Gyermekvasút
Gyermekvasút is a Hungarian word that means "children's railway". But "children's railways" ain't no toys! The young pioneer movement railways started in Soviet Russia - and many of them are still going strong today in Russia and the Eastern European countries that were once part of the USSR. Watch this film and if it doesn't make you slightly envious, I don't know what will!
Budapest Children's Railway Intro Litmus Films
The Budapest Gyermekvasut, is probably the most well-known of the pioneer railways. What I really like about this railway is that the children are trained and supervised by MÁV (Hungarian State Railways) and they are competent. Yes, competent! The children show that they can be every bit as competent as adults in the work they do. Unlike the Moscow railway, they aren’t allowed to drive. European regulations discourage that, but the Russian railways show that it is perfectly possible.
Now could anything like this ever happen here in England? With all the safeguarding and health and safety regulations we have? With Acts of Parliament that lawyers think prohibit volunteering on heritage railways under the age of 18? We do things differently in the UK. There are always people with interesting ideas and the imagination to see what could be.
The Downs Light Railway Trust is near Malvern in Worcestershire (hope you know where that is) and the railway has been there for nearly 100 years. It's 9.5" gauge and mostly steam. It was started by a private school headmaster who also had the idea that railways were a really good way to make young people competent, responsible and employable. Now they have exciting new ideas for a centenary development programme that will open the railway to others, starting from a very young age and leading to competence in teenage. Could this be a method for the UK?
The Severn Valley at Kidderminster, The East Somerset at Cranmore, The Nene Valley at Washford,
the Colne Valley, Foxfield, the Vale of Aylesbury at Quainton Road, Bo’ness, Buckfastleigh, Welsh Highland Heritage, County School (formerly Holt), Crewe (Heritage Centre) are some of the railways that have miniature lines on or near to their land.
You will find these lines, and many more, on the Miniature Railway World site which has a very comprehensive list searchable by area or by name alphabetically. The Station Road Steam site also has an excellent directory here.
It's not the size of the railway that matters - it's the size of your ideas.
Watch for exciting developments on
The Bluebell Railway