This year has seen a continued increase in volunteers and therefore in the amount of work carried out on the railway. For the first time in a long while a number of major jobs have been carried out simultaneously, such as trackwork, carriage and wagon repairs and loco maintenance, even when trains are running.
A lot still remains to be done, and with a visit from the Railway Inspectorate now promised within the next couple of months, it is even more important that this level of activity continues.
Following the Railway Inspector’s visit we should know exactly what work is required to extend the line, or indeed to continue running the existing section, and will be able to plan accordingly. After all, it would still be nice to run trains into a platform at Willow vale Halt later this year. (Nigel Canning – Editor))
Locomotive News
No.4 Asbestos – Having been at a virtual standstill for a number of months, work has now re-commenced in earnest on the firebox repairs and preparation for the major boiler examination of this loco. A number of new tubes are to be purchased and will be fitted to replace those leaking when the loco was taken out of service. Hopefully the loco will re-enter service before No.5’s boiler certificate expires in October.Sentinel pausing at Willow Vale – Nigel Canning
No.5 Sentinel – This loco has so far handled all of this year’s trains. Recently adjustments have been made to the camshaft driven valve gear with, eventually, improved running as a result. Various minor steam leaks still remain to be attended to.
No.2 Lion – The new boiler tubes for this loco have now been fitted and work is progressing towards its first hydraulic examination.
S100 – Work is still progressing with the machining of the hornguides of this loco.
No.11 Alfred Paget – This loco received a very nice paint job and superficial restoration for the Bescot Open Day and has been placed on display at Brownhills West station.
No.7 – Ruston – This loco is still in good running order.
No.9 Fowler – Investigation into the starting problems of this loco which had been thought to be due to a damaged starter ring, revealed that in fact a multi-plate clutch built into the starter motor had become fouled with oil and was slipping under load. This clutch was cleaned and re-tensioned giving perfect first time starting on this loco.
Carriage & Wagon News
Work has recently started on two of our historic coaches, the Midland four-wheel passenger brake, and the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincoln Railway six-wheeler. Both have been in need of extensive renovation for some time, but now look set to receive it.
The Gloucester and Wickham trailer cars are still running coupled together to form the passenger train whilst the Wickham power car remains in use as the station buffet.
Permanent Way News
Brownhills West Loop – Nigel Canning
The new points at Brownhills West are now virtually complete along with their associated trap point set and lever frame. This means that we now have a complete run round loop for the first time in our railway’s history.
Weedkilling of the running line took place, rather belatedly, during May. Bad weather and financial restrictions having prevented this vital job being done earlier in the year. In addition, a number of worn sleepers have been renewed, and on particularly bad joint repaired. It is intended to grease the remaining fish plates on the line and re-pack any dipped joints in the next month or so.
The dramatic increase in members in recent months means that work continues even on event days when trains are running. In the near future the large steel gate at the shed yard entrance is to be moved down to the level crossing to complete the pair of gates there. A replacement for the shed yard has recently been donated in the form of a pair of wooden gates which when in position, will give slightly wider access for the large vehicles such as the coal merchant’s lorry.
Copy of what may have been a locally commercially available postcard depicting a MR Johnson design 3F 0-6-0 of the type introduced in 1885 and rebuilt by Fowler from 1916 with Belpaire boiler.
Looking back through various back numbers of ‘Mercian’, ‘Chasewater News’ and ‘Railway Focus’ it becomes apparent that little has been published to inform members of the history of this branch, part of which trackbed provides us with the base for our own Chasewater Light Railway operations. An even more glaring omission is that we have not made available for publication the few interesting photographs in the museum collection.
On July 1st, 1879 the Midland Railway had opened a line from Castle Bromwich to Walsall with intermediate stations at Penns, Sutton Coldfield, Sutton Park, Streetly and Aldridge. Whilst this line was being constructed, a branch from Aldridge to Walsall Wood was authorised on July 13th, 1876, with further extension to the western shores of Norton Pool being authorised on August 6th, 1880 to give an end-on connection with the Cannock Chase & Wolverhampton Railway, just south of the causeway.
The contractors for this 3¾ mile branch were H.Lovatt & Co.Ltd. I am unable, however, to discover any details of the contractor’s locomotives which would undoubtedly been used on this project.
On April 1st, 1882 the branch opened as far as Brownhills West for goods only, with the connection to the CC & WR being opened on November 1st, 1882.
Just north of the A5 road there was a short lived spur to the Coppice Colliery, Wilkin, owned by J.Owen Ltd. (Later the Coppice Colliery Company. This spur closed when the colliery was shut in 1894.
Passenger services commenced to the newly opened stations at Walsall Wood and Brownhills Midland on July 1st, 1884, but colliery traffic continued to be the mainstay of the branch.
Brownhills Midland was over half a mile out of town just north of the A452 Chester Road, whereas the LNWR station on the South Staffs Walsall line was handily situated at the end of High Street so it was no surprise when the LMS withdrew the passenger service on March 31st, 1930, Brownhills Midland being demolished soon afterwards.One amazing survivor is a wooden ‘finger’ which used to point the way to the platforms. This piece owes its continued existence to the gentleman who fortuitously purchased from the site a pile of wood to build himself a garden shed, the finger surviving long enough to find its way by means of a donation to the RPS collection. However, I digress slightly, goods traffic continued on the branch until the closure of former Cannock Chase Colliery pits by the National Coal Board in the late 1950s, the line being lifted between Aldridge and Brownhills West in 1960, with the CC & WR remnants left around the northern shores, mainly going by 1963. Last day of passenger services at Brownhills Midland. A Johnson 3F, No.3277, with two coaches of compartment stock including a clerestory probably dating from the period 1897 to 1916. The porter seems to be holding up a closure notice or something similar perhaps.
What was left owed its continued existence to the NCB Area Workshops which was then just rail connected to the former LNWR Norton Branch via a circuitous route through the closed Conduit Colliery yard reached by a spur just south of the causeway. A small amount of the original Midland Railway metals had been left as a headshunt, this being part of the former exchange sidings with the CC & WR and it was some nine years after the Railway Preservation Society came to Chasewater before British Railways ‘rediscovered’ the sidings left for NCB use in 1960 when the rest of the branch had been lifted. By then of course the Society had extended their track into the park so the still BR owned piece fell in the middle of the Chasewater Light Railway. How this problem was surmounted will be the subject of a future article, as it is a story in itself.Standard MR platform lamps on hexagonal posts are in evidence, but the sawn paled fence seen in the postcard view has been replaced with the sawn diagonal variety by the time these photos were taken.
The photographs
These form part of the Museum’s collection of local photographs, some of which will be made available to the Editor to feature in future issues of Chasewater News. With 1990 being some 60 years since Brownhills Midland closed its doors to passengers, it is especially pleasing to be able to provide photos of the last day of services, March 31st, 1930.
The Museum will be open on Sunday, 5th June.11.00am– Entry from the rear of the heritage centre
124 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces
From Chasewater News April 1990
A telephoto view of a Sentinel hauled train passing the shed yard – Dave France
Editorial
This winter’s mild weather seems to have promoted a lot of activity at Brownhills West station, and with much of the work being carried out by new members. In addition to the trackwork mentioned in ‘PW News’, a hell of a lot of effort has been put in n the platform and buildings to the extent that this very public face of our activities is on the verge of looking even better than it did in 1982 before the old platform was demolished. Work already carried out includes re-levelling of the Booking Office and fitting of an extended canopy, installing an old GPO phone box on the platform, laying a concrete path to the buffet coach and laying of grassed areas at the back of the platform. If only we could keep this level of progress up for the rest of the season!
Locomotive News
No.4 Asbestos – This loco has now had all fittings removed and the tank lifted in readiness for its six-yearly boiler examination. A professional boilersmith has been contracted to carry out repairs around the foundation ring where the rivets have become wasted with consequent leakage past the inner wrapper. Work is also progressing on other minor repairs and adjustments and it is hoped that the loco will be back in service before Transport Scene.
No.5 Sentinel – This loco is still in working order, although drained down, having worked the Christmas and New Year trains. The recently re-routed ejector exhaust has proved to be a lot quieter, allowing the driver and fireman to chat politely across the cab when running. Only a few minor adjustments and a crank case oil change remain to be carried out before next season’s running.
No.2 Lion – Progress is still being made re-tubing the boiler and mounting of cab fittings.
S100 – Both crossheads have been separated from their piston rods, another job involving a great deal of heat and force. Preparations are also underway for the machining of the hornguides using a patent homemade machine which grinds as it sweeps as it cleans!
No.7 Ruston – This loco is still in good running order.
Fowler – This loco performs well once running, but due to a number of teeth missing from the starter ring is tricky to start when cold. The only recent minor failure was that of one of the vee belts which drives the air compressor. Looking on the positive side, the dynamo control box has now been rebuilt allowing the batteries to charge correctly.
Other locos – No work has been carried out on any other loco.
Carriage & Wagon News
A number of minor but important jobs have been carried out to the interior of the Gloucester and Wickham trailers which still remain coupled together. Hopefully the bodywork will be tidied up and repainted as soon as weather permits.
No other C & W work has been carried out.
Permanent Way News
Pete,Arthur & Steve ballast new track at Willow Vale – Dave France.
Quite a lot of progress is being made in this area despite the pitiful number of people involved. At last a start has been made on completing the run-round loop at Brownhills West by installing the missing turnout from the end of the platform across to the buffers on No.2 road. This work will be completed mostly using parts already on site, although a few additional timbers will probably have to be bought. In order to ease the construction of the new loop at Norton, a complete turnout has been purchased from the Baddesley Colliery Railway, currently being demolished. In addition to this, a large number of fishplate bolts have also been acquired involving four or five members making repeated trips to the site to unbolt them from the sidings there.
Work has continued to progress on the extension of track through the site of the new Willow Vale Halt towards the causeway. This is now likely to be curtailed slightly during work on Brownhills West loop and on the Willow Vale platform.
Operating
Sentinel 59632 eases stock out of (21G) Hednesford Road shed yard. – Dave France
Luckily this winter the weather has again been very mild and so there was no problem with water supplies for the locos, or in attracting passengers. The running of Christmas and New Year trains went smoothly and was financially successful.
Father Christmas was in attendance on 17th December and distributed presents to the children from his grotto in the ‘blue van’. On 31st December the mince pie specials did good business attracting plenty of people to ride on the railway.
On 28th January there was an extra steaming when the ARPS visited us following their meeting in Birmingham. In addition to this there was a car rally in the park so again we had a very profitable day.
The 1990 season proper looks set to start on Easter Sunday, which being a little later this year, will give us valuable extra time to carry out maintenance and repairs.
Any member wishing to volunteer to work on the train or on the station should obtain a roster form from the Booking Office.
Following the arrival of this Fowler 0-4-0 Diesel-Hydraulic locomotive, two problem areas were identified. The first was the reason for its withdrawal from commercial use; the coolant pump had expired and circulated most of the cooling water straight out onto the track. Also the starting batteries (all four of them) had decayed during the loco’s period of inactivity.
Having removed the water pump and taken it to work, it was duly dismantled, in my own time of course, and it was only then that its reason for failing became apparent. The sump had obviously been apart before, probably for the same reason, but unfortunately it had been put back together wrongly. The rotating carbon seal had had its fixed running face installed back to front, and the seal which had been fitted had the wrong diameter lip for the water pump’s shaft. This meant that water could get past the seal into the bearing housing. Now this might not have been so serious as this sort of seal usually tends to allow a very small amount of fluid past as a lubricant for the rubber faces, and the bearing housing has a drain hole in its face to allow this to escape. Unfortunately the bearing housing had been put on upside down so the drain hole was at the top so the bearings had been immersed in water and had also expired.
Fortunately at this time a rep for the carbon-faced seal suppliers paid us a visit at work and was hi-jacked for a while. He supplied a data sheet giving seal/shaft dimension correlations. Armed with this information the seal face was fitted correctly, a collar turned down to fit on the shaft for the seal lip to sit against, and some new bearings found. The water pump was then re-fitted three times before the gasket face with the cylinder block could be persuaded to seal. Two of these occasions were in the rain and, although there is a fair amount of room under the hood, you invariably end up with water running down your neck on various occasions. By this point I had become convinced of the advantage of air-cooled engines!
The loco then served a useful spell of duty requiring only a split air-hose to be removed.
As the months passed, the batteries became more of a problem and a blowing noise started to be heard from under the hood. Investigation revealed the cause to be a blow from No.1 or No.2 cylinder. This engine, in common with many automotive diesel (or more correctly oil) engines has a single piece six-cylinder block with a pair of three cylinder heads fitted. As the blow was from the cylinder to the outside rather than into the oil or water systems, the loco could still be used with care if required. A new set of four six-volt batteries were fitted, courtesy of the kind auspices of the loco’s major owners, Andy Cavelot.
Now the fun really started, as any of you have ever messed around with older cars, through interest or necessity, will know that getting hold of the technical manuals is a major part of the battle. The information that came with the loco appears to have made a successful escape bid (if anyone out there knows where it is please could we have it back, even now) and Halford’s didn’t seem to stock a Haynes manual for a Fowler 0-4-0diesel hydraulic loco, so we had a problem. The engine fitted to ‘Toad’ is a Leyland 900 series vertical lorry engine, so I started by ringing the Leyland dealer who contract services our works vans. He revealed tat the head gasket sets could still be obtained, at a price, but he did not have a manual on these engines, in fact only one of their staff could ever remember seeing one. He did, however, suggest that I try ringing Leyland or B.R.E.L. at Derby. Thinking logically for a change, I decided to start with Leyland.
123 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces
From Chasewater News April 1990
A Tale of Toad – I.Newbold – Part 2
I rang directory enquiries and asked for Leyland/Daf; phone number actually in Leyland, Lancs. No such luck, their computerised system could not find it. Oh well, try a different tack. I rang BREL at Derby and after about four phone calls managed to speak to someone who knew the Leyland 900 engine. Unfortunately, after speaking to him, I was probably more depressed than before. BR had employed the horizontal version on some of their stock and they had not exactly been the most spectacular success story ever. Initially the engines had employed a wet linered cylinder block, there had been a change in piston design, followed by a change in crankshaft design, followed by a change to dry linered cylinder block. The last modification was to cure an inherent problem of blowing head gaskets, not totally successful either, he added. The outcome was that he could not be sure which variant we had, even from the engine number, his only suggestion was to go away and measure the cylinder head stud diameters, find out if washers were incorporated under the head nuts, etc. etc. As a final comment, after giving various gasket fitting tips, he said that in BR use a good engine of this type would run for about a year between blowing gaskets. Our ‘Toad’, it appears, had done so every couple of years, Leyland must have been taking lessons from Crossley.
Parallel to this, I decided to try to find Leyland again, but how? Ring up the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust thinks I, well they only deal with cars but their non-computerised system had a record of Leyland’s phone number. Computers 0, Card Index 1
So, feeling a little perkier I rang Leyland – Daf as it is now, and after a few tries I got through to their technical publications department.
“Have you still got any data on the 900 series?” asks I, “Good grief” say they. After a five minute rummage, I was asked to ring back in a couple of days. A couple of days later I rang back: Bad news and good news, they had disposed of all their old manuals, but most had gone to the British Commercial Vehicle Museum. However, they could not guarantee their having passed a 900 series engine manual on as it really was an Albion engine, built in Scotland. I could try the Albion owners club. This I did, but they didn’t seem to want to answer the phone.
The other parallel course was still grinding onward and after a measuring session of head stud diameters, etc. I rang BREL back: the chap I wanted was on holiday. Ho Hum.
I decided to ask the loco’s previous owners if they knew anything about it. Now I don’t know if you have ever tried to find the phone number of a military establishment, but it’s not quite as straight forward as it could be. Deciding not to bother with Directory Enquiries, I rang the War Office, sorry, Ministry of Defence, in London and eventually got the requisite number. I rang Radway Green, only to be told that I had just missed the Head of Transport, he had just gone home. I rang back the next day – he was not in. The third day I rang I was given a vital piece of information, they were shut down for holiday, could I ring back next week? OK folks, don’t invade us or declare war – we’re on holiday!
Next week I rang back and spoke to the head of the transport department, they certainly remembered ‘Toad’, but did not repair it themselves, some chaps used to come from ‘somewhere near Derby’ to repair it. I was passed on to the fitter, who was uncertain about whether it was wet or dry linered, and did not know the head torques.
Not long afterwards I traced the British Commercial Vehicle Museum phone number, BT’s computer had this one in memory – shock, horror, anyway I gave them a ring.
“The chap you want is out, can you ring back tomorrow?” This sounded familiar, so I rang back the next day and found the relevant person and gave him the by now very well rehearsed patter. He sounded quite hopeful and asked me to ring back in a few days. This I duly did and was rewarded with the information we required. Just for the record, if anyone else wants to fit a Leyland 900 head gasket, the torques are: 200lb/ft on the ⅝” UNF studs, and 100lb/ft on the ½” UNF studs. Eureka! They could even sell us a copy of the engine manual. It is at this point that someone comes up and says ‘I could have told you that’ – if they do I’ll scream!
Now all we’ve got to do is buy a head gasket and fit it….
Then there is the dynamo control box to set up……
Then the exhauster to fit…….
Then the……..
Update 2011 – ‘Toad’ is now owned by R. Fredwoods (not sure about the spelling!) and is awaiting a new engine…..
113 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces No.2
From ‘Chasewater News’ Summer 1987
Permanent Way
Under the leadership of Chris Chivers a small group of workers have made a start on clearing the lineside undergrowth along the running line whilst a group of students spent a week clearing the passing loop beyond the current limit of operations.
The line has been weedkilled to give a more workmanlike look to the track and a catch point has been installed on the loco shed siding.
Work is now centred on the point connecting Nos. 2 & 3 roads in the compound, which were comprehensively written off by the new diesel!
From the Archives
Something which we expect to make a regular feature of in Chasewater News in which we feature anecdotes and snippets from items in the Museum Collection. We begin this feature with items of local interest taken from the LMS Sectional Appendix to the Working Timetables dated March 1937.
Stafford
Stafford No.5 to Venables Sidings (LNT). Drivers of trains not conveying passengers, proceeding to the LNE line must be prepared to receive a green hand signal when passing No.5 signal box. The exhibition of this green hand signal will indicate that Venables Timber Yard crossing gates may be across the railway and drivers must be prepared accordingly.
Norton Branch
Five Ways Mineral Branch – between Five Ways and Conduit new Sidings. In addition to LMS trains, the Five Ways Colliery Company’s engines work over this branch, and the Conduit Colliery Company’s engines work over a section of the branch between Conduit Colliery Sidings and Conduit Junction, and between Conduit Colliery Sidings and Conduit New Sidings.
Two keys are provided for padlocking the trap points – which must be obtained from the pointsman at Conduit Junction and must be returned to him on completion.
Five Ways
Before proceeding towards Five Ways, the guard must satisfy himself that the Colliery Company’s engine is stationary, and must set the road for the single line to the Colliery Sidings. The line between the trap points and the sidings is used as the Colliery Company’s shunting neck, and on arrival from Conduit, train men having to place wagons in the sidings must at once place the signal provided for the purpose to danger to warn the Colliery enginemen that they must not come out on the shunting neck from the Colliery Sidings. Before returning to Conduit the signal must be taken off, its normal position is ‘clear’.
After placing wagons in the sidings at Five Ways, engines waiting for loaded wagons must stand on the single line protected by the trap points before a train worked by either the Colliery Company’s or the LMS men leaves Five ways towards Conduits, the trap points must be set for the running line, and after the passage of such train must at once be reversed and securely padlocked for the trap by the guard.
Curator’s Notes
Peckett 0-6-0ST Hanbury
The Conduit Colliery locos referred to in the above would have been the four or perhaps five Manning Wardle 0-6-0STs in the Company’s ownership at that time. Locos known to have been at Five Ways were the Peckett 0-6-0ST Hanbury and a Kitson 0-6-0T. None of these locos survive but our museum does contain one nameplate and one worksplate ex Conduit Colliery and a brass No.2 off the Kitson.Coppice Coll. No.2 0-6-0T Kitson 5358-1921
East Somerset Railway and Cannock Wood
‘Cannock Wood’ No.9 in LBSC Livery
Older members may recall that when the E1 was sold to the Lord Fisher Locomotive Group in 1978 regular reports of its progress were to be received. We make no apologies for giving news of the loco which left Chasewater nearly nine years ago. The loco is now 110 years old – the hundredth engine built at the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway’s works at Brighton by William Stroudley and the doyen of the Cannock & Rugeley Colliery Co. fleet from 1926 through nationalisation and into National Coal Board days until withdrawal in 1963.
It is of interest to note that despite their intention to restore the loco to main line order as BR 32110, it never carried that number in service. All reports refer to her as ‘Cannock Wood’ or number 9.
The boiler has been removed from the frames and detubed. A boiler inspection has revealed the probable need of a new front tubeplate and the definite need of a new inner firebox with consequent restaying and a new foundation ring. It is estimated that a further £20,000 is needed to put the boiler into a steamable condition. The wheels have been sent to Swindon for tyres and bosses to be turned. New side tanks are required. Springs are being re-tensioned. Loose horn guide bolts have been replaced. Much platework is being replaced and a new bunker is virtually complete. The frames have been needle gunned and received two coats of paint, new footplating is being fitted to the frames.
Eccentric straps, big end straps, connecting rods and valve roads have been cleaned, checked and are ready for re-fitting. More news in future issues.
From the Museum
On Tuesday April 14th we suffered yet another break-in at Chasewater. This time it was the LNWR 50 ft brake coach which was the subject of the robber’s intensions.. Having failed to gain access through the end door nearest the waiting room, and the lock refusing to give way on the normal entrance door used, the miscreant managed, presumably at some length, to chop his way with a pickaxe through one of the double doors on the platform side. A quantity of railway rule books and the entire collection of some 160 odd LNWR postcards was taken plus a few other books and sundry items.
The following week saw the return of some items following a visit by Ralph Amos to a second-hand bookshop in Walsall which some of the books had been sold to by the criminal. Unfortunately some pieces had already been sold by the shop owner who was unaware that he was dealing with stolen goods.
Latest news is that the police have picked up a Walsall man who confessed to the crime, amongst others as one might suspect.
There is some good news to report. There is now an annex to the museum coach in the form of the recently restored ex Midland Railway circa 1880 four-wheel passenger brake which sees a display of railway prints, etc. on Open Days. A selection of Chas. Butterworth’s very fine drawings was displayed therein on April 26th at the Railwayana Fayre.
Additions to the collection include official postcards of the LNWR, GNR, L & Y, Furness Railway and cards from the following railways which are all new to the collection. Corris, Cambrian, LNWR and LYR Joint, GCR, NER, SECR, LSWR, Metropolitan Railway and Douglas Southern Electric Tramway. Other nice additions are a ticket from pre-preservation days of the Talyllyn Railway and an LNWR ‘Birmingham’ dinner fork, courtesy of Rob Duffill.
112 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces No.1
From ‘Chasewater News’ Summer 1987
Chasewater Comment
This issue’s contributor is Adrian Hall, Chasewater Light Railway & Museum Co. Company Secretary and a member of some 11 years standing.
The railway has long avoided making an important decision. For it to become a museum of light and industrial railways, or an industrial loco group? If the former then it must plan now to develop a museum complex which will draw visitors and exhibits, and have the ability to fund operations. If the latter then it should dispose of everything except the most basic track maintenance stock, one passenger coach and the steam engines. A basic platform with a short running line is all that would be required for the occasional Open Day, and funding would come from the small group of members in the ‘club’.
A museum requires a large building, visitor facilities of good quality to provide funding, and a line of sufficient length to give a real purpose to the railway. All of this needs to be planned now, and implemented in the next few years (two or three, not ten or twenty). It also requires commitment and enthusiasm.
So which is it to be? The decision must be made now, or it will be made for us and will be neither of the above, but an end to the Chasewater Light Railway altogether.
Boardroom Note (By the Company Secretary)
There has been much activity in the boardroom of late, where in addition to the general management of the railway, work still continues to complete the corporate reorganisation.
The railway is run on a day-to-day basis by the six departmental managers, to whom general enquiries, etc., should be addressed, the board being responsible for co-ordination and strategic planning.
The assets and liabilities of the Society have now been taken over by the new Company, as have most of those of the old Company. It is hoped that these transfers will soon be completed, enabling the two ‘old ladies’ to be finally wound up.
Administration should be eased greatly soon once work is completed on the new office at Brownhills West. Inevitably shortage of funds is slowing the project, which will also provide a new booking office, the old one met its demise at the hands of the tractor last year!) and a small shop unit. If anyone can help with this (about £100 for wood, etc. is all that is needed) then their contribution will be gratefully received.
Thirty pounds or more will secure your name on a brass plate within this new and much needed facility.
As most of you are aware by now, the railway is to be crossed y the ‘Birmingham Northern Relief Road’ (now known as the M6 Toll Road), the motorway will orbit the northern side of the conurbation, which will relieve the M6 (or will it?). The motorway will completely alter the South shore of Chasewater, including demolishing the Brownhills West Station site. Informal negotiations have taken place with the Local Authority and the Department of Transport, and we have now engaged Solicitors and Surveyors to act for us in the formal negotiations to come.
We are obviously going to have to re-locate our main site, and anyone with any thought on this matter is urged to write to me as soon as possible. We cannot put much in print at the moment, but I hope to be able to furnish more details in the next magazine. In the meantime if you want to know more come along to Chasewater and ask.
A new set of membership rules were passed by the Board recently, mainly to tidy up the existing arrangements and make them clearer. It is intended to send them to all future members when they join, and to existing members with a subsequent mailing when finances permit.
Among the new members listed are: C. Chivers, K.R.Sargeant, D.M.Bathurst and M.Webb.
Carriage and Wagon Notes (By Steve Organ)
Work is in progress on a number of vehicles in order to preserve and tidy the collection until such time as they can be placed under cover.
Appeal:
Winter 1987 should see some of the vehicles protected from the worst of the weather by a ‘tent’ in the station yard, although this is dependant upon the continuous flow of the following materials, which we would ask all members to look out for and drop into Chasewater in any quantities, however small: Tarpaulins, scaffold tubes (any length from 1 foot upward), scaffold planks (any length from 1 foot upward) and scaffold fittings.
Work in Progress Completed
L&NWR Suburban Brake
The roof has been overhauled and re-coated. The ’lake‘ side has been stripped back to bare wood and primed with a fungicidal primer to combat the mildew problem, as this side suffers from the worst weathering. The doors are being re-fitted and LNWR livery is being applied.
Manchester, Sheffield & Lincoln Brake
The Manchester, Sheffield & Lincoln coach with Asbestos
Has been stripped to bare wood and Cuprinol 5-star anti-rot applied. Repaint is proceeding in light chocolate and silver grey. Mock doors are being fitted on the brake end, which was burnt out, to tidy up the coach’s appearance and keep out the weather until new doors can be made (any carpenters out there?).
Maryport & Carlisle
No further work is being undertaken at the moment but supplies of paint are on hand if anyone would like to come and paint both ends (which are in undercoat) or start work re-panelling the ‘lee’ side.
Midland Railway Passenger Brake
The roof has been completely overhauled and re-coated. The body has been re-panelled as far as possible, but not yet re-beaded. The basic maroon livery has been applied externally and the interior painted lime green and white to match the LNWR 50’ brake ‘museum’ livery. One half is being used as a gallery of railway prints, the other half is full of milk churns and ’luggage’ to represent an authentic ‘in service’ appearance.
Great Eastern Passenger Brake
Still in a disgraceful condition, we now have some panelling to hand ready to clad the sides of this vehicle. Some of the existing panelling is still good and only requires painting. We have the paint – we need painters! Scaffolding is now available to work safely on this and other vehicles so come and help us with this basic work!
Now in private ownership, the ex Littleton Colliery ‘Toad’ is undergoing extensive re-panelling and replating to make good fire damage caused by vandals some years ago.
DMU Vehicles
The Wickham units have now been fitted with new gutters, a difficult and time-consuming task. The roofs of both the Wickhams and the Gloucester have been repainted, and then in the projected C & W tent they can be painted into a uniform livery after body repairs are completed.
The Ex BSC Newark Hopper Wagon
This has now had its body removed and awaits decking before entering service as a flat wagon which will be most useful for track work.
So there it is. Whilst progress is being made, we still need more help to complete these vehicles’ (and others’) conservation programmes. We have the materials – come and help us use them!
Locomotive Notes
Despite mutterings from various people about supplying your editor with copious notes about what has gone on ‘down the shed’ the end result has been the usual – not even a blank piece of paper!
A brief layman’s résumé could be written as follows:
No.2 Following a change of ownership (its third since arrival at Chasewater!) the large Peckett has been stripped for its ten-yearly boiler inspection and hydraulic test.
No.3 Boiler repairs continue.
No.4 In service following being fitted with a new set of boiler washout plugs.
No.5 In service.
No.6 The ex Albright & Wilson Peckett has had its boiler removed in preparation for smoke box and tube plate repairs.
No.7 Serviceable.
No.8 ‘Invicta’ has been stripped for its major boiler examination and hydraulic test.
No.10 Following the insertion of new fitted bolts in the front end, Mr. Sale is about to start work on trueing the hornguides which should stop S100 from ‘waddling’ (which those who are old enough to remember say it suffered from when last steamed at Embsay).
New Arrival
A group of CLR & M.Co. members have purchased a Fowler 200 hp diesel hydraulic locomotive from the MOD at Radway Green in Cheshire. The loco (numbered 7 at Radway Green, but presumably to be numbered No.12 at Chasewater) is in working order and arrived at Chasewater on 14th July and was on display at the Military Weekend of July 25th /26th following a hasty repaint in an olive green livery.
Following the “Reorganisation Day” of 22nd November there are at present three bodies which together form the Chasewater Project.
1 – Chasewater Light Railway and Museum Company – The CLR&M Co is responsible for the day to day and long term policies of the Railway as well as being the body to which the supporters and sympathisers of the Railway join.
The Officers of CLR & M Co. are:
CHAIRMAN – Steve Organ
GENERAL MANAGER – Tony Sale
ENGINEERING Manager – Nigel Canning
OPERATING MANAGER – Les Emery
COMMERCIAL MANAGER – Barry Bull
MARKETING MANAGER – Ian Patterson
FINANCIAL MANAGER – Bob Curtis
NON-EXECUTIVE – Colin Marklew
COMPANY SECRETARY – Adrian Hall
2 – Chasewater Light Railway Company – The old Company will remain in existence until its assets, debts and liabilities are transferred to the new Company.
There are at present two directors:
COMPANY SECRETARY – Adrian Pearson
CLR & M Co. NOMINEE – Adrian Hall
3 – Chasewater Light Railway Society – The Society is remaining in existence until such time as the CLR & M Co. attains charitable status, in order to safeguard the rolling stock and relics as well as holding the leases.
At present the CLRS has the following members: L.Hodgkinson, D.Ives, T.Sale, B.Bull and I.Patterson (CLR & M Co. Nominee)
The above mentioned are also the Trustees of the Society.
News from the Line
Loco Department
No.2 is awaiting its turn for overhaul, a change of ownership is rumoured.
No.3 Slow progress with the firebox repairs may result in the frames making way for the GM’s machine (S100) in the shed.
No.4 Asbestos has performed satisfactorily during the season and is due for attention to its side rod brasses and regulator valve during the winter months.
No.5 59632 has also performed well and gets better with every steaming. The vacuum brake system works to the required standard, much to the relief of all concerned.
No.6 All that can be reported is that we have exchanged a spare set of side rods in our possession for some missing boiler fittings (stolen some years ago).
No.7 The Ruston has been used occasionally for shunting but happily the increased use of ‘real’ motive power has made the engine somewhat redundant.
Neilson, Alfred Paget and Barclay Invicta
No.8 Invicta may well return to service during 1987 following a full boiler examination, platework repairs and fitting of vacuum brakes.
No.10 The frames of S100 have descended from their lofty perch and are temporarily mobile. Once installed in the shed the wheelsets will be re-removed for attention to the hornguides and following a probable orgy of machining and highly technical stuff, the motion and valve gear can be reassembled – sounds easy, but it could take years (and years!).
No.11 The ancient Neilson languishes outside the shed awaiting its turn for attention. (it’s now got as far as the workshop!)
No.21 The ex Bass Worthington ‘pudding’ awaits its replacement engine.
Wickham DMU
Several windows have been replaced following a spate of vandalism and new rainwater gutters have been fabricated and fitted.
The presence of blue asbestos (the mineral not the engine!) has been noted by the Railway Inspectorate and it will have to be removed from all three DMU coaches in the not too distant future.
Trackwork
Following Gricers Day work was concentrated on relaying Nop.1 road back to the remnants of S100.
This was swiftly accomplished and as mentioned elsewhere the frames of S100 were removed. Once the boiler of S100 is removed the Great Eastern Coach should be rendered mobile, last having moved in about 1973!
Following the visit of Major Olver of the Railway Inspectorate on 3rd December work has centered on the installation of a catch point on Elsley’s siding which has been relaid. The catch point is necessary to stop any stock rolling onto the main line when passenger trains are being operated.
Wooden Bodied Stock
Steve Organ has started the unenviable task of restoring the wooden bodied coaches, or at least making them weatherproof and presentable.
He is aiming to have the three six-wheelers and the four-wheel MR passenger brake fit for running demonstration trains (i.e. non-passenger carrying) by Gricers Day on 11-10-1987.
Needless to say all offers of help will be most welcome as the success of this laudable project rests on ADDITIONAL help coming forward.
So far the ex Maryport & Carlisle coach is nearly in the initial stage of acceptability whilst Mr. X (I can’t remember his name) is having a go on returning the ex MR four-wheeler to its pre MSC scheme condition.
Being highly optimistic, Organic Steve hopes to fit in a renovation of the brake end of the ex LNWR coach as a picture gallery (a what!!!!?)The afternoon ‘Paddy’ on the Hednesford to Cannock Wood line during the late 1950s. The loco is the 1866 built Lilleshall 0-6-0ST ‘Rawnsley’ and the coach is the ex LNWR non-corridor composite now awaiting restoration at Chasewater.
431 Hudswell Group Notes
The fund is approaching the half-way mark towards the purchase of the locomotive, so by this time next year the locomotive should be in the ownership of the group.
The recent visit of the Railway Inspectorate has provided the Group with a major setback as the boiler lagging of the locomotive must be professionally removed before restoration can begin, at a cast of well in excess of £500.
Progress Report on ‘E1’ No.9 ‘Cannock Wood’The ex London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E1 No.110 ‘Burgundy’ seen coasting down te Cannock Wood branch in its later form as Cannock & Rugeley Colliery’s No.9 ‘Cannock Wood’
We have received the following report about the restoration of the E1, which members of long-standing will recall was sold to the East Somerset Railway at Cranmore in 1978.
“Work has progressed well……well sort of. Things have not come apart as they should and caused some anxious moments for crane drivers and merriment for those on the ground.
The first part to come off this project was the right-hand intermediate axle box oiling pot, since then many other parts have been removed, cleaned, repaired, painted in works grey (we have a lot of grey) and given an I.D. disc. This is then entered in a log book recording what the part is, where it comes from and what it does, sometimes accompanied by a small drawing to help relocation when we fling the engine back together!
The front sand boxes took a great deal of effort to part them from the frames due to two hundredweight of one hundred-year-old wet sand which corroded all the metal bits together. These are well on the way to being rebuilt.
The brake rigging has caused some problem with the steam brake being rusted up solid, a badly pitted cylinder bore, the main shaft bent considerably and pull rod equalizer rods bent.
The side tanks came off using the Dubs crane tank and the ‘lift and move quickly backwards’ method, with much screeching and tearing of metal (must remember to burn off ALL the bolts next time!).
The cab roof came off with much reluctance, and when lowered on the ground it collapsed in a heap of rust. As normal the bunker came off with difficulty leaving the bottom of the rear sand boxes still attached by rust, twisted and torn, to the frames.
Boiler work is coming along slowly with half the tubes out, pulled by the digger. Some of the tubes are nearly new with no scale on, but a thin layer of rust. The cab roof is to be repaired, whilst drawings are being prepared for the new side tanks. The bunker will be remade on site by us in the near future. The boiler has been de-lagged at a cost of £800 and should be lifted to enable the wheels to be removed and a start made on the waggly bits underneath.
Further news gleaned from the pages of Steam Railway (Jan 1987) reveals that restoration will cost in excess of £25,000 and may include a new firebox.
The loco will be finished in Southern Railway black livery as E110 and will be in as near to original condition as is practicable.
The unique Rawnsley chimney and the nameplates, etc. are to be returned to Chasewater in due course.”
Visit of the Railway Inspectorate 3-12-1986
Briefly they require some extra work on the track to that previously expected, but this should not present any problems. The use of push-pull operations was agreed until such time as the motorway outcome was known. However, a bell system between loco and coach must be installed and in the near future locos intended for passenger duties must be fitted with vacuum activated steam brake valves.
Apart from this, the major difficulty is the presence of blue asbestos as mentioned elsewhere.
Provided we comply with the Inspectorate’s requirements, a further inspection in the spring should leave us free to recommence regular steam hauled passenger trains.
The Future
The project engineer for the motorway has been to the railway and vaguely indicated as to where the new road may cross the railway. Detailed plans are to be drawn up by the Departments consultants and will be put on public exhibition during the autumn. Prior to this there is rumoured to be a public meeting in Burntwood Baths during April (What’s wrong with the lake at Chasewater?!).
Unless the railway can get a firm idea of how and where it can expand then the good work and impetus gained during 1986 will be lost. To this end, a short list of possible alternative sites has been drawn up to be further investigated if it becomes apparent that we are ‘flogging a dead horse’ by remaining at Chasewater.
For once it is possible to report good news! Following the visit of Mr. Abbott of the Railway Inspectorate on 17th August we have been given permission to recommence steam hauled passenger services, subject to certain tasks being carried out, hopefully in time for Gricers Day on 12th October. A further satisfactory inspection next spring should enable a full season of trains to be operated, the first since 1982.
News from the line
Loco Dept.
Asbestos – Robin Stewart-Smith
No.4 Asbestos has been steamed half-a-dozen times so far this year and following trouble with a leaky blow-down valve (now successfully cured) the major problem is still the regulator which continues to insist on blowing through when closed! Further investigations will no doubt reveal the cause of the trouble during the winter months when it is hoped that the outside motion will also receive attention to cure various knocks and bangs.
N0.5 Sentinel No.59632 has also been steamed on several occasions and following each steaming various adjustments, modifications and improvements are made by its owner.
Both Nos. 4 and 5 are now fitted with vacuum brakes, a necessary modification for running passenger trains.
No.7 the Ruston diesel has received a repaint and now sports a green livery which the owner claims is similar to BR Brunswick Green. It looks very smart anyway.
No.10 S100 – continued progress is being made with getting components ready for re-wheeling the loco and as the “head of steel” gets ever nearer (it has lain isolated from the rest of the railway since 1983) it should take to the rails again before the year is out.
Carriage & Wagon Dept.
The buffet section of the Wickham sees extensive use, providing us with our main source of income. Various improvements to the plumbing have been made and both coaches have been fitted with new rainwater gutters which will enable the much needed repaint to take place in the not too distant future.
The Maryport & Carlisle Coach has seen ‘Clippie’ steadily working to get this coach into a reasonable state of repair before it gets beyond redemption. The coach is now in a uniform green undercoat and looks much more presentable.
Civil Engineering
Brownhills West Station June 1978
By the time the Task Force had completed the platform there was little over a month left to get the railway ready for receiving visitors during the Transport Extravaganza. The platform had to be surfaced with a 6” layer of black ash and coping stones had to be laid alongside the museum coach. The major work however, was to fashion a new track bed and lay track along the platform and then raise it over 9”. A vast quantity of black ash was purchased and packed under the track in order to get the track level in the platform. This work was completed in the nick of time so as to get the Wickham buffet in the platform for the Transport Extravaganza. After that weekend work concentrated on regarding the line from the platform down towards the point for Elsley’s siding (more black ash!), and No.1 point was rebuilt. Once this was completed the line was treated with weedkiller and fences were repaired and installed where necessary. Nigel Canning is in the process of constructing a set of level-crossing gates to be installed at the road access to the loco shed and also at the level-crossing to the north of the loco shed. Recent weeks have seen work proceeding on relaying No.1 road in order to remove S199 and the GER brake coach so that the Wickham buffet can be moved clear of train movements on operating days. A fair amount of cosmetic work has been carried out around the platform, most noticeably a large pond known as ‘Lake Clippie’ after its constructor which has played host to several frogs, toads, a solitary newt and a steam powered model boat!
Museum Notes
Little to report other than the acquisition of several official postcards including a particularly rare example of a folded GWR card depicting King George V published in 1928 and valued at recent auctions at up to £60 – yes £60 for one card and one which we obtained as part of a collection costing just £25.
Mike Wood has generously donated various photographs of Cannock Chase Colliery locos which will eventually be displayed, and a friend of the Society, Robert Cadman, has given us a couple of local colliery lamp checks.
Reorganisation News – Adrian Hall
The appeal in the last Newsletter for candidates for management positions in the new company generated a very poor response. There are still a couple of key positions without any likely contenders and anyone interested should get in touch with me as soon as possible.
Negotiations are still proceeding very slowly with the Charity Commissioners and in view of the need to be on a firm footing for negotiations over the motorway we have decided to incorporate a new Company as quickly as possible.
The necessary documents will probably be with the Registrar of Companies by the time you read this and it is hoped that the Certificate of Incorporation will be issued by mid-October, allowing the inaugural General Meeting to take place in late November/early December, probably concurrent with the Society AGM.
The Future
Negotiations with the Department of Transport have begun with regard to any compensation that we will get when the Northern Relief Road (M6 Toll) is built through Chasewater. It is clear that the current terminus facilities will have to be moved north to a position at least adjacent to the shed (it is likely that the shed will not have to be demolished). A planning proposal asking for outline planning permission to construct new terminal facilities is at present being drawn up, but is likely to be rejected as no development will be permitted along the line of a new road until the road is built. This could well make our position at Chasewater untenable and to this end several alternative sites are being investigated. It is hoped that the executive committee will have reached a firm preference which can be put forward at the AGM in November, along with the feasible alternatives.
431 Hudswell Group
The fund is ticking over quietly, giving the Society a monthly injection of cash. By the end of the year the fund should be approaching half-way in raising the purchase price of the locomotive. A few shares are still available.
Locomotive Stock List
In response to several requests here is a summary of locomotives on the CLR as at 1st September, 1986. A full guide/stockbook will be produced when sufficient funds are available. The next issue of Chasewater News will include a list of coaches, wagons and other rolling stock.
Another true anecdote in the series of an excerpt from the Chasewater Fat Controller’s diary. Date line Sunday, 24th March, 1985.
It was about 2 o’clock on a relatively mild afternoon when four men and a dog set off from 21G Hednesford Road to replace stolen chairs from the loop. The freshly greased bearings on the trolley ran easily on the falling gradients towards Norton, with Hairy Youths dog bounding along the four foot a couple of yards in front.
Once over the facing point, the going became much harder as the ever helpful Task Force (remember them?) had dug the ballast out between each sleeper so the dog was having to negotiate ten inch high hurdles, two foot six inches apart. Finally with the leading axle of the trolley rapidly closing on his right ear he decided he had had enough and leapt over the rail to his right – a split second too late. ‘Klunk, klunk, klunk – yelp, yelp, yelp’. The fully laden trolley had run over his back leg leaving a six inch tear in his flesh.
Having bitten his owner and growled at everyone else in range the dog was loaded onto the trolley and sent back to Brownhills West Station where the ubiquitous Spitfire was waiting to take him home. That evening, Nurse Gillian is reputed to have taken the dog to work and rebuilt him bionically – this dog now has a starting tractive effort of 17,000lbs in full gear at 85% boiler pressure and may be used to work passenger trains when we get a Light Railway Order.
The cover photo shows CLR No.11, the Neilson now known as Alfred Paget, shunting near Brownhills West on a special steaming on Saturday, 17th April 1982 for the Industrial Railway Society. Photo by Mike Wood. Good timing as the Society was at Chasewater again only a few weeks ago (2011).
109 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces
From ‘Chasewater News’ April 1986
Our late friend, Mick Doman, preparing totake ‘Asbestos’ out from Brownhills West, Easter 2007.
News from the line
Loco Dept.
Asbestos and the Sentinel both performed satisfactorily at Gricers’ Day and both have undergone further work during the winter months. Asbestos has had the vacuum brake finished and the regulator has been the subject of much attention due to its tendency to remain open when shut! The Sentinel (alias No. 59632) is being fitted with vacuum brakes and its water feed pump has been completely stripped and rebuilt. Both engines will be test steamed prior to the Transport Extravaganza in May.
On other fronts, No.6 the Albright & Wilson Peckett needs the extension to its smokebox takeplate replacing due to the severe wastage, as well as replacement of some of the rivets which fix the takeplate to the boiler barrel. It could be that the boiler will have to be removed from the frames. Tony Sale is progressing with overhauling the axle boxes of S100 and it is hoped that re-wheeling will take place soon. The small Andrew Barclay has had a patch let into the side of its firebox so progress should speed up once several stays have been renewed.Sentinel Feb 2004 – Nigel Canning
On the diesel front, No.21 has had its engine removed to enable Colin Marklew to piece together a decent working engine from this and the two spare engines that we possess.
Task Force
Like the Phoenix, from the rubble of Brownhills West has arisen a splendid new platform which was 90% finished before the West Midlands County Council was abolished at the end of March, and the Task Force left Chasewater, supposedly for good. However, at the beginning of April they reappeared under the guise of Wolverhampton Task Force to finish the job and to complete the drainage of the station site. The Society is left with the job of removing the remaining rubble and fashioning a track bed adjacent to the platform before the Wickham buffet car can be installed.
Motorway Madness
Just as the railway is recovering from the enforced siesta that it has enjoyed since 1982, comes the news that the infamous North Orbital Route (as an alternative to the crumbling M6) is to plough straight through Chasewater, in fact, it is likely to plough straight through the new platform at Brownhills West!! This of course is a major blow to the intended development of the park, not least the railway.
Despite the likelihood of a public enquiry it is almost certain that this ‘preferred route’ (out of nine possible options) will be built, construction not due to start until 1991. As it will be some 12 to 18 months before detailed plans are published then the Railway will have to have its own plans ready to make maximum use of any compensation it is eligible for. The main options open to the Railway are:
To forget it all and disperse the collection
To move lock, stock and barrel to somewhere else
To move Brownhills West some 200-300yards down the line
To move operations to the other side of the lake.
The executive committee have appointed Messrs. Hall and Patterson to investigate the feasibility of these and any other options and to find out what the chances of gaining compensation are.
“431 Hudswell Group”
At the Chasewater Light railway Society AGM on 13th November a resolution was passed empowering the Executive Committee to sell the Hudswell Clarke Locomotive No. 431 of 1895 to a consortium of Chasewater members and others. A price of £2,500 was agreed upon provided that the locomotive would remain at Chasewater.
All this led to the formation of the “431 Hudswell Group” which is offering 25 shares in the locomotive at £300 each. This covers £2,500 for purchase, leaving £5,000 for restoration. An easy payment scheme has been set up whereby prospective shareholders pay a minimum of £5 per month per share. (There is a maximum shareholding of two shares per person) and to date 18 shares have been taken up. Each shareholder will be issued with two certificates:
a) When £100 has been donated representing 1/25th of the purchase price – i.e. 1 share – and
b) On completion of restoration work to certify ownership of 1/25th of the locomotive.
No heavy restoration work will take place until the CLRS has been paid in full for the locomotive and there is enough money available to allow restoration to proceed unhindered.
Late News – A deposit of £500 has been paid by the 431 Hudswell Group to the CLRS.
Catering News
No doubt you will have read elsewhere about Gricers Day. However, from a catering point of view it was both good news and bad. The good news was that we literally sold out of everything and had to send out scouts to locate further supplies. This resulted in the maximum profit being made. The service went well except for the bottleneck around the hatch and doorway, and everyone drank the tea and coffee so it couldn’t have been too bad!
However, running the kitchen is hard work and we would not have coped except for volunteers who turned up who are not Society members via the Hon.Sec. Thanks go to all concerned. For future occasions if they are not available, ordinary members will have to be rostered for these duties, as the money raised by this service will be essential. Other Societies have learnt that they can increase their income considerably by offering an efficient service and although none of us joined to make tea and wash up, this is part of the price you pay to see the engines running again and to keep them running.
Barry Bull is again providing sterling service on Saturdays and Sundays to members and the few brave souls who appear during the winter months.
On November 17th we ran the first ever “Chase Diner Train”, which taught us a few lessons – we must be mad!! However, despite a few obvious points such as the gap between courses and lack of heat in the vehicle, it went reasonably well considering it had never been done before. Apart from a longer cooking time than anticipated, due to overloading of the electricity supply, it proved what can be done when we are fully organised and better equipped.
Remember – help support our project “Eat, drink and be merry”.
Re-organisation Committee Report
We are still dealing with the Charity Commissioners who require more information than previously thought and so this is taking longer than expected, though there should be no problem in having the new Company set up by the Autumn. Meanwhile, the Re-organisation Committee (gang of four!) are working hard to ensure a smooth changeover when the time comes.
The management structure was agreed at the last committee meeting and consists of seven Director Offices covering the main area of the business – the sub-board structure being a matter for the Directors to determine later. The intention is for seven (of the possible maximum of ten) Directors to be elected to office concurrent with their election as Directors at the AGM. The offices are:
Chairman (usual duties and to ensure Directors pull in one direction – the one the members want).
General Manager (control, planning, budgeting of on-site work).
Engineering Manager (ensuring that the Railway meets the Inspector’s requirements).
Operations Manager (rue book, staff training, rostering and timetabling).
Commercial Manager (sales, catering, etc., planning of rallies).
Marketing Manager (marketing the Railway, including publicity and advertising, magazine and public relations).
Financial Manager (treasury, liquidity and cash-flow management, budgetary control system, VAT/Revenue).
Association of Railway Preservation Societies (ARPS) AGM25-1-1986
For the first time in over four years the Society sent a delegation to an ARPS meeting, this year’s AGM being held in London.
The only really useful part of the meeting was a talk by Major Olver of the Railway Inspectorate on various current problems facing the preservation movement, certain aspects of which were discussed in a private conversation between Major Olver and the CLR delegation (Steve Organ and Adrian Hall) after the meeting.
The need for agreement between railways and private owner stock was raised which is something the CLR will have to look at before we recommence train operations. The Annual ARPS Award was intended for BR for organising the Marylebone – Stratford dinner trains but as they are ineligible – not being members of ARPS you understand – the Award was given instead to the owners of the engines used on said trains. As the Award is supposedly for an outstanding contribution to the Railway Preservation movement, there were surely better qualified contenders such as the KWVR for the splendid restoration of the unique Haydock Foundry built ‘Bellerophon’;Bellerophon at Caverswall Road, Foxfield Railway
City of Truro at Hampton Loade
the SVR’s restoration of ‘City of Truro’; the North Norfolk’s Gresley buffet car; the Llangollen Railway’s extension to Berwyn, etc., (or even the CLR’s nine year restoration of ‘Asbestos’!).Berwyn Station on the Llangollen Railway – and the former Chasewater Wickham. Hondawanderer.com
The Best Preserved Station Award went to the SRPS for Boness Station. This is interesting in that it is not strictly a preserved station, being an amalgam of various Scottish station buildings brought in from other sites. Enquiries were made to see if Brownhills West would be eligible – apparently it would so we shall have to see what can be done in the future!! – Any (sensible) ideas are welcome!
Chasewater Transport Rally Report
Sunday October 13th not only brought a return to steam to the railway but also the largest event held since the last Transport Scene in June 1982. It was also one of the warmest days of the year! A total of 129 exhibits were in attendance, ranging from buses to stationary engines. As organiser of the event it was a great pleasure to realise that although we may have gone through bad times over the past three years we have certainly not lost our friends in the world of preserved vintage transport. Thinking back to the original Transport Scene organised by Andrew Louch in 1977 when we had about 70 exhibits over a summer weekend, who would have thought that an October day eight years later would see almost double the number of exhibits and sales stands with free admission and still enough money raised on sales stands, our own refreshment and miscellaneous sales to make a healthy profit.
Aside from the obvious thanks to all the exhibitors who attended and members who assisted on the day, I would like a special vote of thanks to be accorded to Angela, the two Sues and Tim – all non-members who were coerced into helping out in the Wickham buffet. It is fair to say that without their help profits would have been minimal as most of the profit came from refreshment sales. The day’s refreshment sales realised £165, by far the highest achieved in the Wickham in one day.
One spin-off from the event was our first major publicity in the railway press for years, with photos of the Sentinel and/or Asbestos appearing in ‘Steam Railway’, ‘Railway Magazine’ and ‘Railway World’. We were also featured in the Lichfield Mercury and shortly afterwards a photo of the ex-Walsall Gasworks Sentinel appeared in the Walsall Observer.
Chasewater Transport Extravaganza
Yes, another transport event is in the formative stages. A group of enthusiasts headed by our friend Peter Magee of Lichfield are hoping to organise a weekend event in the Park on May 17th – 18th. Admission will be free and they hope to cover costs by selling trade space and by means of donation. An enjoyable informal event is promised and will include guest appearances by up to half-a-dozen steam traction engines. Any profit made is being donated to the Chasewater Light Railway Society.
The unique 1957 built Wickham & Co Class 109 DMU (50416 & 56171) pulls away from Berwyn station on 26 June 2010 with the 16:50 Llangollen to Carrog service, during the Llangollen Railway’s Railcar Gala. The station occupies a very restricted site, next to the main Llangollen to Corwen road, and perched high above the River Dee.
Chasewater Railway Museum 