21 months on from Storm Bert, which washed away an embankment due to torrential rain, The Brecon Mountain railway, which travels through the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, has taken steps to ensure that steam services can continue to run at the start of the summer holiday season as the hot and dry weather continues.

The risk of lineside fires is extremely high during such weather conditions, and with safety being paramount to the operation of the Brecon Mountain Railway, maintaining locomotives and lineside vegetation and running amended services all help play their part in keeping steam going throughout the summer months on the 1 foot 11¾ inch railway.

To keep the trains running, the railway has ensured that all its steam locomotives have been fitted with spark arrestors to stop hot ashes from being thrown from the chimneys of their engines. They have also reduced some trains in length to reduce the amount of work put on the locomotives, which reduces sparks being thrown from the chimney.

Lineside vegetation between the railway boundary fences has also been maintained to a very high standard. This includes keeping the grass and undergrowth short; if a fire should start, the shorter vegetation keeps the flames nearer to the ground, which makes it easier to control and extinguish.

All members of staff are also on constant lookout for lineside fires, which are usually given away by light or dark smoke. If a fire is detected, trains can be stopped to allow the fire to be extinguished using the railway’s specially designed firefighting train.

Inevitably, if the weather conditions get worse and a dread Black Ban on steam locomotives comes into operation, the Brecon Mountain Railway do have diesel locomotives on standby to continue running train services along the 9.5-mile line.

While steam locomotives remain a key draw to the passenger experience in the Brecon Mountains, it is important to realise the responsibility and the safety of steam and the surrounding areas during times of extreme heat.

Protecting the wonderful scenery that the passengers come to see from the window of a train is just as important, and suitable steps must be taken when needed to ensure everyone can enjoy themselves safely, even if it means running shorter trains or temporarily stopping steam operation for a period of time.

The relationship the railways have with their surrounding neighbours along a line is extremely important. Though extreme measures are never taken lightly, it does ensure that heritage railways can still operate in times of extreme heat.