Demographic timebomb?

People often hold this up as if it is an existential factor in the survival of heritage railways.

To take ours as an example, the coal bill amounted to about 5% of the annual expenditure in 2014, and I think it has been broadly similar for several years. So even an unplanned 20% year-on-year increase in the price of coal will only make a 1% increase in the gross annual expenditure. Now clearly you don't really want any increase in expenditure, but 1% is to some extent within the noise - a 20% rise in coal price would add something in the region of 25 pence to every ticket, or else require selling something in the region of an additional 10 - 15 tickets every operating day without changing the service pattern: the latter is obviously preferable!

An equivalent 20% rise in the raw materials cost for catering would actually have a much more significant impact on overall profitability!

Tom

 

Point taken but it is subtly different from running heavier trains and hungrier motive power than really justified. Being a wannabee mainline is not good for keeping costs under control.

None of this is directly relevant to the thread. Guilty as charged M'Lud!

PH

 

I can only agree with the link provided by the OP. I think the article has it pretty much spot on.
Retirement age is going up, defined benefit pensions are coming to and end, the chance for early retirement is diminishing.
As a retired volunteer who lives 90 miles from my chosen railway I know exactly how much it costs me to volunteer. Averaging it out over the year its about £40 per day!
(Fuel, accommodation, evening meal.) I tend to do about 2 days per week in the peak season, approx. 55 firing turns per year. So I budget about £200 per month. Ok - this is an extreme case and I could reduce the cost somewhat but then the task becomes a chore.
As to the engagement of young people, it's true that we do get a lot of teenage volunteers but then girlfriend, family etc do tend to thin them out quite quickly. None of these kids can remember mainline steam so it's a different motivation to that which existed back in the 70's.
The H&S point has also been raised, things that were taken as the norm years ago are unacceptable today, we also live in a far more litigious society. The risk of a lawsuit is an ever growing threat and this can only add to insurance costs and bring a massive increase in restrictive practices.
My conclusion is that there is a real problem looming for heritage rail going forward. So yes - enjoy it while you can.

 

I always wince now when I see yet another new heritage line or new build project. Right now we have, as a sector, a lot of retired ex rail or engineering people who have built some fantastic lines. We've also had the financial benefit of such people leaving huge sums of money for this or that project. I reckon a lot of that will dry up in the next ten years, which combined with issues around the lifespans of equipment, will cause some major headaches.
Perhaps the biggest worry will be coaching stock. Mark 1s are getting more and more knackered, and older wooden stock needs a lot of specialist skill. The public won't want to be towed about in modern looking mark 2s. Yes, I know they were about at the end of steam, but on a smaller, poorer railway where the interiors are as withdrawn...

I would treat these young volunteer projects with a degree of suspicion. Yes, they can help, but done wrong they can lead to segregation and dumbing down, which can turn people right off. I've seen some pretty poor, overly safe and utterly, utterly dull young members events, not just in railways either.
It should be possible for a competent workshop team to safely manage 14 year olds in the workshop, under supervision. When I did my apprenticeship, my company ran a program for children this age to do their NVQ Level 1 in Turning, milling, welding, electrical and bench fitting. This age is a fantastic time to get peoples interest in engineering.

One of our OAP volunteers once hit the nail on the head: At 14, you're still a kid in school, your Mum nags you and everyone thinks you're trouble. Go down your local heritage workshop, and you enter the world of adults. With the right attitude, you can be taught incredible skills and the use of some interesting equipment. It can be the first time you earn respect.

Where I volunteer, the workshop is one team. We have a good few regular volunteers in each decade from teenagers to 70's, all working as one-just like a regular factory. I would not be where I am today without the people, staff and volunteer, who taught me and caught my interest so that I did an apprenticeship. This is the sort of thing that keeps people coming. I don't give a stuff about what tram ran where, but since I pretty much owe my living to Crich I feel pretty strongly about it.

I do also think that the panicked focus on young people is misplaced. Yes, encourage the right ones, but don't forget people between 20 and 50. Plenty of them will want something to do at the weekend, you often find that Mr 50+ starts bringing his teenager to get them started in engineering. Or in my case, I started taking my brother up-he's now an apprentice fab and welder. In fact, there's another thing to promote. One hurdle us ignorant yoofs face when applying for jobs is experience. Most jobs insist on several years experience, which is a problem if you're 18 and fresh out of school. Even if you're not going into engineering, showing your potential employer the lumps of tram you've made/repaired/serviced gets you noticed.

Do also remember, phrases like "Oh, it's so good to see some young people getting involved" can sound anything from desperate to pleading to downright creepy. People of whatever age will only volunteer if they enjoy it, more so if they're getting something out of it.

 

There is evidence to suggest that it helps young peoples development to work alongside adults - rather than be worked with

There is also an argument that apprenticeships - the old style ones at least, helped to bring young people into the 'adult' world, and teach them how to be 'grown up'

While its a bit 'off topic' there is something in there that can perhaps be worked on or commented on

 

Given the puzzled looks I see on a lot of faces when they attempt to get off of a MK3 coach on an HST and can't find a button, I think for a lot of people we've already reached the point where anything with a slam-door is mysteriously vintage...