The Christmas Draw for 2011 was, as usual, well supported. After all costs had been deducted, over £1200 profit was forwarded to the CHR funds.
The top prizes were distributed as follows:
- 1st. £100 to Julie Stone
- 2nd. £50 to the Rev. C.F.Carter, and
- 3rd. £25 to Mr. Tourret.
Many of the smaller prizes went far and wide, with all winners due to be contacted by Mike Rowe with news of their prizes. A full list of winners/prizes can be seen here. Thanks to everyone for their support.
In the past, to celebrate a successful year of operations, we have held a get-together of members at Sweeney Hall Hotel, Llynclys. This enables members to meet in informal surroundings to fix all the worlds problems, or at least have a good meal, talk and drink!!
This meeting this year is again at the Sweeney Hall Hotel, on Saturday 17th. March 2011, meeting at 19:00 for a 19:30 start.
The cost will be £21, with the full menu below (or download here). Please provide your details if you wish to attend, along with the payment, by February. 29th., to “c/o Richard Jones - Cambrian Heritage Railways, Suite 1, Old Station Building, Oswald Road, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 1RE”. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Cambrian Heritage Railways’.
Further details can be obtained from Richard, as instructed on the menu below
Spaces are limited, so it’s first come, first served!
For further details Richard Jones can also be contacted by email.
Help from Oswestry School
Last August Cambrian Heritage Railways was approached by Mandy Price, Oswestry School’s Community Program co-ordinator, to discuss whether the Railway could offer task-related opportunities for their students and which would benefit the railway.
It was agreed that a group of year 11 and 12’s, both boys and girls, would visit the Railway on Thursday afternoons for the duration of the Autumn term, with staff supervision from the school. A list of tasks was drawn up by Rob Williams as Station Manager. Andrew Tullo and Brian Rowe agreed to be the principal CHR supervisors, with Bob Evans opening up and helping.
The group of up to 12 students arriving by minibus attended on six occasions, with one cancelled because
Oswestry School pupils pose with School & CHR Staff during the Autumn Term.
of pouring rain. After a risk assessment, a number of tasks were undertaken during the long sessions. Supervising school staff included Gareth Parry, the school chaplain, who turns out to be a member at the Severn Valley Railway, and Mireia Ballespi Cierco, a fully qualified conservator who has previously worked at a museum in Spain.
Litter picking in the Station area down to Middleton Road Bridge proved reasonably popular, perhaps as it allows a certain amount of ‘mooching’ about the premises! Several layers of primers and undercoat were applied to the large crossing gate in the Station yard.
Cleaning, rubbing down and painting of Station platform signs, painting of the buffer stop on the reinstated road and painting of three sets of check-rails were all achieved before the winter months.
Painting of temporary platform fencing was just in time for Santa rides on Saturdays in December, and a 1st. floor toilet in the Station Building got a makeover!
The work wasn’t all for Oswestry though, as picket fencing for Pen Y Garreg Lane entrance also got a lick of paint ready for helping to finishing off the halt’s development for the spring.
Lionel Wass was on hand as the weather turned colder and indoor jobs became more popular; not that the museum is exactly warm, but it is dry! Cleaning, sorting and painting in the museum has lead to the plan for a small working party from the school returning to work in the Museum on Thursday afternoons this term with the professional supervision of Mireia.
Finally, some students worked on computers back at the school to produce a board mounted display about the 2011 Oswestry Station platform development using images and text provided by Lionel. Working with Footfall Oswestry this is now on show in the rear empty shop windows of the former Stationery Box, close to the new train mural in town.
Publicity for Oswestry School was achieved through the school website and an article in the Shropshire Star. The arrangements were considered to have been successful, and without accident or injury! All students, including those from overseas, got involved with tasks unfamiliar to them and which were of significant use to the railway.
In the early morning fog of Saturday 14th. Jan, the newly restored TSO 4965 waits to be hauled up the line for testing.
0-4-0DE 11517 waits at Pen-y-Garreg Halt with TSO 4965, following its trip up the line.
Following its complete overhaul by the Carriage & Wagon team, TSO 4965 was coupled to 0-4-0DE 11517 on a misty Saturday morning and prepared for its first journey up the line to Pen-Y-Garreg Halt.
Half a dozen or so applications of the vacuum brake finally released the vacuum cylinders, and therefore the brake shoes, on the coach. Their first operation ‘in anger’ for at least 8 years!
It was then, slowly at first, taken off the reception siding and on to the main line, where an emergency brake test was performed. Successfully stopping the train dead in its tracks!
The train then finally made its way to Pen-Y-Garreg Halt for the first time - possibly the first Mark1 coach to travel that far along the line since its closure in 1965.
The following Sunday, 22nd. Jan, saw the brake rigging being checked and tightened, and the same procedure performed as on the previous expedition. No faults were found, and even the communication cord was successfully checked along the way!
Next up is the completion of the Shark (DB993854) Brake Van, which will be attached to the back of the formation to complete a new train for use for passengers from the start of next season.