Chairman’s Chat – September 2023

By Neil Taylor

Boiler Progress and Sponsorship

In this brief update I have some great news regarding the results of trading at the SVR Autumn Gala, and an update on the sponsorship of Boiler Components.

We had a great Gala and the takings exceeded our expectations. So much so that we were able to complete the funding of the remaining Flue Tube details towards the boiler. I would like to publicly thank John Gupwell, Matthew Strong, Brian Malyon and Alvin Baker for their hard work over the three days on the stand. I would also like to thank Chris Steel for getting so many of the 00 gauge models of 82045 ready for the Gala, and selling several of them on the weekend. Well done to the team.

This effort is with great timing as we have now placed the order for all the details for both the large and the small tubes in the boiler. By implication that means that we have reached the target of funding for every tube in the boiler. We have an individual’s name against all of the 143 small tubes, which is an excellent result, and we have sponsorship for all the Flue Tubes details. It should be noted that we also have a named sponsor for over half of the Flue Tube assemblies. There is still time to put your name against one of the remaining 8 assemblies! We are now very close to completing the fundraising for all of the remaining boiler materials. As people are still chipping in on a weekly basis, I am going to make one last appeal for the remaining materials. We are left requiring the following to be sponsored:

• 57 Crown Stays @ £50 each [Originally a total of 160 stays]
• 8 Flue Tube assemblies @ £600 each [Originally 18 Flue Assemblies]
• 6 Superheaters @ £1000 each [Originally 18 Superheaters]

Also, we are now getting our shopping list together for the details required to complete the boiler prior to test. Things like wash-out doors and plugs, so perhaps you would like to add the following to your Christmas Shopping lists?

• 40 “Wash-out” plugs @ £40 each
• 2 Fusible Plugs @ £120 each
• 7 Mud-hole door assemblies @ £140 each

We are now approaching the point of final assembly of the boiler, and things will come together quickly over the next 6 months. I hope too be able to enter the New Year with – you’ve guessed it – a new appeal for the final push!!

In Other News

There is clearly a lot of progress on the build each week and that is the main newsworthy item, but we have also been doing other things in the background. The trustees have met and approved a small donation to support the SVR Survival Appeal. We received a hand written letter of thanks, which was a nice touch. It read;
“Dear Neil, thank you to yourself and all the trustees for your kind donation to support our Survival Appeal Fund. So far, we have received amazing support and we are working hard to ensure the future of the SVR. Thank you so much for your support. With very best wishes - SVR Charitable Trust”.
We believe that the mutual relationship should be supported as the partnership for the future is essential for both organisations. The situation for most railways is perilous at the moment, so we need to support each other.

Alan Brighouse and myself have approved and submitted the annual accounts to Companies House. The membership will receive these is due course, but the highlight for me is that we are still in good shape as we progress to the final stages of the build. Our efforts need to concentrate on the relatively small sums to raise towards completion and more-so the funds required to sustain the locomotive in its early years of running. We are also proud of our very low administration costs. This is one of the things that has kept costs low and maintained the ethos of a completely voluntary organisation. This has stood us in good stead, given the buffeting many organisations have had from the “Cost of Living” crisis.

Finally, I just wanted to mention that we will be hosting the British Standard Locomotive Owning Group [BRSLOG} at the SVR towards the end of October. This is another essential interest group which shares investments and knowledge of the BR Standard locomotives. We will be discussing all things BR Standard and I hope to give them a short tour behind the scenes at the SVR. Once again this is an exercise in being joined up, and exploiting the mutual interest in the wonderful communality of the Riddles products.