THE chairman of Elsecar Heritage Railway has been put forward for a Proud of Barnsley award for being an exceptional volunteer who is dedicated to improving the railway.
Andy Earl has been chairman of the group for two years having become a volunteer about five years ago.
The group is committed to the preservation, restoration and expansion of the railway and volunteers carry out all duties, from driving the engines to maintaining the track.
It runs train journeys on the historic track on Sundays and bank holidays, as well as special events throughout the year, including a summer celebration of ‘cream tea season’ and Hallowe’en-themed train rides.
This year, it celebrated the 20th anniversary of the first steam train to be operated on the railway and in addition to three steam services, the railway’s sheds were opened up to the public for tours to see the maintenance and restoration work which normally goes off behind the scenes.
Andrew has been nominated by Michael Dugher MP who said the organisation would not exist without volunteers such as him and that he was the driving force behind its success.
With the exception of his wife Rev Alison Earl, who is the vicar of Elsecar, Andrew says his two passions in life are steam engines and local beer, and it was always one of his ambitions to drive a steam engine.
He said: “I am delighted the work we are doing as a group of volunteers has been recognised by both our MP and the locality. A lot of people don’t know that we have got South Yorkshire’s only heritage railway in Barnsley. We’re in a fairly unique position.
“But it’s not just about me, I’m just the spearhead of the organisation. We have about 40 members, and between 40 and 50 regular volunteers who give up days and days of their time to keep it going.”
Andrew said the council and volunteers started to run the heritage train service on the old NCB siding twenty years ago. It was run on 200m of track, and over the years they have built it up to a mile and a quarter. He said a second mile and a quarter of track will eventually link Elsecar to Cortonwood, where there will be a memorial park and terminus.
The group has also invested £50,000 in the restoration of the Mardy Monster locomotive and hopes she will be back in steam by Easter next year.
Besides his work with Elsecar Heritage Railway, Andy is also a chaplain with the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, working with young people who are training to become junior soldiers. He has served as a chaplain in Afghanistan where he won a medal for gallantry.
Before taking up his role as a chaplain with the armed forces, Andy was a police inspector.
He added: “Although I travel all over the world with the military, Barnsley is now the place I call home and I’m very proud of it. But that is not why any of us do it, we all have a passion for preservation and steam.”
Mr Dugher added: “In this voluntary role, Andrew is dedicated to improving the railway and the organisation behind it. Over the last two years, the railway has doubled its number of board members to include not only train aficionados, but also business and planning experts.
“Under Andrew’s guidance as chairman, the railway has also been able to invest more than £70,000 back into further development of its facilities and he is currently working on securing an ambitious railway extension into Cortonwood.
“The railway continues to grow as one of the jewels in the crown for tourists and visitors to the borough.”
Read more in this weeks Barnsley Chronicle
