RAISING STEAM
STEAM APPRENTICE CLUB MAGAZINE
EDITOR
Barry Sumsion, 1 Leicester Road, Newport, Gwent NP9 7ER Tel: 01633 262197 Fax: 01633 259089
CHAIRMAN, STEAM APPRENTICE CLUB
John Bosworth, 74 lVIain Road, Smalley, Derby DE7 6EF Tel: 01332 880405 between 8.00am and 10pm only
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
John Cook, Dolfarni, Church Lane, Kirby ]a Thorpe, Sleaford, Lincolnshjre NG34 9NU. Correspondence only.
The Editor welcomes any contributions of articles, shorter iLems or photographs for inclusion in future issues. All material submitted is vol11nLnryand payment cannot be made for any material published. The opinjomi expressed in the magazine, with the exception of Club announcements, a re those of the contributors and do not indicate the views of the Club 1:18u whole. A]J items are held copyright by the contributor and the NTET.
Please send your contributions to the Editor uL IPnHt five weeks before publication. Typed articles are preferred but not ci:iRcnLinl.rr handwritten put any names of PEOPLE, PLACES or ENGINES in BLOCK C/\PT'l1\LS. If'you require any part of your article (eg photos) returning plNuw s1-1yso nnd enclose a stamped addressed envelope. Enclose your name, addrei,;;s nncl (if'Apprentice') age with any contribution.
The Editor reserves the right to amend or rcfuRc contl'ib11Lions,nnd wil'I attempt to correct spelling and grammar!
The l\tlagazine is normally published during the cnrly pi:u·Lof ,Jan11ary, April, <July and October. The Club accepts no liabiliLy for l'nil111·tLor110( 1 LinLc 1 nded publication dates.
The Steam Apprentice Club is a section of the Nat.innnl Trnt<l.io11R111~i111•'rrnHl. NTET is a Registered Charity, No. 291578. Registrrrd in l•~nglc111dNo, I ;-H)~ I t>7. Registered Office: Forum House, 1-6 Millmead, Micldlc•i-11,x'T'WIH tll!Cl.
Typesetting and Artwork by Kearline Graphic I111ageH, I LPict-\HU'l' Ro1ul, N(•wpoi·L,Cwent NP9 7ER Tel: 01633 262197 Fax: 01633 25908~ PrinLed by The Chequer Press Ltd, High StrecL, J.,ycl,wy,ntoH CL I fi nDP
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
I would like to welcome your new editor for Raising Steam. He has "STEAM" connections on the miniature side and has also edited and produced steam orientated magazines. He has promised your Raising Steam on time. How's that for starters! May I ask on his behalf, please send articles, photos, news, I'm sure anything, to him and he will be pleased to receive and get it into Raising Stea,n.
Welcome aboard Barry and I wish you all the best, and hope you are snowed under with news, etc.
John Bosworth, Chairman
FROM THE EDITOR
So this is what happens when you respond, full of enthusiasm, to a request for a volunteer to take on editing a magazine. I suppose I should have remembered, having done just that before. Don't get the wrong idea however. Although these first few jottings will reveal any rustiness and certainly any n1isinformation on my part, I'm sure, together we shall soon have a fine magazine running between us, as you have enjoyed before, and I might even let it slip that I enjoy doing this type of thing.
I suppose it might be a good idea to let you know a little about myself. Well I've been around steam engines of one type or another for a very long time. As a boy I spent most of my formative years on the platforms of my local railway station, and the sound of a Bulleid Pacific in full flight still does something to me that no other railway engine can. It was not long however before a colleague, also often to be found on those same platforms, introduced me to the traction engine scene. He and his father had been around engines for many years and as a bonus not only knew the engines well, but in many cases the owners. My first outing, if! remember correctly, was to Seend Rally, near Devizes. This was a short lived rally I believe, but that was it - I was hooked. From then I have attended as many rallies as possible (taking into account the normal work and domestic restraints, of course). Living in Salisbury at first, the BIG one was, and still is, the Dorset. Many happy days were spent at Stourpaine, and whenever possible I got involved "helping" with anything. The higher spots involved helping an engine crew, the lower points involved Jeyes Fluid - but that's another story.
My move to South Wales brought me to another area of rallies, such as lv1uchMarcle, Upton etc. It also brought me membership of the local model engineering society where I soon became the proud owner of a 5" gauge tank locomotive. Whilst I had driven steam engines before, this was the machine on which I learnt most about the ways of steam engines. I had joined a body of colleagues where the knowledge was deep, and there are now not many times that I cannot "talk" an engine into doing my bjdding! However there was not much evidence of the traction engine within the club. I had heard that some had been built, but none were to be seen. Then one day when the club was putting on an exhibition, an almost finished 3" scale (quarter size) Allchin appeared. On finding whose it was, I discovered that the builder, who has built many fine railway locomotives, had started it a few years previously but for some reason his enthusiasm was not with this engine. This was about to change! Much goading from myself and his wife caused the engine to be finished. Suffice it to say that it has become the hardest worked engine known to most. And I seem to have put a temporary halt to things Great Western, for now there are no fewer than eight new traction engines being built in our club.
In these things I am an apprentice (albeit an old one!) so it is perhaps fitting that I an1 now also editing the magazine of the Steam Apprentice Club, and I hope, among other things, to bring regular news of my new engine-the Burrell Scenic Showmans engine 3561 "Fearnought" in 4" scale (one third size). It is a long way from finished, but I hope its progress will form one iten1 of interest to appear in these pages.
I hope to bring you other things as well of course, but the bulk of the content of your magazine should come from you. I really don't mind how good you are at writing-I can usually smooth out any wrinkles. It doesn't matter how long or how short your contributjon is. It doesn't matter what age you are. The important thing is that you contribute. I have been involved in a somewhat similar magazine for many years, where the content is virtually entirely composed of the contributions of members. It is now very successful. It is very much looked forward to because everything in it is known to be the work of members. Let's have a real flood of writings from all of you. One area that I wish to develop is the obvious one of rally reports. I will be attending as many as circumstance will allow, but obviously there will be many more that I cannot possibly get to. In any case I would prefer you to write your opinions of whatever rally it is that you visited. I would like to think that we could have regular "reporters" from different parts of the country. Perhaps you might like to form an informal group of apprentices in your area, and between you we might get reports of many rallies. (Perhaps we might have the readers of"Steaming" begging for copies of our magazine to read up on the rally scene!) Write to me, let me know what you think.
After all it's you who know what you want to see in your magazine. I am usually available at any time of the day (within reason) on the telephone or you can fax me with your contributions.
This is not really the first m.agazine you will receive from my pen, but an interim supplement. Your Chairman and Committee thought it would be a good idea for me to introduce myself to you and to fill in the gap before the next full issue of Raising Steam with this supplement. It won't be long before the next issue of Raising Steam is due. So please send me as much of your writings, photographs, whatever, as soon as possible.
Barry Sumsion, Editor
That's me with the Allchin
MORE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Visit to National Railway Museum, York
Now then June 18th - how many steam apprentices are coming to the National Railway Museum at York. It is my first attempt at organising an outing so I'm looking for plenty of support. Price of admission is at group rates so do take this opportunity to see the museum. I have had to ask for entrance fee and prebooking because I've to inform the museum the numbers in party.
The details are: Assemble at the new main entrance at 10.45am on 18th June 1995 where we will be met by a member of staff. Prices: Adults £3.60, Senior Citizens/Students £2.80. Cheques/Postal Orders payable in advance to me by 10th June 1995 please.
Conditions of entry to rallies
I have arranged with the membership secretary to send me some SAC membership cards with "SPECIMEN" stamped across, which I will send to rally secretaries to pass to the Senior Gate Steward so they are aware of the aforementioned cards.
A few words on the operation of this scheme.
1 An Apprentice must show current membership card.
2 Accompanying individuals will be expected to pay the usual price for entry.
3 If the gate official does not know of the scheme, pay and ask for a receipt. Take the receipt and SAC Rally List to rally control or secretary's office. They should know of the scheme and refund money.
4 I would suggest using the rally programme for gate official to use as receipt and get him or her to sign it.
With this supplement you should receive the NTET Rally List. Please note these are NTET Approved Rallies. Some rallies are not approved by the Trust so SAC members will NOT be able to get in free.
Apprentices attending rallies.where the SAC has a representative, look for poster or flag with our logo on for assembly point.
SAC Representatives to contact at Rallies
John and Fiona Durling:
MASHAM July 15/16, 1995
DRIFFIELD August 12/13, 1995
HAREWOOD HOUSE August 26/27/28, 1995
Stewart Gaines:
BILL TARGET MEMORIAL RALLY May 12/13, 1995 at Little Metlands Farm, Waltham, Rants.
BANBURY June 24/25, 1995 at Bloxham Fields, Bloxham, Oxford.
DOWNS RALLY July 1/2, 1995 at Petersfield, Rants.
NETLEY MARSH July 22/23, 1995 west of Southampton.
RUSHl\tIOORARENAJuly 29/30, 1995 atAldershot, Hants.
John Bosworth, SAC Chairman
TALLINGTON May 20/21, 1995 at Tallington, Stamford.
BELPER June 10/11, 1995, Derbyshire.
W. HALHAM June 17, 1995 ONLY, Near Derby.
SHEFFIELD June 24/25, 1995, Renishaw Hall.
ELVASTON CASTLE July 2/3, 1995, Derby.
REMPSTONE July 9, 1995, Near Loughborough.
LYMESWOLD July 22/23, 1995, Near Loughborough.
TANSLEY August 6/7, 1995, Near Matlock, Derbyshire.
LINCOLN August 19/20, 1995, Lincoln Show Ground.
Members to check with NTET authorised rally list for rallies offering free entry on production of current membership card. Steam engine rally at Manor Cottage field, St Michaels, Near Preston will give free entry to SAC members. It hasn't got an asterisk on the approved rally list.
TRAINING WEEKEND
In the first magazine from the pen of your new Editor, your Chairman has to tell you that the SAC training weekend at Klondyke Mill on April 15/16 had to be cancelled due to lack of support. The Membership Secretary sent out 150 entry forms and I had only 3 returned. It was to be subsidised by the NTET, but the Treasurer was not able to subsidise it for just 3 members. The first question is; did I go wrong and if so where was it? The timjng Easter Saturday/Sunday? It was the only date available at Klan.dyke Mill after the original date was altered at the request of the Klondyke people. Please write to your Editor or me, your thoughts and ideas.
John Bosworth, Chairman
Did you know the Chairman's "Sprig" has a small family?
Steam Apprentice Club in Yorkshire Summer 1995
Well, here we are! A new rally season awaits us. Who knows what fun we'll all have - or what scrapes we'll get into?
We shall be taking SAC to Masham on July 15/16, Driffield on August 12/13 and Harewood House on the Bank Holiday weekend August 26/27/ 28.
As no-one wrote to say what else you'd like to do - we presume we must have got it right first time last year! So -we'll do more or less the same this year. If any of you would like to drop us a line to tell us if you're coming to any of these rallies we'd love to hear from you. It helps with pairing you up with an engine as well as the barbecue catering for Saturday night! The address is 17 The Avenue, Haxby, York YO3 3EH.
We're looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the outing to the National Railway Museum in York on June 18. Mr Bosworth has planned us a super day so do come if you can - it should be a real treat.
John and Fiona Durling.
~Johnand Fiona have sent in a crossword puzzle which I shall include in my first real issue of'Raising Steam,. Will you have something in the same issue? Write in now with your contributions - large or small - all will be welcome.
Barry Sumsion, Editor
STOP PRESS!!
Your Chairman is determined to make the best use of this supplement. It is time to "Git your cameras out" and enter this year's Photographic Competition, which will be judged at the Great Dorset Steam Fair in September. Details will be published in the next full issue of Raising Steam.
FROM THE EDITOR OF STEAMING
Roger West, Editor of Steaming, would like you to bring this to the attention of parents and senior NTET members.
The Philp Collection Auction of Steam Engines, Steam Ploughing Machinery, Vintage Tractors and Commercial Vehicles at Castle Hedingham, Essex on Saturday 24th June
Details from the auctioneers: Cheffins Grain & Comins, 8 HilJ Street, Saffron Walden, Essex CBl0 lJD Tel: 01799 513131 Fax: 01799 513736