WATTRAIN August 2017 Newsletter Contents Page 2 National Lottery success for Seaton Tramway 2 Seaton Tramway joins Heritage Ability scheme to help empower people with disabilities 4 Moving a Railroad to Frisco, again! (Museum of the American Railroad) 5 Journalist Donates a Look into Amtrak's Past. 6 John Bush :Heating locomotive boilers 6 Canberra Railway Museum forced to sell off historic train carriages. …..and more…. 8 Midland Railway Trust has appointed a new full time Locomotive Engineer (MRT News Item) 9 Alan Keef Ltd, Lea, Ross-on-Wye 13 Puffing Billy - News Update 14 Sam Mackworth (New Zealand) explains his wood burning steam locomotive. Editor’s comments: In this month’s WATTRAIN newsletter a sad tale involving Canberra’s Railway Museum takes centre stage. Lessons for the heritage industry will no doubt be learned from this. Another closure will be visited next month. And an uplifting account of an engineer from New Zealand and his wood burning steam Locomotive. Chapelon and LD Porta live on!! Correction: You probably noticed the deliberate mistake in the July 2017 edition as follows.. One operator,Reefsteamers, has operated a number of successful steam tours in conjunction with SA Steam Tours based in Switzerland!!!! Correction: SAR Steam Tours is a South African Non Profit Company (NPC), Reg. No: 2015/054411/08 We apologize for the error! Double checking may help us in future avoid such geographic mistakes! National Lottery success for Seaton Tramway Seaton Tramway are excited opening of the terminus in Tramway website to announce that their bid Spring 2018 during the www.tram.co.uk for National Lottery support period 2019 – 2022. the ‘Travels through Seaton Tramway Heritage and The Axe Valley’ The ‘Travels through project has taken a crucial Heritage and The Axe Valley’ joins Heritage first step. will enhance the new Ability scheme to terminus with new and exciting interpretation. help empower people with disabilities (Seaton Tramway News Release) This popular attraction has been based in the coastal town of Seaton for the past Jenny Nunn, Chief Executive Seaton Tramway are 47 years and each year at Seaton Tramway said: committed to inclusivity and carries thousands of “National Lottery funding have seized an exciting delighted passengers along will enable us together with opportunity to team up with its three-mile route our partners to provide in- other historic sites in the between Seaton, Colyford depth engagement with South West as part of the and Colyton in East Devon's visitors, staff, volunteers new Heritage Ability glorious Axe Valley. The and new audiences through scheme, designed to build a historic 2’9" gauge trams an ambitious programme of greater understanding of travel alongside the new interpretation, the barriers experienced by beautiful River Axe estuary facilities, training, learning, disabled and Deaf people through two nature events and long- term when visiting heritage sites. reserves, giving unrivalled activities. I would like to Thanks to National Lottery views of the abundant take this opportunity to players, the Heritage Lottery wading bird life that thank everyone for their Fund (HLF) has just awarded surrounds it. Thanks to continued support.” a grant of £527,000 to the money raised by National scheme to support heritage Lottery players, the Heritage Nerys Watts, Head of HLF sites in becoming more Lottery Fund (HLF) has South West, said: “Thanks accessible. There are 18 awarded Seaton Tramway to money raised by National sites in the South West initial support* and a Lottery players, we’re currently taking part, eight development grant of delighted to support this of which are located in £45,000 to progress the project which will ensure Devon including: Cockington project and apply for a full heritage is at the heart of Country Park, Kents Cavern, National Lottery grant of Seaton Tramway’s exciting National Trust Castle Drogo £420,000 at a later date. vision for the future. Natural / Fingle Woods, National The project will form an heritage, stories of the Trust Killerton, Royal Albert important part of the on- historic tramway and local Memorial Museum, Seaton going development and communities are all set to Tramway, Seaton Jurassic success of the Tramway. benefit so we look forward and Seaton Wetlands. This to seeing the plans scheme is delivered by This winter, building develop!” charity, Living Options commences for the new Devon, which was set up in £2m Seaton terminus and Further information on the 1990, and of which 80% of the National Lottery funding project and its progress will Trustees and volunteers, will follow on from the be available on the Seaton and over 50% of staff have disabilities or are Deaf. The ns.org or phoning 01392 century. project aims to improve 459222. Open Daily: 11th – 19th access for people with You can also join the story February 25th March – 29th physical disabilities, on social media, by visiting October 27th December – 1st establish British Sign @HLFSouthWest & January 2018. Language as part of each @HeritageAbility and by Open Weekends only: 25th sites’ interpretation, whilst using hashtags February – 19th March also making adaptations to #heritageability and improve experiences for #National Lottery Birdwatching, Birthday those with autism. Parties, Tram Driving Jenny Nunn, Chief Executive For the past 47 years Seaton Experiences and Lessons at Seaton Tramway said: Tramway has been running available all year. “Seaton Tramway is proud from the main car park in to be involved in a project Seaton for three miles The Fairy Special: 8th April focused on making long- inland through Colyford to 29th May 4th, 11th, 18th, & term changes to the Colyton, much of it along 25thAugust 1st September. accessibility of heritage in the former Seaton to Seaton The Dinosaur Tram the South West. Here at the Junction branch line Adventure: 16th & 23rd April Tramway, we take into between the picturesque 1st & 28th May 23rd & 30th careful consideration the estuary of the River Axe and July., 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th & needs of those who require the Axe Estuary Wetlands. 28th August. specialist access, and understand the importance All our double-deck trams Pirate Tram: 28th July & 26th of continuous growth and have open top decks, August. development in order to providing 360 degree Halloween Tram of Terror: provide an excellent panoramic views, but for 23rd -29th October. experience, making it inclement days there are inclusive for everyone.” enclosed single deck trams The Polar Express Tram making it an all- weather Ride: 1st – 3rd, 8th – 10th & To discover how you could family attraction. The fleet 15th – 24th December help and for more of 14 passenger carrying information about the single and double-deck Full sized versions of project, please contact electric trams were purpose photographs available on Jessica Holroyd, built by the company from request. For further Engagement and classic designs based on information, please contact Communications Officer at heritage trams that served Bracken Stockley on 01297 Heritage Ability, by emailing our towns and cities in the 20375 or e- mail: Jessica.holroyd@livingoptio first half of the 20th [email protected] Moving a Railroad to Frisco, again! American Eagle Railroad willingness to meet the technologies. Since the Group begin work on the Museum’s budget for the layout will transition from disassembly and relocation project. They have much an in- home hobby that saw of the Sanders Model Train experience with relatively light use, to a Layout. constructing and relocating year-round public G-Scale layouts for attraction, new train The long and tedious commercial use. They will operating systems will be process of relocating the work in concert with designed to minimize daily Sanders G-Scale Model Train Entertainment Junction wear and tear. Work will Layout to Frisco began which specializes in state- continue through the today. Workers from of-the-art operating systems summer. American Eagle Railroad for model train layouts. Group (AER), under the The Museum is officially a direction of Andy Wortman, Great care will be taken tenant at the Frisco started photographing, during every step of the Discovery Center, with cataloging, and removing relocation process. The Special Events Room #2 now items from the layout. layout will be broken down dedicated to housing and into manageable pieces in presenting the Layout. We Rolling stock (locomotives much the same fashion as are very grateful to the City and cars) were carefully when it was assembled. of Frisco and its Community removed from tracks and Each piece will be carefully Development Corporation placed in their original transported to Frisco, for making the Discovery boxes. reassembled, and then Center space available. meticulously blended Watch for periodic updates Cincinnati-based AER Group together. Electrical systems, as we build this exciting, was selected to do the including lighting and train new attraction at the work, having shown great control, will be upgraded Museum of the American enthusiasm and a using the latest Railroad in Frisco! Journalist Donates a Look into Amtrak's Past Arch Campbell aboard Amtrak's Broadway Limited, 1974. Our good friend Arch Campbell recently candid glimpse of early Amtrak service, a time donated some gems from his years at Channel of transition that is now part of the carrier's 8 television in Dallas. Arch was a feature history. reporter for the ABC affiliate back in the 1970s. As part of his work, he covered Campbell’s images capture an ambitious effort Amtrak’s early operations following its to preserve the vanishing passenger train, and assumption of intercity passenger rail the seasoned employees that worked aboard operations in 1971. Arch rode the rails on aging equipment originally purchased by the Amtrak in 1974 and again in 1978, logging railroads in the 1950s. He also featured many miles in the Midwest and Northeast.