This issue is again another well-packed publication using the larger 48-page format. Whisper it quietly, but I have a number of very high-quality articles sent in by some of our regular contributors to Cumbrian Railways so I hope to continue at this level for a while. Whilst this happens, I am trying to get as many of the articles I have in stock into print, but my apologies to those that have sent in material and it hasn’t appeared yet. You have my assurances that it will be used. The current level of page count is about as much as can be coped with, let alone the additional cost that more pages would entail.

My apologies also for the pig’s ear I made of the piece in the last issue of Cumbrian Railways on the venue for the November Members’ Meeting. I am indebted to Howard Quayle and Jack Smith for putting me, and the record, straight in the letters pages. As Jack has hinted – I should have gone to Google!

Speaking of the letters pages, our mailbag has been bursting with communications, which add more to the articles that have appeared within these pages. Rightly or wrongly, I take such a response by the members as a sure sign that we have a healthy organisation and members are happy to get involved.

Our November meeting saw the official launch of our latest book An Introduction to Cumbrian Railways. Written for us by David Joy, a consummate railway historian, it is set to sell very well. The Elves tell me that their counterparts in the book warehouse have been rushed off their feet, dispatching books to all parts of the country and beyond. This is good news, as buoyant sales go to support the production of more books. There has been some nice comments on this book and it is a credit to the publications team who have worked so hard to get it out.

As a departure from the normal policy of asking members to contribute to the regular In My View feature, I have gone outside the Association and asked Trudy Harrison, the Member of Parliament for Copeland, to share her thoughts on the current railway situation, particularly on the Coast Line, and how she is trying to improve things. It is a well thought-out piece and shows she has no delusions about the current situation. We can only applaud her for her efforts in trying to improve things and I’m sure we will wish her well in trying to get the much needed changes made.

I am still amazed at the number of interesting topics that appear on the CRA Chatline. To be able to ask a question of other members and get a full answer in a short space of time is phenomenal. As well as being ably reported by David Hunter in the Electronic Telegraph feature, articles can be also generated from the discussions that flow from these requests. A number of other organisations run similar discussion groups, some of which are managed through a ‘forum’ or chat room. From personal experience, these do not function as well as our Yahoo group, as they are accessed via a web site and topics are divided up into separate areas of posting. I find that these difficult to follow and when you get to the relevant topic, all previous posts have to be waded through before getting to the latest mailings. Our Yahoo group is not perfect by any means, as it can be tardy in delivering messages, but to be able to have the latest missives drop onto the desktop is a great advantage in keeping up with the flow.