Chasewater Railway Museum
Taken from our Archived Publications
I enjoyed this piece as it showed the stock available for preservation in the early 1960s – Princess Elizabeth would have looked nice in Hednesford and just imagine her in the Heritage Centre now!!
The Mercian – Sept,Oct, Nov,Dec, 1962
From the West Midlands District 3rd AGM
Held in Wolverhampton September 29th 1962
We were fortunate to have with us Mr. Bell, Secretary of the Princess Elizabeth Preservation Fund, and Mr. K Vincent of Dowty Sports.
Mr. Bell mentioned that No.46201 Princess Elizabeth must be purchased on withdrawal from service with B.R. for preservation. As the money will have to be raised very quickly the Society concerned cannot possibly afford a site for the loco at the moment.
The W.M.D. said they might be able to help out for the time being by either accommodating the loco at the Hednesford Depot or with the help of Mr. Vincent to accommodate it at Messrs. Dowty’s Ashchurch or Tewkesbury factories. Not only is this going to save the loco but it would give added attraction to the R.P.S. and may even boost membership in both Societies.
Mr. Cotterell ( Hon. Treasurer of the 0-6-0 ex Midland Tank engine) reminded us that up until now he had not received any donations from any R.P.S. members! He also mentioned that we are going to need a loco for our branch line to pull the stock that we already have, and at the moment this one (last off works) seems to be the most likely. So it rests with us to support these funds and publicise them as much as possible as we all want to see our own train on our own branch line very soon.
The two loco funds were: 46201 Princess Elizabeth £2610 and ex Midland 0-6-0 tank £750. Not much in 2010 but very large sums in 1962!
46201 was bought by the then Princess Elizabeth Locomotive Society straight from BR service when withdrawn in 1962. Initially kept at the Dowty Railway Preservation Society’s premises at Ashchurch, Glos, and then subsequently at the Bulmers Railway Centre in Hereford. When the Bulmers Centre closed in the 1990s the loco moved to the East Lancashire Railway. Since April 2009 it has been based at the Crewe Heritage Centre Princess Elizabeth is one of two preserved Princesses; the other being 46203 Princess Margaret Rose.
News in Brief
Chasewater
Chasewater, the piece of line which the West Midlands District were negotiating for might now seem impracticable for our Branch Line owing to inadequate storage and water supply, etc. This matter has been left pending from the A.G.M. for the new Committee to discuss.
The Mysterious “Gents”!!
In the Autumn edition of Forum it was stated that the W.M.D. of the R.P.S. were negotiating with B.R. for a Victorian cast iron vintage ‘gents lavatory’, its position was on the disused Stowe-by-Chartley station in Staffordshire.
While negotiations were still in progress for the purchase of the above relic, it disappeared mysteriously from the station. B.R. were contacted about the disappearance, they are looking into the matter. Whereas the RPS are of the opinion it was (to quote our Hon. Sec.) the work of some unscrupulous scrap merchant, and he certainly went to a lot of trouble for half a ton of iron by dismantling it and carrying it away.
The National Press did get hold of the story and it may have given us some much needed publicity!!
East Midlands District News
The result of our second membership has been 100% successful. A collection of small relics has been donated by a new member – Mr. R. J. Buckler, including a LNWR signal wire pulley.
The Nottinghamshire members have been very active during the last few months, especially P. Gibbons, who has been concerned with a written survey. The Northamptonshire members too have not been idle. Messrs. Webb, Popham and myself have been occupied with the membership campaign, and Messrs. Gubbins and Buckler have written an historical account of one of our local disused branch lines.
Membership in Leicestershire and Derbyshire is very low. Could members in these areas possibly remedy this?
J. M. Harvey (East Midlands District Organiser)
Chasewater Railway Museum 