Tynedalesman - AGM Report & Society Officials

Reproduced from Tynedalesman issue No. 137 dated December 2003:-

Annual General Meeting 2003 report

The twentieth Annual General Meeting of the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society (in its present form as a company limited by guarantee) took place on Saturday 8th November 2003, in the Masonic Hall at Alston. Regrettably, it attracted the lowest attendance of any of those twenty meetings. with only 21 members present.

The meeting was opened promptly at 1.30 p.m. by the Chairman, John Sutton. Apologies for absence were received from 11 members, including the Society�s Patron, Lord Inglewood. The minutes of the 2002 Annual General Meeting, copies of which had been circulated to members previously, were adopted as a correct record, on a proposal by Duncan Wheeler, seconded by Marian Ward.

Written reports from the Chairman, Secretary, Membership Secretary and Heads of Departments had been circulated to members in advance. The Chairman added his thanks to Council of Management members, officers and other members of the Society for their work during the past year. No questions were raised relating to the content of the reports, which were accepted by the meeting on a proposal by Ian Howatt, seconded by Trevor Tattersall.

Copies of the written reports are reproduced below:-

Chairman�s Report

The Chairman, John Sutton, said in his written address that:-

�When you elected me as Chairman in November 2001, I told you about my aims during my three years in office.
How well have we done so far?

1.�� During 2002 we increased passenger numbers; however so far this year has not been as successful.
2.�� Have managed to avoid the need to use the overdraft facility over the past year and our fixed-term bank loan is being repaid as scheduled.
3.�� Have obtained quotes for the repair of carriage No. 1.
4.�� We have around �12,000 in the Extension Appeal Fund and we are in the throes of a plan of work, together with costings, for the Slaggyford extension.
5.�� We have an increase in working volunteers, although not the 10% increase in members that I would have liked.

It is always nice to see new faces and to make new friends; they also bring along with them fresh ideas and enthusiasm coupled with a variety of expertise. I would like to take this opportunity of welcoming John Gillot, a recent new member, to the post of Publicity Officer; I wish you every success.

Naklo is our working steam locomotive at present but will be joined by Helen Kathryn next year. In 2005 Thomas Edmondson will be back in steam. We have also received confirmation that we will be having the locomotive Barber, ex-Harrogate Gas Works, on loan from Leeds City Council through Armley Mills Industrial Museum. Built by Thomas Green and Sons, we are led to believe that it is the only steam locomotive built by this company, which is still in existence.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Council of Management for their support during 2002/03. I believe in working as a team with good effective communication with all.

It only remains for me to say yet again to all of you: thank you, for your support, hard work and advice, and most importantly for your time and energy to manage, operate and maintain our railway.�

Secretary�s Report

The Secretary, Steven Dyke, said in his written report: � After the success of the Alston Line 150th Anniversary events in 2002, I commented in Tynedalesman that, although there would be other noteworthy occasions to mark in the current year, there might be the risk of �anniversary fatigue� if we were to use them as the basis for special events. That does not, however, preclude a reminder here that 3rd April 2003 was the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society, and that 30th July marked the twentieth anniversary of the first passenger trains on our narrow gauge line. The idea of a �Steamathon� (which woukd involve more or less continuous train operation over 24 hours) was put forward initially as an event to celebrate 20 years of South Tynedale Railway passenger trains, but it was decided to defer this until 2004, when it will link in with what is planned to be a national programme of events to mark the bicentenary of the steam railway locomotive.

Our programme of special events in 2003 has taken a rather different form to that of recent years, with the absence of �Friends of Thomas� weekends, but our strategy of replacement events coupled with an increase in ordinary fares appears to be largely on target in terms of passenger numbers and income. At the time of writing, the response to our Hallowe�en event has yet to be seen, but hopefully it will prove to be - in the way that youngsters express their unreserved approval - �wicked�.

Although it is impracticable for me to attend meetings regularly, I continue to deal with such administrative duties as I can, and once again express my appreciation to Tom Bell for deputising for me so effectively at meetings and dealing with various items of Society business. Thanks are due also to all of the Council of Management members and officers for their respective roles and responsibilities in managing the Society�s activities. Since the last Annual General Meeting, there will have ben seven meetings of the Council of Management, with only one of the scheduled dates proving to be unnecessary because of lack of business. The main items dealt with at Council of Management meetings, except where confidentiality is necessary, continue to be reported in Tynedalesman and in the On Track newsletter for working members. One significant achievement that I feel deserves another mention is the successful bid for Heritage Lottery Fund grant for the Thomas Edmondson restoration project. Having had some involvement elsewhere in such bids, I am aware of the level of competition for the available funds and the complexity of the application process. A special acknowledgement, then, to Norman Cook for being in the �driving seat� of the grant bid; to others who contributed; and of course to those now involved in carrying out the restoration work.

Reverting, finally, to the theme of anniversaries, this autumn marks the 30th anniversary of the Society�s newsletter, Tynedalesman, and co-incidentally it sees a change of compiler. Phil Aveyard�s involvement began with issue No. 100, as what was perhaps seen as a temporary expedient, and after 36 further issues has decided to hang up his mouse. A sincere thank you to Phil for undertaking this important task so effectively, and all encouragement to Robin Alderson, who has offered to take over on a trial basis.�

Membership Secretary�s Report

Membership Secretary, Kathy Aveyard had produced the following written report:-

Membership Statistics

At the time of my reports to the 2001 and 2002 Annual General Meetings there were 260 members.

This has remained unchanged for a third year running, with 260 members in 2003.

In 2002 there were 20 new and 4 rejoined members, with 21 members lost from the figures from non-renewals and 3 members deceased.

In 2003 there were 16 new members, with 13 non-renewals, 1 resignation and 2 members deceased.

Of the 16 new members, 1 is from Alston, 4 are from the North West and 7 are from the North East. 7 (44%) of these have expressed an interest in becoming actively involved with the Society�s activities.

Of the total membership:-

39% are from the North East
25% are from the North West
5% are from the West Midlands

34% (88) are life members
37% (97) are members paying the full annual rate

We have 1 complimentary member in regcognition of services to the Society.

The remaining members pay the reduced rate (66%) subscription (junior associate, senior citizen or subsequent member at the same address as a full member).

Membership subscription Rates

The Council of Management recommends that the subscription ratyes remain unchanged for 2004, but the situation should be reviewed next year, in 2004, when the costs of the new production arrangements for Tynedalesman are known.

Members who may be interested in converting to Life Membership are reminded that the Council of Management has agreed that this may be done over 4 years in equal instalments, based on the rate in the first year of payment.

Forum Conveners� Reports
Infrastructure Department (Forum 1)

Richard Graham commented in his report, �I don�t know wether apathy has set in, whether people have been otherwise committed, or whether everyone is just happy with what is going on, but there has been no interest since last autumn in meetings of Forum 1. Even so, this has certainly not stopped work being done, and much has been achieved during the year.

Apart from a small amount of ballasting, packing one or two uneven bits of track, and some tree clearance, all as part of routine maintenance, the majority of the work done over the last year has been in the Alston Station area.

Way back in 1983, after the railway had just opened, I remember people saying that we expected to be open to Slaggyford in about 5 years ............. It�s not only the big jobs that seem to take much longer than expected. In 1985, a water tank was erected on a stack of sleepers at the south end of Alston Platform. This was a temporary measure so that we could operate our infant steam service. The permanent solution was to be a tank built on a brick base, somewhere away from the trackside. Seventeen years later, the temporary tank started to leak uncontrollably. This seemed to be a good opportunity to tidy up the compound at the end of the station and the new water tank is being erected on a stone base alongside the old North Eastern Railway yard crane, that for many years had been stored at Slaggyford. 2002 saw the 150th anniversary of Alston�s railway, and as part of that, Alston Natural Stone supplied a wagonload of sandstone to be carried in the demonstration freight train. After the event was over, this stone was donated to the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society and it has been used in the construction of the water tower and the loading dock around the crane.

A Portacabin/Container was acquired by the signalling and telegraph section for storage and restoration of equipment. Unfortunately, the delivery driver was rather young and inexperienced and was not happy about manoeuvring it into its proper place in the compound, so it has sat at the end of the car park all summer. It is hoped that in the near future that a crane will be hired in to place the container on the railway�s side of the fence, to remove the old water tank, to place the new one on its tower, to set the steel base of the yard crane on to its stone surround, and to lift out some 2 foot 6 inch gauge wagons for re-gauging.

In the middle of the winter, a crack appeared in one of the rails making up the �buried� track in the yard leading across the Sewage Works Crossing to the Carriage Shed. We patched it up, ran a works train over it - and it cracked again in a different place, etc., etc.! After several repairs we gave up and replaced the rail. This is one of the problems with rails that have to be at ground level to allow road traffic to run over them. You just can�t see what�s going on below. It gives an indication as to what we�ll need to do if the Carriage Shed actually comes into use for the Coaching Stock!

During the year�s Work Week, the big job planned was to continue the re-sleepering of the track from the yard up to the station level crossing. This time, because of all the point rodding, cranks, compensators, and signal wires and electric cables, the old ballast was to be removed by hand. Over the weekend at the start, the trap point in the yard was moved back towards No. 4 signal and the curve leading to the Main Line was re-laid on new sleepers to a much less severe alignment. By the time the passenger train had to be put away again the track was complete. On the Monday, work started on the section of line between Nos. 6 and 10 points. After about two hours, came the cry the everyone was exhausted, and only about one length of track had been dug out! This was just initial unfitness. After a short break everyone was back at it, and in only 2 days the line was joined up again. That�s not bad, considering that 5 days had been allowed! Over the next couple of weekends, the point drives are all reconnected, and adjustments made. Since No. 6 trap point was now so close to No. 4 signal, and a driver sitting right at the signal could not see the points, a ground detector was fitted to ensure that the switch was hard against the stock rail before the signal could be cleared. In due course, a similar detector will be fitted to No. 17 points, to interface with No. 18 signal.

As part of the realignment of the yard access road, the North Pennines Heritage Trust contractor as employed to build a low brick retaining wall to tidy up the ramp leading into the Carriage Works. The effect of this is to create a larger �flat� area outside the Carriage Works, and the plan is to lift the points that are presently just at the door and move them down the ramp, to provide a short outside siding. There is a spare lever on the Carriage Sidings Ground Frame, so with some rearrangement of rodding, these points can also be connected up. This contractor also carried out repair work on the station building, altered the windows at the end of the Carriage Works and finished off the plumbing of the water supply to the Loco Shed.

It us much easier to employ contractors to do certain jobs, that are not necessarily railway orientated (which we would probably want to do ourselves anyway), so we also contracted a joiner to make and fit some new signal box steps, the old ones having developed several areas of terminal rot.

In the early part of the year, we also employed our fencing contractor to replace the boundary fences on five fields between Alston and overbridge 56. This job was originally planned to be done eighteen months earlier but was frustrated by the Foot and Mouth Disease restrictions. The paling fence around the station level crossing is also going to be repaired.

The next major task that we have to address is the re-laying of the track in Alston Station. Both ends of No. 17 crossover points are in a very poor state, as they have had no major repair work in their 20 year life, so it is likely that this end of the site, and the area all around the new loading dock and water tank will be done first, either out of season or at next year�s Work Week, depending on the budgets.�

Operating Department (Forum 2)

Robin Alderson said in his written report that he would like to begin by saying a big Thank You to all of our operators and members for giving their time and effort to enable the railway to run its scheduled services this season. We have only had to cancel one day so far this season, the 29th May 2003. We have had to cancel three steam days, one due to Naklo going in for repairs, the other two due to shortage of crew, but on all of the three days trains ran diesel hauled! The new rostering system that I put in place for this year, 2003, has proved to work very successfully so far. Carolyn Marshall has put in a lot of work chasing those �few difficult slots to fill at the last minute� jobs and this has proved to be very successful. Thanks must go to the few members who have the time are are able to put in those extra shifts when there are gaps on the roster sheet.

Congratulations must go to the following members:-

Duncan Wheeler for passing out as a Diesel Driver on No. 4 �Naworth� on 4th August 2003;
Duncan Wheeler, again, for passing out as a Steam locomotive Fireman on 23rd August 2003;
John Thompson for passing out as a steam locomotive Fireman on 24th August 2003;
Peter Dent for passing out as a Guard on 1st June 2003;
Jim Harper for passing out as a Guard on 1st June 2003;
Robin Alderson for passing out as a Guard on 10th August 2003.

My Best Wishes go to Maureen Johnson and I hope the coming months see you getting back to normal. We all miss you.

Thanks to all who have helped out with the catering during this season, providing a valued facility for our customers and crews at Kirkhaugh on the catering van.

Last October, 2002, the �Friends of Thomas Weekend� saw the Drive a Diesel carry 334 passengers, which made �334.00! The Castle and the lights provided a great success at Christmas and I hope that we can all pukk together for this year�s, 2003, Santa Specials. On Saturday 12th January 2003, Ivan Ward and myself visited the Harrogate Trade Fair on behalf of the railway to check out Christmas ideas and decorations, a very interesting visit! Naklo�s plywood floor was fitted and John�s ammo van roof was reclad in January. Helped with the blockwork on the water tower during February and March. In March I fitted the shop with Slat walling and rebuilt the cupboard tops. All being well I intend to repaint the brake van after Christmas.

Engineering Department (Forum 3)

Alan Blackburn started his report by saying: �As usual with the Annual General Meeting report I do not intend to dwell on the details, these are available to members in the Tynesdalesman newsletter and on the South Tynedale Railway website.

Looking back to November 2002, Naklo had just done its first steam turns, and has since proved to be a success, with both crews and the travelling public. The engine shed re-organisation, including new lighting and new large lathe capable of taking wheelsets, was completed around the end of the year. It was moved forward so that we had an improved and better equipped workshop ready before the major planned rebuilds. It enabled us to get Thomas Edmondson, our 1918 Henschel 0-4-0 tank locomotive and Heritage Lottery project, into the shed alongside Helen Kathryn, a newer 0-4-0 Henschel tank engine of 1948. It is unfortunate that just after getting Naklo back into service we had to withdraw Helen Kathryn, but it is just the way the boiler tickets worked out.

There have been the usual small crop of minor running repairs, both steam and diesel, but for the most part we have been pushing on with the major rebuilds. At the time of writing Thomas Edmondson is fully stripped and the frame is ready for cleaning and painting. Some repairs have already started. We are finding some things worse than we thought, and some better, but so far nothing disastrous. We have at least found the reason for the wallowing ride it was known for, which I will include in a future edition of 52C, in the Tynedalesman newsletter.

Helen Kathryn is nearly a fully painted rolling chassis, with just a bit of the motion to replace. The boiler is still not ready, but with luck it will not be long. We are making a few minor improvements to the controls, and adding further water capacity to make it more useable for Slaggyford, otherwise it will return looking much as it did before, although in a new livery. Target for outshopping is early next year.

On the carriage and wagon side, John Sutton has taken on the job of co-ordinator to help organise our jobs and volunteers in the carriage works. This year, 2003, another coach was stripped, painted and fitted with the improved seats first fitted in No. 7. The wooden box van obtained, I think, about two years ago, has now been repaired and will go into use as a tool storage van in the works train. A further two of the bogie flatbed wagons have been cleaned and painted, and had new hardwood desks put on them. It is proposed to turn a section of the carriage works into a relatively clean, well lit working area for general painting work. This will be a big help to all who have been painting in the poor lighting currently in use.

I think it is fair to say that both carriage and wagon, and loco shed, have shown further improvements in the work done by their respective volunteers, work which improves the image we provide to our customers and enthusiasts alike. Once again I thank all of the helpers for their support, and I look forward to seeing even more of them next year.�

Commercial Department (Forum 4)

Ivan Ward said in his written report, �We ended the 2002 season on a high note with six days of successful Santa Specials. The extra day over the five advertised was for St. Mary�s First School in Hexham, when we carried 140 five to eight year old children on two special trains.

The 2003 season started reasonably well. The first special event of the year, �Family Fun Days� (our replacement for �Friends of Thomas�) was a success with many satisfied customers. For a new event, passenger numbers were as expected and as allowed for in the budget, so hopefully next year�s will be even more successful.

May and June proved to be a little disappointing as regards passengers; in fact the whole of Cumbria was showing a downturn in visitor numbers. However, in July and August, with the help of fine sunny weather we have done much better and I am confident that by the end of December, that we shall be on budget.

Advertising and publicity are still a major part of the department�s workload as it is imparative that we not only maintain our present level of passenger numbers but also try to attract more people to Alston and the railway. In May 2003, we had a familiarisation visit from a group of tour operators who were on a two day visit to the North Pennines. Hopefully it will result in more group bookings for next year.

Shop sales are doing well. Improvements to the shop at Alston were carried out during last winter which have contributed to increased sales, and it is planned to implement further improvements during this coming winter with particular emphasis on display. The Railway�s range of souvenirs continues to be expanded and our own labelled sweets, fudge, preserves, etc., are continuing to do well. It is planned to introduce a new range of our own postcards for 2003, but the shortage of suitable photographs and the large capital outlay has delayed this project until 2004.

It only remains for me to thank all of the members and non-members who have helped in whatever way they could to make the special events a success.�

The following items were read out and discussed at the 2003 Annual General Meeting:-

Treasurer�s Report

The Treasurer, Mike Ryan, presented a short report on the first half of the current year, 2003, copies of which were circulated at the meeting. Although there is no formal requirement for this, it is customary to give members attending the Annual General Meeting, an indication of the current year�s progress.

The loss of the licence to stage the �Friends of Thomas� weekend events had, as predicted, resulted in a significant reduction in passenger numbers. (1,4775 to 30th September 2003, compared with 17,224 for the same period in 2002). After allowing for the May �Thomas� event and the 150th Anniversary Gala in 2002, however, the passenger total over all other operating days was only down by 500. After deciding to increase the adult return fare by �1, fare income for the first half-year had been estimated at �62,100, and the actual figure achieved was �59,545. In expectation of reduced passenger numbers, the budget figure for shop sales during this period had been reduced to �17,970, which proved fairly accurate in relation to the �17,479 achieved. Although these figures were disappointing, the success of the previous year had provided a reserve in our bank accounts.

The Treasurer felt that, as long as we proceeded cautiously and prudently and did not experience any further large setbacks, all would be well. His written report ended by referring to the Slaggyford Extension Appeal, which had raised �13,500 since its launch. He calculated that there had been 55 donors, although it was not known how many were Society members. Four members had donated �2,500 between them; eight were paying regular amounts by monthly standing orders; and about �350 per year was being contributed by the �100 Club� members.

At the meeting, the Treasurer also mentioned the Halloween event that had been introduced this year. Although passenger numbers had been only about 25% of those for the corresponding �Thomas� event in 2002, this event appeared to have been well received by visitors, and it was hoped to build on this for next year. No questions were raised relating to the financial summary for the current year, which was accepted on a proposal by Ian Jones, seconded by Trevor Irwin.

Council of Management Elections

The next item on the agenda was the election of members to serve on the Council of Management. As the present Chairman (John Sutton) and Deputy Chairman (Alan Blackburn) had only completed two years of their three-year terms of office, elections for those posts were not held.

The ordinary members of the Council of Management retiring by rotation and eligible for re-election were Robin Alderson and Richard Graham. One new nomination as an ordinary member of Council had been made, in respect of Jim Harper, proposed by Dave Hughes. A request for a vote, by a show of hands, was made by Ian Jones and accepted by the meeting. The option of a paper ballot was offered, but was not taken up. A separate vote was taken in respect of each of the three candidates, and in each case the vote was unanimously in favour.

Arrangements for examination of the Society�s Accounts

As the requirement for a formal audit no longer applies, the meeting was asked to consider the re-appointment of Dodd and Company as reporting accountants at a remuneration to be agreed by the Council of Management. The Treasurer recommended their re-appointment and explained that an increase of �250 in their fee for last year�s accounts was in respect of a new register of fixed assets. The figures currently budgeted for the accountants� fees were �800 for the Society accounts and �370 for the trading company accounts. The re-appointment of Dodd and Company was approved by the meeting, on a proposal by the Treasurer, seconded by Sean Wilson.

Adoption of Subscription Rates for the Ensuing Year

The final item on the agenda was to adopt subscription rates for 2004. The Secretary explained that the Council of Management had recommended that subscription rates should remain unchanged from their present levels, but that the situation should be reviewed next year, in 2004, when the costs of the new production arrangements for Tynedalesman are known. The recommendation of the Council of Management was adopted on a proposal by Karin Bell, seconded by Marian Ward.

Having concluded the formal business in record time, the Chairman closed the meeting at 2.04 p.m., after which there was an interval for refreshments before the start of the informal meeting.

N.B. For avoidance of any doubt, all references to Alan Blackburn in this report relate to the present Deputy Chairman and not to his namesake who manages the Alston Station shop.

Report compiled by Steven Dyke.

Informal Meeting Report

The Annual General Meeting was followed by the now customary informal meeting for discussion of matters that do not fall within the formal business on the A.G.M. agenda.

The Chairman opened the meeting by asking members to support the Christmas raffle and to consider joining the �100 Club� to make a regular contribution to the Slaggyford Extension Appeal Fund. As there had been no questions or subjects for discussion submitted by members in advance, the meeting was devoted largely to discussion of the Slaggyford Extension.

The Chairman outlined the discussions that had taken place at an informal meeting of the Council of Management earlier in the day, as follows:-

Costings for construction of the extension are in preparation and are expected to be finalised by January 2004.
It will be necessary to comply with H.M. Railway Inspectorate�s procedure for approval of the proposed work before construction can commence.
Although the Society is at present regarded as occupying the Gilderdale to Slaggyford section of trackbed in accordance with the terms of the lease from Northumberland County Council, the actual lease document has been a very protracted matter and has still to be finalised.
Proposals had been considered for construction to be divided into several phases, of which the first would terminate south of Lintley Viaduct. A run-round loop would be provided there, so that trains could operate to that point as an interim measure, but with no facilities for passengers to join the train or to alight there.
It was felt that three key members of personnel would be: one to seek funding (grant applications, etc.); one project leader to deal with the paperwork side (H.M.R.I. approvals, etc); and another to co-ordinate the on-site work.
To indicate the likely level of expenditure, pending completion of detailed costings, �ball park figures� of �200,000 for the first phase to Lintley, and a total of �500,000 for the entire extension had been suggested, on the basis of all materials required being purchased new.
When full information on costings was available, it was proposed to arrange a members� meeting to consider the recommendations of the Council of Management at that stage.

The ensuing discussion included the following points:-

Costings were being prepared on the basis of using volunteer labour except for specialist work on structures.
The basic costings would not include items of plant (such as a tamper) or additional passenger rolling stock, although these could be considered separately and included if appropriate for any grant application.
It was not yet possible to estimate what proportion of the cost might be covered by grants, but the possibility of Heritage Lottery Fund grant, for at least certain elements of the work, was to be pursued.
At a members� meeting, the views of some who are not involved in work on the railway might be over-ambitious. It was suggested that a summary of the costings document when completed, could be circulated with the On Track volunteers news sheet as a first step, for discussion at a meeting of working members.
It was suggested that, if a members� meeting was arranged, those who live at a distance and perhaps visit to work on only one or two occasions during the year should not be disadvantaged and their views should be sought if they were not able to attend the meeting.
A view was expressed that a further meeting to discuss the extension was an extra complication, and the need for it was questioned.
For work on the extension, it would be necessary to draw in and retain more working members. It was suggested that a published work programme for specified days would encourage volunteer support. Better communication skills are needed in the organisation, and there is always the practical difficulty that some members are able to attend only on certain days. The work programme prior to opening to Kirkhaugh was felt to have been successful and a similar plan could be adopted in future, with information given in On Track and Tynedalesman.
It would be important to seek project leaders who were able to take on the heavy responsibilities involved, and it was suggested that job descriptions could be drawn up to make clear what each role entailed.

The meeting concluded with discussion relating to the steam locomotive, Barber, which is to be obtained on loan from Leeds Industrial Museum:-

The Society�s financial commitment is to the cost of transport, insurance and some incidental items.
The cost of restoration will not be paid from the Society�s funds; it is proposed that a grant will be sought in conjunction with Leeds Museums. Initially, a small grant is being sought from the �Awards for All� scheme to cover transport, the obtaining of drawings, etc..
The initial period of loan is five years, which is the normal maximum under museum guidelines nationally, but the loan is renewable and is expected to be extended for at least a further five year period.
The restoration work will be planned in series with work on other locomotives.
The Hunslet 0-4-2 steam locomotive is a lower priority and is regarded as a long-term project in view of the large amount of expenditure (probably around �30,000) required for restoration.

The Chairman closed the informal meeting at 3.50 p.m.

Meeting reports compiled by Steven Dyke.

SOUTH TYNEDALE RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY
Registered Charity No. 514939
Limited by Guarantee: Company Registration Number 1850832 (England).
Member of the Heritage Railway Association.
Registered Office: The Railway Station, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3JB
Tel. 01434 381696.��Talking timetable tel. 01434 382828
Web address: www.strps.org.uk

Patron: Lord Inglewood M.E.P.
Hon.Vice-President: Jim Foster-Smith.

Council of Management:-
Robin Alderson, Alan Blackburn, Norman Cook, Steven Dyke, Richard Graham,
Jim Harper, Colin McIntyre, Mike Ryan, John Sutton, Ivan Ward.

Society Officials:-
Chairman: John M. Sutton.
Deputy Chairman: Alan Blackburn. � Send e-mail to Alan Blackburn
Secretary: Steven Dyke.
Assistant Secretary: Dr. Tom Bell. � Send e-mail to Tom Bell
Treasurer: Mike Ryan. � Send e-mail to Mike Ryan
Membership Secretary: Mrs. Kathy Aveyard. � Send e-mail to Kathy Aveyard
Publicity Co-ordinator: John Gillott.� Send e-mail to John Gillott
Safety Liaison Officer: Duncan Wheeler. � Send e-mail to Duncan Wheeler
Rostering Officer: Robin Alderson. � Send e-mail to Robin Alderson
Volunteer Liaison Officer: Mike Rapp. � Send e-mail to Mike Rapp
�Tynedalesman� Newsletter Editor: Robin Alderson. � Send e-mail to Robin Alderson
Archivist and Webmaster: Daniel McIntyre.� Send e-mail to Daniel McIntyre

S.T.R. Departmental Structure:-

Forum 1 - Infrastructure:-
Head of Department & Forum Convener - Richard Graham;� Deputy Forum Convener - Sean Wilson.

Forum 2 - Operating:-
Head of Department & Forum Convener - Robin Alderson;� Deputy Forum Convener - Tom Bell.

Forum 3 - Engineering:-
Head of Department & Forum Convener - Alan Blackburn;� Deputy Forum Convener - (Post vacant).

Forum 4 - Commercial:-
Head of Department & Forum Convener - Ivan Ward;� Deputy Forum Convener - (Post vacant).

Tynedalesman Newsletter:-
Material for publication should be sent to the Newsletter Compiler, Robin Alderson.
E-mail enquiries please click on link - Send e-mail to Robin Alderson

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SOUTH TYNEDALE RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY
Registered Office: The Railway Station, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3JB
Tel. 01434 381696.��Talking timetable tel. 01434 382828
Registered Charity No. 514939.

E-mail addresses - click on links below:-
South Tynedale Railway information - Send e-mail to South Tynedale Railway
STRPS membership information only - Send e-mail to Kathy Aveyard
Tynedalesman information only - Send e-mail to Liesel Metz

Mission Statement for the South Tynedale Railway:-
�To provide satisfaction for our customers and volunteers by operating a friendly, safe and efficient narrow-gauge railway.�

� South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society, December 2003.

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