catch me who can

At the peek behind the scenes last month, Catch Me Who Can was performing, and the fundraising desk had a newsletter from the trustees, which I picked up to put here.

First of all the chairman and the trustees of the Catch me who can lovomotive would like to apologise for the lack of communication with the Friends of the locomotive and interested parties regarding the progress of the building of the locomotive. The reasons are many and varied but it is mainly down to the lack of finance, although time constraints have played their part.

The last 18 months have not been the best time, due to the recession, to embark on the building of the replica locomotive. The two rallies in the Severn Park were a public success but a financial near miss, costing both a lot of time and some money. This is why, with reluctance, we announced in the Bridgnorth Journal at the end of January we would not be involved with the 2010 rally in the valley.

Some good news. With the various donations and grants that have been awarded to the engine since March 2010 we are in a position to purchase all the major parts outstanding for the lovomotive with a view to completion by the end of the year. This does not mean an end to fund raising as the trustees would like to purchase or build a suitable vehicle for Catch me who can, and there is still insurance and maintenance to consider. Any donations will always be gratefully received.

We still have various items of Catch me who can memorabilia for sale. A few prints of John Austin's excellent painting of Catch me who can, on test outside the Hazledine Foundry, with the town as a backdrop, are available priced £15 each plus p+p.

The locomotive spent the winter in the warm at the back of the SVR's paint shop. During that time the opportunity was taken to finish the water tank, make and fit lids, handles, pump, drive linkage and brackets. The water tank was offered up and fitted under the boiler, at which point the engine was moved outside for the spring gala. The front wheels were lifted clear of the rails to allow the loco to be demonstrated as a stationery engine. The water tank was filled with water and we were very pleased to find we did not build a colander; not a dribble anywhere. Temporary pipes and a bypass valve have been fitted to the loco and water can now be fed into the boiler whilst in service. The engine has been steamed and demonstrated nine times this year; not bad as it is not yet finished.

A shopping list is with the brake supplier. The parts will be lorry brakes modified to meet the requirements of railway use. The brake disks are specials and are being machined and supplied gratis. The air system will be charged from a land line and topped up by a small battery powered compressor if required. It will be compatible with other replica vehicles. The boiler is to be clad in wood. This is in the process of being ordered, and profiled to our requirements. The timber is of West African origin and is called Idigbo. It is resistant to insects and rot, and is stable under extremes of hot and cold; it is a hard life covering a boiler. Outstanding jobs include a proper chimney, footplate, feed water heater, cylinder lubricator, draw gear, oil pots, and a whistle. We are not out the woods yet.

The next public steaming of Catch me who can will be at the SVR autumn steam gala, 24-26 September; we look forward to seeing you there.
www.catchmewhocan.org.uk

www.bridgnorthstation.co.uk