Summer 2020 Joint Line

To all our members,

As we all know these are very challenging times. As I sit here looking out at the sun shining on what is set to be the hottest April on record, we should be welcoming visitors to the Railway to be entertained by our wonderfully dedicated staff and volunteers showing them the delights of our stunning collection of locomotives and rolling stock steaming through the countryside of one of the most beautiful parts of the United Kingdom.

Instead the Railway is still. It is silent. The rails have that unused look – the railheads have a covering of rust instead of that brilliant shine reflecting the spring sun. The stations are quiet and everyone is abiding by the law and staying at home. With the exception of just essential security inspections your Railway sleeps.

But everything is safe and secure and the time will soon come again for fires to be lit, steam raised and trains depart all stations loaded with happy visitors. Until that time the M&GN Society is working very closely with the NNR plc in managing finances, raising funds and preparing for that time when the restrictions are lifted and the railway can hit the ground running quickly making these present times a distant memory.

On a practical note very regrettably the summer issue of ‘Joint Line’ will not be published. It is simply impossible to comply with the government guidelines when it comes to social distancing in order to coordinate the distribution. To compensate you for this when the next journal is published it will be a special edition and certainly something to look forward to.

Our members are our lifeblood so ‘thank you’ for staying with us. Your membership fees will help enormously in these very unpredictable times.

More importantly, and on behalf of the M&GN Society, I ask all our members and their families to please stay safe. We will come out of this and your Railway will continue to flourish.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Birley, BEM