Engineering notes

The grease lubrication pipe runs have been made and trial fitted to the pony trucks. Some partial dismantling of the pony trucks has recently taken place to enable final painting of the more inaccesible areas. Unfortunately the current Coronavirus situation has brought an abrupt halt to our activities before the final painting of the pony trucks has been completed.

Further machining of the piston rods has taken place and some machining of the piston heads also.

Marking out of stay hole positions, etc on some of the firebox components has continued.

The cladding sheets for the two top front corners of the belpaire firebox have been made by the panel beating section of Classic Cars Ltd. of Bridgnorth.

As mentioned above our engineering activities have temporarily ceased until the general situation in the country improves so there may be no further news to report for some time.

Membership notes

Fully paid up members receive a twice yearly newsletter (Spring and Autumn) by email if we have an email address or failing that by post. The membership office sends out the email version of the newsletter but we are finding in recent times some are rejected as undeliverable. This may be that the member concerned, who may perhaps be a long standing member, has changed his or her email address and failed to notify the membership office. If you fall into this catagory and have not received a newsletter for some time when you should have done so please get in touch in order that we can update your details.

Annual General Meeting

I think everyone will know that we've had to postpone this year's AGM. David Postle (Kidderminster Railway Museum) has pencilled us in for Saturday 25th July, same time and venue, though at the moment, and not knowing how this is all going to play out, it has to be provisional. We will let you know one way or the other at the end of June.

waes hael, as our Anglo-Saxon ancestors used to say. It means "be well" and seems fitting in the current situation!

SVR Appeal

In response to the urgent appeal that has been launched by the SVR, we have decided that the Trust should make a donation to our home Railway, as the Class 3 project stands and falls with it. We are conscious that the money you have given us so generously over the years is intended for 82045, and hope very much that you will agree that this is the correct thing to do.