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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.

LNWR George the Fifth Trust becomes a Partner of the Friends of Crewe Heritage Centre

The heart of the London & North Western Railway will forever be Crewe and in turn Crewe substantially owes its rapid transformation from a tiny village in the early 19th century to a significant regional centre of over 70,000 inhabitants today to the London & North Western Railway; its antecedents and descendants. The existence of the prestigous Rolls-Royce and Bentley in Crewe, both marques of engineering excellence that owe their existence to the long and rich engineering tradition of Crewe, first established down by the coming of the railways.

Crewe is richly steeped in railway history and the railways and Crewe are forever entwined. Crewe Station was completed in 1837 by the Grand Junction Railway and is one of the world’s most historic stations as well being one of the major junctions on the West Coast Main Line. Crewe Works was opened by the Grand Junction Railway in 1840. To support the new locomotive works, over 200 railway cottages were constructed for the workers and their families who settled there, dramatically enlarging the tiny hamlet’s population. By 1848, after the merger in 1846 of the Grand Junction Railway with the Liverpool & Manchester Railway and London & Birmingham Railway, the works employed over 1000 men and were already producing one locomotive per week.

Crewe Works witnessed a number of firsts and milestones. Locomotive Superintendent, John Ramsbottom developed the first reliable safety valve and water scoops for the collection of water by passing locomotives from troughs positioned between the rails. The works was also the site of the first open-hearth furnaces employed on an industrial scale anywhere in the world. And another milestone among many – Ramsbottom’s 0-6-0 ‘DX Goods’ class went on to become the largest single class of engines in Britain with 943 built at the works in Crewe! Ramsbottom and his successor Webb, revolutionised the standardisation and interchangeability of parts and tools in manufacturing.

With the formation of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923, Midland Railway locomotive and engineering practice was broadly adopted and the new company’s centre of engineering was located at the Midland’s former headquarters and works in Derby. However, with the appointment of William Stanier as Chief Mechanical Engineer in 1932, Crewe’s experience with heavier locomotives (Claughtons and various 8-coupled good classes for example) led Crewe to regaining pre-eminence. Crewe became the centre of construction for the LMS’s most distinguished passenger and mixed traffic classes; the Princess Royals, Coronations, Jubilees and the redoubtable Black Fives.

Following nationalisation in 1948, Crewe’s place as a centre of engineering continued and the works turned out various Standards including Riddles’ Britannias and Clans. By the end of steam, Crewe works had turned out over 7000 locomotives. It’s worth noting that the LNWR George the Fifth class ‘Coronation’ of 1912 (which can be seen in our photo-collection on the main-site) was in fact Crewe’s 5000th engine! The George the Fifth class was indubitably a product of Crewe and an exemplary class embodying Crewe’s and the the London & North Western Railways’ engineering excellence.

The 1955 Modernisation Plan saw the rapid transition from steam to diesel and from 1957 on, the works were turning out a succession of diesel types, including the famed Intercity 125’s, which remain in service today.

For over 150 years Crewe has been and remains a centre of railway engineering, and while today the works are a shadow of their former self, Crewe’s proud railway heritage isn’t forgotten thanks to the tireless efforts of the Crewe Heritage Centre. The Trust’s cause is aligned with that of CHC as our locomotive similarly represents a celebration of this heritage. Our locomotive will be a living and breathing testament to Crewe and to the London & North Western Railway’s position as the largest and arguably most prestigious of the pre-grouping rail companies, and at the time of grouping, Britain’s largest business!

As with the tremendous efforts of the Crewe Heritage Centre in preserving the rail history of Crewe and of Britain more broadly, we hope that our LNWR George the Fifth new-build will be an ambassador for Crewe to present and future generations and a living celebration of Crewe’s contribution to early 20th century engineering. Our locomotive will exemplify the sophistication of the twentieth century London & North Western Railway, bringing it to life for the enjoyment and education of all.

With a common cause in mind, we are very pleased to announce a partnership between the Trust and the CHC. We commend the Crewe Heritage Centre in their efforts and encourage to our readers and supporters to pay the CHC a visit with their families and friends to experience their many fascinating and unique attractions including the only surviving Intercity APT. The Crewe Heritage Centre reopens in March 2014.

The website to the Crewe Heritage Centre can be found here. We have also conveniently listed it on the links page  to our main site. We commend the work and efforts of the volunteers at the Crewe Heritage Centre most warmly and we at the LNWR Steam Locomotive Trust hope to have a long and close relationship with them. We most humbly thank the Friends of the Crewe Heritage Centre for listing us as partners on their site.

Charity status of the Trust and other matters

While this is just a minor update to our news section this time around, it’s a significant step for the trust. The LNWR George the Fifth Steam Locomotive Trust has successfully achieved registered charitable status and has been entered onto the Register of Charities with the Registered Charity Number 1153991.

The higher status as a Reigstered Charity means we achieve a higher profile and are subject to a more rigorous operating regime supervised by the Charities Commission. In short this should help give the public confidence in the way the charity conducts its affairs and it may help the Trust to access grants from elsewhere. Only about half the charities in the UK are scrutinised solely by HMRC, the top half in terms of income have the additional prestige of being assessed by the Charities Commission.

In other news, we would like to take this opportunity to being to our members and readers, the little railway that could – the marvellous Wells and Walsingham Light Railway coursing its way through the idyllic countryside of north Norfolk from the seaside haven of Wells Next-to-the-Sea through to the picturesque and historic hamlet of Walsingham, which was a site of medieval pilgrimmage. The members of the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway have been great supporters of our endeavours and we in turn, are great supporters of them. Beyond significant donations, Richard Coleby who is the designer of their latest new-build Garrett, has been assisting us with the evaluation of the LNWR’s George’s Joy Valve gear. You might recall that we introduced him back in February in a post which can be found here.

The Wells & Walsingham Light Railway was born out of one man’s passionate dream, hard work and sheer determination. Lt. Cmdr. Roy Francis had already built the mile long 10¼” gauge Beach railway at Wells. In 1979 he started to construct the WWLR on the four miles of old Great Eastern track bed from Wells to Walsingham. Work was completed in 1982 and on 6th April services began on schedule making it the longest 10¼” narrow gauge steam railway in the world.

We heartily recommend the WWLR for an enjoyable day out with family, friends or for whatever society or organisation you might belong to. The WWLR accepts group bookings and a wide variety of refreshments are available from Christine’s Station Buffet at Wells Station. Whilst visiting, you might consider making a donation or volunteering for this wonderful and unique little railway. Information on the WWLR and how to get there can be found here.

Lastly, we hope to send out a newsletter soon and make further announcements about the build and the next stage of construction. We humbly ask you to tell your friends and colleagues about us. Help spread the word. The more supporters, the quicker the progress.

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.

Our next newsletter.

In case you were wondering what has happened to our monthly newsletters from our Chairman, Bruce Nixon, we hope to have the next one ready in November and in it a substantial announcement on the fabrication side of things. No promise and details and negotiations a still in flux but here’s hoping we can inform all our supporters and followers of some of the developments behind the scenes.

Remember too, that we’ll be manning a stall at the GCR in Loughborough on the 7th October. We hope to see you there!

 

The word is spreading!

The word is spreading!

The LNWR George the Fifth Steam Locomotive Trust and our quest to build a new LNWR George the Fifth class engine for heritage and mainline use has garnered the attention of the heritage rail press. Heritage Railway, Steam Railway and Railway magazines have all recently featured articles outlining the establishment of the trust, our aim to build a new member of this brilliant class of engines and our recent attendance at Railfest in York where, thanks to the generosity of supporter, Mr Robin Dean, the trust acquired the first piece of the locomotive, a genuine LNWR whistle.

The offers of support and interest shown has been tremendous however we continue to welcome offers of assistance, donors, subscribers and friends. Head over to our website for more information on how you can assist.  The Trust is working hard to implement the next phase and we hope to be able to present further news of developments relatively soon.

In the meantime, one of our young supporters, Tom Mainprize has established a Facebook page dedicated to the Trust and the project. We invite all users of Facebook to head on over to Tom’s page and sign up. Tom will be regularly updating the page with news and articles. As a forum for like-minded enthusiasts and supporters on Facebook, the page promises to be place for lively discussions concerning the trust, the project, the LNWR and the steam preservation movement in general:

The George the Fifth Steam Locomotive Trust on Facebook.

A link can also be found beneath the banner of this page.

Friends of George online form now open.

If you attended Railfest and wrote down your details on the contact form provided but as yet haven’t received a copy of an amalgamated May and June Newsletter and a confirmation of becoming a ‘Friend of George‘ we do apologise. There were a small number of submissions with handwriting that was difficult to decipher (about 10). If you wish to become a ‘Friend of George‘ we cordially invite you to head over to our website, click on the ‘Become a Friend‘ link in the menu and fill-out the secure online form provided. We will endaevour to respond to you shortly.

Anyone else out there interested in Becoming a ‘Friend of George‘ is also invited to head on over and fill out this simple and quick online form. We look forward to hearing from you!