Chairman's Notes - February 2009
Despite the wintry weather, our permanent way team have been busy installing the left hand turnout at Trevarno. This has proved to be a tricky exercise particularly as we now have very limited plant on site, relying almost entirely on one of our Member's tractor to carry out all the heavy lifting work. However, the turnout is now taking shape and once completed we will extend track laying southwards to the footpath crossing and then connect to the siding. This will allow us to move the DMU shunters and brake van into the siding and out of the way of our main running line.
We received approval from Kerrier District Council for our revised planning application during January. This now gives us permission to construct the platform on the Trevarno House side of the line - providing better access to the Gardens and Estate Walk, and extend track laying a further quarter of a mile north towards Gansey Farm at Prospidnick Bridge. In another piece of good news, the County Council's Environment and heritage Service has offered us a grant of £3,000 towards the cost of erecting the footbridge at the public footpath crossing south of where we are building Trevarno Station. This will meet 50% of the cost of replacing the footbridge that was demolished when the line was closed. Thanks to Mike Hawkey, Head of Environment and Heritage at the County Council, for his help with this.
Our Permanent Way team have also been busy at Penryn station on the Falmouth branch once again. Over 400 concrete sleepers have been donated to us by Network Rail and Amey. These became surplus to their requirements as a result of the installation of the new passing loop there. We also hope to obtain redundant platform edging stones from the disused up platform at Penryn, and subject to negotiations we may also be able to purchase second hand rails from the Newquay Branch line shortly.
The Diesel Group have also been busy, with work currently underway to check the electrical equipment on the Park Royal DMU. The left hand engine has been started successfully for a second time and the Cardan shaft that links the engine to the gearbox and final drive has now been re-attached.
Two items of bureaucracy need to be completed before we can officially move any trains under their own power - we need to get Licence Exemption from the Office of the Rail Regulator and agree our Safety Management system with a suitably qualified independent competent person (to use the Railway Inspectorate's terminology). Our aim is to get some trains running during 2009, so watch this space for progress.
Finally a note about the relationship between the two limited companies and the Helston Railway Preservation Society, an issue which some of our supporters feel needs to be clarified.
When you join as a supporter of the Helston Railway Preservation Company Limited (HRPC), you automatically become a member of the Helston Railway Preservation Society. The HRPC is currently responsible for all the construction and operation of the railway as its limited liability status ensures that none of the Society Members would become personally liable if the company was ever in a position not to pay its debts or be subject to any legal action (hopefully this will never happen). The HRPC is a Company Limited by Guarantee and does not have any shareholders.
The Society does not undertake any railway operations but represents the railway's supporters and volunteers. At the joint Annual General Meeting of the Society and the HRPC, the members of the Society elect the Directors of the HRPC ensuring that there is a link between the two. The Helston Railway Journal is published by the Society and the Society also runs the 200 Club.
The Helston Railway Company Plc is currently not trading, but raising share capital to pay for the railway's construction. When enough has been raised the railway operations of the HRPC will be transferred to the Helston Railway Company plc and the HRPC will be reconstituted as a fund raising organisation with charitable status. This is a common arrangement used by the majority of heritage railways around the UK.
Stuart Walker
Chairman
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2008 Raffle Winners
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Congratulations to the winners of the Raffle which was drawn at the Helston Railway Society's Christmas Dinner. The winners were:
First Prize £500 Mr. J Rowe of Nailsea Bristol
Second Prize £250 Mr A. Bloomfield of Wokingham Berks
Third Prize £100 Mr. D. Richards of Mullion
Fourth Prize £100 Ms L Bradbury of Plymstock, Devon
Fifth Prize £50 Ms S Harvey of Falmouth
Chairman's Notes
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