Our member Ron Smelt not only helps to maintain our rolling stock as on the lower right photograph, but Ron is taking an active part in helping with the building of the brand new A1 Class Peppercorn Pacific Locomotive, "Tornado". This is the first mainline steam locomotive to be built in Britain since 1960. No Peppercorn class locomotives were saved from the scrap yard, thus this locomotive being built and with a follow on number of 60163 will be unique. The locomotive is being built to a standard as required by European Regulations, for example the locomotive will have an onboard generator for the lighting and other electrical requirements. Meeting these requirements will enable Tornado to operate at 90 mph Ron tells me. This is rather faster than the locomotives that operate on the tracks on the miniature railway in the park.
If you would like more information from the official web-site for this project click here or if you want visit a site with a wide selection of photographs of the locomotive click here.
Top right photograph from the collection of the late Walter Ashton, illustrates one of the original A1 class locomotives in service.

Our members also members of the Friends of Doncaster Grand Theatre helping to set up the lighting for a visit by members of Doncaster Metropolitan Town Council and the Doncaster Civic Theatre on the 4th October 2006. Good progress is now being made in 2008 to ensure that the theatre will re-open in 2009. Third photograph from right our members Pat Ashton & Stephen Hobbs and myself taking the photographs. Stephen is person of many talents including involvement with the Thorne Moorends Community Radio and helping to restore Aston-under-Lyne trolleybus No. 89 at the East Anglia Transport Museum.

Above Left the Ashton trolleybus that Stephen is helping to restore at the East Anglia Transport Museum whilst the middle photograph shows Stephen at the original studio of the Thorne Moorends Community Radio which have now been transferred to the Winning Post at Moorends from Finkle Street in Thorne. The photograph to the right shows myself at the stations console on the open day in 2007. The radio station is due to return to the airwaves on 93.5 FM with a 5 year license granted by OfCom for broadcasts in 2009 . For more details about the radio station click here.

On the 6th July 1952 London's Last Tram trundled through the streets amidst huge crowds. A nostalgic film was made "The Elephant Never Forgets" about the last days of the trams.   Our member Stuart Lamming who used to drive the trains at Sandtoft and now at Thorne is now a regular driver of the trams at the East Anglia Transport Museum including this ex-London tram that escaped the breakers yard. Ironically trams have now returned to Croydon and plans are in hand to extend the new tramway into Central London. Click here to see some video of London's Last Tram courtesy of the BBC. In the meantime Stuart enables the visitors at the museum to recall those nostalgic days.