GAUGE 1 7 /4” NEWS WINTER 2016 ISSUE 159 Port class Hunslet "Cackler" and Mainline class Hunslet "Charles", double heading. These locos are based at Oxford. Photograph – Copyright Ken Bull In this Issue: Reflections on the AGM Monday; A story behind D808; A visit to Club Ferroviari in Mallorca; 7¼” AGM at Pecorama, Beer 2016; Signalling on the Great Cockrow Railway; Colin’s Shed; The Moorland Railway - the Greywood Central Reborn & more In this Issue Awards presented at the AGM 2016 4 Society stand at the Midlands Exhibition 5 Letters to the Editor 5 Reflections on the AGM Monday 6 The Moorland Railway - the Greywood Central reborn 8 A story behind D808 11 Colin’s Shed 14 Society AGM at Pecorama, Beer 2016 18 Signalling on the Great Cockrow Railway 22 A visit to Club Ferroviari in Mallorca 25 The Ashmanhaugh Ramp 26 Book Review 26 Obituary - Alan Priest 27 The Goods Yard 28 Members’ Notices 38 7¼” Gauge Society Ltd - Information The Society’s website is: www.sevenandaquarter.org President: Assistant Secretary: AGM (2019) Coordinator: Brian Reading, 12 Belmore Close, Thorpe Gilly Rainer, 15 Chaucer Road, George White St. Andrew, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 0PS. Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK3 5AH Tel: 01749 674489 Tel: (01603) 434915 Tel: (01908) 366198 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] COMMITTEE/DIRECTORS Committee Member: Chairman: Membership Secretary: Nigel Freestone, 11 Kingfisher Drive, Frank Cooper, 47 Holmes Road, Frank Cooper, 47 Holmes Road, Durrington, Wiltshire, SP4 8LJ Stickney, PE22 8AZ Stickney, PE22 8AZ Tel: 01205 481197 Tel: 01205 481197 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] 1 MEMBERSHIP Secretary: Editor 7 ⁄4” Gauge News: of The 7¼” Gauge Society John Nicholson, 14 Moorcroft, Eldwick, Nick Deytrikh, Allerton Wood, Stanhope, Co Durham, DL13 2JP ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION - Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 3DR. DUE 1ST JANUARY Tel: (01274) 564215 Tel: 01388 528365 Email: [email protected] Full UK £25, Email: [email protected] overseas plus £10 postage (£35), Treasurer: Trade Liaison Officer: eMember £17.50, Nigel Musson Young members £6 John Lawes, 29 Tenby Avenue, 1 Harrow, HA3 8RU Email: [email protected] Pay to: 7 ⁄4” Gauge Society Ltd (Cheque or BACS to the Tel: (020) 8907 4700 AGM (2017) Coordinator: Membership Secretary), or Email: [email protected] Adrian Mitchell debit/credit card via the Tel: 07880 717955 Society website. Email: [email protected] 1 THE 7 ⁄4” GAUGE SOCIETY LTD REGISTERED OFFICE: PRESS DATES FOR NEXT ISSUE : 29 Tenby Avenue, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 8RU Advertisement copy to Trade Liaison Officer by 2nd January 2017. Company registered in England & Wales Number 3955091 Articles, Letters, Hints, Tips and Snippets etc. Must be with the Editor by the 5th January 2017. Sooner eases the workload. EDITOR: Members’ Notices (Events and Sales & Wants) should be put Nick Deytrikh, Allerton Wood, Stanhope, Co Durham, DL13 2JP directly on the Website. Send written ‘Notices’ to the Secretary PRODUCED , PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTED BY: by 2nd February 2017. Imprint, New Road, Newtown, Powys. Tel: 01686 624137 Replacement copies £4.50 All reasonable care is taken in the preparation of this publication but the Society cannot be held responsible for loss or inconvenience arising from errors or omissions. Advertisements are accepted in good faith - reliance on any content thereof is the reader’s responsibility. Views and opinions expressed by contributors to this magazine may not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, Committee or the Company. SOCIETY NEWS From the Editor’s Desk It seems that no sooner have we finished preparing for one AGM that another one is in the planning. This year’s event at Peco was most successful in so many ways, with an excellent display of locomotives, fascinating trips, beautiful scenery, and an admirable consumption of the local ale. I understand that 4 barrels of beer were emptied and such was the fun and welcome of the party that even the head gardener joined in. Full reports are contained within these pages, and a synopsis of the formal AGM meeting is reported on the website. We now start the planning and look forward to the next AGM which will be hosted by the Burnley & Pendle Miniature Railway Society over the weekend of 22nd to 24th September next year. I am pleased to see a couple of references to enthusiasts from outside the UK in the form of Chris Baker’s award, and a short piece regarding a railway in Mallorca (a longer article will appear in the next News). I know interest in our gauge is worldwide and I hope we can feature more such reports in the future – perhaps something from Brittany next? Incidentally, I have heard a rumour that a get-together of articulated locos is on the cards for September 2018 and I hope to have more information in the next issue. In the meantime, don’t stop steaming over the winter period, and for members who live in the more northerly regions, you’d better get cracking with completing your snow plough attachments. Nick Deytrikh From the President Once again, I have to make the comment that with added A spot of poor health, culminating in a short visit to main works years Christmas seems to come around even more quickly for repair, prevented my attendance at the AGM this year but each year but it is that time of the year again! by all accounts, it was a very enjoyable weekend. Thanks must Looking back, I feel that the Society has had another go to all our members who played a part in the arrangements successful year – just to mention a few things, we have once and of course all the staff at Peco who worked very hard to again been represented at the major Exhibitions, thanks to the ensure we had a successful AGM and running event. various railways that are part of the 7¼” Gauge family, there I hope to catch up with as many members as possible has been an excellent programme of visits, the Proficiency during 2017 at various exhibitions and other events but for Scheme is being re-vitalised and during the year we have had the moment I wish everybody a Very Happy Christmas and some interesting editions of “The News”. Our thanks to New Year. members who have made all this possible. Brian Reading Your Committee The Committee was endorsed by the AGM as laid out in he will continue as an officer of the Society to ensure a smooth the agenda and no other nominations were received before handover to the new post holder. the closing date. George White, who organised the Bath and West AGM in 2014 However, a number of people were co-opted to the Committee has joined the Committee to look into the organisation of the since the AGM meeting: 2019 AGM. He will serve as a co-opted director. Nigel Musson, who is a member of the communication Adrian Mitchell, the current treasurer at Burnley and Pendle strategy group, will continue as Trade Liaison Officer pro tem Miniature Railway Society, has joined the Committee as a co- until a replacement can be appointed to this post. At that time, opted director to coordinate the organisation of the 2017 AGM. A Christmas Message from the Chairman I would like to wish you and your families a Happy and Peaceful Christmas. I hope 2017 enables us all to continue with our hobby. Frank Cooper www.sevenandaquarter.org 3 SOCIETY NEWS Awards presented at the AGM 2016 Brian Reading Award Charles Simpson Award Colin Edmondson - for “Tyke” (presented by Frank Cooper). This year we awarded an overseas trophy and a UK trophy, as John MacDougall, CME at PECO explained to the we used to do in the past. membership that this particular loco had been chosen for ingenuity, innovation and the use of modern production methods e.g. laser cutting. The overseas award was presented to Chris Baker for his help over the years in organising our stand at overseas exhibitions. Junior Award There were no nominations this year so this award was not presented. Come on Juniors, we know you’re out there! The above awards are in preparation and a small ceremony The UK award was presented to Anthony Siddall for working will be held to re-present the trophies as soon as possible. This as Treasurer for 17 years, and also for organising last year’s may well take place before the NEWS is distributed. AGM. 4 Email: [email protected] SOCIETY NEWS Society Stand at the Midlands Exhibition 2016 We were at the Midlands Exhibition once again - the photograph shows our stand with our Chairman with a foot in both Northern Association and 7¼” Gauge territory. Among the exhibits were:- 7¼” 0-4-0 + 0-4-0 Garratt. This is a model of the Darjeeling Himalayan Garratt which was built for that railway, but only ran for a short time early in the last century. It has 4 high pressure cylinders and this model is being built by Dennis Billington from Northampton. 7¼” Tich (a doubled up LBSC Tich) owned by Bernard Manning of Spilsby in Lincolnshire. It was built by Stan Bradshaw who lived in the Kings Lynn area. Letters to the Editor Dear Editor This is a personal letter of thanks to all those enthusiastic visitors Many of our visiting drivers remarked that our track is a superb who supported the BCDMRS 25th Anniversary celebrations held ‘drivers’ track with the long drag at the back of the site, (that part at our superb railway near Donaghadee. At the 7¼” AGM last we can claim credit for), but what a lovely job nature has made year the membership was invited by our Secretary to our railway of what was a landfill site.