6880 Betton Grange

I note that the group now has a new website produced by a web designer - no doubt at great expense to the shareholders.
The original website was done by volunteers & appeared to be quite adequate.
I would rather have my monthly payment used to build a loco & not to build a website.
If this is the way the group are going then questions need to be asked at the forthcoming a.g.m. regarding the financial management competency of those in charge.

Bob.

 

You are entitled to your opinion but, IMHO, the old website was very clunky and not up to the job. This new one is a massive improvement and should/could be able to tempt people into handing over some cold hard cash for the project.

As long as they keep on with their impressive progress theb it should be fine!

 

Its not unknown for companies to do work at mate's rates or better for charities or other volunteer organisations they wish to support. Its a bit of PR and cheap advertising and I wouldn't be suprised if they can write some of it off against tax. I have absolutely no idea whether or not this is the case in this instance, but unless you know for sure that's not the case then its wise not to exclude the possibility.

 

The new website is better than the previous one, without doubt. Most of the recent news is about the 2012 Gala rather than the engine itself, so I recommend you download the Summer Newsletter which has much interesting detail about the actual engineering progress, which appears considerable.

Here is a link to the website to save you Googling.

http://www.6880.co.uk/news

 

Something seems wrong as I cannot access the basic website just by entering www.6880.co.uk - what shows up is a message 'This domain name has been registered with Easyspace.com'.

I have managed to look at the new website using the link above. There does not appear to be any update on the locomotive build since July 2011 which was what I viewed on the old website.

 

And no doubt as a member you are attending and will be able to raise these important questions directly with those involved - and once you have the information directly from the horses mouth (so to speak) you can make a measured decision as to whether to continue your support or not.

I have no idea why members of groups, which they take the effort to support, feel the need to raise their concerns on here in the public domain rather than privately within the group of which they are a member.

I am sure you have your reasons but to me its just unecessary and peculiar,

 

Sometimes you have to shout to be heard, if that means others can hear it, or others hearing it prompts corrective action.. Then that is exactly what you have to do.
The ones who attempt to silence dissent are the ones you have to watch... As if no one shouts.... Quiessence becomes Acquiescence. (silence is acceptance).

 

I can't imagine the website cost more than a few hundred quid plus monthly hosting charges. It uses free software to run it (WordPress), and although they've paid someone to build it, the design is simple and extra widgets use off-the-peg 'plugins'. It *shouldn't* have been an expensive project.

Simon

 

May I suggest you follow your own advice, seeing as Bob is a member of 6880 and has met her board members on more than 1 occasion and has known a few of them for a number of years before 6880 was even in existance.

Just recently communication seems to have dried up from the Society's board, and sadly the members are being informed of very little. We've found more out from the rly press than our own board, which in my mind is wrong as it's not the mags that make regular subscriptions to the group. Bob's original post has come from the frustration created by this silence and sudden 'random' decisions being made without letting those of us who are backing her know any reason for them.

 

I'm having the same problem with accesing the new website. The other problem this new website has created, was previously our volunteer run site had 1 website for the gala and 1 for the loco. This new website though only has 1 website for both, and there have been no updates on the loco released since July which is what I've explained above.

 

Couldn't this sort of thing have been discussed at the agm of the group, or was it best to bring it up on a public forum??

 

This was the point I was trying to make (albeit not as concisely as you), if there are problems in the group they must be bottomed out to the satisfaction of the members and I would hope that an AGM would provide this opportunity - and if its coming up shortly all the better.

But I still think to bring it up on here first doesn't help anyone - think about it this way, any such scheme needs more and more members to move forward and provide the funding - to make it clear that all is not well in the public domian (before its been raised through the normal processes) is hardly going to encourage new donations, particularly when it suggests that money is being wasted and not spent where it should be.

Just a thought like.

 

Exactly. If there are issues within the group, then these need to be sorted. But not in the public eye. Do the above members of 6880 who have brought up the issues ever want to see the loco running?? If so, then sort things out closer to home, rather than telling the world first...

 

hmmmm, while googling 6880 i found this new site. http://www.6880.info/ Great little site actually, pics of the move of the wheels and a video from youtube. It will be interesting to see if this will be kept upto date with regular news.

 

Any news on the Grange?

 

I have already posted this

May i suggest you PM the chairman of 6880 he's on Nat Pres as wait for ...." Mr Perfection "
You will find him in the SSS3 thread all two of his posts are there

 

A little bit of progress on the boiler. Having an hour spare on Saturday afternoon I rigged up the carriage works hosepipe & started to wash out the foundation ring, removing quite a lot of scale. Still a long way to go though !
Perhaps the monkey might like to come down & do a bit.

Bob.

 

6880 Betton Grange will be having some public and private steaming at Tyseley and then undergoing running in trials at the Battlefield Line in January 2024
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=737061661788191&id=100064530916985

 

Confirmed that, subject to successful completion of its planned programme of running in, 6880 Betton Grange will be attending the Battlefield Line's winter warmer over 3-4 February