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Gazette No. 428 August 2009

George Cusdin and his paddle steamer Ryde at the lake on 2nd August 2009. George used to live in St Albans about 20 years ago and now lives near Atlanta, USA. Before bringing her to the UK she had only seen bathwater because, he says, the model boat fraternity in the USA are all about speed! George has kindly written an account of how he built the model for this issue. Page 2 St Albans & District MES Gazette

St Albans & District Model Engineering Society

Club Website - www.stalbansmes.com

Chairman Michael Dyer 01442 219024 Secretary Roy Verden 01923 220590 15 Juniper Grove, Watford, Herts, WD17 4RZ Treasurer Mike Grossmith 01923 222135 Committee Members Malcolm Beak 01923 672341 Den Blazdell 01923 661068 Jeff Carter 01923 770188 Alan Holt 01582 832446 E-Mail [email protected] David Saunders 01727 762848

Membership Secretary: N.P. (Baz) Butcher 0208 9507068 17 Avenue Rise, Bushey, Watford, Herts, WD2 3AS E-Mail (to be advised)

Model Boiler Testing: David Saunders 01727 762848 Exhibition Manager: Terry Wybrow 01582 841759

Gazette Editor Roger Stephen 01442 832213 2 Jubilee Cottages, Whelpley Hill, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 3RW E-Mail [email protected] Gazette Deputy Editor Tony Mason 01727 830607 E-Mail [email protected]

From the Editor - Roger Stephen First of all an apology: The steam tug boat shown on page 5 of last month’s Gazette was in fact donated to club by Steve Churchill, not David Churchman! Sorry for the mix-up which was entirely my own fault. This month we have an article all the way from the USA and by the time you read this its author, George Cusdin, will hopefully have met a lot of members at the lake and sailed his paddle steamer there.

Chairman's Letter - Michael Dyer Whilst many people are thinking of holidays now that August is upon us, your Committee are very busy finalising the plans for our own annual exhibition in September. It always involves a great deal of work and commitment, and it is even more essential that our exhibition is a success this year in view of the dramatic increase in the cost of hiring Francis Bacon School.

This year we are trying to publicise our exhibition much more widely and I know that many members have already been involved with handing out the flyers at various events during the summer. We will need volunteers to distribute a lot more in the local areas, and this will be organised at our September meeting. www.stalbansmes.com Page 3

We will need help on the Friday evening to set up the exhibition, and on the two days of our show we will need volunteers to help sell tickets, to act as stewards in the hall and to man the various activities detailed by our Secretary.

So could I encourage all members to come to our exhibition, to enter their models – for there is no exhibition without them, and, of course, enjoy what is always a great occasion.

Secretary’s Letter - Roy Verden Hello to all, August is upon us and next month is our exhibition! Yes, it is that close. The plans for the club model show are going along very well, we of course rely on your good selves to make everything happen. There is always a bit of a problem and this year it is operating our own model boats on the pool and supervising the public running boats. Well, when I was at work, that’s a bit dim and distant now, we never had problems, only ‘challenges’!! So we would like some help here. Running the boats for the children takes all of 5 minutes to learn so not much of a problem there. We just need enough bodies so that it does not become a chore for a few.

Jeff Carter is now going to produce the display cards for model boats and yachts for the club exhibition and Malcolm will continue with the rest. So if you have models that have not been in the exhibition before get the pictures and model details to the above and this will reduce the last minute rush in September.

Parking at our club evenings is a bit of a problem still and if some members can double up, take it in turns to drive etc, not only will you be saving the planet but it could ease congestion in the car park.

I hope you are all enjoying the speakers at our evenings, our Chairman puts a lot of time into finding them and this year has been particularly good with more to follow. Your Treasurer Mike has suggested that we have a 5 minute picture show of club activities before we start our meetings, sounds like a good idea and no doubt Mike will welcome these sort of pictures especially if they are on a disc or memory stick.

Your committee has been talking about the Model Engineer Exhibition and will come back to you when we have more details of stands, etc, now that it has returned to Sandown Park racecourse.

We shall be going to the London Model Engineering Exhibition at Alexandra Palace in January and would welcome any volunteers to help.

Well I hope you all enjoy the weather which looks good so far(!) get some sailing in or engine driving and see you at the August meeting.

Regards to all Roy

As mentioned in the July Gazette, if you would like to receive information and reminders about club activities by e-mail please send your e-mail address to Alan Holt at [email protected] to join the distribution list. Page 4 St Albans & District MES Gazette

The club BBQ was held on 27th June, just too late for the July Gazette deadline, so our ac- count of what happened has had to wait until now. Once again we were blessed with good weather: pleasantly warm, sunshine at times and completely dry! There seemed to be a rather smaller turnout than in previous years but those who did come enjoyed themselves to the full and several barbecues were actually lit to cook the usual mix of sausages, burgers, chicken drumsticks and bacon rashers.

There was plenty of activity on the track too with Ashton’s Sweet Pea, Den’s Washington and Simplex, Nicholas’ Polly and the club’s Simplex all in steam. Track running was so frantic the club electric had to wait for a steam loco to come off before it could take to the rails. Roger Stephen, a 3½" gauge enthusiast, was pleased to see Mike Grossmith bring his little Rob Roy 0-6-0 tank loco along but unfortunately, despite a successful steam test the week before, it refused to fire up. So, once again, there were only 5" gauge locos running.

As usual, the loco owners were generous in letting other members take the regulator with varying results. Roger enjoyed driving Ashton’s Sweet Pea until he lost the fire but at least it gave Ash the excuse to take a break and cook lunch for him and Gale on a barbecue! It was not all fun and games for some as David Saunders and Den Blazdell were kept busy in the morning with boiler testing of Baz’s Pansy and Tony’s LNWR Teutonic compound ‘Celtic’, although neither actually took to the track that day.

We are told there was a disappointingly low turn out for the July Puffing Field morning but those who did come had a good time. Nicholas was there again and had a really good and faultless run - Den says that once he got going there was no stopping him!

The prize for the biggest family group went There were plenty of trains running even if to Alan Byrne’s lot who set up camp for there is only one in this photo. Note how the lunch under the big oak tree by the station. laurels behind the station are growing again! www.stalbansmes.com Page 5

First an apology: The steam tug boat pictured in last month’s ‘Down at the Lake’ was actually donated to the club by Steve Churchill, not David Churchman! They both live a fair way from St Albans, which is perhaps just as well because it makes it harder for them to clip the editor round the ear!

Having been in Devon for nearly three weeks your editor managed to get to the lake on Sunday 26th July for a bit of boating. Members present were Alan Holt with his Panache yacht and Bustler tug, Baz Butcher with his Contessa yacht and yours truly with his Panache. It was perfect weather for sailing yachts: dry, warm if not always sunny, and with the best breeze that we have had this year. The wind direction was pretty consistent from the south, although the strength varied a bit which made it interesting. We suspect the clear fetch across grassland made for a less turbulent wind.

It was noted that there was a lot of green slimy stuff in small lumps all over the small lake, a lot of it below the surface but some on the surface had drifted to one side on the wind. It may not have been very propeller friendly but the yachts coped with it admirably. Boaters who got there early were apparently entertained by the sight of a small dog falling into the lake through the floating slimy stuff, much to its owner’s dismay. Her response was to throw the dog into the river to wash the slime off!

From front to back, Baz, Alan and Roger Baz and Roger indulge in a little match racing. concentrate on sailing yachts on the small No contest really because Baz’ big Contessa lake. Whose is the yacht on the trolley? was too fast for the little Panache! Page 6 St Albans & District MES Gazette

Resurrection of the PS Ryde in ‘OO” Scale - George Cusdin

I was first introduced to the PS Ryde on a trip from Portsmouth to the Isle of White when I was very young. I rode on her again in 1964 on a day tip to Ryde. The next time I saw her was in October of 2005 during a visit to my sister in Cowes IOW; when my brother-in-law took me to see what had become of the PS Ryde at Binfield Marina on the River Medina near Newport, IOW. She was in a sorry state and I made a comment to Tony, my brother-in-law, that she would make a good subject for a model. Little did I know at the time that side-wheel models are not preferred subjects for the beginner! I took copious photographs and filed them away.

I made a return trip to see my Sister and Tony in 2008 and they told me that the PS Ryde was being cut up for scrap but Tony had a surprise for me. We went to Binfield Marina to see what was left of the PS Ryde and had lunch at the marina restaurant where I found the surprise. On the wall were some of the original shipwright drawings of the PS Ryde that had been framed for wall decoration. I asked permission and took photographs of all the drawings. On my return to my home near Atlanta GA, I began to turn the photographs of the shipwright plans into scale drawings using Photo-Shop and Auto-Cad. I also did some research on the history of the PS Ryde.

PS Ryde was commissioned by the Southern Railway in 1936 as a sister ship to the PS Sandown. After her launch on 23 April 1937 she served as the passenger ferry service on the Portsmouth to Ryde Pier crossing of the Solent. During WWII, PS Ryde and PS Sandown were requisitioned by the Royal Navy and she was renamed as HMS Ryde. Initially both were used as Minesweepers in the Dover Straits but after two years Ryde was converted to an anti-aircraft vessel and served on the Thames Estuary. In May 1944 she travelled to back to Portsmouth from where she embarked to the Normandy coast to take part in the naval component of Operation Neptune on D-Day. After the war she reverted to her pre-war name and returned to working on her former route. However, with nationalization, British Railways begun to commission more modern motor vessels and in 1969 it was decided to retire her. www.stalbansmes.com Page 7

The PS Ryde was constructed at the yards of William Denny & Bros. of Dumbarton and built to a length of 223ft (68m), with a beam of 52ft (16m), and displacing some 566 tons. Having been commissioned by the Southern Railway, the shipwright drawings show the window details as being standard ‘railway carriage frames’ fitted with ‘armor-plate glass’. I therefore selected the most common model railroad scale of ‘OO’ (4mm/foot) or about 1:76 for the model, making it 89.2cm (35") long, 20.8cm (8") beam and 1.8cm (0.7") draft, with a calculated displacement of 1.3kg (2lb 14oz). However, as I discovered building the prototype; the weight of construction materials at 1.7kg, power pack, motors and R/C equipment adding another 0.7kg, and allowing for ballast, the displacement grossed out at 2.5kg (5lb 8oz), almost double. This gave me three options; either use a larger scale (‘O’ gauge 1:43), increase the displacement by adding to the draft or scrap the project! I chose to increase the draft by 14mm (0.55") providing a further 1.0kg (1lb 3oz) displacement and reducing the size of the power pack.

I began by constructing the two paddle wheels; profile cut from 0.5mm sheet brass and mounted on a 3mm I/D hollow brass hub shaft. My ‘jig-saw’ was comprised of a coping saw suspended from the rafters on a ‘bungee cord’ with a foot stirrup for reciprocating power. On the original, the paddles were individually articulated to stay almost vertical throughout their immersion in the water, thus providing less splashing and more efficiency. I drew the design as such but I decided this articulated construction was far too complex for this size model. The hub shafts were then mounted on a 3mmO/D hollow drive shaft in order to carry lubrication to the out-board bearings.

Next were the paddle cowlings constructed from the same 0.5mm sheet brass with a 1.6mm x 6mm ‘stiffening’ bar to carry the out- board wheel bearings, made from the same 3mm I/D material as the wheel hub. M4 round head machine screws were added to the back plates of the cowlings to mount to the main hull. I originally intended

Page 8 St Albans & District MES Gazette

to construct the complete ‘pannier’ assembly from the brass sheet but this added too much outboard weight, making the prototype model ‘waddle’ like a duck. (If I had put more water in the bath tub she would have become an up-side-down submarine)

In order to make the hull as light but as sturdy as possible, I decided to construct the keel- plate from a solid, ½ inch (12.5mm) piece of poplar profiled to the hull shape at the keel line and relieved wherever possible; leaving support for the bulkheads and motor mounts. The ‘yacht shaped’ stern was also constructed using two more thicknesses of the ½ inch poplar, which were first roughly profiled then doweled together and glued to the keel plate; then finished profiled. The bottom ‘skin’ was 3mm ply, as were the bulkheads. The sides, and superstructure, were 1mm ply, which was reinforced at the paddle wheel cowlings with more ½ inch poplar. The reinforcing served several purposes; apart from supporting the wheel cowling mounting screws; it allowed a hull thickness for the in-board paddle wheel bearings; the incorporation of a shaft lubrication system; and a secure join for the side sheet construction.

Profiling the sheets of 1mm ply was made easy by printing the profiles from Auto-Cad onto paper patterns, then spray mounting the patterns to the sheets of ply. Only a slight trim was then necessary in order to

conform to the rebate at the keel-plate as the sheet was ‘bent’ round the bulkheads. Elastic bands, bottle corks and paper clips were used for clamping as the glue was setting. When it became too cold for the work-shop I began working on the four clinker-built life-boats. This is where I found that ‘super-glue’ will attach fingers to wood much quicker that it attaches wood to wood.

www.stalbansmes.com Page 9 St.Albans & District Model Engineering Society

Club Exhibition Entry Form

This entry form is slightly modified from those we have used in the past. It is necessary to ask for this information for several reasons, but mainly to ensure that we have enough space allocated at the exhibition and that we can tell the public what they are looking at.

Please try to complete the form as fully as possible. As you know we produce information labels for each exhibit based on the information you supply, and it will be of great help if you could supply a photograph of your model(s) with the entry form. These labels are greatly appreciated by the general public, providing them with detailed information about the exhibit.

If this model has been entered in previous society exhibitions you only need to fill in sheet 2, unless you have updated information you would like included which can be entered on sheet 3 or 4 or a separate sheet. If there is already an information label for this model which has a photograph on it (for a previous Society exhibition) there is no need to supply another photo unless you want a more up to date shot included. However, you do need to submit an entry form so that we know to expect your model and if you want to add more information.

New for this year - insurance value. Please fill this in on sheet 2 otherwise we will be forced to make an estimate!

It is expected that models will be available for both days of the exhibition.

BOAT OR YACHT EXHIBITS - PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM TO: Jeff Carter, 14 Fuller Way, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, Herts, WD3 3PJ. Phone: 01923 770188

ALL OTHER EXHIBITS - PLEASE RETURN TO: Malcolm Beak, 3 South Riding, Bricket Wood St.Albans, AL2 3ND. Phone 01923 672341

Sheet 1 Page 10 St Albans & District MES Gazette

Please use a SEPARATE FORM for each entry. Append an extra sheet of paper if you need more space.

Please use BLOCK CAPITALS where an answer is called for and tick the □ or cross out Y (yes) or N (no) as appropriate.

Name…………………………….... Phone………………………………. Address……………………………. Mobile……………………………... ……………………………………. e-mail………………………………. ……………………………………. …………………………………….

Title of Exhibit…………………………………………………………..

Insurance Value £………..……

Type of Exhibit Marine □ Locomotive □ Road Vehicle □ Other □ Details Who built the exhibit?……..…………………………………………………… Length.…..…….. Width……..….… Height……..…… Weight…..………….. Is the model new to the exhibition? Y/N Is the model finished? Y/N If finished, when completed?……………………………….. Has the model previously won a major award? Y/N If so which one?…………………………………………….. Is transport required? Y/N If the model is a locomotive will you be available to exhibit it in steam on the ‘Locomotive in Action’ stand? Y/N

Stewarding:- Please indicate when you are available Friday set up from 4.30p.m.□ Saturday a.m.□ Saturday p.m.□ Sunday a.m.□ Sunday p.m.□ Sunday breaking down□

Sheet 2 www.stalbansmes.com Page 11 Locomotives and Road Vehicles

Design: Scale □ Freelance □ Published □ Own □ Designers name……………..………...Origin of drawings………………...... … Gauge or scale………………………...Casting supplier…………………...... No. of cylinders……. Bore…………. Stroke…………. Inside/Outside

Valve Gear: Walshaerts□ Stephenson□ Joy□ Baker□ Hackworth□ Other…………………………

Prototype (if scale) Company…………..………….Region……………..…..Class……..……………... Approx year of manufacture………….. Designer………………………………...

Type: Passenger □ Mixed Traffic□ Freight□ Industrial□ Other□ Standard Gauge□ Narrow gauge……………..(state gauge and scale) Traction Engine□ Road Roller□ Showman’s□ Lorry□ Preserved Y/N If yes, where?………………………………………… Commercial components used……………………………………………………... ……………………………………………………………………………………... Further information ……………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………... ……………………………………………………………………………………...

Other Models Description…………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………...... ………. Published design□ Own Design□ Copied from Prototype□ Kit built□ Other………………………………………………………………………………... Designers name………………………….Prototype……………………………….. Origin of drawings ..………………... Castings supplier …………………………. Commercial components used………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………. Further information…………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………….

Sheet 3 Page 12 St Albans & District MES Gazette Marine Exhibits

Type: Warship□ Merchantman□ Leisure craft□ Yacht□ Scale□ Semi scale□ Freelance□ If scale, in/ft or ratio………… Hydroplane□ Functional□ Straight runner□ Other…………….

Hull: Commercial□ Moulded□ Glass fibre□ Scratch built□ Plank on frame□ Bread & butter□ Other………………………….

Scratch built models: Kit built Models: Designer……………………………. Designer………………………..... Origin of drawings…………………. Manufacturer…………………...... Commercial fittings………………... Modifications…………………..... ……………………………………... …………………………………....

Power plant: Electric No. & type of motors…………………………………………...... Power pack……………………………………………………………………... Steam Type of engine………………………………………………. No. of cylinders………………….Bore and stroke…………………………..... Boiler details………………………………………………………………….... Burner details…………………………………………………………………... Internal Combustion Type of engine………………………….... No. of cylinders………. Bore & stroke…………………Capacity …………...

Radio Control: Fitted Y/N If fitted details of no. of channels and functions……………. ………………………………………………………………………………..... Further information ………………………………………………………….... ………………………………………………………………………………..... ………………………………………………………………………………..... ………………………………………………………………………………..... ………………………………………………………………………………..... ……………………………………………………………...………………...... ……………………………………………......

Sheet 4 www.stalbansmes.com PPaagege 13 9

I then started looking for the mechanical parts for the drive and found that most of the electric motors available at the model shop and on line; were either too large and heavy (made for model cars) or were light weight, high RPM and low torque (made for model aircraft). I then found the perfect fit, in the motor that powers the small pump for the lumbar support of my car seat. Even then, it was a ‘shoe horn’ job trying to get the spur gears, pinions and motors into the confined space between the two supports for the paddle wheels and cowlings. With all the R/C, battery pack, motor controllers and motors on board, plus the superstructure with all the ventilation ducts, life-boats and funnel; the craft was still a little un-stable; instead of being Christened MPS Ryde, it could be called I’leana. So I decided to use some ‘Modeller’s license’.

On the original vessel, both the 1st class and 2nd class gentlemen’s toilets were situated over the ‘pannier’ side decks; fore and aft of the paddle wheels. The effluent from these toilets was dumped directly into the ‘briny’ – “oh so insanitary”. Therefore I decided to add some holding tanks below each of the men’s toilets thus adding some unobtrusive stabilizing buoyancy.

The additional side buoyancy worked! She does not waddle like a duck any more. So the next step in the trials was to make an endurance test. Only two minutes before one of the tubular drive shafts broke. Why use tube? Because I thought I was being clever by adding a lubrication system for the outboard bearings via the tubular drive shaft. These drive shafts were soon reinforced by inserting and soldering a solid rod through each drive tube. The second and third duration test (in the kiddy pool) went OK, getting about 1 hour of ‘full steam ahead’ from a single battery charge.

Now I need a lake to get some photos that I can compare to the real thing. Pretty hopeless trying to find a quiet lake over here in the USA; they are either crowded with children or Canada geese; fast power boats or even faster model boats. So I hope to see you in the park at Verulamium August 2nd - weather permitting.

George Cusdin - (Ex 5 Guildford Road, St Albans) is now in Smyrna, Georgia, USA. Phone: 00 1 770 319 9279 e-mail: [email protected] A full set of scale drawings can be made available. However, I do suggest using a slightly larger scale so that the drive system is not such a tight fit. PPaagege 1410 St Albans & District MES Gazette Society Outing 2009 - as seen through Philip Woodcock’s viewfinder

Following Tony Mason’s article last month on the club outing and history of the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway we are grateful to Philip Woodcock for sending us some super photos of the railway as seen through his camera viewfinder.

Left: Great Northern outline 4-6-2 Loco No 3 ‘Southern Maid’ was built by Davey Paxman & Co in 1926.

Below: Loco No 2, ‘Northern Chief’ is oiled up before double heading a train with ‘Typhoon’ from Romney to Dungeness. www.stalbansmes.com Paggee 1151

Mick Bell and other members look round the immaculate workshops. The chassis, cylinders and smokebox saddle belong to loco No 10 ‘Dr Syn’, a 4-6-2 Pacific designed by Henry Greenly and A.L.S Richardson. She was built in 1931 by the Yorkshire Engine Company

Left: The RHDR is in every sense a real passenger and freight railway in miniature. With nothing to add scale the engine, signals, loco sheds, etc could so easily be full size.

Below: I love my job! PPaagege 1612 St Albans & District MES Gazette The Hudspith Steam Bicycle - Jeff Carter

While we were spending a few days away at Easter we went to a miniature steam show at the Sammy Millar motor cycle museum. The majority of the models puffing around the car park were traction engines or steam lorries plus one of the full size replica steam cars. What I had not expected to see was a steam powered bicycle. I subsequently found that it is mentioned on various websites which give a detailed description of the mechanism of which the following is an extract.

The bike was built from a derelict 1949 VeloSoleX premier frame modified to hold the various components. It is powered by Geoff Hudspith’s own design of a horizontal single cylinder, double acting engine. The 3 th 1 bore is 1 /8 inch and the stroke 1 /4 inch 1 which gives about /4 hp depending on steam It works! However, I’m not sure what effect pressure. The boiler is a semi-flash type all that weight over the front wheel has on having a lower section of concentric spiral stability and steering on the open road. water tubes fed by a central down column, 3 th surmounted by a fire tube header with has 24 x /8 inch flues in a 4inch diameter, copper cylindrical shell and contains less than one litre of water in total. The boiler is fired from below by a pressure fed paraffin burner. It takes 15-20 minutes to raise the 100psi steam pressure and gives a performance of about 8mph, 6-8 mpg of water and 60-70 mpg of paraffin. The inventor does point out on the website that constant improvements are being made so some of these details may no longer be accurate.

According to the BBC South article on Geoff Hudspith, “His entire first floor flat is a heavy engineering workshop, with lathes, drills, benches and steam powered contraptions where domesticity takes the form of a mattress squeezed between a steam gramophone, an old radio and workshop/kitchenette”.

It’s good to see that eccentricity is alive and well in the country and when the oil runs out we may all need steam powered bikes!

(We may have a few words about another steam powered Standard equipment seems to bike in next month’s Gazette. Watch this space! - Ed) include a DIY type blow lamp! www.stalbansmes.com Paggee 1173 Letter to the editor

Guy Ellerby has responded to the item in last month’s Gazette about the opening of the Puffing Field track at Chipperfield and has a tip for obtaining small ‘O’ rings. He writes:

Dear Roger

Is it really 60 years since Chipperfield first opened? At the time I was a member of the Harrow & Wembley Society, and was there on that day. What I remember is seeing Maskelyne, a writer and prominent figure in the model engineering world, driving a loco, dressed in pin stripe trousers, black jacket, white shirt complete with fly away collar and bow tie; the only thing missing was a top hat. Is this how our members should dress?

1 1 On a different topic, if you are looking for very small ‘O’ rings /16" ID by /8" OD, but possibly metric, you can find them in throw away cigarette lighters where they are used to seal the gas. I picked this up from a colleague in the North London Society, who in turn picked it up from a supplier.

Regards, Guy Ellerby

There is no escape! Baz Butcher took this photograph of David Saunders driving his traction engine in the parade ring at the Guildford Rally, fortunately between the rain showers, on Sunday 19th July 2009. It seems David does take some time off from testing boilers! PPaagege 1814 St Albans & District MES Gazette John Day’s Old Photographs - No 10

Another picture from ex SADMES member and boyhood railway photographer John Day. His comments written on the reverse of each picture are shown in bold, with additional information researched by Tony Mason.

4-6-2 60136 at Potters Bar (Northbound) 1/500/2.8 1st September 1959 It seemed timely to include a picture of one of Peppercorn’s A1 Pacifics in action. This one is 60136 Alcazar, built in 1948 at Darlington works. As you all probably know the fact that not one of these excellent engines survived past 1966 prompted a group of enthusiasts to build one from scratch. One of the group pointed out that when the original class were built “the locomotive started life as pig iron at one end of the works and emerged complete at the other”. While much of the actual engineering for the new locomotive was done elsewhere the work came together in the north east, where all of the original class were built. Just 13 years after work started on the new locomotive, which has used the next vacant number 60163, it was successfully steamed in 2008. The logistics alone were a fine achievement in a globalised world and frankly the only way it could have been done. Let’s hope ‘Tornado’ is the first of many more to come.

FOR SALE

All metal Road Trailer, 4 feet long by 3 feet wide, wired for lights. Complete with spare wheel and cover. £50 Contact Michael Dyer on 01442 219024 www.stalbansmes.com Paggee 1195 NOTICE BOARD

If you wish to put an item on the ‘Notice Board’ just send it to the editors and, subject to available space, we will include it in the next issue of the Gazette. Ed.

Dan keen - Get well soon! Members will be pleased to hear that Dan Keen is back home and doing well after undergoing more surgery on his brain tumour. I am sure all members join the editor (himself a brain tumour patient) in wishing Dan a rapid recovery and return to driving his steam locomotives.

Club Exhibition – Locomotives in Action This year we plan to repeat the display and need 5" or 3.5" gauge locomotives. These locomotives may be already exhibiting in which we can move them off display for their run, or they can be brought to the exhibition. All participating locomotives must have valid boiler certificates and owners are welcome to steam and drive them if they wish. The time slot will be around 90 minutes. Tim Hopkins and Tony Mason will be on hand with coal and water and all the necessary bits and pieces for raising steam. We do need a good variety of locomotives to make the display interesting so we would appreciate your support – Please contact Tony Mason on 07990 574621 830607 [email protected] or Tim Hopkins 07989282465 [email protected]

Jaguar Daimler Heritage Jaguar has relaunched its Coventry Museum which contains many cars from the Jaguar collection. Open Monday Thursday 09.00 - 16.30, Friday 09.00 - 15.00 and the last Sunday of the month 10.00 - 15.00 the museum can be found at Browns Lane, Allesley,Coventry CV5 9DR. Telephone: 024 7640 1288 /1289 or go to www.silverstoneclassic.com and follow links to 'Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust'. Here is the blurb from the site - Alive for ever. More than 140 historic vehicles form The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Collection. Many are original, just as they left the factory, and fully operational. In a controlled atmosphere, for maximum preservation, each vehicle on display is a living icon of a by-gone era. Each symbolises a significant milestone in the continuing development and growth of Jaguar Cars and its associated companies. Portraying over a century of outstanding automotive design, fine engineering, and world leading car development. The Collection is Jaguar's living heritage, mainly on display under one roof at the JDHT Museum, its spiritual home at Browns Lane in Coventry.

FOR SALE

One club polo shirt, grey with the new club logo, size Large, never worn, £10 ono Contact: Alan Holt on 01582 832446 or e-mail [email protected] PPaagege 1206 St Albans & District MES Gazette

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

2009 August 12th Club Night - Allan Berman - Modelling in Meccano August 16th Puffing Field Morning from 10:30am (subject to weather) August 21st-23rd Bristol Model Engineering & Hobbies Exhibition, Thornbury Leisure Centre. www.bristolmodelengineers.co.uk August 23rd Club Sailing Morning in Verulamium Park (subject to weather) August 29th MPBA Hydroplane Competition, Large Lake, Verulamium Park August 30th MPBA Straight Running Competition, Small Lake, Verulamium Park August 31st MPBA International Hydroplane Comp, Large Lake, Verulamium Park August 29th-31st Harrow & Wembley SME Open day, Roxbourne park, Field End Road, Eastcote (www.hwsme.org.uk) August 29th-31st Rydale SME Main Line Rally, Gilling East, North Yorkshire September 2nd-6th Great Dorset Steam Fair, Tarrant Hinton, near Blandford Forum September 9th Club Night - John Rawlinson – The Tornado Story Sept 12th & 13th Festival of Flight Aeromodel Weekend, Shuttleworth Trust, Old Warden. September 13th Puffing Field Morning from 10:30am (subject to weather) September 19th Open Day, Brambleton Model Railway Club, Highfield Oval, Harpenden September 20th Club Sailing Morning in Verulamium Park (subject to weather) SEPT 26th/27th ANNUAL CLUB EXHIBITION AT FRANCIS BACON SCHOOL October 14th Club Night - Barrie Sanderson – Steam Tug ‘Portwey’ October 16th-20th Midlands Model Engineering Exhibition; Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, Fosse Way, near Leamington Spa. October 18th Puffing Field Morning from 10:30am (subject to weather) October 25th Club Sailing Morning in Verulamium Park (subject to weather) October 31st Hemel Hempstead Model Railway Society Exhibition, Leverstock Green Village Hall, 10am to 5pm (www.hhmrs.org) November 6th-8th International Model Boat Show; Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, Fosse Way, near Leamington Spa. November 11th Club Night - EGM; Nicholas Smith – Duchess of Hamilton Philip Woodcock – The NZ Fell Railway November 22nd Club Sailing Morning in Verulamium Park (subject to weather) December 11th-13th Model Engineer Exhibition 2009, Sandown Park Race Course

Club Nights are every 2nd Wednesday each month at Christchurch Centre, New Greens, St Albans and start at 7.30pm. Club boating meetings and other events can be confirmed with Alan Holt (see inside front cover). Full details and confirmation of Puffing Field events are available at Club Nights.

EXHIBITION ENTRY FORMS Don’t forget to get your exhibition entry forms in to Jeff Carter (for model boats and yachts) or Malcolm Beak (for all other exhibits). An entry form is included in the middle of this issue - which you can photocopy if you need more than one.

The St Albans Model Engineering Society cannot accept any responsibility for the condition or suitability of items advertised in the Society’s Gazette. Opinions contained in articles are not necessarily those of the Society.