Hello,


This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the LRRSA
group.


File : /October 2015 LRRSA Victorian tour/Pink Lakes Flyer Draft Rev3.pdf
Uploaded by : gould_scott <sncs@bigpond.com>
Description : LRRSA Victorian October field trip


You can access this file at the URL:
https://au.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/LRRSA/files/October%202015%20LRRSA%20Victorian%20tour/Pink%20Lakes%20Flyer%20Draft%20Rev3.pdf


To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
https://help.yahoo.com/kb/index?page=content&y=PROD_GRPS&locale=en_AU&id=SLN15398


Regards,


gould_scott <sncs@bigpond.com>

Hello,


This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the LRRSA
group.


File : /Pink Lakes Flyer Draft Rev3.pdf
Uploaded by : gould_scott <sncs@bigpond.com>
Description : Flier for the October LRRSA Victorian tour to Pink Lakes


You can access this file at the URL:
https://au.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/LRRSA/files/Pink%20Lakes%20Flyer%20Draft%20Rev3.pdf


To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
https://help.yahoo.com/kb/index?page=content&y=PROD_GRPS&locale=en_AU&id=SLN15398


Regards,


gould_scott <sncs@bigpond.com>

A Japan group is home again (no report).
John Raby's group is home again (report at www.linesiding.co.uk).
PTG is still there (report coming from a friend who is with that group, when
he gets home).
Overall: steam operation continues to diminish. Old hands are disappointed,
but first timers can still be thrilled. Even John had to resort to four
synthetic charters: against his philosophy, but great for the participants.
There is very little steam field operation; not much steam yard operation,
but there is still lots of varied diesel field operation (buffalos too), and
lots of vintage steam machinery in mills. Availability of beer is declining.
Even so, John is quite happy to run an Aug.16 tour (and Aug.17). I guess
mainly newbies, and still worth the money, and 2016 first timers will see
more than those who wait until 2017.
Inevitably, loco condition and loss of skilled staff will lead to a
reduction, even for the big-budget groups paying for charters.

Roderick

G'Day all,

 

On Sunday I visited the two foot gauge South Tynedale Railway in Cumbria / Northumberland.

 

Visit: http://www.south-tynedale-railway.org.uk/

 

I was hoping to see Barber in steam and wasn't disappointed; she was pulling all the trains.

 

The locomotive has been restored with grant funding and one of the conditions was she had to be as-near original condition as possible. The carriages on the STR are air-braked and because of the above condition an air pump couldn't be fitted. The solution was to build a replica Harrogate Gas Works wagon and fit it with batteries, a motor and a compressor. In effect the locomotive now has a tender. The only trouble is the crew have to field a constant stream of questions from passengers: "Is it gas fired?" LOL!

 

According to the above web site:

 

“Barber” was built by Thomas Green and Company Limited of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England in 1908, works No. 441. This locomotive formerly worked at Harrogate Gas Works, Harrogate, North Yorkshire and was named “Barber” after the Chairman of the company Francis Barber.It was preserved by the Narrow Gauge Railway Society and is on loan from Leeds Industrial Museum. In 2011 the railway launched an appeal to raise £100,000 aimed at restoring this iconic locomotive back to working order.

Barber is thought to be the only surviving locomotive built by Thomas Green and Company Limited of Leeds in the northern hemisphere; although there may be three or four more elsewhere.

An 0-6-2ST built by Greens of Leeds, 441/1908, Barber spent its working life at Harrogate Gas Works, and was named after the Chairman of the Gas Company – Francis Barber. Despite rebuilds, it fell into disuse in 1949.

In 1953 the North East Gas Board agreed to it being preserved if the NGRS (Narrow Gauge Railway Society) could find a home for it. In 1956 Leeds City Museum agreed to house it and it went to the Museum’s Copley Hill store, where NGRS members started to restore it. It was subsequently displayed in the new Armley Mills Museum.

In 1983 it was moved to the workshops of the Bradford Industrial Museum, where some work was done; it was returned to Armley Mills in 1991, where it remained in pieces, many major parts exposed to the elements.

The current initiative to restore Barber was initiated by a NGRS and South Tynedale member who read the special issue of The Narrow Gauge News devoted to Harrogate Gas Works (TGN 146, Spring 1995) and was moved to visit Armley Mills. Subsequently, in 2004, it was transferred to the South Tynedale Railway on a five year loan, with the intention that restoration would start immediately.

 

I seem to remember there might be other Thomas Green-built locomotives in Australia - can anyone confirm this? If so are there any photographs available? 

 

Anyway, the sun was shining at the South Tynedale so I rode the entire railway twice and chased the train to get photos from the landscape.

 

Photos can be seen here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/55958391@N07/albums/72157657247300539

 

Take a look if you're interested.

 

Cheers,

 

Michael Chapman

Follow my railway adventures on Flickr at http://tinyurl.com/nlvlnmt
Follow me on Twitter @mikenarrowgauge
Support the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WHHRly

A couple more tributes:
WADESON. Norm. Deepest sympathies to the family. Treasured memories of train
days with kids, both little and big. A caring, engaging and loving family
man. You will be missed. The Legendre and the Dawes families.
WADESON OAM. Norman Edward (Norm) The Brethren of Frankston Lodge No. 217
and the Craft in General are advised of the passing to the Grand Lodge Above
of Bro Norman Edward (Norm) on Aug. 10, 2015. Brethren, please see funeral
section for funeral details. Worshipful Master WBro R W Saville.

WADESON OAM, Norman Edward (Norm) WADESON OAM. The Funeral of Norman Edward
(Norm) Wadeson will be held at the Boyd Chapel, Princes Hwy, Springvale on
Thurs.20.8, with a service commencing at 13.45. Refreshments will be served
at the conclusion of the Service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made
to the Mornington Railway. Envelopes will be available at the Chapel.
<http://tributes.heraldsun.com.au/notice/194162018#sthash.rDvFdrtH.dpuf>

I will be attending. I had not only met Norm at the first Climax
recommissioning, he was an RNV subscriber, and we exchanged occasional
comments. As a baby-boomer railway enthusiast, I was fortunate to meet most
of the grand old men who founded and nurtured the hobby.

Roderick B Smith (retired RNV editor)

 

Hi all,
Interested in the total membership number of the society,
Not the yahoo group

Cheers
Mark.

Hello Mark,

721 as at 30 June 2015.

Regards,

Frank

Hi all,
Interested in the total membership number of the society,
Not the yahoo group

Cheers
Mark.

Hi Michael, 

Hi all,

 

At the weekend I visited Bressingham in Norfolk. http://www.bressingham.co.uk/home.aspx

 

In addition to road vehicles, gallopers, and a short standard gauge track, they have three narrow gauge railways!

 

I have uploaded a collection of photographs to Flickr; take a look if you're interested:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/55958391@N07/albums/72157656937911230

 

As a bonus, there are some shots of Bury St Edmunds and the Nene Valley Railway - where I stopped on the way back and found Tornado!

 

Michael Chapman

Follow my railway adventures on Flickr at http://tinyurl.com/nlvlnmt
Follow me on Twitter @mikenarrowgauge
Support the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WHHRly

OMG Had forgot that it had expired. Have just now done renewal online.

Sorry about that Frank.

Cheerz,

Alec (halfpilotstaff)

For convenience, have the Melbourne 'Herald Sun' tributes to date.

WADESON OAM. Norman Edward (Norm) Passed away peacefully at Peninsula Grange
on Aug. 10, 2015 in his 90th year The passing of an era. Norm was a loving
husband to Phyllis (dec. ); much loved father of Ross and his wife Merrilyn,
Andrea and her husband Rob and Nevan and his wife Deb. Proud grandfather of
Karina, Merryn, Steven, Adam, Lyndsey, Stella and Edie. Reunited with Phyl.
Always in our hearts Please refer to Friday and Monday's editions for
Funeral details.
WADESON. Norm. The Mornington Railway Preservation Society Inc. mourns the
passing of Norm Wadeson, Life Member, a good friend, mentor and supporter of
our organisation. His influence, character and enthusiasm helped us through
our formative years, and in later years, he was always available to help
when it was needed. He will be sadly missed
WADESON OAM. Norman Edward (Norm) It is with a great sense of sadness that
we advise the death of Norm Wadeson who passed away peacefully on Monday
Aug. 10, aged 90. Norm has made an enormous contribution to the Puffing
Billy Railway, firstly helping to ensure its survival and reopening in the
sixties, and later playing a pivotal role in the management and governance
of the railway, including significant terms on the PBPS Executive and the
ETR Board. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Norm for the tenacious
manner in which he advocated the interests of the PBR during his long period
of service which spanned well over 50 years. His negotiating and advocacy
skills were vital in many a critical meeting which would ultimately
determine the future of the PBR. Norm has been a close friend and mentor to
many of us over a long period of years and the Puffing Billy Family will be
all the poorer for his passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with Norm's
family at this sad time.
WADESON. Norm (OAM). A sad goodbye to our much loved cousin Norm. Dos and
Ken Jenkin, Leoni, Bronwyn, Braden, Suzi and families. His life was an
inspiration His memory a benediction
<http://tributes.heraldsun.com.au/notice/188472013/view?random=1439599656933
#sthash.kwqVAdWX.dpuf>

WADESON OAM, Norman Edward (Norm) WADESON OAM. The Funeral of Norman Edward
(Norm) Wadeson will be held at the Boyd Chapel, Princes Hwy, Springvale on
THURSDAY (Aug. 20, 2015) with a Service commencing at 1.45 p. m.
Refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the Service. In lieu of
flowers, donations may be made to the Mornington Railway. Envelopes will be
available at the Chapel. - See more at:
<http://tributes.heraldsun.com.au/notice/194162018#sthash.rDvFdrtH.dpuf>

Here is his OAM citation:
Name: WADESON, Norman Edward
Award: Medal of the Order of Australia
Post-nominal: OAM
Date granted: 13 June 2005
Langwarrin South, Vic.
Citation: For service to the community, particularly as a contributor to the
development of the Puffing Billy Railway.

Adding to these, other aspects mentioned by people:
The consummate gentleman.
Also active with the early united efforts for broad-gauge steam
preservation.
Had all the key contacts in Forests Commission, which is how the Climax came
to Puffing Billy: about a decade of static preservation, recommissioning in
Nov.88, about 10 years of work, another lapse, then recommissioning in 2013.
He operated a miniature live steam railway at his family house.
Norm was an early cinematographer. People remember him luggage 16 mm
equipment. The result is that there is colour coverage today of early
narrow-gauge and timber-line scenes. Some have been made available on
tape/cd/dvd:
www.steammediaproductions.com.au/gaslight.html
A Climax article by Norm:
http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/~narrow.gauge/tyersv.htm

Enclosed: my b&w photo of the Sat.12.11.88 recommissioning. It doesn't look
like Norm from that distance and in that light, but I wouldn't have
photographed anyone else. He seems to be wearing a VR uniform cap, which
may be camouflaging the features which I remember: the silver hair, and the
moustache. I hope to scan the colour slide today, but it is affected even
more by the harsh light. Others may have been standing closer.
Left to right: NA8(black)-NA14(red); centre Climax 1694; right NA7(green).
This has to be in the gap 10.53-11.23, so the speeches must have been short.
I rode behind 1694 (Belgrave 9.23; Menzies Creek 10.12).
Tasman arrived at 10.34, NA7.
The 10.30 down at 10.53, NA8-NA14. Before departure, the rear three
carriages were detached, and the second NA (not the leading one).
The full-size scan is available to anyone who emails me.

Roderick B Smith (retired RNV editor)

Hello all,
Back in late 2013, I mentioned the kit-build GPS tracker (http://www.geoffg.net/tracker.html) on this email list.
Earlier in the year, I finally got around to getting the friend who first mentioned it to me to build one of these devices for myself.

I've attached a KML file from the Mornington Peninsula to this email; if it doesn't get through then a copy can be found on the web at: http://users.cdi.com.au/~johnc/DromanaSomerville.kml

For those of you doing the research trips, it can be plugged in to your car cigarette lighter and therefore could be a useful way of recording the car route in to sites of interest.
Obviously, the walking would still need to be recorded with a handheld GPS.

Regards,
John