May news roundup

Given that it has been over a month since the last update this post will cover a number of recent developments and upcoming events in one go.

The auction at Crewe Heritage Centre
Founding member Bruce Nixon attended the auction held at Crewe Heritage Centre on Saturday 26th April where we successfully sold the whistle once belonging to the last operational Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway class 4-6-0; a historically significant item that was generously donated to the Trust to be auctioned. We are of course grateful to the donor and to the buyer who paid £760.00. This provides a real fillip to our funds and greatly assist us in moving forward with the build.

During his visit, Bruce also had the opportunity to meet with a number of people from the South Cheshire Model Engineering Society and the LNWR Heritage Co Ltd. where he also was given a tour of the works. Bruce managed to spread the word about our build a little wider and received many expressions of support.

Matched funding and a Legacies
Donations such as the whistle and the invaluable financial contributions from our growing band of supporters has led us secure our next tranche of matched funding from our kind benefactor. I should also note that we have received our first Legacy. On behalf of the trust I would like to express our sincere and profound gratitude to the donor for this considerable and generous gift.

If you would like to make a one-off donation, a Standing Order, or provide a Legacy you will find links to the relevant forms at the top of this page and remember, it you’re a UK taxpayer, your contribution receives matched funding through Gift-Aid and additional funds from our good friends, the tax-people (HMRC). For example, a donation of £40 secures £10 from the HMRC, which when matched with Gift-Aid, results in a £100 donation to the trust!

Your contribution matters and it is through your generosity that together we can complete this build sooner rather than later. Month-by-month the momentum is building and together we will recreate one of these beautiful and powerful machines, filling a hole in the preservation ledger (an operational early 20th century express type and an LNWR engine at that), to be enjoyed by present and future generations on heritage rail and certified for mainline running. Fabrication has commenced, parts have been donated and I’m pleased to say that we now have a place to call home so why not be a part of (re)creating history?

A home-base
We’ve held back from committing ourselves to fabricating anything substantial until we could secure a home for the parts, however temporary. While we’ve had the funds to commit to works that are far more substantial than the smokebox door, there has been the matter of storage.

We are therefore pleased to announce that the completed parts will be held in secured storage at a work in Heckmondwike in Yorkshire (next to a former LNWR trackbed where some new build LNWR fish vans are being constructed). Erection will occur elsewhere at a site that’s yet-to-be-determined but having secure storage within the works of like-minded friends provides us with the opportunity to commit to the next significant stage of fabrication.

Regarding this, while I would love to share the details, contractual agreements and pending discussions over the final details prevents me of sharing it just yet. Very soon. Suffice it to say, the next stage will be substantial and during the course of June and July, all will be revealed so stay tuned!

Upcoming events
The Trust will be at Kidderminster on the Severn Valley Railway this year for the annual LNWR Society event. All are invited and welcome to attend and more details with be forthcoming.

Easter weekend at Quorn
To conclude, the newly fabricated smokebox door was on display at the Great Central Railway’s ‘Easter Vintage Festival’ at Quorn station over the Easter long weekend from the 18th to 21st April. As you can see, the door made for quite a sight as it traversed the East Midlands from Bingham to Quorn! The tractor (in keeping with the vintage theme) is a 1953 Turner with V4 diesel and the LMS dray has been painstakingly restored by the talented chaps at Keyte Smith Ltd. We thank Jamie and his crew for their sterling work on the door and for transporting in such style to and from the event.

Easter Festival Quorn 01Easter Festival Quorn 02Easter Festival Quorn 03Easter Festival Quorn 4Easter Festival Quorn_5Easter Festival Quorn 6

Matched funding and Legacies

In addition to the steady progress being made with fabrication, we are also making steady progress on the fundraising side of things. Your continued support now means that we have recently met the conditions to secure our next tranche of matched funding from our anonymous benefactor. In addition to your generous and indispensable support, these tranches constitute a considerable fillip to the project and mean that we can press on in a concerted fashion with the next phase of fabrication, which promises to be substantial.

Regarding this, we are presently in the final stages of signing contracts with contractors and to hope to soon commence fabrication beyond the smokebox door, which is nearing completion. Due to the sensitive nature of these contracts we regrettably cannot reveal further details at this point in time but rest assured it will be significant and the announcement will take place within the coming months.

In other news, we have recently secured our first legacy. We humbly thank the donor for this most generous gift. If you would like to know more about legacies, subscriber donations (otherwise known as a Standing Order Mandate) or even how to make a one-off payment we kindly invite you to visit the links at the top of this site, and remember that each donation option qualifies for Gift-Aid if you are a UK tax-payer. Standing Order Mandates, payments are monthly and can be easily cancelled at any time. It is only with your support that we can push ahead with the task of building a new example of these magnificent machines – a prime example of an early 20th century express type – something poorly represented in preservation – to inform and delight for generations to come.

Gift Legacies

On behalf of the trust I apologise for our silence of late. Negotiations are currently taking place concerning the completion of the smokebox door, which when completed we hope to display publicly, and concerning the next phase of fabrication, which promises to be a more substantial task than anything to date.

Partnerships and alliances are also under detailed discussion and negotiation, and given the often sensitive, long and convoluted process involved with such negotiations it would be unwise to broadcast anything without absolute clarity nor without concrete decisions and agreements in place. To do so would jeopardise the generous trust that you, our supporters place in us as well as the trust of those who donate their time and expertise and those individuals, firms and societies which enter into partnership with us. When and only when the time is right will we make an announcement even if results in weeks or even months of silence. We will of course, do our utmost to keep you informed wherever and whenever possible and we are working as quickly as possible to secure critical agreements and build on the momentum we have to date.

So on behalf of the trust I would like to assure everyone that behind the scenes steady progress is being made and assure everyone that the Trust is thinking well beyond the mere production of a smokebox door without the rest of the locomotive to attach it to or a place to store it (the door or indeed an entire locomotive!). The task of building a new example of an extinct class of engine is as you would appreciate, a substantial one, and one that will undoubtedly take many years and require the tremendous generosity in money and time from many individuals such as yourself.

With this in mind that I would like to announce that the Trust now offers an additional method of providing support to this project. A method that revolves around a sensitive topic, which few of us like to discuss let alone think about. This involves Gift Legacies. None of us likes to consider the process of writing a Will and Testament or the implication of what that decision entails. Yet, a Will is an undoubtedly crucial document, which serves as a lasting  testament to our values, concerns, beliefs and interests.

The act of charitable giving is tremendously selfless act. We therefore kindly and humbly ask that you to seriously ponder whether your legacy; your values and interests would be served by the creation of a new locomotive – an example of one of Bowen-Cooke’s magnificent LNWR George the Fifths – a testament to the ingenuity and artistry of our ancestors that will serve to educate, inform and delight generations to come?  If your charitable interests accord with this vision and our aims then perhaps you might consider gifting a legacy to this project? Your great generosity will help ensure the completion of this project and the creation of a glorious LNWR George the Fifth to delight and educate future generations.

Further information can be found on our Legacy Form (PDF format. Left click to view and right click to download and save) including information on legacy options and on options for making a one-off or regular donation in the memory of someone dear. If you are considering a Gift Legacy, we invite you to contact us at GeorgeVtrust@gmail.com or at the address provided on the form and we will seek to answer your questions.  We also encourage you to discuss it and the process of charitable giving with your solicitor or financial advisor. Click on the ‘How to Help‘ button above to see the myriad of ways you can help.

On behalf of everyone at the LNWR George the Fifth Steam Locomotive Trust we humbly thank you for your tremendous support and for choosing to be a part of this project. Together we will build a magnificent locomotive to be enjoyed by generations to come.