Jammo ready for the off, 4-5-2024.
Jammo leaving Brownhills West on the first train, 4-5-2024, after weeks of hard work in the workshop. Well done everyone!
Jammo arriving at Chasewater Heaths from Chasetown Church Street.
Jammo leaving Chasewater Heaths for Brownhills West
Arriving home at Brownhills West.
Featured Locomotive: No.7 Birch. Built at Rawnsley in1888 but not put to work till 1890. Worked at Brereton 1949/50. Scrapped at Brereton circa 1956.
From the Editorial – Chris Chivers
This is the first issue of the Chasewater News for over five years without Nigel Canning at the helm. Nigel has decided to retire from the post of Newsletter Editor, a task which has at times been a thankless one but a job which has been vital to the railway and its members. From myself and the other members of the Board I would like to give Nigel our heartfelt thanks for the effort, patience and perseverance in trying to produce a newsletter that has increased in space and scope during his editorship. Many, many thanks Nigel.
Since the last newsletter, work on the railway has increased apace, Norton Lakeside Station has been lengthened and backfilled to accommodate a three coach train and the 55 coping slabs that came from British Rail’s Taunton Concrete Works are believed to be the last order that was processed there before the works were closed down. Fencing on the causeway is well in hand, trespass notices have gone up at each of the foot-crossings over the line between Brownhills West station and the new station with the accompanying whistle boards scheduled to be put in place shortly… The bridge between Chasewater and Jeffrey’s Pool has received new steelworks on the parapets and plans are being made to use the extra bricks in lengthening Brownhills West platform later in the year. At Brownhills West the new amenities block is being refurbished with a donation of materials from Lichfield District Council for the cladding of the temporary accommodation. This will give us at long last some decent sized toilets as well as facilities fro the disabled. Also a new facia for the booking office and shop has been constructed off-site by the Community Service lads and should be put in place shortly. The problem of extra storage space for stock alongside Elsley’s siding is being looked at, with it being earmarked as a summer job for the Community Service people.
The problem of lack of working members is again rearing its ugly head. In 1986 there were a handful of working members and this has grown steadily so that in 1994 there were 20 – 30 volunteers working on site. As the railway has grown, the demands on their time by the railway have increased. In 1986 it was all hands to man the station on a steaming day, in 1994 not only were we fully manned for steaming days but there were staff working in other departments as well. The railway is growing and growing fast, with 60 running days this season and the strain on our existing volunteers is growing. If you can spare some time or would like to become a regular working member come along any Sunday from about 9.30am, you would be more than welcome.
Loco Shed News
The loco shed has at long last got a fixed compressor which means that the engineering staff have got ‘wind’ to help with some of the jobs that consumed many valuable man-hours. The compressor was a donation from Oscott Air as they decided the faults on it were not worth repairing. On further inspection it was found that the only things needed were the small piston and con rod. The old ones having worn the circular hole for the piston and con rod for the gudgeon pin to an oval shape, so causing a rather loud knocking noise. It is hoped that jobs such as taking out old boiler tubes can be accomplished much more easily than having to do it by hand. With the tidying up of the engine shed the ‘diesel dismantlers department’ have installed a new bench allowing them to lay out and reassemble various bits of engines.
Steam Locomotives
No.4 Asbestos – Once again Asbestos has opened the season for passenger services but whether it will see the season out is doubtful. During the winter the crown of the firebox was built up with weld and a new fusible plug mounting was made and put into place. Several of the rivets at the base of the firebox have received attention, as well as the foundation ring. The new tubes purchased last year are in store and await the major overhaul that Asbestos needs.
David & Goliath – Asbestos & 60056
No.5 Sentinel – The Sentinel failed its hydraulic test at the first attempt with a blown tube. The boiler was lowered into the pit, the 14 outer tubes removed, new tubes purchased, replaced and the boiler hoisted back into position, all within 21 days. The boiler fittings have been replaced and the second hydraulic test was successful. Some of the pipework has had to be renewed because of the re-positioning of the Weir pump and it is hoped the Sentinel will be back in service later in the season.
S100 – The centre wheels for S100 that have for ages been in between one and two roads have at last been moved and are now in the shed against S100’s frames. The tanks at the top end of Brownhills West site are also scheduled to be moved to the shed compound in the near future. Several parts of the brake gear have been placed alongside S100’s frames and have received attention to free the pins and to clean the rust off them. New horn keeps for two of the axle boxes have been fabricated and attention has been given to re-assembling the valve gear. It is expected that S100 could be back on its wheels within the next 12 months.
Hudswell Clarke – The Hudswell Clarke has received a cosmetic coat of paint to smarten it up and to prevent any further corrosion to the bodywork.
No.3 Colin McAndrew – The boiler is awaiting a decision after its departure for the SVR’s boiler shop at Bridgnorth and the outcome of the inspection there.
917 – A short section of track has been laid in the shed compound in preparation for receiving the chassis that is currently on three road. This is to enable some basic work to be done in cleaning and preparing the chassis for the long work of restoration back to working order.
917 at Albright & Wilson, Oldbury
Diesel Locomotives
Fowler diesel mechanical No.410013 – Work has continued on restoring the loco to full order. The cab roof has been needle-gunned and has received a coat of primer (causing a complaint from one of our neighbours over the noise). The air receivers have been removed for inspection and some of the pipework is scheduled to be renewed. The loco is nominally serviceable.
Fowler diesel hydraulic No.422015 – The Fowler has been the backbone of the works trains and now needs some attention. The problems with the engine due to diesel dilution of the lubricating oil have now been rectified. The pump for the torque converter has now been repaired and this in turn has cured the low oil pressure that has been a problem for some time.
DL7 – This loco has been returned to traffic with the faults from last year rectified. The broken cab windows have been replaced and some minor attention is needed to the instrument panel.
L & Y No.1 – Progress on rebuilding the engine maintains a steady pace. The old cast iron spark plug holders have been drilled out of one of the two cylinder heads with the second head awaiting its turn. New holders have been fabricated and are waiting to be fitted to the refurbished cylinder heads. The timing gears have been remade and hardened courtesy of Dorman Diesels of Stafford. A number of components for the 4JO engine have been loaned to Dormans to help them rebuild a similar engine from the Festiniog Railway’s Simplex ‘Mary Anne’. It is possible that the engine from No.1 could be loaned to Festiniog upon completion of rebuilding for running in ‘Mary Anne’ while No.1’s chassis and bodywork is finished.
No.20 – The loco on loan to Bass Brewery Museum is receiving some attention, with the eventual aim of getting No.20 back into running order.
No.21 – Work still continues on getting No.21 finished. A new radiator has been acquired and upon completion of a new sump gasket the sump should be fitted back to the engine. With only one head to be put back onto the main cylinder block No.21’s engine is nearly complete.
DMUs – Both of these have received A and B examinations. The brake blocks on one of the out-of-service units need replacing, and they will require some more maintenance work.
Featured Loco Pic – ‘Tony’ – 0-6-0ST Hawthorn Leslie 3460-1921 at Hawkins.
More new additions to the collection in February and some new loan items too.
Permanent Way News
The second and final batch of track has now arrived from Four Ashes and is being put to good use by the Permanent Way Gang. The works train has had to spend every Sunday ‘out of section’ at the end of the causeway just to make enough room for passenger trains, as with the amount of rolling stock now on site there is insufficient siding space at Brownhills West. The track gang have put this situation to good use, and at the present rate of progress track will be in front of the platform at Norton Lakeside well before the end of this year.
In order to quantify the progress already made, and to assist with the planning of the future extension of the line, David Bathurst has produced the chart below showing distances between various points on the railway.
All distances were measured by pushing a pedometer along the head of the rail, and sleeper ends were marked with yellow paint at 100 metre intervals. The ‘Zero Point’ was chosen as the gate post at the end of the loco shed yard, as after the motorway is built it is likely to be the closest surviving landmark to Brownhills West station. When the time comes, new measurements can be made into the replacement station from the same spot.
The chart shows that we are currently running passenger trains over a distance of about a mile to the present running line limit almost half-way across the causeway. When we ultimately reach Anglesey Wharf the total distance (estimated over the final section) will be around 2¾ miles, assuming that nothing is lost or added by the repositioning of Brownhills West Station (nice dream, but that’s all!).
Locomotive News
No.4 Asbestos – This engine has run exceptionally well considering the dubious start to the season. Since then a total of twenty-two boiler tubes have been renewed and seem to have cured the problem of leakage at the firebox end. Another 124 new tubes have now been acquired and are stacked in the shed ready to complete the re-tubing at the end of the running season. Slight weepage of a few stays and part of the foundation ring will also have to be corrected.
The latest batch of Russian coal, although somewhat smoky, is giving excellent results without the problem of clinkering inherent in the last lot. This is just as well, as with trains running every Sunday in this summer’s hot weather the last thing anyone wants to do is rake the fire through after every other trip.
Asbestos with a three-coach test train stands on the causeway ready to return to Brownhills West
No.5 Sentinel – Progress on this loco remains slow, although the boiler is now ready for its hydraulic test. All of the boiler fittings have been refurbished and will be hydrauliced along with the boiler. The injector has been moved to the fireman’s side of the cab and that and the Weir pump are being re-piped in such a way that they can be drained easily in winter to prevent frost damage.
S100 – Work has continued with the manufacture of new mountings for the brake hangers to replace the original items which were somewhat bodged and worn out.
Fowler diesel hydraulic No.422015 – Replacement injectors have been acquired and fitted to the engine of this loco with the result that its performance has been transformed. A few other minor problems have occurred, but it has remained in regular use for shunting and works trains.
Ruston diesel electric DL7 – One of the starting air valves of this loco has had to be renewed due to a damaged seat in the original. A fuel leak from one of the injector pipes has also been rectified. The loco is serviceable but has remained out of use mainly due to passenger trains being steam hauled throughout July and August.
Fowler diesel mechanical No.410013 – Following arrival from Redditch this loco has had its engine de-seized, the injectors have received attention and the engine has been run. Faults have been found with the injection pump and governor and these have now been removed for attention. Following completion of the air system overhaul the loco should be able to enter traffic.The new Fowler stands in the platform shortly after its arrival from Redditch
L&Y No1 (Motorail No.1947) – All of the axleboxes and springs have now been stripped and rebuilt and a new bearing is being made to replace one which was stolen recently. Once the sandboxes and inside of the body castings have been stripped and primed the loco will be ready for craning from its present position in front of the museum coach so that final erection can begin.
No.21 diesel – This loco is making steady progress, the engine is now complete but still awaiting cylinder head gaskets. It is hoped that it may be running for the Diesel Gala which is a new event to be held for the first time in September.
Lion – Following its removal to Foxfield last Autumn this loco entered service at Easter, running initially double-headed with ‘Harwarden’ The vacuum brake hoses were apparently awkward to couple as ours at Chasewater are the opposite side to ‘normal’ to suit our DMU stock.
Smith Rodley crane – This again remained out of use awaiting a potential purchaser. So far a couple of enquiries have been received but no offers have been forthcoming.
From the Board Room
The Board has been actively involved in a number of new initiatives, while various on-going matters have been subjected to scrutiny and, where necessary, review. The following will be of general interest to the membership.
1. Personal circumstances have brought about the resignation from the Board of Les Emery. However, Les has indicated a willingness to continue with his other roles on the railway.
2. The Board has agreed to the co-option of Company Secretary Andy Clegg to the Board.
3. The trading name of the company has been changed to the “Chasewater Railway”. Previous official and unofficial trading (‘Chasewater Steam Railway’, ‘Chasewater Light Railway’, etc.) are no longer considered suitable and are felt to give a misleading impression of the nature of our current and future operations.
4. In an attempt to encourage family travel during this period of continual financial restraint, the price of the Family Rover has been reduced, until further notice, from £5.80 to £4.95.
5. During the course of the nest few months, the Board is to produce a new business plan for the purpose of clearly defining objectives and priorities, and how they might be best achieved within the resources (including financial and manpower) expected to become available. Associated with this proposal is the revival of the concept of departmental heads, holding pre-determined budgets, to give focus to the completion of the many and varied tasks necessary for the railway to both exist and develop.
6. The Board has responded to a plea from Rallies Organiser Dave Whittle by delegating various aspects and responsibilities to specified individuals. Thanks largely to the efforts of Dave, the Chasewater Rallies are rapidly gaining in reputation, with Paul Richards taking up much of the strain as Administrative Officer.
7. On other fronts:
· Negotiations are proceeding with HM Railway Inspectorate in relation to the extension into, and construction of, Norton Lakeside Station.
· The railway was represented at a meeting of Chasewater user groups hosted by Lichfield DC, and arranged on a largely social basis for the various groups to meet the Members and relevant Officers of the District Council.
· Lichfield District Council has generously offered grant aid to the railway in the sum of £1,000 by way of a contribution towards forthcoming expenditure. This generous act by the District Council signals a solid measure of support for the railway by its new ‘landlord’.
· Accommodation at Brownhills West has become a problem in consequence of stock acquisition, (4 DMU coaches plus one tanker wagon). However, this should be relieved by the imminent removal of one (at least) of the Wickhams, and the Board is still anxious to dispose of the crane (preferably to a good home on another railway) as a matter of priority.
· The transfer of records from Adrian Hall should enable Paul Richards to take up his responsibilities as Membership Officer with early effect.
· The Board has agreed strategy towards bidding for the trackwork at Bromford Sidings, and has noted that the remaining trackwork at Four Ashes is due to transfer to Chasewater in August.
David Bathurst – Chairman.
Poppies on Bredon Hill
Poppies on Bredon Hill near Lalu Farm.
Posted in Newsletters
Tagged Brownhills, Burntwood, Chasewater Railway Museum, Models, Norton Canes, Pit Check, Staffordshire, Steam Trains, Wagon plate
From A New Year’s Message from the Chairman
Without doubt, 1993 was a most interesting year for everyone associated with the CLR.
Obviously, the work on the ‘extension’ represents the most tangible of our successes in 1993, culminating in the decision of the Railway Inspector, Mr. Colin Law, to pass this further stretch of line in time for the Transport Rally in October. Immediately, our running line increased by over 50% in length, enabling us to market the CLR as a real railway with a real product on offer. With eminent guests from Lichfield District Council and Burntwood Town Council in attendance, after a very short, informal, ‘Opening Ceremony’, the Lichfield DC Vice Chairman Councillor Mrs. E.J.Bayliss waved off the 12 noon departure. This, as with most trains that day, was virtually full, with passengers having some little difficulty in finding seats of their choice.Photo: DMB
Councillor Mrs. Bayliss subsequently wrote a most charming letter to me, and I think it is appropriate to reproduce her letter in full –
“13th October 1993
Dear Mr. Bathurst,
Thank you very much for a lovely day at the Chasewater Light Railway and Museum Company’s Annual Transport and Machinery Rally and for the privilege of officially opening the new stretch of railway line. My husband and I found the Rally in Chasewater Park most enjoyable and interesting and we wish you well for the future.
The District Council looks forward to working with you further in the future when the whole of Chasewater comes within the boundaries of this Authority.
Yours Sincerely,
Cllr Mrs.E.J.Bayliss
Vice Chairman of Council.”
I hardly need to comment on how important it is for the CLR to enter into a good dialogue with both the elected members and officers of Lichfield DC, whose respect for the CLR will, for certain, be influenced by the professionalism with which we maintain our operations.
Chasewater Railway Museum 