Issue 91 Autumn 2016 The journal of the Russell Newbery Engine Owners & Enthusiasts Club Wey & Arun Bicentenary Manuals Reprint Big ‘Away Day’ 2017 Northern Norman Reflections www.rnregister.org.uk WHO’S WHO CONTENTS Front cover: Spring sunset in Braunston [Kevin McNiff] Back cover: Standedge Tunnel - Diggle end [Norman Woolley] RUSSELL NEWBERY REGISTER LTD 3 CHAIRMAN’S CHAT President: Dr Ian McKim Thompson FROM THE EDITOR Vice Presidents: Lady Carol Stamp, Mrs Susan Gibbs, Allister Denyer, Graham Pearson, Eleanor Phillips 4 MEMBERSHIP MATTERS Web site: www.rnregister.org.uk The Russell Newbery Register is a non profit USER MANUALS UPDATES distributing company limited by guarantee. Founded: 1994 Registered in England No: 346943 5 BOAT FOR SALE Officers: Chairman: Norman C Mitchell 6 SPRING 2017 AWAY DAYS t: 01452 415420 [email protected] Secretary: Kevin McNiff WEY & ARUN BICENTENARY m: 07866 424988 [email protected] Directors: Jim Comerford 7 BACK ISSUE CLEAR OUT Bob Scott Administration (membership, finance): Rob Davies 55 Noddington Lane, Whittington, Lichfield, Staffs. 8 RALLY NEWS WS14 9PA t/f: 01543 432079 m: 07801 842337 9 AUTUMN GATHERING REPORT [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Kevin McNiff [email protected] 10 PICTURE GALLERY Newsletter Production: Andrew Laycock m: 07870 294580 Administration (merchandise): Neil Mason Hillcrest, Chapel Lane, Westhumble, Surrey. RH5 6AH 12 ALVECOTE PRIORY t: 01306 889073 [email protected] Rally Organisers: Bob Scott and Andrew Laycock 13 SAME OLD, SAME OLD? [email protected] Webmaster: Andrew Laycock 14 REFLECTIONS [email protected] 15 ALREWAS ARTS FESTIVAL RUSSELL NEWBERY REGISTER PROPERTY LTD A non profit distributing company limited by guarantee Founded 2004 Registered in England No: 5316384 16 NORTHERN NORMAN Directors: Bob Ainsworth, Rob Davies, Dave Martin, Part 2 of the 700-mile single Bob Scott. handed trip by Norman Woolley Unless otherwise noted,© Russell Newbery Register, 2016 2017 Dates: Rally RN DIESEL ENGINE COMPANY Proprietors: Dave Bixter (m:07812 039110) Deborah Bixter (m: 07966 403132) 19 to 23 July Showroom: RN House, The Locks, Hillmorton, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 4PP t:01788 578661 Autumn Gathering Engineering workshop: 4 Oak House, Royal Oak Way North, Royal Oak Industrial Estate, Daventry NN11 8PQ t: 01327 700023 15 to 17 September 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 Winter 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 15th January 2017 2 RNR Newsletter : Autumn 2016 Chairman’s Chatter Things are just getting better. Aylesbury was a splendid venue for a really good rally and then we have enjoyed the Autumn Gathering at Alvecote. Just to cap that, Iona, Tawny Pippit II, Dragon and Arthur have enjoyed a "Gatherette" at Shardlow! I was only able to drive to Alvecote due to arriving back from a holiday the day before the gathering but it was splendid to see so many happy faces and meet some of those who could not make it to the Rally. all of it, so put your thinking hats on and any ideas to the board please. A Register board meeting duly took place on Sunday morning and I was appraised of next Have a good autumn and enjoy the remains year's events. The post rally tour appears to of your cruising, should you still be out. cover all the BCN we missed on the tour after Titford last year and the next away day sounds "absolutely fabulous". We would like to hear any suggestions of ways to promote the Register to current non- members as Rallies are not the be all and end From the Editor Autumn has arrived, on cue after the equinox and as I finish this piece, the hedgerows are bursting with fruit and berries, which would point to a hard winter, though hopefully it will be more seasonal than the devastating floods of last year. The 2017 events have been announced so there is enough time to draw up your boating plans to fit some, or all, of them in. As Norman says above, Rallies and other social events are not for everybody though they provide a significant amount of newsletter content. If you have anything to contribute, just send it to me at the email address inside the front cover. Although it seems a tad early right now, I wish you and yours the compliments of the coming festive season and a good road in 2017. RNR Newsletter : Autumn 2016 3 Membership Matters This is my last report on recruitment and I am A very warm RN welcome to: pleased to say that we have four new members since the last Issue. I am sure that if Stuart & Carolyn Craig, Hemel Hempstead you see an RN on your travels you check on NB Sonto membership status. If you haven’t already done so, why not download an Application John Clark, Alrewas Form from the web site so that you can hand it NB Futureste over when appropriate. We have now reached number 490 so we only need 10 more to Steve Price Penketh, Warrington reach the 500 milestone. That will be the NB Water Witch 500th member signed up since we started, let’s hope we can get there sooner rather than Nick McHugh Spalding later. NB Ben RN Instruction Manuals The Register was instrumental in making used to help fund the costs of the reprint. Our reprints of the small green RN manual back in letter to Audrey, his widow, is below. 1995 and supplies of these have been exhausted for some time, as has the A4 manual produced by Vero. This latter version contains more detail including a spares list. 4 October 2016 Dear Audrey and Family At the Register board meeting in Alvecote, it was decided to go for a long overdue reprint and Jim Comerford has taken on the task of You may recall that you kindly donated £220 to scanning both documents in preparation. the Register in memory of Michael. We While these historical manuals are recognised determined that we should use these monies for a as such, it was also decided to embark on a specific purpose and not merely absorb it into separate project to update all the information Register Funds. culminating in a new Workshop Manual,which will take some time and no date has been set It has taken a little while but, at a recent Board for this phase as yet. Meeting, we decided to arrange for a much needed re-print of the RN Workshop Manual, to be Would you rather a DVD copy or a new made available to members. Michael’s money will printed version [or perhaps both]? If DVD, you enable us to get the ball rolling and the donation could just print out the sections needed to will be acknowledged in the re-printed Manuals, in carry out any work and then the oil and memory of Michael. greased paper can be recycled; or you may prefer the traditional hard copy. No costs have We hope that you approve of this proposal, it will been worked out yet but we will let you know in due course. Please let me know via email at take a while to bring it to fruition, we will let you [email protected] – it will help if you know when we have completed the task. can reply by the end of December 2016. Best wishes, Following the passing of RNR member Rob Davies, Michael Callwood, his family donated £220 to Administrator Register funds in his memory and we wanted to put this towards a specific purpose; it will be 4 RNR Newsletter : Autumn 2016 For Sale – Tantalus 50ft traditional tug style narrow boat by Malcolm Pearson 1983/4 – all steel with half inch bottom plate. Dagenham built DM2. Moored West London. Forepeak holding 4 propane cylinders with auto-changeover, spectacular ‘Francis’ searchlight. Large Front Well with seating and solid fuel storage, S/S water tank below. Forward Saloon mahogany panelled with seating convertible to two single or one double bed, built in stereo, Squirrel stove, portholes, pigeon box. Galley with Electrolux gas fridge, full size Valor cooker, lots of storage, portholes, pigeon box. Bathroom with separate shower cubicle and washbowl, 2 Shurflo pumps, new unused Porta Potti ‘Excellence’, ample wardrobes & cupboards. Separate Engine Room with timber lined steel bulkheads, 1987 DM2 (less than 3000 hours), side hatches, pigeon box, 2 (3) domestic batteries, starter battery, alternator control unit, charger, inverter, radio/tv aerial amplifier. Boatman’s Cabin with cross bed, Classic/Epping range, graining, roses & castles, paraffin duplex as well as LED lighting, antique lace plates, crochet, etc. The boat has been rewired and re-plumbed to satisfy safety regulations, and all interior lighting converted to LED. BSS to September 2016 (will be renewed). For sale with many antique artefacts including a fine collection of lace plates plus engine spares and full cruising equipment. Contact: [email protected] RNR Newsletter : Autumn 2016 5 2017 Spring Away Days The now established visits organised by our successful heritage railway is currently President Ian McKim Thompson, ably relaying track and infrastructure to abetted by Betty Dobbs, have gone from Broadway. strength to strength. Those of us who have joined Ian have not been disappointed in the No dates have yet been set as Ian wants to varied formats. Unusually in 2016, the visit ensure that the visit to the railway coincides to Statfold Barn near Tamworth also with an “in-steam” timetable.