I feel many of the heritage railways have extended too much and have become simply too long. Most casual visitors to a heritage line are looking for an afternoon out with a mixture of activities, so maybe a look around a small museum, watching a train come and go, a short train ride, a nice afternoon tea, may be some sort of add-on activity, for example a children's play area, a miniature train ride, a model railway, a falconry display, a picnic area, local produce for sale etc., rounding off with a poke around the souvenir shop. For most people this provides a much more stimulating package than spending perhaps several hours cooped-up on a train for most of the afternoon.
This would provide variety for the visitor, and for the railway it would mean far, far less cost in maintenance as the upkeep of the expensive infrastructure costs a fortune. A line length of around five miles, providing a ten-mile round trip is ideal. Not only does it cost less to maintain, but it would allow the volunteer workforce to really concentrate and focus their efforts to create a really well-presented package, with everything freshly painted, neatly clipped and in pristine working order.
Most heritage railways also need to clear-out and dispose of all the junk they have accumulated over the decades, rusting locomotives, rotting wagons, coaches covered in tarpaulins and piles of old rails and sleepers present a terrible image to the public, one would't go to a theme park and see hordes of old roller coasters cast-aside and languishing in the long grass. We have plenty locomotives, so as sad as it may be, any locomotives which haven't so far been restored can be considered as surplus and can be dismantled to salvage useful parts before being sold off for scrap. Sell off the junk and put the money towards developing an interactive app to enhance the visitors experience (and continue when they get home, perhaps resulting in another visit). Think carefully about the route and maybe consider closing part of the line, recover the potentially useful assets and again the remainder can go for disposal. Some of the land could probably be sold for commercial development or be converted to footpaths, cycle ways etc - a cost-effective way of providing another activity for visitors.
We have entered a new era, and people looking for a much more polished and varied 'package' rather than a long train ride, so it's time for a re-think. The railways that adapt to this 'new world' will have a great future!
