Post AGM Update 18th May 2015




27 at Horsted Keynes July 1968 (Photo:Andrew Waller)

  There was no working party this weekend, but we did attend the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society AGM on Saturday Evening.  We had a good reaction to the improved display and had conversations with many members of the BRPS.  We ran the now traditional Champagne Raffle which is always a good way of raising funds.  I understand that the Muunsell Society, the Keep Up the Pressure Campaign and Covered Accomodation appeals also had good responses.

We were approached with potential offers of assistance on the restoration team by a few people, depending on a regular or notified working party attendance date. We are aware that we need to have committed working days in addition to the gang just being there. I will try to arrange this in the near future.

The display fetured an album of P Class locos (mainly 27 and 323) in virtually all of the liveries that the P tanks carried!  Major exceptions include SECR Large Number plain green and of course the ROD livery. Most of these pictures were purchased from a stand at the Burgess Hill Model Railway exhibiton in the morning and quickly put into an album during the afternoon in time for the AGM in the evening!
The commemorative plaque should have been placed on the loco tank displayed on Platform 1 at Sheffield Park by now, if not it will be shortly.  This gives a breif outline of the history of the tank and why it is in position here.


Look No cylinders! (photo: Clive Emsley

Above is a picture of the space where the cylinders have been removed from the frames and a temporary strecher placed in their place. The cylinders were removed a couple of Fridays ago and placed on a pallet adjacent to the Works.


The cylinders on a pallet outside Sheffield Park Works (Photo: Clive Emsley)

Normal working on the loco should, I believe, be resumed this comming Saturday.  If you are intending to give your time, please E Mail thefenchurchfund@gmail.com or get in touch with Stuart Marks at smarksskids@aol.com

We look forward to seeing new helpers in the future, so please keep in touch!