BMEG

       Volume No.18 Winter Issue        2009-10

WEBSITE BMEG.co.uk

The Website has now been running for almost two years. As of December 9^th 2009 we have had 3048 hits. Updating the website has proved straight forward. As secretary I have had a number of e-mails from abroad, mainly wanting to get in touch with Ken Swan about building his locomotives. A few have just congratulated us on an unusual site. Others have been in touch before visiting.

Google Earth is worth a visit. Click onto Beamish Museum and you will be able to make an Aerial tour. The Google images are recent and they show the turntable and Head shunt to the right the archive Building.

Turntable and Headshunt

 Much of the material in this edition is derived from the Website so I apologise to those of you who are web experts. However if you want to improve the content do not hesitate to offer an article, about anything really, a project, a new method, or just a gripe.

Jack Brasset An unusual feature of our group is that one of our members lives onsite. In fact quite a few people live at Beamish Museum. Jack’s father has been the farm manager and is moving to the Whirlow Trust Farm near Sheffield, which is an educational farm run by a charitable Trust for the benefit of school children.

Jack and his friend Kris joined us about three years ago, with loads of enthusiasm. Jim Duncan took on the task of instilling some mechanical skills and the rudiments of health and safety. Jack has the gift of a pleasant and forgiving nature which is just as well as he has been blamed for most things going wrong including the weather. We shall miss the jobs which he has taken on such as grass-cutting and sleeper replacement, as well as guard and dogsbody on steaming days. We are extremely grateful for the derelict compressor which he found (now restored and functional).  I shall miss him cleaning “Wren” which he steamed in the approved manner for much of his last Saturday. Many thanks Jack for all your efforts.

Jack Brasset 2009 

Heritage Cube Exhibition and running days(May 25th-Ist June )

            This year the scope had been widened to include a collection of model steam power plants in the collections of Beamish Museum and the Tyne and Wear Museums

Peter Federrof custodian and ticket clerk.

 We were pleased to have locomotives constructed by Ian Spencer,( B1 5"gauge )  and Brian Nicols from TSMEE (Tyneside Model and Experimental Engineers).

Brian Nicols' Immaculate GWR King 5" gauge

The collection of locomotives of Ceylon railways type constructed by Edmund Ibott and painstakingly erected by Jim Duncan were a further feature. In addition to the wide range of projects and locomotives produced by BMEG members we had some of the Charlton Collection of historic railway photographs courtesy of Jimmy Mountjoy. A photographic review of the Exhibition and the live steam event are to be found in the Exhibition section of the Website. The exhibition was very popular with children and parents. In particular the badge making by museum staff (Chief Engineer, junior engineer, Apprentice) was in constant demand not least by BMEG members.

            The request by the Management of Beamish Museum for five days live steam was received with a mixture of pleasure and panic. The completion of the platform and laying of hardcore were completed in record time. We are grateful to Paul Jarman (Curator of transport) who guided us through the quagmire of Insurance and Health and Safety. Prior to running with passengers we filled the carriages with as much weight as we could find to give drivers an idea of the effect of load on stopping distance.  A small donation per passenger was agreed largely to control demand. The excellent weather meant that we were able to run almost continuously from 10.30am to 4.30pm for five days, carrying over 1500 passengers without significant incident. Most of the time we had a Wren locomotives, either Eddie Ions or Adrian Morley  pulling a 4 carriage set and  Koppel rack engines , (Mike Lax , Steve Lowe and Robin Hedley) on the upper part of the rack section for demonstration purposes. Each train had a guard, chiefly Sam Wake and Jack Brasset to protect passengers and collect tickets.

Mike Lax, his Koppel and Sam Wake the official guard

The turning of engines on the new turntable was a source of great interest to the crowds of visitors. The nearby toilet block may also have been an attraction. Overall a success apart from the general exhaustion. (The platform has since been elongated to accommodate the 5-car articulated set.)

 The Otterburn Festival 18-18th July 2009 in aid of the Northumberland Air Ambulance

The Festival takes place in the grounds of Otterburn Mill. This is the second year that we have taken part. The large Marquee next to the beer tent contains a wide range of rural crafts, art, model makers, National Trust, chiropractors as well as BMEG. This year we have added  promotional material from Beamish Museum.       

Setting up our stand was easy after getting to the Marquee across the partly flooded field. The exhibits were Ken Swan’s Rocket, tender and rolling stock, Jim Mountjoy's Traction Engine, and parts of Adrian Morley’s “Dolgoch “.The Charlton Collection of Industrial locomotive photographs was widely admired.

            The public arrived around 10.00am. One of the best reactions was from a man with his wife clearly expecting to be dragged round the Jam and Cake stalls, “Now this is more like it!!” The Two BMEG members were constantly in demand. The numbers were inversely proportional to the amount of sunshine. Small children enjoyed the Thomas the Tank aspect, and a senior railway Inspector told us of the almost lethal shortcomings of the Guards van on display. Several people recognised childhood scenes in the Charlton Collection. Periodically the tent emptied for Displays including “The Red Arrows”, Hawks, and parades of tractors and Vintage vehicles. Some £17000 was raised for charity.

Jim Mountjoy admired the artistic distortion of our exhibit.

Eddie Ions.

            The Wren (Nathan) which Eddie completed ran extremely well. A video appears on the  U-tube Website showing it in action. We were all distressed to hear of the illness which occurred during the summer. Our condolences go to his family.

            On Sunday November 15^th 2009 the new ground level 7¼ gauge track in Newcastle was opened in the presence of his family. A plaque was erected in memory of a fine engineer, a stalwart of TSMEE,  and family man.

Eddie Ions testing "Nathan" spring 2009

Public steaming

             We have had further steaming events associated with events in the Museum (A total of 12 days). Minimum cover is a driver, a guard, a ticket collector and one locomotive. Given a sunny days with over 200 passengers /day two locomotives are needed. Minor difficulties, like a dodgy sight glass can occur at the most inconvenient of times. The second loco is then a godsend. Finally if it's raining there will be more staff than passengers.

Steaming next year 2010

So far we have preliminary notices of:

April 15-18^th Heritage Cube exhibition

July 10^th Doxford group visit

September 3-6 Beamish Steam event

Also :

Harrogate ME exhibition May 7^th-9^th

Midlands ME exhibition Oct 15^th -19^th

In general we hope to steam for the public during the summer months on  some Saturdays with good weather.

The Platform

            The platform is constructed of large ceramic tiles on a concrete base. Allowing passengers onto the platform after the previous train has unloaded has kept all but the most persistent trespassers off the track. These usually turn out to be model engineers.

The platform and path before ballasting

Introducing the "Carriage shed" (or Pithead Gear)

            We have a 3 car set, a 5 car set, a rack carriage and a spare. Gradually these are being renovated particularly by John Lambard and Peter Willance, making them wider and deeper. Some of them are 40 years old. The public seat appears to be getting larger.

John Lambard and Malcom Craig constructing new carriage bodies.

 At present carriages are kept under the open

station canopy.

            Carriage shed roof during erection.

The roof consists of two welded chaldron covers donated by the Museum supported by six redundant columns from the archive building. The roof will be slated, and we hope to have some 80 feet covered storage space.  Railway lines will run in from either end at two levels.

            An off-shoot at one side will contain Pithead gear, and a steam winding engine, chimney etc, all to 7¼ gauge.  (And we have not seen the plans yet.)

The roof finally slated. The bricklayer is Steve Lowe.

The Jim Duncan Christmas show

            Jim keeps his lathe at Beamish and each year the decoration gets better. Jim's wife Pat. is a very crafty person making amazing Doll's houses.

Definitely the prize winner for the best decorated Harrison!

                In the centre on the shelf is a decorated room done as a project with the WI.

Miniature table, champagne and fruit.

            Notice the yellow roadwork's lamp to the left of the room, closer inspection shows all sorts of model magic.

The Gadgey having his bait

How Jim manages to build 7¼" gauge as well is beyond me!

Finally congratulations on a successful year and a Happy Christmas and New year to all our readers.