| The Buffers Club Newsletter Based on the print edition produced by Geoff Chandler |
| January 2003 |
| Issue No. 202 |
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| News |
| Fun and Games |
| Click for a British Rail "Cryptic Quiz" This was created by Member Dennis Littler. Let us know how you did. |
| A large number of the membership enjoyed a full program and seasonal fare for our last meeting of 2002. Ed Spencer presented a slide show with material he shot at the Ontario Miniature Locomotive Efficiency Trials hosted by Live Steamers in the grounds of the Hamilton Pump House last June. Buffers member John Mason also attended the meeting. Efficiency was judged by the distance traveled by competing locomotives in twenty minutes. Ernie Williams gave a slide show full of variety which included his model layout and also looked back many years to the launching of the last Thames barge in the late 1950s. Ernie also displayed a number of his hand-painted model soldiers in which Les Norris was most interested. Thanks to Roy Hopkins for providing a video on the erstwhile Somerset and Dorset Joint line. This line, which was something of a legend in its lifetime and on which numerous books have been published, closed to through-traffic from the north of England after the expiry of the summer timetable in 1962 and to local passenger and goods traffic in March 1966. The closing of the line has long been lamented. It is recommended that those members who are on-line and who are interested in obtaining further information with regard to this unique line visit the following web site: http://homepages.enterprise.net/rtj/SD6News.html There was considerable admiration for Joe Belecky's rural grouping consisting of a farm, outbuildings and houses which, Joe advises, can be illuminated. Dennis Littlers' British railways quiz, which was circulated with the December Newsletter, was well received. The winner was Yanis Smit with eighteen correct answers out of twenty. Runners up had seventeen and sixteen correct answers respectively. Having now enjoyed two quizzes developed by Dennis over the past three months, Roy Hopkins wondered whether the next test of our railway knowledge would be in the form of a crossword! |
| MEMBERSHIP NEWS: Please note that membership fees, still at $20.00 per year, are payable at our next meeting. In the event a member is unable to attend our January meeting or does not regularly attend meetings, please send a cheque to your writer or to our treasurer Joe Belecky. Members welcomed new member Brian Tustin. Brian discussed his interest in railway antiques and brought along a British-made Victorian-era railway lamp. Examples of this lamp were very common on Canadian railways during the nineteenth century until domestic lamp manufacturers established themselves. Carlos Simoes came to the meeting as a visitor with member Lorne Elliott. THE ROAD AHEAD: Our January meeting will be held at the usual Elliott Street location on the 18th 13.00 16.30 Members are asked to bring along items for display and also slide presentations or railway videos. Bear in mind that your writer needs to know what visual equipment will be required before the meeting. Please email or phone. Members will recall that, at our November meeting, Andrew Hopkins brought a model Midland Railway goods shed along for display. Andrew has now decided to build a Midland railway station to complement the goods shed and has chosen Bitton, a rural station on the line from Bath (Green Park) to Mangotsfield. As well as local traffic, this line also gave trains from the north of England access to the Somerset and Dorset line. See this website for more details www.avonvalleyrailway.co.uk |
| NO, THIS IS NOT SKIMBLESHANKS, THE RAILWAY CAT (reference Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber's musical, Cats): Featured in this undated photograph from John Mason's collection is the shed master at Perth Motive Power Depot and an un-named kitten that rode on the frame underneath the boiler of Princess Coronation Class 46243 City of Lancaster (5A Crewe North) from Crewe to Perth. One can reasonably estimate the date to be circa 1950. City of Lancaster, by that time, having been de-streamlined. |
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| Period Piece:- South Eastern & Chatham Railway 0-6-0 built 1902 No. 592 at Sheffield Park, Bluebell Railway circa 1980. Photo by Geoff Chandler. |
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| Admiring the layout:- memories from our joint meeting with The Platelayers Society at the home of William Bickley on June 23, 2002, (photographer unknown) |
| A picture of John Mason's magnificent 3.5 inch gauge Britannia Pacific Britannia in steam taken during The Buffers meeting at Roy Hopkins' home October 19, 2002. Photograph by Dennis Littler. |
| Year End Memories |
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| Pictured at York on a cross-country service August 24, 2000 is Virgin Trains power car 43099. Virgin Trains Cross Country's replacement of its locomotive hauled fleet with 78 Voyagers and Super Voyagers sets took place on September 30 2002. On September 12, 2002 an un-identified cl 220 Voyager heading north prepares to make a stop at Warrington Bank Quay. Geoff Chandler photographs. |