ASTT’s 2017 Autumn Conference – a great success

ASTT’s 2-day 2017 Autumn Conference ended on Sunday afternoon 1st October.  The event proved even more successful than anticipated and the only regret was that more people weren’t in attendance.  As it was, 33 attended the Saturday session and 31 on the Sunday of whom 25 appear in the photo above.  Amongst them were Wolfgang Fengler from the USA, Hendrik Kaptein from The Netherlands and Xavier Jimenez from Spain, whose welcome presence made this ASTT’s first “International” conference.

Ten excellent papers were presented covering a wide range of topics by speakers ranging in age from 24 y.o. Tom Kay who is completing a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering, to Joseph Cliffe who began his career with the LNER in 1947 and who later worked under Sir William Stanier at Powerjets Ltd.  The ten speakers were (in order of presentation):

  1. Geoff Turner and Phil Yates who spoke on “The Clan Project: 21st century manufacturing for a 20th century locomotive”;
  2. Adrian Tester who spoke on “The Physiology of the Locomotive Boiler”, the subject of a new book that he is shortly to publish;
  3. Tom Kay who spoke on “Austerity 90733 Horn Guide and Frame Re-Design”;
  4. William Powell who spoke on “Improving small gauge live steam locomotives”;
  5. Colin Green (of Riley & Son) who spoke on “The latest restoration of Flying Scotsman”;
  6. Joseph Cliffe who spoke on “Chapelon and the Advanced Steam Locomotive”;
  7. Jamie Keyte who spoke on “LNWR George the Fifth – Coupling rod analysis for the modern railway”;
  8. Wolf Fengler who spoke on “CSR Biofuels Trials in the USA”;
  9. Mike Horne (of ASTT) who spoke on “Update on ASTT’s steam locomotive instrumentation developments”;
  10. Owen Jordan who spoke on “A new boiler to meet the challenges of the 21st century”.

In addition to the presentations, visits were made to the workshops facilities of both the East Lancs Railway and of Ian Riley & Son.  It is believed that ASTT’s conference attendees were the first group to be invited to see inside Riley’s new workshop facilities.

A more detailed report on the conference has been added to the Members’ section of this website.  Copies of PPT files and video recordings of presentations are now available to those who attended the conference through a password-protected page.  Members who didn’t attend the conference but would like to see the presentations are invited to make a £10 contribution to help cover the conference fee shortfall.

 

 

Leave a Reply