(Contributors to Postbag are reminded that the Editors reserve the right to edit letters: wordy texts will be shortened)

(A leading article in the 'Times' newspaper of 23.6.92 pointed out that railway preservation is now a major obsession in Britain. It prompted the following letter to the newspaper from our Publicity Officer).

The Editor
The Times
London

Dear Sir,

Your Leading article (June 23rd) entitled 'Messing about in Trains' publicises a growing leisure industry that has several interesting points which you highlighted.

Figures quoted suggested that each of the 50 or so steam railways attracted about 40,000 visitors every week. The Buckinghamshire Railway Centre attracts about 50,000 visitors a year and is not the smallest of steam centres. The major steam lines that were named would love to attract crowds such as are suggested.

However readers of the Times may like to know that near Aylesbury every Sunday until November this year it is still possible to listen to echoes of Sir John Betjeman in 'Reflections of Metroland', filmed at Quainton Road station. A variety of steam services run from Quainton Road station which is unchanged since 'Metroland' was filmed.

Network SouthEast's enlightened approach to this growing leisure industry will be reflected over the August Bank Holiday when a regular main line steam service will return to the Great Central Railway (now a freight only line), at Quainton Road for two days celebrating the Centenary of the line. This will be the first such event for over a quarter of a century.

Yours faithfully,

Phil Marsh
Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
Publicity Officer

Notes:
The text in this Quainton Railway Society publication was written in 1992 and so does not reflect events in the 20+ years since publication. The text and photographs are repeated verbatim from the original publication, with only a few minor grammar changes but some clarifying notes are added if deemed necessary. The photos from the original publication are provided as scans in this internet version of this long out of print publication.

Reference:
Postbag - Letters to the Editors - Quainton News No. 71 - September 1992