Chris Price
 |
My journey through the back streets (or sidings?) of railway heritage started in 1981 and I have bumped along the unmade (iron) roads until the present day. The consistency has been my volunteering with the footplate department of the Talyllyn Railway who now generously, from time to time, let me drive their trains.
From 1994, I have made railway heritage my day job during which time I served as a fitter, a workshop supervisor, general manager and now chief executive. In general management, I am proud to have managed three railways working my way up the gauges from 12 ¼in to standard gauge to my previous job as Chief Executive of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. This is an eclectic mix, but one which I believe gives me a broad understanding of the issues faced by railways of differing size, gauge and turnover. Whilst between two management posts, I also worked as an Estates and Project Manager for the Workers Education Association of Wales.
I hope my experience in railway management generally, is deemed a useful contribution to the Board of the HRA and I am proud to serve on it as a director. Coal is currently a burning issue (pardon the pun), and as the NYMR is the biggest user of coal within this sector, this has inevitably dragged me into the heart of the issue. If the heritage railway world is to be co-ordinated in its approach, it needs to be driven by the HRA and I hope my experience will continue to contribute. It is right that railway practitioners should sit on the Board of the HRA.
