567 Victorian 4-4-0 New Build

Many thanks Legrandanglais, this update is appreciated.

 

Thank you - I do as much as I can to promote the GCR567 project....
There will be more exiting news revealed to the Supporters on Saturday - I am working on getting the numbers together for our Chairman.
Hopefully the news will attract more Supporters and Volunteers to the project (We just acquired a Technical Construction File (TCF) auditor/compiler and a 3D draughtsman) - we need ALL of them (but it would be nice to attract a few younger ones - eager to learn from us Oldies).
I quote the GCR Motto: 'FORWARD'

 

Indeed that is great news - I await the official word from 567. However I saw in Main Line that a PR (sort of ) person had been appointed, no obvious evidence yet.

 

Yes, getting forgetful in my old age. I think that Tim will be helping Andrew with compiling the updates and Supporters Newsletters.

 

Looking forward to the Newsletter and Saturday.

 

One small whinge-let. Could the web powers that be either remove the newsletters from the bottom of the page, or update the ones shown (or say that they aren't updating it any more. Or a picture of a squirrel)

 

Well the Zoom AGM and Engineering updates went well and it is reassuring to note that the scheme is broadly on schedule, both in terms of hardware and financially. Obviously Covid has had a big impact on this years volunteer hours, but component sponsorship has provided a significant income stream. The newly cast bogie wheels, together with tyres and axles are one result. Comments were made about the communications - and they should be more frequent in the future. It was good to be able to put a face to some of the names on here!

 

As ever, a most enjoyable way to spend a few hours on an otherwise dull November afternoon.

 

Certainly the next 12 months should prove to be interesting, to say the least....
I wasn't aware that the bogie wheel castings had been joined by tyres and axles until it was mentioned to me in an e-mail earlier last week!

 

I think the Supporters were reasonably happy with the two Zoom Meetings yesterday with Ruddington Closed and Covid restrictions in place. I think there were a couple of GOOD surprises contained in those virtual meetings!
To all those keen to see the Tender project progress, they were told that problems getting the ROD wreck into a suitable works area was delayed for the foreseeable future...
This has seen the large amount of funds agreed by a donor switched to another expensive part of the project - with the aim of getting things moving in other areas. The Supporters attending the Zoom Meeting already know where these funds are going. However, since ALL of the Supporters are not yet aware, I have to withhold this exciting bit of news.
So, what does this mean for the 'Fill our Tender Tank' appeal - it was full - now empty. You are welcome to start the process of filling it up again, and updates will be regular once funds start to flow in.

 

Re. the tender, I thought that they were looking at possibly trying for a non Ruddington workshop space? It didn't seem to get mentioned in the meeting.

 

I did drop some less than subtle hints about the possibility of some space at Mountsorrel when I was there earlier this year, but, given that a 3F and "Colin Mc Andrew" have appeared there since (and the LMS box van which I forgot..), plus the Stephenson lift bridge parts were "imminent" - albeit halted by the current Lockdown - there is not the room there at the moment anyway!
As the tender is now deferred for a year or two, that gives more of a chance to sort out the Ruddington situation, which is the logical place for it to be done if the loco work is continuing there.

 

Good to see that the website has now been updated with the information given at the zoom AGM. The detailed pictures of the bogie wheel castings are very interesting.

 

Not everything on the website update as those Supporters who were not on the Zoom Meeting have yet to be told - it WILL make a great announcement when it happens. As for the Bogie wheel castings - featuring Chairman Andrew 'Ringing the changes? ' Wheeeely good pictures!

 

Nice! Interesting that they will also do the O4 - did the patterns survive to be tucked away in case of need? (although now, it's probably the CNC file, the specification and the sign-off, that are more important.

 

Will the day ever come when the "joys" of trawling through roomfulls of unindexed, disintegrating drawings joins that long list of lost arts?

 

I believe the bogie wheel pattern is to be used by another "New Build" project - which is a nice example of co-operation.

 

It will move into piles of unlabelled floppy disks, usb drives and NAS boxes!

Keith

 

As a firm believer in 'Sod's Law', methinks someone's maybe implicitly optimistic concerning the future for flash drives!

 

Presumably the digital equivalent of the disintegrating drawings cited above...