Llanfair line's secret weapon – a dustpan and brush

The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway’s locomotives might be tucked up in their shed over the winter, but the Mid-Wales heritage line’s members are being kept busy, working on essential maintenance during the closed season.

And the latest item of essential equipment acquired by the track gang to aid this work is… a dustpan and brush!

The volunteers spend the winter months carrying out track work that cannot be done while trains are operating, including replacing worn sleepers along the eight-mile route.

While these have traditionally been made of wood, in recent years the railway has, like most in the heritage industry, and Network Rail, adopted composite sleepers made from recycled plastics.

As well as re-using bottles, food packaging and other unwanted plastics that may otherwise end up in a landfill, composite sleepers last much longer than their traditional counterparts.

Wooden sleepers have been made either from softwood treated with creosote, which is today not considered to be a very environmentally-friendly product, or hardwood, the growing of which can put pressure on tropical rain forests.

The new sleepers come with practical concerns, however. When drilling a hole in a wooden sleeper for rail fixings, the ‘sawdust’ produced could be allowed to disperse into the surrounding scenery. The plastic shavings from a composite sleeper are not so environmentally-friendly.

Therefore, each time the track gang drills a hole, the waste plastic is diligently swept up with the dustpan and brush and saved. And once a large builder’s bag full of waste plastic has been collected, it is sent away – for recycling.

“The railway takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously,” said James Brett, General Manager of the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway. “Using plastic sleepers is both a cost-effective and sustainable solution for us but they come with their own responsibilities – we are glad that with a little extra effort we can continue the ‘cycle of recycling’.”

The railway’s track gang is keen to attract more volunteer members and anyone who might enjoy some healthy outdoor activity will be made very welcome. If you are interested in getting involved in this or one of the many other volunteer roles on the railway, simply drop a line to volunteerliaison@wllr.org.uk.