OKLR Annual Report
1. Introduction
A highlight of 2025 has been how many new members have joined and made a real contribution already. Our trainers and Assessors have been very busy pushing through new guards, firemen and drivers. As importantly, an incredible amount of work has gone on all year behind the scenes –
-
Keeping steam and diesel fleets available at all times.
-
Addressed years of problems with the electrics, making our facilities much safer for all.
-
Completion of the Mills Wood loop, literally digging deep with Infrastructure Support to the get to the root of the Mills Wood extension.
-
Amey has arrived from Lego and gone to Keef’s for refurbishment.
The AGM was reminded that the railway must remain welcoming to all. Whatever contribution people make we should be grateful. Some members contribute a huge amount of time and skill to keeping the railway going – after all, it is not the magic fairies that fix lights, repair equipment and keep on top of infrastructure. Others have other demands on their time and cannot devote as much time at the railway. At the behest of our founders and long-term members, the railway changed in 2022 from a members-owned society to a legally structured charity, no longer owned by anyone, which places obligations on us all, including safeguarding and conduct. Part of this is that harassment will not be tolerated from anyone. At the 2025 AGM we formally create the Conduct Officer role.
2. Reports
Operations
Passengers 8,750 – down approximately 1,000, largely due to loss of Weyfest (around 1,400), so up on previous year excluding Weyfest.
64 operating days.
Railway Wednesdays (10 days) – 1,700 pax. School visits – 315 passengers.
Safeguarding Members – all to sign.
Financial Report
Without Weyfest, we knew last year that we were likely to break-even in 2025. For the financial year ending last Sunday, the preliminary accounts are an income of £21,081 and outgoings of £23,608, so we are down £2,527. Some of the details are that the 2024 Santas are offset against our contribution to the Museum’s cost of gate and we are still pushing for
Railway Wednesday payments. In addition, we have bought some stock from Vale of Rheidol Collection X and invested in the new electrics.
We set out the spending priorities at an EGM on 31[st] August:
-
£20K to overhaul Amey
-
£2k for 20lb rail to support Mills Wood extension
-
£6k for Rampton 60lb rail
-
£4k to remove the mushroom shed
-
£1k pa per steam engine to fund 10-year overhaul
-
£10k reserve fund
We selected the critical projects that keep us safe and the railway running, but there is still a shortfall. We have many more projects on the nice-to-have list than we cannot fund. We have to carefully manage funds and stop starting projects that we cannot afford to finish or simply do not have the volunteers required to make them happen.
Health & Safety
We will continue to formalise H&S, especially safe-use training for areas such as grinders and machine tools. The ORR are now paying more interest in earth works and working at height (which includes pits).
Steam
Emmet’s boiler exam will be reticketed by the start of the season (end of March), and her 10year examination is due May 2029.
Elouise will be reticketed in June and her 10-year examination is due August 2032.
3. Membership Growth
Current membership is 43, including Trustees. We have lost 14 (some were historical, and only 2 routinely supported operations) and have gained 12 – many of whom are keen to participate.
| Old Kiln Light Railway | Old Kiln Light Railway | 120128 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts and payments accounts | CC16a | |||
| For the period from |
01-Dec-24 | To | 30-Nov-25 |
| Section A Receipts and payments | Section A Receipts and payments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 17,355 2,091 126 - 325 1,200 - - 21,098 224 - 224 21,322 4,444 4,448 5,966 960 2,499 4,746 - 461 - - 23,523 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 17,355 2,091 126 - 325 1,200 - - 21,098 224 - 224 21,322 4,444 4,448 5,966 960 2,499 4,746 - 461 - - 23,523 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
| Fares andgeneral donations | 17,355 | 22,603 | |||
| Membershipsubscriptions | 2,091 | 1,930 | |||
| Donations - designated for Pamela | 126 | 237 | |||
| Runningfor Museum | - | 7,466 | |||
| Interest Deposit Account | 325 | 261 | |||
| Private Hires | 1,200 | - | |||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
21,098 | 32,497 | |||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||
| Sale of surplus parts | 224 | 5,250 | |||
| - | - | ||||
| Sub total | 224 | 5,250 | |||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
|||||
| 37,747 | |||||
Operations runningcosts |
4,444 | - | - | 4,444 | 5,645 |
| Locomotive maintenance | 4,448 | - | - | 4,448 | 3,185 |
| P-way | 5,966 | 5,966 | |||
| Utilities | 960 | - | - | 960 | 779 |
| Public LiabilityInsurance | 2,499 | - | - | 2,499 | 2,401 |
| Faciliites(Buildings,Plant & Equipment) | 4,746 | - | - | 4,746 | 3,505 |
| Buildings | - | - | - | - | 1,296 |
| Printing,Stationery,web,HRA | 461 | - | - | 461 | 510 |
| - | - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| **Sub total ** | 23,523 | - | - | 23,523 | 17,321 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
23/06/2026
1