RNRN84 Winter 2014 A3
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Issue 84 Winter 2014/2015 The journal of the Russell Newbery Engine Owners & Enthusiasts Club RALLY ENTRY FORM INCLUDED! Spring awayday in Derbyshire Recollections of the “Firm” Self sufficiency in a boat Whinging Alternator www.rnregister.org.uk WHO’S WHO CONTENTS Front cover: Summer at Coole Pilate, Shropshire Union [Kevin McNiff] Back cover: RN D2 Welding Set No.3553 [Keith King] 3 CHAIRMAN’S CHAT FROM THE EDITOR RUSSELL NEWBERY REGISTER LTD 4 MEMBERSHIP MATTERS President: Dr Ian McKim Thompson Office annual closure Vice Presidents: Lady Carol Stamp, Mrs Susan Gibbs, Allister Denyer, Graham Pearson, Eleanor Phillips RNR SPRING AWAY DAY Web site: www.rnregister.org.uk The Russell Newbery Register is a non profit distributing 5 RAY FOXWELL RECALLS HIS TIME company limited by guarantee. AT RN Founded: 1994 Registered in England No: 346943 Officers: Chairman: Norman C Mitchell 6 RALLY NEWS t: 01452 415420 [email protected] SPAKE BLACK COUNTRY Part 2 Secretary: Kevin McNiff m: 07866 424988 [email protected] 7 DAVID THIRLBY’S FUNERAL Director: Jim Comerford Sue Gibbs: a salute on a life lived to the m: 07787 591905 [email protected] Administration (membership, finance): Rob Davies full 55 Noddington Lane, Whittington, Lichfield, Staffs. WS14 9PA 8 FAVOURITE MOORINGS t/f: 01543 432079 m: 07801 842337 [email protected] 9 RNR TRIBUTE TO DAVID THIRLBY Newsletter Editor: Kevin McNiff [email protected] by Rob Davies Newsletter Production: Andrew Laycock m: 07870 294580 Administration (merchandise): Neil Mason 10 A NOISY, SCARY [LATE] NIEHOFF Hillcrest, Chapel Lane, Westhumble, Surrey. RH5 6AH t: 01306 889073 [email protected] Dave Martin explains Rally Organisers: Bob Scott and Andrew Laycock AUTARKY - an old boat into new [email protected] Webmaster: Andrew Laycock [email protected] 12 MY LIFE AS AN RN APPRENTICE by Terry Marfleet RUSSELL NEWBERY REGISTER PROPERTY LTD 14 THE GOVERNOR A non profit distributing company limited by guarantee From the drawings by Graham Pearson Founded 2004 Registered in England No: 5316384 Directors: Bob Ainsworth, Rob Davies, Dave Martin, 15 No.3553 - D2 WITH A DIFFERENCE Bob Scott. 54 years in the same ownership Unless otherwise noted, Copyright © Russell Newbery Register, 2015 Follow the Rally on Twitter RN DIESEL ENGINE COMPANY To obtain upto to the minute Rally Proprietors: Dave Bixter (m:07812 039110) (and post Rally cruise) news, Deborah Bixter (m: 07966 403132) follow @RNRegisterRally on Twitter. Or, if you Showroom: RN House, The Locks, Hillmorton, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 4PP t:01788 578661 do not have a Twitter account, visit the rally page Engineering workshop: 4 Oak House, Royal Oak Way North, at http://www.rnregister.org.uk/rally.html where Royal Oak Industrial Estate, Daventry NN11 8PQ t: 01327 the latest tweets are repeated. 700023 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.russellnewbery.com Field Engineers: Ian Crompton m: 07831 841108 Next edition Richard Milligan m: 07973 826260 All contributions for the Spring edition will be gratefully received. Do not worry about format — in true RN fashion the editorial team can cope with [almost] anything! Please supply photographs as separate JPEG or GIF files. Corporate Member Copy deadline is 12th April 2015 2 RNR Newsletter : Winter 2014/2015 Chairman’s Chat They say summer is coming, though it may be a little while getting here. I’m looking forward to our visit up the Crow, last visited on the pre rally cruise organised by President Ian back in 2005 was it? A recent Birmingham Canal Navigation Society evening meeting caught my eye for two good reasons, the first was the subject, the second the venue. Dr Della Sadler-Moore was speaking on the subject of “Care on the Cut” the story of Sister Mary Ward, Consultant Sister to long-distance boatmen and families on the Grand Union Canal at Stoke Bruerne. The venue was the Titford Pumphouse up the Crow, the BCNS HQ and our rally site. A very interesting building have chosen an interesting spot to enjoy other RNR though a dark, cold and damp January night is not the members’ company and then afterwards join another best time to judge any site. I met up with Ian McKim first class cruise on the BCN under Ian McKim’s care. Thompson who was very happy that he had the early 2015 looks to be a splendid year with CRT doing more year steam excursions already planned and was for the boaters, dredging more and trimming vegetation. looking forward to the rally. I hope you are all able to join in some if not all of the If you get the chance to hear Della on Sister Mary do RNR events. Black Country speak is not compulsory for take it, and a visit to the site is really a worthwhile trip. visitors; after all, the canal and road signs are all easily There was not a great opportunity to assess the outside read! site as it was cold, very windy and dark as a bag but I Here’s to a great year! could see some very tidy well lit moorings on the Tat Bank Branch with not a boat moored there apart from the Society craft outside the building. The [Rally] lads From The Editor Welcome to 2015 and the Winter Edition! eventually made millions of dollars for Hollywood! Some previous items from this We remember David Thirlby who passed archive will re-emerge in the coming away last November. It seems that each editions as they are no doubt of interest to issue carries a tribute to a member who has us, particularly subjects technical. They will sadly passed away, perhaps a reminder to also soon be available on our web site when us all that “tempus fugit”. Jim Comerford completes the indexing process. Although still in the depths of winter, I’m sure the wanderlust of boating is slowly I’m sure that I will meet many of you out on wakening and maybe the change in timing the cut this year, as well as at the Rally so of this year’s Rally will allow some who were until then, keep your blade clean. unable to make it previously to join in. That said, I welcome all new articles from I have now got all the Newsletters since the you about present trends and troubles, so first single paged one, notwithstanding please keep them coming. there was no edition 13 for reasons best known to most but not NASA, whose third moon mission nearly ended in disaster but One for the ladies? Surprisingly, no submissions for the column suggested at the last Autumn Gathering have been received by the copy deadline so the topic will be dropped for the time being. Ed RNR Newsletter : Winter 2014/2015 3 Membership Matters Life Members signing up new members. Hopefully the Spring will see As you know, Vice President and Life Member, David things improve. Thirlby, passed away in November 2014 and a tribute is included in this Issue. However, I am very pleased to announce that his daughters, Lucille and Dorinda have accepted our offer of Life Membership. We welcome them He’s off again! into our RN family although they are already in the RN Where does the time go? Once again Helen and I have to family! pay our annual visit to see our Daughter and family in New Zealand. These are the sacrifices that Grandparents have That is it, I don’t think that this has happened previously but to make! we do not have any new members to welcome in this Issue. The last member signed up on 8 October 2014. As you Consequently, please note that the RNR Office will be know recruitment has slowed down considerably and it is closed from 24 January until the 3 March. disappointing although the Winter is never a good time for RNR AWAY DAY - Thursday 30th April 2015 I am letting members know of the plans for our Spring trip which will be in the scenic Peak District of Derbyshire. The trip has a number of variations which I have designed to allow flexible plans and the opportunity of a mini break. And you can use public transport with spectacular scenery or go by car. The basic plan is to visit the detached Cromford canal with a special boat trip on passenger heritage narrow boat butty Birdswood followed by a visit to the National Tramway Museum at Crich. Train travel is via Derby with its impressive modern station, and connections with principal routes such as Cross Country, Birmingham, Sheffield and London. We will leave Main exhibition hall of the Tramway Museum on the East Midlands, Nottingham to Matlock service from [Andrew Laycock] Platform 2 at 09.52 arriving at the wonderfully scenic the train to Derby from Whatstandwell station or catch the Cromford Station at 10.19. return 140 or 141 bus back to Cromford or Matlock stations. I can confirm that the train trip from Derby to Matlock along the Derwent Valley is extremely scenic. But if you come by car there is plenty of easy parking at all the venues. The date I have chosen is a Thursday for ease of travelling but is also immediately before the May bank holiday week- end. Over that week-end the Leawood Pumps will be in steam and Birdswood will be offering horse drawn trips and of course the world heritage site of Sir Richard Arkwright's Cromford Mill. In addition Matlock Bath, Heights of NB Birdswood undergoing “Horse Trials” on the Cromford Abraham, Peak District Mining Museum and Gullivers Canal Kingdom are on the doorstep.