milies. This has been restored withthe help of EU grant money. It really is a most spectacular ride. Lunch was taken in Milies, and on our return a groupof traditional Greek dancers, danced on the platform for us

Saturday consisted of the business sessions. These were held in the University of Thessaly which thankfully was airconditioned as the outside temperature was way up in the 30’s.

The official welcome made reference to the development of the Pelion Railway, the growth of tourism, and of muchwork done in connection with cultural heritage in the area.

The President of the Pelion Railway Association made a passionate speech, outlining the history of preservation andof future plans to restore the railway to Zagora.

The planning chief from the Department of Magnesia declared the Conference open.

President David Morgan thanked the hosts for the warm welcome, and went on to explain about the Riga Charter, aswell as giving a short history of previous charters relating to other areas of heritage conservation.

There then followed a summary of SteamRail.net activities, both visual and oral from the participating countries ofNetherlands, Latvia, United Kingdom (Midland Railway Centre, Butterley), France, Greece (Pelion Railway) and Spain.A specially commissioned DVD about the project was shown.

The day’s proceedings finished off with presentations on Multi Media Products, and The Social and Economic contextof steam railways and their Cultural Heritage value.

In the evening a special diesel hauled train took us on the coastal section of the Pelion Railway from Volos to Agria.This caused much tooting of horns from passing motorists. At Agria a splendid dinner was eaten outside the station,which was very evocative. Return to Volos was by bus, as unfortunately the railway is not allowed to run after dark.

Sunday morning saw the official annual General Assembly meeting of Fedecrail.

After lunch we visited the Thessaly metre gauge railway, which is being restored by volunteers. Half of the run was in avintage “Flying Hamburger” railcar, the other half in an open wagon hauled by an industrial diesel locomotive, ratherreminiscent of Brake Van rides on BR in the 1960’s. They are a small, but enthusiastic group, and deserve to succeed.Apparently OSE in Athens turn a blind eye to their activities, so long as they basically “keep their noses clean”!Imagine that happening in the UK.

Dinner was taken in the old brick works where some of the locomotives used there were on display.

Monday saw us looking round the steam engine collection at Volos station, actually it’s a collection of abandonedengines (in Greece they seem to finish with something, and abandon things where they stand) There were also somehistoric coaches (at least these were under cover), and a small museum.

A special train comprised of historic Wagon Lits vehicles, and hauled by an Alco diesel took us to Larissa. Here lunchwas taken on the station platform.

Then it was by service train to Athens, followed by evening dinner.

Tuesday was a full day’s visit to the Diakopto Rack Railway. This was reached by the new high speed line to Korinthos(New station), which has not been electrified yet, so DMU’s were operating the service. It looks rather strange to seestations built for twelve car trains, complete with through lines, and diminutive DMU’s running.

Then it was change to the metre gauge (after a gentleman from Norway, was admonished for taking photographs, hetook great delight in producing his official permit), for the run via Korinthos old station to the junction station of the rackrailway.

This railway is an absolute gem, the narrowest gauge in Europe to use rack. We had a special train with photographicstops. The service is operated by DMU’s with rod drive, and the scenery is stunning.

After the round trip we made our way back to Athens over the same route as we had travelled out on, this wasfollowed by an evening at leisure.

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The following day was spent seeing what Athens itself had to offer in the way of public transport. A lot of investmenthas gone into the transport system thanks to the Olympics; let’s hope that is the case at home.

First was a visit to the Athens Piraeus Electric Railway(ISAP), the first railway in Greece, now integrated as part of theMetro. We rode in one of the early 1900’s wooden bodied vehicles out to the terminus of Piraeus, the dock area of thecity. Here a visit was made to the most interesting ISAP Museum which is located in the terminus station. The newworks for the new Piraeus main line station was visited, this was followed by a look round the soon to be closed oldstation, which has many historical connections, although clearly had seen better days. It will be a shame when it is nomore.

The afternoon saw us riding on the shiny new tram system, up to the brand new lines of the Metro system. Here after atour of the station facilities, we were treated to a tour of the new control centre, which thoughtfully has a viewinggallery, so as not to distract or disturb the Controllers. The Chief Controller gave us a most interesting insight intocurrent operations.

Finally for those who could not get enough, a visit to the Metro depot on the far side of Larissa main station wasundertaken, which included a photographic visit to the depot signal tower.

The evening marked the official end of the conference with an evening reception by the Friends of Greek Railways atthe Athens Railway Museum, which is located at an OSE depot next to the main line

After a look round the exhibits, and much networking with new colleagues from the Museum, a delightful buffet wasenjoyed overlooking the main line, you don’t get better than that.

Some delegates stayed on for another two days to view some of the Peloponnese narrow gauge system. The firstsection was a repeat of Tuesday’s visit, and then it was on to Olympia via Patras. At Olympia the culture vultures hadtheir fill looking at the original site of the Olympic games, followed by an overnight stay in the town, which was nice andrelaxing after Athens.

Friday the final day saw us return from Olympia to the branch junction at Alfios, where a special train hauled by anAlco diesel took us to a connecting service train. I don’t think that diesel complied with EU emission regulations!

On our arrival at Kalamatra we were greeted by the Mayor, and representatives of the tourist board. We saw the steamcollection on the former harbour branch which was sadly heavily covered in graffiti, and then the final journey back toKorinthos, via some more abandoned steam locomotives, which was unfortunately by coach, as this section iscurrently being relayed.

A high speed run back to Athens, and a last get together over a drink, and then people made their way home onSaturday.

Next year is the turn of Denmark, which will be held in Odense hosted by the Danish Railway Museum, prospectivedates should be confirmed by the beginning of September and will be published on the web site..

I hope to see as many of you there as possible, as always you will not be disappointed

Special thanks must go to Peter Ovenstone, John Fuller (Conference Organisers), George Nathenas and colleagues(who looked after us in Greece), and Manos Vougioukas (Volos and Pelion Railway)

Steve WoodFedecrail UK Representative

FEDECRAIL CONFERENCE 2007Our 2007 Conference will be in Denmark. Our hosts are the National Railway Museum at Odense and therewill be a full supporting programme to visit the tourist and museum railways of Denmark. The dates will beconfirmed early in September and will be posted on our web site. Alternatively, please contact any Council

Member or Officer for details.

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CONFERENCE 2006 - IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE GODS (Part 1 - Volos)Friday 19 May 2006 to Monday 22 May 2006

(All photographs: John Fuller)

FRIDAY 19th - THE MILIES LINEA gem of a line - one of the best kept secrets of Greece! A 60cm line intothe mountains that were one of the homes of the mythical Greek Gods.

THE HARD WORK!←Inside the Conference

HallAnd Outside the Hall! →

What a decision to make!!!

SUNDAY AFTERNOONThe Thessaly Railway

MONDAYVolos Station, the Graveyard& FEDECRAIL Special Train

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IATM CONFERENCE, 9-17 JUNE 2007, YORKSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOMTRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION MUSEUMS IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

Second and Final Call for Papers

Transport museums face ever-increasing challenges as they try both to meet visitors’ rising expectations and tomaintain the integrity and vitality of their collections in an environment of declining funding from traditional sources. Yetthe continued popularity and international recognition of some museums in the sector show that innovative thinkingand high levels of professionalism can produce success. By bringing together museum directors, trustees,professionals and practitioners, academics and others concerned with the theory and practice of museums and relatedheritage sites, the IATM conference provides unparalleled opportunities to shape today’s museum agenda, and toshare best practice in the task of equipping the sector for the challenges ahead.

Proposals are therefore invited for papers addressing the theory and/or practice of one or more of the following topics:

The role of volunteersOperating in a political environmentThe sustainability of museums over the longer termGenerating incomePartnerships between museums and with related bodies

Other suggestions that address the general theme of the conference will also be considered. In making its selection,the Programme Group will aim to maximize discussion and debate. Individual papers will therefore be limited to 20minutes each. Submissions for complete panels of up to three presenters/discussants and a chairperson are stronglyencouraged; no commentator is required. Organizers of such panels will be free to arrange the allocated time (usually90 minutes) as they see fit, and are welcome to depart from the conventional arrangements of speakers if this will helpto promote debate.

Every proposal for an individual paper must include a short (200-300 word) abstract, a brief (no more than one side ofA4) of the author(s), and an email address for subsequent correspondence. Proposals for panels must also include abrief (up to 300 words) explanation of the theme and structure of the session. Electronic submission is stronglyencouraged; attached files should be in rtf or MS Word. All participants will be required to register by Monday 9 April2007 in order to secure their place on the programme.

The conference will be based in the highly attractive historic city of York located in northern England some 190 miles(300km) north of London. Participants will also have the opportunity to visit a number of transport and communicationmuseums elsewhere in the region; several of the business sessions will be held in these places. York is easilyaccessible by train from London and other major locations in the UK, including the international port of Hull andairports at Newcastle, Manchester, Stansted and London (Heathrow and Gatwick). The airports at Leeds/Bradford,Doncaster and East Midlands (Nottingham/ Derby) are also served by public transport.

Submissions should be sent by Friday 27 October 2006 to: Martyn Halman, IATM Conference Facilitator, NationalRailway Museum, Leeman Road, York, YO26 4XJ, United Kingdom.Email: martyn.halman@nmsi.ac.uk

Programme GroupAndrew Scott (Chair) (National Railway Museum, UK); Prof. Colin Divall (University of York, UK); Birgitta Wistoft (Postand Telecommunications Museum, Denmark).

CORRESPONDENCE

This letter was received by Stephen Wiggs as Chairman of NERHT following the visit of the Governor of PaneveyzsCounty, Lithuania to UK Heritage Railways. The visit was arranged by NERHT with the active co-operation both ofFEDECRAIL and members of the UK Heritage Railway Association. The objective, as has been the case withprevious visits from other countries, was to give new operators and owners of museum and tourist railways an in depthexperience of what could be achieved by our industry.

Dear Stephen,First of all I would like to thank everyone who helped to prepare and realize this wonderful visit to the United Kingdom.Many thanks to David Morgan, John Fuller, David Allan and John Keylock.

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Our visit to the UK was important for two essential things. We have got many practical activity examples from theNorth Wales narrow gauge railways and we were able to discuss about the admission of our narrow gauge railwaySiaurukas to FEDECRAIL. Good impressions were not only of the railways, how warmly it was introduced, but also ofthe warm welcome and heartiness of British people.

We had a possibility to get to know your narrow gauge railway marketing system, how it works and we understoodsome differences. Our train Siaurukas was only run by advance booking, while you organise a public train service. Toemulate you, since 20th May 2006 we have introduced public train services in Lithuania. It means that everybody maybuy a ticket and go by historical train Siaurukas on the route Anyksciai – Panevezys – Anyksciai. We chose this datebecause it co-incided with the General Meeting of FEDECRAIL in Volos (Greece).

Another main aspect of our visit was the tradition of voluntary work in narrow gauge railway. We likewise have startedthis wonderful tradition and have already organised 4 voluntary works sessions. Also we hope that the information wereceived and the contacts we made may assist in the renovation of old locomotives and we hope to send youngpeople as volunteers to work and get more experience on your historical railways. Your historical rolling-stockequipment made an impression also.

The general impression of the visit is your respect to historical heritage, its integration into modern-day tourism,marketing and life. In my opinion our visit to Wales was useful for practical experience and may help the developmentof the narrow gauge railway in Lithuania.

Yours sincerely,Gintaras Kerbedis

(Editor’s Note: We visited this line as part of the Riga Conference and it is very welcome news that after some difficulttimes, the new owners (the local county councils) have been able to introduce scheduled services so that visitors knowwhen they can catch a train. I urge anyone visiting the Baltic States to try and make a visit to this fascinating line.)

WORLD STEAM AND TOURIST TRAIN CONFERENCEAs mentioned in our President’s report, this conference and an international supporting programme is to take place inearly October 2006. For full details see their web site www.steamandtouristrains.com or contact Stuart Anderson on+54 2901 43 1600 ext 29.

CONFERENCES IN ESTONIA AND POLAND

I am informed in the last few days that there is intended to be a railway conference in Estonia in October 2006. MehisHelme of the Estonian Narrow Gauge Museum at Lavasarre is organising this and if anyone is interested, I hope tohave more details very soon. If you are interested, please contact me.

Information has also been received of a Railway Heritage Seminar to be held in Krakow, Poland on Saturday 21st

October 2006. There is usually a supporting visit programme and the friendliness of Polish enthusiasts has madeprevious such events enjoyable. Again, please contact me for further details as they become available.

RAMSHACKLE NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY AS LIFELINE

Semigorodnaja – for Western European ears quite a tuneful name for an area in the endless Russian nowhere. Oncethere has been a network of more than 100 km narrow gauge tracks in this region situated 600 km eastwards fromMoscow. The railway was the only connection between the settlements alongside the tracks. Today only a track of 30km can still be used at walking pace and the gauge undergoes repairs while the trains are in operation. The railwayand the settlements were erected after World War II for the expanding wood economy at that time to transport the cutbirch trunks out of the forests. Today, the wood kolkhozes are privatised and the production is reduced.

A train ride proves unhurrid, as the tracks keep sinking down. When there is construction work on the narrow gauge,the old tracks are dismantled, the existing route is equipped with new sleepers and the tracks are put back. Thesleepers are made of tree trunks – mainly birches -, which were only sawed at length. The rail track has the standardof a light railway and the estimated metre gauge (with large tolerances) is seen as narrow gauge system not only forRussian measures.

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In former days there were even passenger wagons, today the few passengers travel for free on the locomotive andeven in the drivers’ cab. People just wait by the track and stop the freight trains.Only on Tuesdays and Thursdays a closed carriage with seats is coupled to the freight train. They ride as a mixedgoods and passenger train. Here the few itinerant sellers offer their mobile range of goods. They do not have a largeclientele, there are only two settlements remaining. These kept their creative names of the Soviet era:Kilometre No 6 and Kilometre No 17!!!Source: German TelevisionBruno Rebbelmund

THE “BLACK COMPANIONS”

The author of the following historical newspaper article describes in a rather poetic and colourful way, what happens atthe front in the locomotive:-The rail passenger sits comfortably leaned against the cushions in his train carriage and enjoys the journey. Does hereally think of the two men at the front, who do hard and responsible work for him???

“The work in a tender engine is very demanding and the staff have to be personally committed. The workingconditions in the locomotive are very bad. A narrow space in the drivers’ cab, heat in the front coming from the boiler,in addition to the cold in the winter in the back from the open coal tender, no lavatory to satisfy a human need in aproper manner. Besides, the shifts are irregular, at daytime, by night, on working days, Sundays and bank holidays.

A journalist from a Berlin newspaper, who took part in a journey in a tender engine, depicts a shift in an impressiveway:... the two men, the engine driver and the stoker, work in silence; they watch over strange clocks, which are gluedonto the iron backside of the tender engine with their white, round faces. Black fingers swing up and down and eachswing is carefully followed. The huge shovel in the hands of the stoker digs into the black heap of coal makingstrumming noise, the hole of the inner firebox opens, he looks into a sea of flames and with an enormous force thecoals fly into the gorge to the very end of this blazing stomach. Over there, at the right of the engine, the driver standsstaring through the oval window. In front of him there are the rails and the signals, which with lifted arms show himthat the track is clear, and small signs one or double armed indicating the bends, gradients and slopes. He knows thetrack, as no engine driver who does not possess detailed knowledge of the route with all its signals is allowed to drivea locomotive. In order to prove his knowledge he has to carry with him a card outlining his knowledge about the route.On the card all tracks are listed on which he is allowed to drive a tender engine.

The left hand of the engine driver holds the regulator valve, a hand gear which sticks out of a lever He is ready to useit at any time in order to bit the raging steed with fifteen hundred horse power, until it stops, completely restrained; ittakes 800 metres to stop, that is the engine’s braking distance from full speed. , Moreover this measure is dependanton the length of the carriages coupled to the train, and on the weather. The two men, the engine driver and his stoker,see nothing but the broad backside of the engine and the narrow strip of the gauge when they look out of the ovalwindow to the front. They seize here and there and know that each grab can become the fate of thousands who areseated behind them in the carriages.

They don’t see anything of the passing landscape. They only feel the tracks speeding below them, hear the rattlewhen the train passes turnouts, feel the rhythm of the speed and know that they must not feel anything but their dutyand responsibility. The two men know the engine like a jockey his horse. They keep “their engine” in shape. It mustnot smoke or develop overpressure. It must be stoked correctly. But of course, it is not an easy task to watch the fireevery minute during eight hours, the development of steam, dosage of water fed into the engine and to regulateeverything in order that the tender engine works economically most efficiently. You need more to get there than agood training, more than the readiness to work together. You need to love your profession!!!”Source: A Hundred Years of German Railways, Yearbook 1835 – 1935, Deutsche Reichsbahn

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FEDECRAIL MEMBERS COME FROM 25 NATIONSAustria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain,Greece, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Ukraine.

WHAT IS FEDECRAIL?FEDECRAIL – the European Federation of Museum and Tourist Railways is an organisationunder Belgian law. It was founded in April 1994 in Brussels and was authorized by BelgianRoyal Decree.FEDECRAIL - is the European parent organisation for all Railways and Museums which areengaged in the maintenance, preservation and operation of historical railways.FEDECRAIL - every European national parent organisation for Museums and Tourist Railwayscan become a member of FEDECRAIL. Individual associations can only become members ifthere is no national organisation. Individual members or non-European associations can join thecircle of the "FRIENDS OF FEDECRAIL" as promoters, patrons or sponsors but without the rightto vote.FEDECRAIL - is a connecting link between the national parent organisations and the EuropeanUnion (EU) committees, European parliament, EU commissions, EU executive boards, etc.FEDECRAIL - is the forum for discussions and the exchange of information for the EuropeanMuseum and Tourist RailwaysFEDECRAIL – members of the Council, Officers and Technical Representatives come from theEuropean member associations and work exclusively on an honorary basis.FEDECRAIL - publishes a newsletter with important information four times a year

FEDECRAIL - organises an annual conference with specific European topics about Museum andTourist Railways, such as the preservation and maintenance of European railway heritage,regional regeneration, safety, financing, legislation harmonisation, environmental protection, etc..Study trips to member railways and museums with the opportunity to see “behind the scenes”are always an element of the conferences.

FEDECRAIL Conferences have taken place in:-1994 BRUXELLES, Belgium 1999 PRAGUE, Czech Republic1995 STRASBOURG, France 2000 BAD BREISIG, Germany1996 BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom 2001 TORINO, Italy1997 STOCKHOLM, Sweden 2002 RIGA, Latvia1998 BARCELONA, Spain 2003 LLANDUDNO, U.K.2004 LEIDEN, Netherlands 2005 LYON, France2006 VOLOS, Greece