The Echills Wood Railway Observer | Reporting Every Monday

THIS IS YOUR PAGE!!!

If there is anything you would like to comment on, or have your say about the railway, then please email me at:-

Just click on the above link.

Don't forget, you can also add photos to your email, as an attachment, if they are related to your comments. There is also a GUEST BOOK where you can also have your say!

Letter From Jeremy Dunn

Geoff

Just a quick note to say thank you for the welcome that everyone we spoke to today.. Please pass our thanks on to Jeff Stevens as well and Chris and his wife in particular, I forget their surname but he has a Royal Scot and is also building a Highlander.

I hope you weren't stuck on crossing duty too long and that someone came and relieved you so that you weren't stuck there all evening.

Many thanks once again, we really enjoyed our day and obtained some really usefull tips from Jeff and Chris regarding Highlander models. We look forward to being able to bring our own loco on a visit at some time in the future.

Regards

Jeremy Dunn

Letter From Marcus Ingram

I noted in today's report short infill rail. I only comment as this was some
thing I saw on another group in connection with an I think a RAIB report on
the Manx railway and poor practice.
This is very dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Better to shorten
a long rail and insert a lot longer section of fill.

Just a passing comment from some one who loves what's happing at Kingsbury
and would never want to hear of an incident.

If you could pass on concerns
Regards

Marcus Ingram

Letter From Denis Hoad

Dear Editor and ALL at Echills Wood.

So sorry to hear of the passing of Ray in your latest news sheet.

.I know that he will be missed, I had known him for many years from coming to your track at Stoneleigh and at 7.1/4 meetings.over the years.

Yours most sincerely,

Dennis Hoad. 7.1/4 member.

Letter from Alan Dowdeswell

I attended the brilliant open day with my family Along with Tim and Heather Reynolds and their family. On my first trip around, I nearly fell off, when aproaching the station upon seeing the crane flower baskets. If you look at Gerald Cox's first picture on the letters page, you can see the crane to the right in its original setting in 1989. A bit of history. The crane was originaly bought by Armstrong Siddeley, just before they became Bristol Siddely, then Rolls Royce at Parkside Coventry. It eventually ended up in the RB211 Fan Case shop where it was occasionally used for maintenance purpose in areas that the main gantry cranes could not reach. It was replaced in the late 70s by a hydrailic arm lift and stood in a corner collecting a covering of blasting grit. I obtained it as scrap, nil cost for use in the steaming bay for any general lifting requirements at Stoneleigh, from where, it arrived at Kingsbury. I think the paint job and its new use is ideal
Keep up the good work
Allan Dowdeswell

A letter from Gerald Cox in Austrailia.

Hi Geoff, Thanks for a really interesting and entertaining web site. I almost felt I was there at the grand opening. After over 20 years I still consider myself a member of EWR. Seeing a lot of the old faces on the recent pictures has given me a special pleasure being on the other side of the world. Reading the recent discussion about RIVER AVON prompted me to dig out these old photos. The original concept was the late Roy Baileys who built a 16mm cardboard model which stood on a beam in the carriage shed for ages. This enthused me to build the 71/4 version with the elec transmission as Alan has described.David Walters named the colour Cox's orange pippin! Many people gave a bit of help and advice as was the way at the railway. Jeff I think, painted the brown flash round it and helped fit the windows and Alan Dowdeswell took to driving it. It's great to see it still going strong. The other pic is of Roy driving Jaipur whitch now resides somewhere in Canberra. I think the first pic might stir a few memories taken at the 10th anniversary 1986,Doug looking a little younger,River Avon,Alain Foote,Jeff Stevens, Rodney Weaver,Malcolm Graham,Alan Dowdeswell,Richard Vaughan, Myself,David Walters and Ken Blackham. Best wishes with your great project at Kingsbury and to my old friends. We still live in South Australia still by the River Murray still building steam engines... Gerald Cox. email gedco@aapt.net.au

See photos below. For those of you who may wish to contact Gerald, his email is posted above. Editor.

Taken at Stoneliegh: Circa 1986 10th Aniversary

River Avon, Jaipur, Sylvia, Leopld Garratt, taken in1989.

Roy Bailey taken in 1988.

Letter Fom SHARPO

Geoff,

I didn't realise how popular the photos of miniature locos had been in my
forum, with literally hundreds of "viewings" for each loco. So, I have spent
a few hours at the computer (like you have the last day or so!) adding
photos of all the locos seen in the cavalcade to the 7¼" gauge section.

The section has been split into "regions", a bit like the ABC spotter books,
which should make it easier to find specific locos as the collection of
photos grows.

http://sharpos-world.co.uk/BB3/viewforum.php?f=17

If any of your members wish to add anything to any of the photos which may
help other model engineers building, or thinking of starting a loco - such
as where to obtain parts, drawings etc. or for the "diesels" - what actually
powers them, then it could prove a useful reference in future years.

Over recent years I must have built up a good selection of photos from other
railways as well, so I had better "crack on" with some more.

Cheers,
Sharpo

Letter From Derek Billings

Hello Mr Editor

Photos as requested, sorry no titles as I do not know enough about the locos, But I did have wonderful day on Saturday, and everyone is to be congratulated on your efforts over the last two years and for this unforgetable event . Have been visiting the railway since 1973 when it all began.

as a member of the now disbanded W.S.E.S we were all ways made welcome at special events. Once again thank you for a super day, the weather helped !

Best wishes from Derek Billings,

LETTER OF THANK'S FROM DAVE BELL

Geoff

Could I please use this forum to say thankyou to the following EWR members
who together provided some portable track, loco and coach for Jannahs last
school summer fete before she moves onto King Henry VIII school in
September.

It was a nice day and a few quid was raised for the school.

In no particular order, Ken Smith for providing the track. Annette and Phil
for transporting it to and from the school. And for the second time in 12
months Kim and Andy for providing a loco. This time it was Erin, which
performed immaculately and who was admired by many.

Once again thanks to them for there help and for giving up there day.

Cheers Dave Bell

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCMENT

The European Commissioners have announced that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language for European communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceeded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five year phased plan, for what will be known as, Euro English (Euro for short).

In the first year, "s" will be used instead of the soft "c". Sertainly, sivil servants will resieve this news with joy! Also, the hard "c" will be replaced with "k". Not only will this klear up any konfusion, but typewriters kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publk enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replased by "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the third year publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reash the stage where more komplikated shanges are possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double leters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent "e's" in the languag is disgrasful, and they should go!

By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps sush as replasing "th" by "z" and "w" by "v".

During ze fifz year ze unesasary "o" kan be droped from verds kontaining "ou" and similar shanges vud of kors be aplied to difikult vords and evryon vil find it ezi to understand ech uzer.

It vud be advantagus if ve mad a habit of adopting Euro in ur privat lif in order to be on step ahead of ozer europeans by 2008

So brak yurself for futur isues.

(And no koments zat ze Editor has adopted it already!)

So al futr reports, vil be using ze new Euro languag zat yu vil son get to grips vif.

Letter From Tim Couling

Hi Geoff,

Well done on a terrific website for the EWR. The railway just goes from strength to strength. It looks good now and promises to be fantastic as all the finishing touches are completed.

I've got so used to checking daily for progress reports that your computer glitch a few days ago was a real downer - gald that you are all fixed now. Glad yu fixed the map, by the way, it's much easier to move around now.

I'm watching from Dorset and look forward to the day when I can visit with my own loco!

Keep up the good work.

Best regards,

Tim Couling

Have a look at this video clip

How to safelycross a railway. NOT!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=57L8F5EcfYM

Have YOUR Say

If you would like to add some of your own content to this Web Site or have anything you would like to say or see on it, regarding the E.W.R. then please email me at the address below.

Members Owning Locos & Stock.

If you have a photo of your loco or item of stock and would like it displayed on this site, then please send me an email with an attachment of your photo to the editor, stating your name and loco/stock details.

EditorEWRO@aol.com

The aim of this Web Site is not to compete with the Societie's Official Site, but to offer an alternative scource of information, as to what is happening down at Kingsbury. Keeping you up to date, as it happens on a weekly basis and providing an opportunity to have your say as well as my own content.

Geoff Holt. Editor/Web Master