Chairman’s Chat No 3 – December 2022

By Neil Taylor

Ending the year on a High!

What a year we have had, probably not the year we had planned and certainly not what I had imagined when Chris Proudfoot asked me to become more involved about 18 months ago. I can’t close this year without mentioning the tragic loss of Chris. Barely a day goes by when he doesn’t come to mind. Composing these texts brings back the emotion of his passing all over again. So, to close the year on a positive note I would like to take this opportunity to announce that, with the agreement of his close family and the approval of the Trustees we will commemorate the memory of Chris with a discrete emblem on the locomotive - probably a brass plaque on the underside of the Fireman’s seat. This will retain Chris’s rightful place on the loco and ensure that he rides forever on a project that he gave so much of his time and efforts to.

To cap a productive year, we can boast about the attendance at the Warley Model Railway exhibition. Our presence was great for a number of reasons, my top three being:

1. The publicity was fantastic. The number of people who were properly introduced to the project was significant. Approximately 20,000 people attended and I believe at least one in ten stopped to ask questions or buy something from our stand.
2. We were able to raise the profile, gain a few new members and even capture a couple of volunteers. We also got a lot of admiration for the progress from our own supporters / members and positive comments from those of other societies.
3. We raised over £4,000 in sales and donations over the two days which will go towards our boiler content. This is a boost that comes without any catches, and is very welcome as we head into the next phase of the build.

For me it was good to get myself in the contact lists of others, and do some research that may help one day if we have to call in some favours. Fundamentally I have never stood for 18 hours and had such an enjoyable time. It was truly motivational.

Pictured in front of a gleaming 82045 are Peter Waterman, drawing the winning ticket for the raffle of the ‘O’ Gauge model of 82045 flanked by model donor Chris Steel (in the 82045 shirt).

In the second picture are Alvin Barker (Trustee with responsibility for fund raising) presenting the prize to the raffle winner Rod Derry.

More good news to end the year is the response to our Boiler Appeal. We launched the appeal formally in the Autumn Newsletter (which this year was delivered in October). Already we have raised funding for over a third of the materials for the boiler internals. This is brilliant given the financial constraints that the world is inflicting on us all at present. The really good news is that this has enabled us to purchase the materials for the boiler side stays, and to authorise manufacture to commence at the next available slot. We are also looking to fund the boiler tube material to ensure that we reserve stocks before any further price increase. In the coming months we are looking to further fund-raising activities to close the gap on the appeal total. If any readers can make a personal contribution, that contribution will be so much appreciated.

The good thing about regular updates is that you can all see the progress, and it is worth noting just how far we have come over the last 18 months. In that time; we have fitted both of the pony trucks and added the tanks, amongst many other time-consuming activities. I have been so impressed with the components that we have in store, and I am hugely encouraged for the future with the preparation that has already been done. At the AGM I hope to be able to provide a realistic appraisal of the date that we expect to launch the locomotive into service.

For now, it just remains for me to wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Where are they now (2)?

As well as focusing on our mission to build a practical loco for the 21st century, I wanted to reflect on other groups with similar missions. For example, at the Bluebell Railway a group are building another lost BR Standard – an 84xxx class 2 locomotive, 84030. They have adopted the remains of tender class 2 loco 78059. The loco was bought from Barry Scrap Yard without a tender and the intent to reproduce the tank engine became a clear objective. Imagine a date with all three examples of BR standard tanks in steam together! Another motivational driver for us all.

Another example of a practical approach to a New-Build is the latest “County” project. Component parts are starting to arrive at Tyseley, where the Churchward County (County of Montgomery) will become the 40th incarnation of the GWR 38xx class. The project uses a number 4 boiler from one of the last locomotives to be removed from Barry plus new wheels using the patterns from the “Saint” project and other components from the assets owned by the Great Western Society. This is a great collaboration intended to accelerate the building of another locomotive of a lost class. This is also a great exploitation of the GWR approach to standardisation.