March 2021 Update
The membership fees for 2020/21 have risen slightly, to £15 for single members and £25 for joint membership (two members, same address and receiving just one Packet). This as a result of ever increasing costs and brings us in line with fellow projects of our size. Following several requests, the Board have agreed to offer Life Memberships. The costs of these are shown below;
| Under 60 | Over 60 | Under 60 | Over 60 | |||
| Single | £500 | £300 | Joint | £800 | £500 |
If you’re interested in a life membership or have any membership queries please contact our Membership Secretary at C.mileman@35011GSN.co.uk
As mentioned separately earlier this month The General Steam Navigation Locomotive Restoration Society feature in the latest Railway Mania podcast, episode 17. The 90-minute podcast features three of the Society Trustees, Andrew Collett, Steve Rapley (CME) and Graham Muspratt with Corwin Bainbridge discussing our project to restore General Steam Navigation back to original condition complete with Bulleid’s chain driven valve gear and air smoothed casing. The podcast has received some incredible feedback and is highly recommended that everyone interested in the project do take a listen.
Our brand new Limited Edition 00 Gauge Conflat wagons, with two different colour container options, produced in cooperation with the Medway Queen Preservation Society, are now available to purchase via our online shop here.
The Society has added to two articles sent by Alan Peake to our website. His father, Bill, was MD of New Medway Steam Packet Company which had been taken over by the GSN Shipping Line before the last war. The first tells the story of Bill’s life associated with Company and the second is a talk given by Bill to the London and Home Counties branch of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society in 1961 about living with the ‘Paddlers’. If there is any interest amongst the membership (or others known to the group, perhaps) in purchasing photos of the Shipping Company’s ships, Alan has many that he can supply and has kindly offered the proceeds to our Society’s funds. Please contact Alan directly via email here for further details. You can find Alan Peake’s articles in our Memories and Recollections section here.
Crested Eagle (pictured right with the Royal Eagle on the left on the buoys off Tower Pier on 19th May 1934)
The Society has started sharing #OnThisDay posts marking significate anniversaries in General Steam Navigations history. February featured two historical dates with her naming ceremony at Waterloo in 1945 on the 20th and her return to service in 1955 following modifications resulting from the Crewkerne incident on the 19th. These posts have proved popular and the Society will continue to post them over the coming months when such anniversaries appear.
Work has continued on the CAD modelling thanks to the hard work of James Pearce and James Conway. We are concentring on the bogie in preparation for restoring it later on the year subject to funding and the completion of the trailing truck.
The Trailing Truck Transformers funding group continues to be our primary fundraising campaign with its objective of funding the restoration of GSNs trailing truck. The Society is pleased with the initial number of members who have signed up for blocks but are under no illusions that its still along way from being funded. We are offering a maximum of 30 members the opportunity to purchase a ‘Lot’ for £500. Members are welcome to purchase as many ‘Lots’ as they wish up to the maximum target amount.
Members of the Fund Group would receive a number of benefits including:
- Certificate of membership of the ‘Trailing Truck Transformers’
- Name engraved on a suitable brass plaque attached to the refurbished Trailing Truck
- Regular updates on the refurbishment of the Trailing Truck
- An invitation to a VIP day at the Swindon and Cricklade Railway to see the completed Trailing Truck once it is returned to the railway.
For details on how to become a Trailing Truck Transformer click here.
We understand that £500 is a lot of money and for people who wish to support the trailing truck but are unable to join the Trailing Truck Transformers club you can help us by donating to our Wheel Set appeal on our JustGiving page here.
The 35011 Twenty Twenty Club winners have been drawn for February.
Congratulations go to:
1st Prize – Allan Bott, 2nd Prize – Paul Millard, 3rd Prize – David Taylor
The Twenty Twenty Club is a great way to help raise funds for the locomotive and at the same time have a little bit of fun. We still have the last few places remaining find out how to join here.
2021 is shaping up to be a very important year for the project with some big goals in mind. You can help support us in many ways if you are not already a Society member you can sign up for membership for currently only £15 per year here, or donate to the Society here or even better become a shareholder here.
As always thank you for your continued support.