Activity Register

Members who visit Abbey Park

on a regular basis will know that

there is an Activity Register kept

at the station/ clubhouse for mem-

bers to sign in, each and every

time that they visit the facilities at

Abbey Park! Only by doing so

are members covered, in the event

of an incident, by the club‟s insur-

ance arrangements. It also acts as

an informal record of who has

been down at the park and making

use of the facilities. Whilst I

chivvy those who have not done

so when I am present, there are

occasions when it is clear that the

facilities have been used BUT

there is no record of anyone sign-

ing in as having done so. Please

take a minute to do so when you

are visiting the railway for what-

ever purpose, however short a

time that you may be present on

site.

For non member visitors there is

now a new A4 bound book, that

should be used for this purpose

(the previous one having fallen to

pieces), which can be found on the

shelf underneath where the activ-

ity register is kept.

Malcolm Ainley

LSME Track Secretary

5/5/10

Page 32 John and Peter with Johns new HS125 on the April 25th Diesel Day

BUFFER STOP

THE JOURNAL OF THE LEICESTER SOCIETY OF MODEL ENGINEERS LTD.

LSME Web site :- LSME.org.uk Volume 6 Issue No 2 June 2010

Contents 1. Georginas new diesel

2. Contents, Editorial, Press date

3. Officers and Committee Members

4. Malcolm Godfrey

6. Diesel Day - Georgina Oxley

7. Diesel Day - Malcolm Ainley

8. Echills Wood Railway

10.The Steaming Chef

12.Signal & Telegraph Department

13.Worthwhile mods for a Polly VI

14.Loco Head Codes

16.Tornado

18.LSME locomotives

20.Dougie Bourne

21.Treasurer

22.LSME Policies

22.Abbey Park Site Regulations

27.Track Secretary‟s Report

29.Extraordinary General Meeting

30.Program of events 2010

31.Malcolms‟ Models

31.Driver & Guards cards/rota

32.Activity Register

Editorial Sad news is the precursor to this edi-

tion with the loss of two of our val-

ued members, Malcolm Godfrey and

John Lovell, they will be sadly

missed by all who knew them.

On a brighter note we are pleased to

welcome new members, Paul Goode-

nough, David Higginbotham and Mr

and Mrs Alan Drake, we hope they

will have an enjoyable time pursuing

their interests within our Society.

The season has commenced with

somewhat variable weather but the

Diesel Day on April 25th was a suc-

cess and everyone involved seemed

to enjoy themselves. Georgina Oxley

celebrated by driving her new diesel

as shown on our front cover giving

Roy Flowers a journey around our

track. For those who are not aware

for some time now regular meetings

have been introduced on Wednesdays

from about 10.15am to 3.30pm for

maintenance and a chit chat etc.

These typically attract 10-15 mem-

bers and it has been suggested that

we should allocate the second

Wednesday of each month to running

locos – rather than working all the

time. On a recent Wednesday four

locos were in steam having com-

pleted their boiler tests so we have

set a precedent!

Many thanks to David Oxley for sev-

eral of the photos in this issue includ-

ing the front and rear covers. Please

send me anything you would like in-

cluding in future issues as early as

possible but late is better than not at

all.

We also welcome Dick Ainsley as

our new Treasurer and remember all

of our Officers and Committee mem-

bers who work away in the back-

ground to keep our Society alive and

thriving – the threat from the EGM

posed in the last issue seems to have

receded for the time being at least.

We wish you the very best for a great

summer with as much free steaming

as you can manage.

Michael & Shirley

Page 2

Press Date: Material for the next issue of the journal must

reach the editor not later than 31st July.

M a l c o l ms M o d e l s

Maureen, Malcolm Godfrey‟s

widow has been in contact with

our Secretary, Graham Morgan, to

say that she would like to offer to

our members any of Malcolms‟

models that would be of interest to

us and requested that we advertise

them in the Buffer Stop;

These are all thought to be 5”

gauge;

Standard 2-6-4 tank engine -

finescale with driving truck/water

carrier

No current boiler certificate and

requires a new injector.

Maxitrak 0-4-2 "Pearl" with

driving truck

No current Boiler certificate and

requires a new connecting rod.

08 shunter Currently dismantled

box van

coach approx 200 feet of 5” gauge track

plus 3 sets of points

Maureen has requested that all

contact be via Graham Morgan so

if you are interested in any of the

above can you please make con-

tact with Graham who will be able

to provide more information.

Graham Morgan

Driver and Guard

cards/ rota At the last count, the club had 12

members “passed” to drive No. 4

loco, and 14 “passed” guards, though

when those undertaking stationmaster

and ticketing duties are accounted

for, this reduces somewhat further.

So why is it that on recent public run-

ning days it has been a struggle to

find enough members to help out

with either, but in particular with

guarding, often at the expense of not

being able to run their own locomo-

tives that they had brought down that

day (by agreement) to run? As I have

indicated elsewhere, it is either “feast

or famine”: too many or too few! The

rota only requires you to make your-

self available 2 days a month, on av-

erage. Those who have foregone this

pleasure (?) so far, please consider

putting yourselves forward and sign-

ing up for training/volunteering:

those already on the list come a little

more often!

Remember that it is the fares col-

lected through providing the public

train service that your membership

fees are kept so low!

Malcolm Ainley

LSME Track Secretary

5th May 2010

Page 31

LEICESTER SOCIETY OF MODEL ENGINEERS LTD

PROGRAM 2010

Page 30

DATE DAY VENUE EVENT

9th June

Wed Abbey Park Local Societies Open Evening (Private Event)

27th June

Sun Abbey Park Open Day for visiting Locos and stock

6th Sept

Mon The Cricketers Railways Round & About (Lutterworth)& Stations & Sheds (Spotter’s Favourite-Haunts) - Richard Yeomans

19th Sept

Sun Abbey Park Traction and Track Open Day

20th Sept

Mon The Cricketers Derby Works to Flying Scotsman - Bill Devitt

4th Oct

Mon The Cricketers Garden Railway in Stoneygate - John Niblet

18th Oct

Mon The Cricketers Leicester Riverside Talks and Slides -Robert Gregory

1st Nov

Mon The Cricketers Great Little Trains of Wales - Peter Johnson

15th Nov

Mon The Cricketers British Steam Railways - Mike Lee

12th Dec

Sun Abbey Park Santa Specials—public 11am to 3pm Members 8am onwards until about 5pm

The 660’ long raised track for 2.5”,3.5” and 5”gauge locomotives and the 2600’ long ground level track for 5” and 7 1/4” gauges are available for members use at

all times (subject to maintenance etc.)

The miniature railway will be running for public rides on each Sunday afternoon (and Wednesdays late July and August) from 2-5pm weather

permitting from Easter to the end of October.

During the Summer months meetings are held at the Abbey Park track site on Saturdays from 2.00 to 5.00 pm and Monday evenings from 7.15 to 9.30pm for

maintenance work and general ‘chit chat’.

During the Winter months from October to March twice monthly meetings on topics of interest to Model Engineers are held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month commencing at 7.30pm at The Cricketers, 1, Grace Road,

Leicester LE2 8AD

Working parties meet every Wednesday throughout the year from 10am to 3.30pm at the Abbey Park track for maintenance work and general ‘chit chat’. Page 3

Officers and Committee Members 2010/2011

OFFICE NAME PHONE MOBILE E MAIL

President Ray Wallis

Chairman Alan Berry

Vice Chairman

Stephen Davey

Secretary Graham Morgan

Treasurer Dick Allison

Track Secretary

Malcolm Ainley

Assistant Track Sec.

Peter Skinner

Membership Secretary

Paul Bray

Publicity John Lowe

Program Secretary

Steve Mansfield

Member David Oxley

Member Georgina Oxley

Member George Finnemore

Member Arthur Staples

Member Rob Burns

Member Rob Davidge

Ray Wallis Boiler Inspectors

Colin Paillin

* not committee members

Boiler Inspector *

Keith Mason

Buffer Stop Editor *

Mike Huddart

MALCOLM JOHN GODFREY 1945 – 2010 The sudden death of Malcolm on 2

nd March, 2010 came as a

bolt out of the blue to all who knew him but particularly for his wife Maureen and the family.

Malcolm grew up in Hug-glescote and was educated at Kind Edward V11 Grammar School, Coalville. On attaining his A-levels he joined the Mid-land Bank where, at the age of

24, he completed all the exams and become an Associate of the Institute of Bankers. From banking Malcolm went to work for NCH in London with re-sponsibility for the Pension Fund. It was at this time, when holidaying in Wales that he met Maureen and in 1971 they mar-ried in London. Malcolm also worked as Office Manager at Holdrons, Ashby and at Morris Cranes, Loughborough where he was again the Pension Fund Manager. Malcolm had a life long inter-est in railways and it was this that prompted him, more than 30 years ago, to set up the Signal Box business, initially in partnership with Alan Clarke with a shop in Forest Road Coalville. Additional shops fol-lowed in Wigston and Oadby. In 1975 the shops were con-solidated into the present premises in Anstey and the business became one of the leading model railway shops in the area. Malcolm and Mau-reen retired 4 years ago but this was not a signal for putting up his feet but to devote more time and energy to his other

Page 4

which must mean that the signal-

ling system is progressing: I am

assured that with the recent pur-

chase of some sensors, there is not

far to go to completion now!

Finally, I managed to get some

special anti-slip paint onto the

footbridge steps in mid April,

which was about 9 months since

acquiring it. I had been waiting for

the wood to dry out and a warm

sunny day to complete it, and last

season the two never seemed to

happen together. That must be the

sign for a warm, even hot summer

to come. So all you reluctant vol-

unteers out there will have no ex-

cuse for stepping forward and

HELPING OUT! Please make

yourselves known!

Malcolm Ainley

LSME Track Secretary.

24/04/10

Extraordinary

General Meeting

A lot of work went into arranging

this meeting, and then cancelling

it, at short notice, at the request of

the Area Parks manager, who

wanted to be there but could not

attend on the date given for

“personal” reasons. It is clear from

subsequent communications that

this CRB issue has not gone away

but committee agreed that no fur-

ther action would be taken with

regard to this matter until such

time as the exact requirements of

the “parks” had been made clearer

and put in writing. Only at that

time would the issue raised re-

ceive further consideration.

In the meantime, the requirements

of the Independent Safeguarding

Authority have been made clearer

and advice received, in writing,

that the society is not affected, the

miniature railway for their pur-

poses being classified as a fair-

ground ride (and in that respect,

this reflects the classification for

Health and Safety at work require-

ments and guidance, more of

which later).

So, for now, until we are advised

otherwise, we carry on as before.

Malcolm Ainley

LSME Track Secretary

25/04/10

‘The Earth Laughs in Flowers’

Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803-1882

Page 29

shades of Buckingham Green:

those who are observant may no-

tice that we have two, as well as

Evergreen and Highland Green

around the site.

Tony E has replaced and /or reno-

vated the steps by the pavilion and

by the track exiting the steaming

bays. Rob D has installed the air-

bricks in the station building

(required as a consequence of the

gas cooker). Pete N has tackled

fencing repairs as and when re-

quired.

Graham M has more or less com-

pleted the tram engine, and this is

now hauling passenger trains for

short periods, whilst it “beds in”.

Much work has been done on the

bodywork of No. 3 (the Yank),

with filling and sanding down be-

coming the forte of our President,

Ray W. This is proving to be a

somewhat tedious task but “we”

will get there. Paul M and Mike A

have concentrated on the mechan-

ics and electrics: it will be some-

what different to how it once was

when it is finished. Start brushing

up on your boating terms now, if

you wish to understand the control

panel in due course!

Rob D has replenished the coal-

bunkers and continues to repair

No. 4 loco as and when required

(and it has). The brightly coloured

coupling bars have also appeared,

courtesy of Rob D (something

about being “in the pink” at the

time). Thanks to Rob D, assisted

by John P and Paul M, there is

now a new floor in the pavilion

and the machinery has been

moved around to make more ef-

fective use of the space available.

Timber doorframes that are to be

cut down to make sleepers cur-

rently fill some of this area but an

efficient workshop WILL be

achieved in the end! Chris G con-

tinues to make progress with the

bogies for the new running trucks.

Graham W and Phil D have been

seen with heads and arms down

those small chambers which are

dotted around the site and that

have assorted cables there-in,

Page 28

interests. He became secretary to the Leicester Railway Soci-ety and a regular volunteer at the Abbey Park track of the Leicester Society of Model Engineers. Malcolm played an active role in the Methodist Church in more sense than one! Over the years he served as a Circuit Steward in addition to local church appointments. In recent years, his skills as an accom-plished musician enhanced worship as he played the piano at the Hall Lane Church each Sunday. After worship his sense of fun was appreciated by all but particularly the chil-dren as he spontaneously en-tertained with a wide variety of music ranging from “wheels on the bus…” to exerts from Han-del’s Messiah. His skills were not, however, restricted to mu-sic – he was very practical and in his role as Property Steward his DIY skills were put to good use. His skills and time were not limited to the Church prem-ises but applied generously wherever there was need – whether it was fixing a shelf or providing transport, nothing was too much trouble! His life

was a demonstration of faith in action. Malcolm’s appreciation of mu-sic also saw him serve as Chief Steward for the Coalville Festi-val of Music, a charity which encourages interest in playing instruments and singing. Malcolm was very much a family man, husband to Mau-reen, father of Philip and An-drew – with Jules; granddad to Imogen, Jacob and baby Ethan and a brother to Sue. In conclusion, Malcolm was a people person; a larger than life character, with a wicked sense of humour; caring for all around him; practical, prag-matic and professional. He will be sorely missed by all who had the privilege to know him."

Maureen Godfrey would like to thank

everyone most sincerely for their

messages of sympathy, support and

especially their prayers following the

death of Malcolm. Also for their gen-

erous donations to LOROS & MRDF

which have totalled over £2,000."

Page 5

Diesel Day All of you who were present on

the Diesel day (25th April) will

I‟m sure, agree that it was a good

event.

The weather more or less held out

with exception of just a few drops

of rain.

Our visitors were very compli-

mentary about our hospitality and

facilities and in the main seemed

to enjoy their day with us.

I, in particular enjoyed myself im-

mensely, and after taking control

of Roy Flowers‟ engine and realis-

ing what a joy it was to be able to

circumnavigate the ground track

in one go, as opposed to using the

raised level track on the rare occa-

sion that we can get our Polly VI

going, which sadly has not per-

formed well since being built. I

decided that this was the way to

go for me and promptly bought it

from him! I am now the proud

owner of my own engine and just

have to find somewhere to keep it.

I do actually have somewhere in

mind and just have to sell off 2 air

conditioning units and an electric

cement mixer and I will be ok. So

if anyone‟s interested?

I now have to alter the tone some-

what and must mention how dis-

appointing it was to hear that the

clubhouse was left in a disgraceful

condition.

David and I got there just as Roy

Flowers was putting the Hoover

away, John Lowe had mentioned

at the gate that Roy was cleaning

up and as I understand it the room

was in that condition due to some

members carrying out mainte-

nance work in there. Isn‟t that

what the pavilion is for?

The place was covered in a fine

dust, there were filthy rags left on

the floor, there is now paint on

some of the tables, the large table

has deep gouges in it, and the car-

pet appears to be ruined where a

carriage (that seems to live under-

neath the table) has been wheeled

back and forth. THIS WILL

NOT DO. Whoever left this mess

should be ashamed of themselves,

not only did you unfairly leave a

mess for someone else to clean up,

you KNEW we were expecting

visitors, as it was there were al-

ready a couple of guests who ar-

rived early.

Please leave the clubhouse as you

wish to find it.

Georgina Oxley. Page 6

Track Secretary’s

Report

The last few weeks has seen a

number of projects reaching (or

very nearly so) completion. First

of all, the raised track has now had

all the rotten timber supports re-

placed with steel, thanks to Steve

M, Paul B and David B. Mike H

and Keith M have replaced all the

timber sleepers with new ones

throughout, and Colin C has ran

his A2 loco around at a fair pace

and pronounced it “perfect”. So it

is “well done” to all those con-

cerned. Steve M is now looking to

replace some ply packing on ear-

lier sections with steel plates as

used on the later sections. Re-

newal of the sleepers on the run

off to the steaming bays is

planned, new sleepers having been

prepared for this.

Re-levelling of the ground level

track has also commenced, with

Roy K and John A spending some

time on this recently through the

cutting and by Harry‟s Halt. A

section by the gravel heap has re-

ceived sleepers, Arthur and myself

undertaking this (I have the blis-

ters), whilst some spot re-

sleepering has been done by the

mortuary gate. You will see from

the “to do” list on the notice board

in the station building that much

ground level track renovation re-

mains to be completed as a matter

of some urgency now.

Roy K, John A and Dick A have

completed re-pointing the brick-

work on the mortuary building,

with some roof repairs awaiting

completion at the time of writing.

Roy F has managed to get around

the grounds with a mower, now

that this has dried out somewhat.

Dick A continues to work away at

the central area “weeding” (and

elsewhere), and for a change one

week did some flat roof patching

on the annex. Mike H was spotted

preparing the bedding plant area

(though he thought it was for grass

seeding, which it could yet be if

the plants do not arrive).

Rob B has visited the scrap man

with the pile of metal that was

growing by the compost heap and

the club funds are a little better off

as a consequence (China will be

grateful, in due course, no doubt).

Thanks to Arthur S, the late John

L, and myself, the steaming bay

metalwork is now one of the

Page 27

responsible official appointed by

the Committee, as to the fitness of

any persons or equipment, or any

matter arising under these regula-

tions, shall be final.

TRACK ACCESS

19. The track may be used by

members at all times when the

Park is open. The hours of open-

ing are displayed at the gatehouses

but are generally dawn to dusk.

20. A key to the brick hut

(locally known as "the mortuary")

where the enclosure and station

building keys are kept may be ob-

tained from the Secretary for a

deposit, which is returnable on

relinquishing the key at a later

date. The lock, and therefore the

keys, are expensive to replace and

must be carefully looked after.

Any loss must be notified to the

Secretary immediately and the de-

posit forfeited.

21. Members wishing to go to

the track who have a locomotive,

tools, etc., in their care that would

be too heavy to carry from the car

park may take their car into the

park through the gate at the Slater

Street entrance (off St Margaret‟s

Way). The key to the gate is in

the brick hut just inside the park

and members who have a key to

the hut can get the key to open the

gate. On the same ring are the

keys to the compound etc. Cars

must be parked inside the com-

pound or left in the Slater Street

parking area adjacent to the canal.

Members are advised to carry with

them their membership card, as

well as the key to the brick hut, to

act as identification if challenged

by any of the park staff, but this is

not to be regarded as a guarantee

of success.

22. Cars inside the Park bound-

ary must observe the 5 mph speed

limit at all times and give way to

other Park users. Please remember

that car access is a privilege, not a

right.

Traction Engines

23. Members and visiting

members from other clubs must

have appropriate additional third

party public liability insurance in

place if it is intended to travel

around the pathways in Abbey

Park itself (on the special days

that this may be agreed by the

Parks management). These regulations have been prepared and

approved by the Committee of the Society for

the safety of the members and the general

public while using the facilities of the Society

at Abbey Park.Revised by M.Ainley – Track

Secretary – and approved for immediate im-

plementation by the committee at their meet-

Page 26

25th

April 2010: Diesel day

(and other matters). The club had a number of visitors on the day,

mostly from Rugby but also from Melton

Mowbray. A number of mostly (if not all) 5”

gauge locomotives were able to circuit the

ground level track (none choosing, in the end,

to use the raised track). All who pre-booked

turned out on the day and there were no late

surprises!

A number of members took the opportunity to

bring their larger scale locomotives down to

the park for display and a run around as well.

The “new” tram engine had a further trail

outing, supported by No. 4 Fowler, so we

were able to cope with the number of fare-

paying passengers around on the day

(numbers of which were in short supply at

times, which was a little disappointing).

So my thanks go to all those who turned out

to make it, by and large, an enjoyable after-

noon. In particular, I will mention Roy F for

tidying up the station building; to Dave and

Georgina (George) for the same and providing

the catering; for Mike A, John B, Tony E,

Steve M, Roy F for bringing locomotives

along: to Dave F, Graham B and Graham M

for driving the club locos‟; and to John L,

Linda M, John M and George F for guarding.

Arthur S dutifully manned the signal box/

ticket office. Finally, thanks are due to Gra-

ham W who had managed to commission a

working arrangement for the signalling sys-

tem, which I believe, worked pretty well on

the day except when members and visitors

chose to ignore it! If I have inadvertently

missed anyone out, please accept my apolo-

gies: I must have been busy with something

else and missed you!

This brings me to the issue of driving club

locomotives and guarding. I have a list of

drivers for No. 4 loco and guards pinned up

on the notice board but it tends to be the same

people who turn out each week to undertake

these duties, except on the odd occasion when

many turn up on the same Sunday afternoon

(and who then may wonder why they do not

get a turn). There is a rota pinned up on the

back (or is that front) door to the station invit-

ing members to offer support on specific days

(including Saturdays and Sundays): it will be

rolled out further as the year progresses.

Please take a few moments to look at this and

see when you may be able to help out, as it is

essential from a club finance point of view

that we maximise our income via fares from

the general public and take every opportunity

to run a service when we can. We are consid-

erably down on income at this time of the

year when compared to where we were this

time last year. Those who may be holding

back because of the need to refresh ones

knowledge, please have a word with me and

we will see what can be done (but preferably

not on a Sunday afternoon when we are

busy)!

Some have been enquiring about driver train-

ing for No. 1 loco – the “tram” engine. We

hope to arrange this shortly, once some teeth-

ing troubles have been eradicated! No. 3 –

“The Yank” will follow in due course, once

the bodywork has been completed, and some

outstanding electrical/ braking issues have

been fully resolved. Watch this space.

Finally, can I ask that ALL members exercise

due care and respect when moving stock in

and out of the storage shed, and in the annex

to the station building. Some damage has and

is being caused to club and members stock

that is clearly avoidable.

Please exercise more care in future, or you

could end up paying for the cost of repairs,

either on an individual basis, or through the

club funds (which are already under other

pressures).

Malcolm Ainley

LSME Track Secretary

26/04/10

Page 7

Echills Wood Railway

During our visit to Karlsruhe in

January we met up with Mike

Pratt and Doug Pell. Doug runs

his Tinkerbell named Douval at

the Echills Wood Railway and in

April he invited Shirley and me to

go along and see the railway

which now included their new ex-

tension opened just the weekend

previously.

The new Echills Wood Railway is

situated in Kingsbury Water Park

close to Junction 9 of the M42

motorway so an easy journey from

Leicester. We were joined on our

visit by John and Linda Mawby,

and Jim Driver was there with his

Romulus.

The railway is 7 ¼” gauge, origi-

nally situated at the Stoneleigh

showground, construction started

at Kingsbury in the early part of

2005. The railway has a variety of

7 ¼” gauge steam, diesel and elec-

tric locomotives and trams, with

purpose built all weather passen-

ger rolling stock the railway can

carry 3000 or more passengers a

day.

The railway is operated on Sun-

days from Spring to Autumn from

11am to 4.30pm and at other times

by arrangement. Special events

attract visiting owners of locomo-

tives and traction engines adding

even more colour and spectacle to

the railway.

Considerable care has been taken

with all aspects of the railway,

with functional and aesthetic con-

siderations, along with authentic

railway practice being followed

wherever possible. The railway is

equipped with automatic coloured

light and semaphore signalling

with safety interlocking systems,

fully protected level crossings

with rail and road signals operated

by the passage of trains, working

Page 8

master or such official shall be

obeyed at all times.

14. When members are at the

Park on their own, then regula-

tions 10, 11, 12 & 13 shall not ap-

ply but that member must check

the track to be used before running

to ensure that it is safe to use.

15. Steam shall be raised and,

except in cases of emergency,

fires dropped only in the steaming

bays and locomotives shall not be

lifted onto or off any track when

in steam. Drivers are responsible

for clearing away their own ashes/

debris, at the end of their running

session, from the steaming bays.

16. For insurance purposes all

members and all visitors must sign

the daybook. Visitors, as day

members of the Society, must

wear a visitors badge as proof of

identity. Only Society members

or signed-in visitors are to be al-

lowed inside the enclosure.

PUBLIC RUNNING

17. When the track is in use for

carrying members of the public

the following regulations shall be

observed.

(i) Trains shall be inspected

before each journey to ensure that

they are correctly loaded.

(ii) Only experienced and com-

petent drivers over the minimum

age of 16 shall be permitted to

drive locomotives (howsoever

they may be propelled). No tui-

tion shall be given on any track on

which the public are being carried.

No member of the public may be

allowed to drive at any time.

(iii) Only fully operational

vacuum braked stock will be used

to carry members of the public as

passengers on all running days.

(iv) Approved guards must be

present on all trains carrying

members of the public as passen-

gers. The only exception to this

(with the agreement of the Track

Secretary (if present) and Station-

master) is when trains are formed

of one carriage or rolling truck,

plus locomotive and tender, and

where the driver is confident that

they will have safe “control” of

their passengers at all times.

(v) Club locomotives and roll-

ing stock, in addition to vacuum

brakes, will have safety chains

linked up between locomotive and

running trucks at all times when

members of the public are being

carried as passengers. Visiting and

member locomotives will be en-

couraged to follow this good prac-

tice and must do so where fittings

allow.

18. The decision of the Track

Secretary, Stationmaster or other

Page 25

LOCOMOTIVES AND

ROLLING STOCK.

7. All locomotives and rolling

stock used on the track shall be in

good mechanical condition and be

suitable for use on the track. In

particular, safety valves, pressure

gauges and other boiler fittings,

brakes and couplings must be op-

erating satisfactorily.

8. The rolling stock owned by

the Society is available for the use

of members at any time, on the

understanding that due care and

consideration will be taken in their

use and that they are replaced, as

and where found, in good order.

No alteration shall be made to any

equipment without the consent of

the Track Secretary, Stationmaster

or other responsible official.

9. The locomotives owned by

the Society shall not be used with-

out the permission of the Track

Secretary, Stationmaster or other

responsible official and shall only

be used under their direction. No

alteration shall be made to any

part without the consent of the

Track Secretary or such official.

GENERAL RUNNING

10. A responsible official

(Track Secretary/ Stationmaster/

Senior Committee member) and/or

driver must inspect the tracks be-

fore public running commences to

ensure they are free from obstruc-

tion, damage, etc and are safe to

use. Drivers of locomotives

should check that this has been

completed before moving their

locomotives on to the main run-

ning circuit. However, debris can

fall onto and over the running

tracks from trees and other sources

at any time (especially in windy

conditions) and drivers should en-

sure that they are able to stop their

locomotives (and trains) within

the limits of the available forward

visibility at all times.

11 All movement or operation

of models within the enclosure

(plus traction engines using the

pathways around Abbey Park it-

self) must be with the permission

of the officer of the day or his rep-

resentative. On running days this

will be the Track Secretary, Sta-

tionmaster or his assistant(s).

12. All signals must be com-

plied with, whether fixed or given

by hand by an authorised signal-

man.

13. No model may be steamed

without the consent of the Station-

master or other responsible offi-

cial appointed by the Committee

and the instructions of the Station-

Page 24

signal boxes, inter box communi-

cations, bridges, stations, points,

crossovers and turntables.

The railway has a very authentic

feel to it and runs for over 1 mile

through wooded lakeside scenery

– the whole park extends to over

600 acres with many water activi-

ties including model boats on one

of the lakes.

Doug treated our party to a tour of

their facilities, introduced us to

many of their members gave us

rides on the railway and made us

very welcome. Their workshop,

locomotive and carriage storage

facilities are very extensive. They

have a canteen toilets, a substan-

tial building for meetings which is

also used for their santa specials

on these occasions their guests can

ride as often as they like on the

railway and have timed tickets for

the visit to the grotto to which the

train takes them and then collects

them later.

This is a very substantial railway –

extra points and track are currently

being laid to cater for the visiting

locos when they host the 7 ¼”

gauge society AGM meeting later

in the year. I am sure that Doug

mentioned that over 600 tonnes of

ballast had been used in the con-

struction of the site – comprised

road scrapings and granite chip-

pings.

All this has been achieved with

the usual small number of dedi-

cated individuals and the railway

is a great credit to them.

A visit is highly recommended

particularly as it is within easy

travelling distance of Leicester.

For those with access more can be

seen on www.ewr.org.uk

Mike Huddart

Page 9

Their tunnels are different at both

ends!

The Steaming Chef

As the summer approaches

thoughts turn to eating and drink-

ing outdoors. Try these simple

recipes instead of the usual bur-

gers and sausages.

Souvlaki

No real bar b que should be with-

out souvlaki. It‟s cooked over an

open fire in its native Greece.

This very simple dish is gently

flavoured and is a delight with

cold white wine or ice cold lager.

Ingredients:

Pork – tender loin, escalope or fil-

let. Fillet is best but also the most

expensive. Cube the pork into one

inch cubes. This is an approxi-

mate dimension and does not need

to be checked with micrometer or

callipers. This can also be pre-

pared with chicken breast or lamb

leg steaks.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – any su-

permarket brand will be good

enough but do ensure that it is ex-

tra virgin as this has more flavour

than the lesser varieties.

The juice of some lemons two

should be enough for a pound of

meat.

Oregano – fresh if possible but

dried will suffice.

Method

Cube the meet and push onto

some skewers. Do not pack too

tightly as this will stop the mari-

nade getting to the meat and also

stop the meat from cooking prop-

erly. Place the skewers of meat or

kebabs into a shallow backing

tray.

Squeeze the lemon juice and pour

into a mixing jug. Add the same

quantity of extra virgin olive oil.

Add a teaspoon full of dried oreg-

ano or slightly more fresh oregano

leaves finely chopped. Stir the

marinade to combine the ingredi-

ents and emulsify the oil and

lemon juice.

Pour about half of the marinade

over the meat. Turn the meat

round so that it is coated on both

sides. Add more marinade if any

of the meat is not coated. Keep

some back for serving.

Cooking

Cook the kebabs on the bar b que

or under a grill turning from time

to time. Use any of the left over

marinade in the baking tray to

baste the meat.

Cook the meat until it is begins to

have golden brown edges. Test

the meat to ensure that it is not

Page 10

may lead to expulsion under

Rule 29 of the Society's rules.

2. Members must not act in a

way that may prejudice the

Society or endanger the safety

of themselves or other mem-

bers of the general public.

BOILER TEST

CERTIFICATES

3. Steam shall not be raised in

any steam locomotive, road loco-

motive or stationary boiler any-

where within the enclosure for

which there is not a current valid

boiler test certificate in force. The

relevant valid boiler certificate

and society paid-up membership

card must be available for inspec-

tion at any time that steam is

raised (Note that insurance cover

is not valid if membership has

lapsed).

4. Visitors wishing to steam any

boiler who are not members of

the LSME must be able to pre-

sent both a valid boiler certifi-

cate and a paid up membership

card for the Society issuing the

certificate before raising

steam.

TRACK

5. All locomotives and rolling

stock must travel in a clockwise

direction on the raised track.

On the ground level track,

custom and practice is for travel in

an anti-clockwise direction but

this may be varied by and at the

discretion of the stationmaster,

with the proviso that all trains run

in one direction only. The only

exception to this proviso is when

shunting within the station limits

as defined in regulation 6, or with

the express permission of the

Track Secretary, Stationmaster or

other responsible official ap-

pointed by the Committee.

6. The station limits shall be:

(a) For the raised track:

the steaming bays, sidings and the

main track lying between a point

opposite the signal box and the

river end of the access sector

plate.

(b) For the ground level track:

the steaming bays, sidings, and the

main track lying between the sig-

nal 20 feet beyond the turnout

leading from the steaming bays

onto the main circuit and a point

20 feet beyond the loop turnout at

the river end of the enclosure.

Page 23

LSME Policies The Society has introduced a num-

ber of guidance notes for the safe

running of the railway and these

will be published from time to

time in the Buffer Stop to keep

everyone aware of this informa-

tion. They include the following:

Track Regulations

(BS June 2010 page 22)

Driver Duties

Driver Training Notes

Stationmaster Duties

Stationmaster Training Notes

Guard Duties

Guard Training Notes

Health and Safety Policy State-

ment 2009 (BS June 2009 page

25)

Copies can be viewed and

downloaded from the Society‟s

web site or by request from

Malcolm Ainley, they will also be

published in the Buffer Stop from

time to time.

LEICESTER SOCIETY OF MODEL ENGI-

NEERS LTD.

ABBEY PARK SITE REGULATIONS

Made for the purpose of control-

ling the operation of models in

Abbey Park in accordance with

Rule 18 of the Society's rules.

GENERAL

1. These regulations have been

made for the comfort and

safety of the members and the

general public, and to comply

with the Society's agreement

with Leicester Corporation and

the insurance requirements

relating to the operation of

models in Abbey Park. Any

breach of these regulations,

and in particular regulations 2

& 3, must be reported to the

Committee and a wilful breach

Page 22

pink in the centre.

Serve with salad, cous cous or

new potatoes. Garnish the kebabs

on the plate with a drizzle of the

reserved marinade.

Enjoy with friends giving the tra-

ditional Greek toast of Yamas as

you start to eat and drink.

Salmon in Lemon and Dill

To add a little sophistication to

any Bar-b-Que one should try to

serve a little fish. So below is a

really simple way to present

Salmon or indeed Sea Trout.

These days Salmon is very readily

available and is inexpensive.

Ingredients:

Some Salmon Fillets cut across

the back bone around an inch

thick. If Sea Trout is available try

it as it has a slightly different taste

and texture and is much less com-

mon.

If neither are to hand this recipe

could be prepared using small

trout fillets but if you use trout be

careful of the time as the fish will

be much thinner and may burn if

left too long.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – any su-

permarket brand will be good

enough but do ensure that it is ex-

tra virgin as this has more flavour

than the lesser varieties.

The juice of some lemons two

should be enough for six pieces of

fish.

Two lemons sliced into thin slices

(5mm aprox).

Dill – fresh if possible but dried

will suffice.

Method:

The dressing or marinade.

Extract the juice from two

lemons.

Mix the Juice with an

equal amount of Extra Vir-

gin Olive Oil.

Chop up some fresh dill

enough to make 2 tea-

spoons full.

Mix the chopped up dill

with the oil and lemon

juice.

The fish.

Cut up some tin foil into

squares large enough to

wrap the fish.

Smear a little olive oil on

to the centre of the tin foil.

Cut up a couple of lemons

into 5mm slices (approx).

Discard the very pithy

pieces at each end.

Place a couple of slices of

lemon on to the tin foil.

Place the Salmon fillet on Page 11

top of the lemon.

Pour over some of the

dressing so that the top of

the fish is covered.

Place a sprig of dill into

the cavity in the fish

(optional).

Wrap up the fish in the tin

foil taking care to overlap

the edges to ensure none of

the steam escapes.

Cooking:

Place on a moderate Bar-B-Que

for 10 - 15 minutes. Check the

fish by stabbing with a very sharp

knife, to ensure the juices are run-

ning clear. If so the fish is cooked.

To serve take the fish off the

lemon pieces, place on a plate and

finish with a lemon quarter or a

tiny drizzle of any left over mari-

nade.

Eat and enjoy.

Andrew Wilkins

Signal and Telegraph

Department Many of you will have noticed that in

addition to the signal on the signal

box the first signal (No.1 along the

station straight) now works showing

all three colours. The second signal

(No. 2 on the Slater St corner) works

with just Red and Amber. It does not

show green next as the Pavilion sig-

nal (No. 3 needs to be installed – tar-

get date 28th April). The hardwiring

for all 8 signals and sensors around

the track is in place. We now have

all of the track sensors available for

installation. As soon as signal No. 3

is in place and the track sensors in-

stalled for signals 1,2,3,and 4 then

signals 1,2,and 3 will show all three

colours in their correct sequence and

signal no 4 just red and amber until

signal No 5 is installed. Signal No. 5

is currently being produced by Steve

Mansfield and should be ready for

installation by the end of May.

Signals No.3 and No. 5 are to a new

design using multiple LEDs (a stan-

dard cluster of 20 per signal) so they

should be more visible in bright

sunlight.

As Phil said no endeavour has been

too great to move on from just the

colour red and no expense spared to

move on to amber – green remains

the elusive light at the end of our

hoped for tunnel.

Page 12

Treasurer

You may remember that back in De-

cember we were looking for a new

treasurer.

In the park the other day one of the

members asked , "Didn't the Society

get a new treasurer a few weeks

ago?"

One of the other members replied,

"That's the treasurer we're looking

for."

We are of course very grateful that

Dick Ainsley has agreed to take on

this responsibility, we found him on

the roof the other day but after we

had assured him that it was just not

high enough he came down.

The committee thought it appropri-

ate that he should be given an inter-

view for the post although they did

not let on he was the only candidate.

They asked him a number of ques-

tions and one of the committee sud-

denly said "What is nine multiplied

by four?"

Dick thought quickly and said

"Thirty five." When the interview

was over he went outside, and using

his calculator found the correct an-

swer is not thirty five. He thought

"Well, I blew that" and went home

very disappointed.

Next day he was rung up and told he

had got the position. "Wonderful,"

he said, "but what about nine multi-

plied by four? My answer wasn't

right."

"We know, but it was close enough."

Dick was asked if he knew any train

related accountant tales:

Sitting in a compartment on a train

were the tooth fairy, an expensive

accountant and a cheap accountant.

On a table between them was placed

a briefcase full of money.

Suddenly the train entered a tunnel

and everything went dark. When the

train exited the tunnel and the light

returned, the briefcase was gone.

Who took the briefcase?...

Well, it's obvious really. It had to be

the expensive accountant as there's

no such thing as the tooth fairy or a

cheap accountant!

And finally:

There are three kinds of accountants

i n t h e w o r l d .

Those who can count and those who

can't.

Mike Huddart

Page 21

Dougie Bourne

Reminiscences from the past re-

mind us of Dougie Bourne in 1956

seen here driving Frank Coles

Speedy.

Dougie had several locos includ-

ing a Bassett Lowke 3 ½” g tank

engine called „TANKY‟, a 3 ½” g

Black 5 „DORIS‟, these are owned

by his daughters, a 3 ½” gauge

Atlantic „Maisie‟ made for his

brother in law who passed it on to

his son (Dougies nephew) and this

is occasionally seen at the track.

When he died Dougie was work-

ing on a 7 ¼” gauge Derby 4F and

this is now with Keith mason for

completion.

Dougie often took out a portable

track with George Finnemore, not

such a popular activity these days.

Dougie was a keen cine photogra-

pher and produced many films in-

cluding the Cromford and High

peak railway when it was still in

operation. He was also very keen

on band music and there are sev-

eral films on this subject although

at the time his cine equipment did

not record sound !

Back in 1956 ice cream came in

cones, wafers or tubs, one day

someone presented Dougie with a

tub while he was driving one of

his engines. Undaunted by the

lack of an implement to attack the

ice cream in the tub Dougie used

the shovel from his loco – it just

adds to the flavour.

Keith Mason

Page 20

Worthwhile mod for

Polly V1

Many of you will know that I have

a Polly 5. Many of you will also

know that it has not been without

its problems.

The latest was a rather interesting

one, and I think it quite possible it

could happen to others with the

same Loco.

During the last outing with the

Polly, I was still having trouble

with lubrication, still could man-

age only half a lap of the raised

track before I ran out of steam,

when 100 yards earlier it was

blowing off.

But this time I was getting some

strange comments from bystanders

about the amount of fire being

outside the engine, which by and

large I ignored for much longer

than I should. When I eventually

succumbed to all the comments, a

closer examination revealed the

fire box to be dangling at about 45

degrees forward, with indeed large

amounts of fire falling out all over

the show. So that halted another

days attempt at a successful

steaming.

An investigation on the bench at

home revealed the problem. The

ash box had a lot of travel left to

right along the pull pin. Most of

the time the box sat correctly with

the back top edge making contact

with the bottom or the boiler fire-

box in this state every thing is

fine. But there is a gap of about

3/32 on the left side, between the

boiler and frame. It was possible

for the ash box to travel this far

over and slip into this gap with

disastrous affects with a hot fire.

The cure I came up with and is

mainly thanks to Ray Wallis,

[whose advice on one problem

could actually solve 2] is really

why I am writing this article, as I

think other Polly users might

benefit, for I suspect all Polly

owners know all to well of how

difficult it can be aligning the pull

pin with the holes in the frames

and ash box.

Ray suggested a modified thumb-

nut that had a bush which went

into a larger hole in the frame,

making alignment and location

that much easier. I thought this

was an excellent idea, but never

Page 13

quite got round to doing it. But

now with the latest problem, I

could see that Ray‟s idea would

cure both problems, as the bush

could be made to restrict the

movement of the box by how far it

penetrated on the inside of the

frames.

Instead of 1/2 inch (the old thumb

nut diameter), I started with 5/8

for the outside knurled section,

dropped to 1/2 inch for an 1/8 for

the clearance from the frame much

like the original, then made a 3/8

section for 5/16, tapping 2 BA at

the knurled side with clearance for

about half the nut on the other

side.

I opened the holes in the frames to

3/8 but found the bush was too

tight in the hole for the task, so I

opened it a further 1/64.

The moment I put it all together I

knew this was another problem

solved, however not just the one

but 2 in reality as now locating the

pull pin is a doddle. I also made a

new spindle about 1/4 of an inch

longer than the original and Bobs

your Uncle.

Many thanks to Ray for his

thoughts which helped immensely.

A thorough investigation into the

oil problems revealed a fault in the

non return valve, so perhaps the

next time out will be the one when

all goes properly but I'm not hold-

ing my breath. (The only thing I

probably will hold is Colin….up -

but it won‟t matter he goes far too

fast anyway!)

Dave Oxley

Now regardless of Colin's speed

or otherwise he should at least be

displaying the correct head code in

his case an entirely appropriate

„express passenger‟ , please read

on:

Head Codes I was recently told by an ex GCR

driver that the head code I was

displaying on my loco was incor-

rect for passenger running! I

thought that it might be of interest

for engine drivers to know what

codes they should be displaying.

Various codes have been used

over the years but standardisation

became necessary before grouping

was brought about when the vari-

ous train companies ran trains on

other company‟s tracks. Some

codes simply show the nature of

the train whilst other often showed

destinations as well. The illustra-

tions show white lamps but white

discs were also used in daylight.

Page 14

last year. She is mechanically

sound. Once the electrics have

been proved on No. 1 the same

system will be installed. The

bodywork is being refurbished and

repainted by Ray Wallis, she will

be outshopped in silver and red,

technically known as a Warbonnet

design.

No. 4 Fowler Diesel 0-4-0

This locomotive is usable with

care for example she does not like

being driven with the brakes on !

Her matching driving truck has

been rebuilt by Rob Davidge and

she has been painted in a brighter

red than the original dull colour.

The next obstacle now that I know

which is that I will have no clue

how to operate them, driving in-

struction will be provided but it

would be nice to see a write up of

the operations for each engine so

that any potential operator can do

a bit of „homework‟ prior to any

„hands on‟ experience.

If you have been involved with the

rebuilding of the locomotives

could you share any of the experi-

ences or provide the driving in-

structions for a future issue of the

Buffer Stop?

Mike Huddart Page 19

LSME locomotives

We currently have four 7 ¼”

gauge locomotives owned by the

Society that live at Abbey Park.

People refer to them by number

which always confuses me as I

never know which is which. In

case you have the same problem

this is their current status:

No. 1 The Tram engine.

The Tram Engine entered service

over the Easter holiday weekend.

She needs some finishing touches

to the electrics by Mike Abbott,

and the final detailing on the

bodywork by Graham Morgan and

she will be complete.

No. 2 Red Electric Bo-Bo

This is out of service after many

years of hard usage and is cur-

rently languishing at the rear of

the stock shed (so I have not been

able to take a current photo). A

complete refurbishment is re-

quired and this will not commence

until the other locomotives are op-

erational.

No. 3 Yankee Bo-Bo – Santa Fe

This locomotive has seen consid-

erable work carries out on her this

Page 18

1

Page 15

In general, discs and lamps have

the same purpose, but lamps

would be lit at night. Discs with

red centres were sometimes used

on single lines, and, at night some

sections used a red light although

a red headlight was rarely under

any other circumstances. A few

sections used purple lights for

some special purposes but white

was the general rule. Brackets

were placed on the rear of tenders

and the bunkers of tank engines so

that lamps or discs could be

placed in the proper position for

running backwards. In some re-

gions, shunting engines had white

and red lights at each end. Some

electric trains in London had five

lamp positions, with lamps in

white casings. When not used for

daylight running, the white casing

would have a dark cover, the

lamps simply not being lit at

night.

The following illustrations of head

codes are taken from “The Won-

der Book of Railways”, 17th edi-

tion, published by Ward, lock and

Co. Ltd., probably about 1949.

The sections are all unaccredited

but this section has the initials J.

F. G. after it.

1

2

3

4

5

1] Express passenger

train or breakdown van to

clear, or light engine to

assist disabled train.

2] Stopping passenger train

or breakdown van

train not to clear line.

3] Express goods, etc., train.

May be empty coaching

stock train going to work

additional ordinary, excur-

sion or passenger train.

4] Express goods, etc., train;

also empty coaching stock

trains, other than 3]. En-

gines with gas tanks.

5] Express goods, etc., train.

6] Class A goods etc.,

train. Wagons loaded with

general merchandise.

7] Class B goods etc., train.

Empty wagon trains run-

Page 16

6

7

8

9

10

ning at class A speeds.

8] Class C goods etc., or bal-

last train.

9] Class D goods etc., train

stopping at intermediate

stations.

10] Light engine or engine

with not more than a brake

van.

Classes B, C, D, are heavy goods,

mineral or short trains of wagons

and traffic unsuitable for travel at

class A speeds.

Graham Morgan

Tornado

Most of you will know of the

“Tornado”, a wonderful brand

spanking new steam locomotive.

A marvellous achievement in en-

gineering in this day where such

skills are sadly on the decline as

they are no longer needed as they

once were.

We knew it was due to visit the

area and decided that we really

had to go to at least view it, and if

we were lucky we might get a

ride.

We went on Sunday 21st March,

and arrived at Rothley station

early because although there is a

large car park spaces can be at a

premium on special run days. We

were wise to do so as it was al-

ready 1/3 full and a line of cars

were pulling in behind us.

As we were early we had a bit of a

wander and decided where the

best place to stand

was to be able to

get a decent photo.

The queue was be-

ginning to grow so

we stood dutifully

in line to buy our

tickets. The ticket

office eventually

opened and by this

time there was a

long line of would

be passengers. We

Page 17