Tornado

If you take a trip to the V o R museum in Aberystwyth there is a railway locomotive on display that uses its boiler in lieu of conventional frames. I wouldn't want to give it a rough shunt! I have been told that the boilers on ploughing engines and also those on traction engines built for heavy haulage, have boilers that are strengthened for this purpose. Ferrules to boiler tubes were often fitted in the good old days, usually in industrial locomotives where the owner wanted to get the last few hours of operation from an old boiler. Bear in mind these were inspected by commercial insurance inspectors, usually ex Merchant Navy and often maintained by the local engineering company. Quite often tubes were not beaded over, the ferrules providing some protection against burning. Practice varied but I would agree that I doubt anyone would fit ferrules today. Anyway, back to Tornado.....

 

The Ffestiniog England locomotives, although fitted with main frames, didn't have a continuous frame from front to rear, utilising the firebox to connect the main frames and the rear sub frame that carried the draw gear, and the cab. Prince and Palmerston have certainly had additional framing added to remove the drawbar load from the firebox- I'm not sure Welsh Pony has though, nor if the new build Mountaineer does.

John

 

They need Mark Allatt.

 

If there is someone who is full time on payroll to handle supporter engagement, I'd expect correspondence in no more than a week. Otherwise, why use valuable capital paying a salary to someone who isn't doing all they can to retain the flow of income to the charity... ?

The choices for charitable giving are now huge, there is so much competition. One needs to work hard to convince people yours is the charity most deserving.

 

To be fair, it depends on whether replying to supporters is that person's only job - if they're dealing with other admin duties then it's easy to see how replies could take longer.
It also depends on how many enquiries they get - if they are getting hundreds of supporters writing to them asking questions, then there is no way a single person working full time could read and reply to the multitude of questions, especially when he/she may have to wait on other people to supply details for the reply.

Of course none of this excuses the Trust not replying at all, especially when someone is threatening to withdraw their financial support.

 

If it were me, and my performance was linked to retaining and growing income, and I saw a withdrawal letter that was a choice and not a necessity (cost of living crisis will have had an impact) id be picking up the phone to said supporter and doing my utmost to retain them.

If however, my salary was not dependent on my performance, and my performance wasn’t linked to retaining and growing income, id imagine id feel less inclined to do per above.

See what I’m pointing to here......?

All of you that are donating are effectively shareholders, even if its not legally structured that way.

If you all worked collboratevely and demanded that the structure of the organisation be more accountable and the responsibilities deliniated as such, perhaps the change you seek may come about. Im sure an appropriate threat of some nature could be created, carrot and stick...... Who knows, it could be a two way street. If the changes you ask for are implemented, perhaps you up your donation by 5% as a group....

Shareholder revolt is what im pointing to. The cash is so important, and it needs to be handled with the greatest care. There is no god given right to use it for wages, just as there is no god given right to build an P2.

Collaborate and win, would be my mesage on bringing the change you seek.

 

Bear in mind there are no shareholders...

 

The office manager is on maternity leave, has been mentioned above, and a vacancy for an office manager (1Yr) was advertised yesterday on FB.

 

Which takes us back round to the problem being about the organisation rather than individuals. It is the organisation that has allowed a situation to develop where correspondence is not answered for a very long time, and where donors are withdrawing funds as a result.

That may involve the office manager, but I wouldn't typically expect an office manager to be deeply involved in fundraising activity - and if they are, then delay in advertising for someone to cover the role during maternity leave is concerning (NB - an ad coming out yesterday on FB is not proof that other recruitment methods haven't been tried).

 

It's not the office manager who is on maternity leave but Sophie Bunker-James who I think is to do with marketing. The current office manager is leaving at the end of the month, and her assistant has retired. That leaves Poppy who deals with railtours, (not that any are currently forthcoming), in the office with whoever else might be available.

Dave B

 

Hence the use of the word, effectivley

Those who donate are not powerless. Its a simple message really.

 

Thanks for the clarification. My general point remains - the focus needs to be on the organisation and its ability to ensure key roles are filled and covered.

 

And it would seem that that no-one has had that focus over the past few years.

 

Latest Tornado Telegraph has arrived in my inbox and is a positive read. Headlines as follows:
-Sign off for ETCS system has been received, a major achievement and the first steam loco to achieve this.
-Maintenance of loco continues at Nene Valley and has included replacement of fire grate which was damaged by poor coal.
-First public visit will be to East Lancs railway in March and a number of other preserved railway visit requests are being considered along with a role at Railway 200 in Darlington.
-Mainline Testing to commence imminently. Digital elements will be tested on Cambrian still, but will be in dormant mode for normal operations.
-Trust is in discussions with operators and promotors for a programme of tours, state there is a lot of demand for the locomotive. Announcements shortly on this.
-Track work continues to be laid are Darlington with 3/4 mile laid. Bridge waybeams left to reinstate and cpl of track panels.

 

Good...
shame about the (new ?) firebars presumably clinkered to death...

 

As I understand it, the whole grate warped in the intense heat from the coal NVR use, and the reason it's not being used is because the fire can't be dropped in an emergency.

 

Doesn't the engine have a rocking grate, or even a drop section,? I am wondering, is the problem with the grate in any way connected to the firebox problems that the engine suffered from? If the Foundation ring is even slightly malformed, would that affect the operation of the grate, because once things heat up, clearances close up.

 

I think what you have said there is closer to the truth than what I read in the Tornado Telegraph.

 

Perhaps I am being unduly pedantic, but I do not expect temporary regauging to allow Tornado to operate in one of the four countries of the UK.

 

It would explain the delay