Author: Chris Newman

John Hind has prepared a report on the ASTT seminar/workshop “Network Steam – Securing Steam’s Future on Network Rail” held at Birmingham University on 10^th May 2017.

A copy of the report can be downloaded from the Newsletter page of this website (available to members only).

Planning is underway for ASTT’s autumn conference which will be held at the Bury Transport Museum in Bury, Greater Manchester from Saturday 30th Sept to Sunday 1st October.  The theme of the conference will be “Building a future for the Steam Locomotive” and its focus will be on new-build steam and technological developments relating to steam traction.

ASTT’s 2016 conference held in Haworth was a great success. So too was its March 2017 General Meeting in Bury.  The 2017 Autumn Conference will build on those successes by spanning two full days and including a conference dinner which is expected to be held on board an East Lancs Railway dining car.  It is hoped that a visit to Ian Riley’s workshops might also be arranged.

Space at the conference venue is limited to no more than 60 people, so seating is being reserved on a first-come-first-served basis.  Anyone who is interested in attending should write to to request a seat reservation. Further information about the conference can be found on the Conference Flyer including information about local accommodation and public transport.    

ASTT will be hosting a workshop/seminar on the topic “Securing Steam’s Future on Network Rail” at the University of Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, starting at 9:30am on Wednesday 10^th May 2017.

Attendance will be limited to ASTT members and invited guests.  Invitations were sent out on 9th April, so any member who has not received one should contact and request one.    

The five presentations given at AST’s General Meeting at Bury on 4^th March are now available on the Bury Presentations page of this website.

Members who couldn’t attend the meeting now have a chance to see and hear the excellent presentations given by our five speakers.

The page is password protected, the password being available to members only.

Cedric Lodge, James Evans and Chris Newman were in attendance to represent the AST Trust at the memorial ceremony for Phil Girdlestone held at Boston Lodge on Saturday 18th May 2017.

The event was attended by around 40 people amongst whom were Phil’s elder brother Roland, FR General Manager Paul Lewin, and steam engineers Shaun McMahon and Nigel Day.  The party assembled on the platform at Porthmadog’s Harbour Station from where it was transported by train the short distance to Boston Lodge station where they disembarked to make the short climb to the memorial plinth sited above the workshops.  There, as the rain clouds held back, funeral celebrant Tim Clark read out a thoroughly researched anthology of Phil’s life.

Celebrants were then taken for a short ride along the Welsh Highland line to and from Hafod y Llyn, before reassembling in Spooner’s Cafe for further readings and for Phil’s brother Roland to receive a pre-publication copy of Phil’s autobiography.

The photos below were taken by Chris Newman during the event.

ASTT held its AGM at the Bury Transport Museum on 4th March 2017.  A committee meeting preceeded the AGM which was followed by an afternoon general meeting at which five presentations were made.

The 20 ASTT members attending included:

• John Hind (chairman);
• Cedric Lodge (secretary);
• Mike Horne (retiring secretary);
• Paul Hibberd (treasurer);
• John Duncan (Committee Member);
• Jamie Keyte (committee member);
• Richard Coleby (committee member);
• Chris Newman (webmaster and membership secretary);
• Adrian Tester (Associate Member);
• Alan Barnes (Associate Member);
• Andrew Taylor (Associate Member);
• David Gibson (Associate Member);
• David Pawson (Full Member);
• David Hyde (Associate Member);
• David Nicholson (Associate Member);
• Joseph Cliffe (Associate Member);
• Nigel Thornley (Associate Member);
• Owen Jordan (Associate Member);
• Robin Pennie (Associate Member);
• Zach Bond (Associate Member).

Apologies were received from 11 members.

AGM Minutes:  The minutes of the meeting are still being prepared and will be distributed to the membership in due course.

General Meeting:  A general meeting took place through the afternoon, being taken up with five excellend presentations as follows:

• “The Ultimate Steam Locomotive” by David Pawson;
• “A new responsibility for the ASTT?” by Richard Coleby;
• “Revolution – Modern Steam – Modular Concept” by Jamie Keyte;
• A brief update on the “Manxman” Rotary Steam Engine by Owen Jordan and David Gibson;
• “Electronic Locomotive Indicating trials by ASTS Ltd” by Mike Horne.

It is hoped that with the agreement of the authors, copies of the papers (PPT files) and video recordings of the presentations will shortly be made available (to members only) through this website.

Phil Girdlestone, who died in South Africa in April 2016, was one of a small band of latter-day engineers who travel the world implementing improvements to steam locomotives based on the preachings of Livio Dante Porta. 

One of Phil’s last wishes was to have his ashes laid to rest at the Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales where he began his career on the Ffestiniog Railway.  To honour this wish, a memorial service will take place at the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways on Saturday 18th March 2017.

The program for the day will be as follows: A special train will depart Harbour Station, Porthmadog at 13:45 on March 18 for Boston Lodge Halt.  From there, attendees will walk to the Boston Lodge Memorial for a short ceremony at which will be read any messages from people who are unable to attend.  Attendees will re-board the train at 14:25, returning to Harbour Station at 14:30.  After  a brief stop in the station, the train will depart again at 14:50 on the Welsh Highland track to Hafod y Llyn, returning again at 16:10.  A reception buffet will follow in the station.

Anyone unable to attend but who would like a few words of remembrance to be read out on the day should send their message to Frances Harris at Porthmadog.  Those attending will include Shaun McMahon (who will be travelling over from Argentina for the event) and Chris Newman of the AST Group. 

This will be an open event to which all-comers will be welcomed whether or not they knew Phil.  It is hoped that the event will be well attended by AST’s members.

Please contact Frances Harris before 11th March if you plan to attend the ceremony and buffet dinner so  that catering can be arranged.  Frances advises those attending to bring umbrellas and weather-proof clothing because the memorial site is exposed to the Welsh weather.

Invitations have been sent out to ASTT members to attend the Trust’s 2nd Annual General Meeting to be held in the Meeting Room of the Bury Transport Museum in Bury (Lancashire) at 11:30am on Saturday 4^th March.  The AGM will be followed by lunch and a General Meeting which will include three technical presentations that are expected to be of interest to members.  The Agenda includes an invitation to members to offer addional papers on subjects of their own choosing. 

There will be no charge for attendance or for the buffet lunches to be provided by the East Lancs Railway.   Please note that this event is open to members only and invited guests. Non-members are welcome to join the trust if they wish to attend – see Membership page where an application form can be downloaded.

Time will be made available for attendees to look around the Bury Transport Museum and for those who want to extend their visit to Bury, the East Lancs Railway’s main station is next door to the museum. 

The Bury Transport Museum is very easy to reach by car and by public transport (see directions at the end of the attached agenda).  Accommodation (for those who need it) may be found not far from the museum at the Castle Guest House and the Manchester Bury Premier Inn.

Members are asked to write to to advise if they plan to attend the meeting and whether they wish to offer a presentation during the afternoon session. Post Script: ASTT will be hosting its second conference this autumn based on the broad theme: “Building a future for the Steam Locomotive”.  This will be a weekend event from Saturday 30^th Sep to Sunday 1^st October, and like the AGM, it will be held at the Bury Transport Museum.  An advanced notice and Call for Papers will be circulated shortly.