A guide giving a short introductory talk to visitors at the Beechwood

Section 2. You will hear a guide giving a short introductory talk to visitors at the Beechwood Heritage Steam Railway. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 15. Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 15. WOMAN: Good morning everyone, and a warm welcome to the Beechwood Heritage Steam Railway. My name's Grace, and I'll share a few facts before you board. The line has a surprisingly long and dramatic history. The very first train ran here back in eighteen eighty-seven, carrying coal from the local pits. Sadly, like so many rural branch lines, it was closed in the nineteen sixties, and for a while it looked lost for good. But a determined group of local enthusiasts refused to let it die, and after years of hard, unpaid work, they finally brought it back into use in nineteen eighty-five. So while the line itself is well over a century old, the working railway you'll ride today is really a product of that nineteen-eighties revival. WOMAN: In its Victorian heyday the line ran for a full twelve miles, right down to the coast. We can't manage all of that yet, sadly, the section we're able to run today is eight miles, though we do hope to extend it further. It still carries you through some of the loveliest countryside in the county, along the wooded river valley. Keeping all this going is an enormous task, and it's done almost entirely by unpaid hands, we started out with just fifty volunteers back in the eighties, and I'm delighted to say we now have around two hundred, doing everything from driving the engines to baking the cakes. Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 16 to 20. WOMAN: A quick word on tickets and refreshments. A standard all-day ticket is eighteen pounds, and it lets you hop on and off as much as you like. And if you get peckish, the beautifully restored old station building at Beechwood is now our café, serving hot drinks and light lunches throughout the day. WOMAN: Now, a few practical points. Our little museum is well worth a look. Most people head straight for the main station building to find it, but in fact it's tucked away in the old engine shed, just across the footbridge, so do seek it out. On a busy day, please leave plenty of time, because there are only a handful of parking spaces here at the station, so I'd strongly urge you to arrive early, or better still, hop on the park-and-ride bus from the town centre. WOMAN: We run a whole calendar of special events through the year. There's a popular summer steam gala, and a charming Easter opening weekend, but without any doubt the biggest draw of all is our Santa Special in December, which sells out within days, so book well ahead if you want it. And a note for families, children under the age of five travel completely free, while those under sixteen pay half fare. One last thing, do check the dates before planning a return visit, our regular timetable runs from Easter right through to October, and after that we open only for those special events. Right, the next train leaves platform two in about ten minutes. Enjoy your day with us. That is the end of Section 2. You now have some time to check your answers.